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HEALTHY HOME 









































ENCYCLOPEDIA 


—OF— 


HEALTH AND HOME: 


The Family Guide to Health and Prosperity. 


ADAPTED FOR POPULAR USE. 



Medical Contributors: 


Geo. IE 3 . TT^oozd, 2v.Z. ID., 
ZEL ZE3Z. E^-u-zdidocit, ZL/£. ID., 


Author of “A Text Book of Modern Medicine and Surgery”; “Consump. 
tion and Diseases of the Lungs”; “Essentials of Diet”; 

“The Vade Mecum”; “The Lady ? s Manual;’ “The 
Pocket Manual”; “The Stepping Stone”; 

“Diseases of Infants and Chil¬ 
dren”; Etc., Etc. 



TWO VOLUMES IN ONE. 



CHICAGO: 


DONOHUE & HENNEBERRY, PRINTERS. 










* 







Copyrighted in 188 7 . 



i 



PREFACE. 


T HIS work, it is believed, stands in no need of any elaborate prefa¬ 
tory introduction, nor is it sought to bespeak for it from its 
readers any more favorable consideration than its merits entitle it to 
demand. It is confidently placed in the hands of an intelligent and 
discriminating public, in full assurance that it will prove an instrument 
of constant usefulness and a possession of inestimable and never-failing 
v; lue. 

It will be found to contain extensive and useful information of 
v lusual practical value, on subjects that are of vital and paramount 
importance to every individual, including the physical well-being, com¬ 
fort and happiness of man from infancy to age. 

n this age of education and progress, the Science of Health is no 
longer the exclusive possession of a profession, but is made an oj:>en 
book for those who have the wisdom to learn that which more nearly 
than anything else concerns their lease of life, the extent to which it is 
to run, and their capacity for its best enjoyment. 

These pages embody the wisdom and experience, and best results 
of years of practical observation, of prominent and enlightened phy¬ 
sicians, upon the simplest and most effectual methods of promoting 
health, overcoming disease, and prolonging life. 

The knowledge here imparted, and explicit and effectual instruc¬ 
tions given for its application to the preservation and restoration of 
health, in all stages and conditions of life, are worth more to a family 
or individual than all the strong drugs in existence, leaving out of con¬ 
sideration the fact that it will enable its readers to dispense in a great 
measure with the costly services and the nauseous drugs of the apothe¬ 
cary. 

Particular attention is directed to the “Food and Home Reme¬ 
dies,” in the departments on diseases, which have of late years been so 
extensively and successfully employed in Europe and which have 



4 


PREFACE 


never before been given in any American publication. There are also 
given the various new remedies of like character of our own country, 
which have recently come into use, and which have demonstrated their 
success in the cure of physical ailments. These remedies will be 
found as easy of access as they are inexpensive and safe, reliable and 
effectual; and they are free from the dangers attending the use of poi¬ 
sonous or deleterious drugs, which while removing one disease too 
frequently pave the wav for some more dangerous malady, or under¬ 
mine the constitution. 

The merits of this book are not obscured by any effort to mystify 
its contents with high sounding phrases, or euphonious but incompre¬ 
hensible technicalities. Everything will be found in plain, pointed 
and easily apprehended language, and condensed so as to convey its 
lessons in the most direct and least ambiguous terms. It makes no 
demand for professional learning or hard study. The rationale of 
treatment in all cases is given in such simple and thorough manner 
that the commonest apprehension will be able to utilize the remedies 
intelligently and successfully, and the average reader can avail himself 
of its aid as readily and as effectually as the most accomplished scholar. 

There are embodied in this book, departments are adapted to the 
views and requirements of the adherents of the different schools of 
Medicine; while the owners of Live-stock, or those interested in Hor¬ 
ticulture, will find much that is new and of practical value and utility, 
that will be certain to challenge their approval and greatly conduce to 
their advantage and profit. 


DIVISION FIRST. 


LOCAL HYGIENE. 


HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY RESIDENCES. 


The location of the home, whether it be for temporary sojourn 
or for a permanent habitation, is a question at all times of serious 
importance, no matter from what aspect it may be viewed. Among 
the many considerations which have to be regarded in choosing a 
building site, or selecting a building for occupancy, there is none of 
graver moment or that involves more serious and far reaching con¬ 
sequences, affecting the permanent happiness and well-being of all 
immediately interested, than the sanitary conditions which the loca¬ 
tion, soil and surroundings create for the chosen home. In these 
days the fundamental principles of hygiene are fairly understood, 
and an enlarged knowledge of sanitary laws is eagerly sought after 
and applied to the affairs of life, in no relation of which is their 
observance of greater importance than in the decision of the ques¬ 
tion, “Where shall we establish our home?” After all other 
ordinary considerations have been satisfactorily adjusted, there 
yet remains the most important of all to be decided—where 
to secure the most favorable conditions for health and the 
greatest immunity from every influence that prejudices its 
possession and enjoyment. In the face of so grave a responsibil¬ 
ity as is involved in the selection of the hygienic surroundings with 
which he is to permanently invest his family, no person of intelli¬ 
gence will select a location for a home contrary to the dictates of 
ordinary sanitary laws; but it is important that he should have for 
his guidance the information here given upon principles not so well 
understood. Modern sanitary science has traced to Malaria 
the basis of a large proportion of the diseases which afflict human¬ 
ity; and in fixing upon a home, one who is conversant with 
the favorite lurking places of this dread evil, is naturally impelled 
to look first to the character of the soil. Scientific observation and 
investigation have ascertained that certain soils contain the elements 
of disease, absorbing effete substances and exhaling noxious gases 
which are evolved in their chemical changes, and that buildings 
erected thereon become reservoirs of this great producing-cause of 
disease, so that ail who dwell therein are inhaling life-destroying 
miasms with every breath of this polluted atmosphere; but it is a 
source of gratification and satisfaction, that a diligent study of nature’s 





6 


HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY RESIDENCES. 


laws as developed by modern scientific research may enable us to 
avoid the sources of all this evil and its sad results, and that this great 
Samson can be shorn of his locks, and made to yield gentle submission 
to the dictation of science as directed by simple means, in prudent 
hands guided by common sense. 

Residences Liable to be Affected by Malaria —Some 
time since, a paper, published in New Orleans, stated, “The yellow 
fever has broken out in the city, under every conceivable variety of 
circumstances; when the streets were clean, and when they were 
filthy; when the river was high, and when it was low; after a pro¬ 
longed drought, and in the midst of daily torrents; when the heat was 
excessive, and when the air was spring-like and pleasant; when ex¬ 
cavations and disturbances of the soil had been frequent, and where 
scarcely a pavement had been laid or a building erected. Almost 
the only fixed and undeniable fact connected with the disease is, that 
its prevalence is simultaneous with the heats of summer, and that 
frost is its deadly enemy.” 

From these facts, then, we may draw two important conclusions 
in reference to malaria, viz., that heat and moisture are essential 
factors in the production of this disease; and that it cannot exist 
when there is severe frost. 

It is known that some thirty or forty years ago Louisville, 
Kentucky, was one of the most pestilential spots in the habitable 
West. But by a wise system of draining and filling it is now a 
healthy and beautiful city. 

Means of Avoiding and Counteracting Malaria— 

Growing hedges or trees, between a malarious locality and a dwelling, 
counteract the miasmatic influences of the former. The leaves seem 
to absorb and feed upon the malaria; and for the better protection of 
health, there should be a space of 50 feet or more, between the trees, 
or hedge, and the house. The thicker and broader and higher the 
hedge, and the nearer the leaves to the ground, the better; for it is 
there that malaria seems to exist in its greatest malignity. It is 
seldom concentrated enough at the height of ten feet to be materi¬ 
ally hurtful. 

Localities in Time of Plagues —In the cities of the Old 
World, in the times of the plagues and pestilences, the inhabitants 
had a custom of living in the upper stories of their dwellings while 
the disease was raging. They would not even come down to obtain 
marketing, but would let down baskets by ropes to the country peo¬ 
ple, for the provisions they wished to purchase. They failed to dis¬ 
cover why the country people could come to town with impunity, 
while they themselves were only safe from disease when they lived 
in the upper stories of their dwellings. From this we infer the ex¬ 
istence of the prejudices now universally prevailing in level, prairie 
districts, to have the sleeping rooms in the second story. 

The philosophy of this affair is this: malaria is condensed by 
cold, made heavy and falls to the earth, hovering, as it were, near its 


HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY RESIDENCES. 


7 


surface; hence it is not breathed unless a person lies close to the 
ground. 

On the other hand, heat so rarefies the malaria as to make it 
comparatively harmless. 

The coldness of night condenses and renders the malaria heavy, 
and, therefore, it is thrown to the surface of the ground, while the 
heat of the day rarefies it, and sends it upward toward the clouds 
again. From these facts it is readily perceived why country people, 
going to town, as they did in the day-time, could do so with com¬ 
parative safety. The effect of the sun-light also is to enhance the 
purifying process. 

Not more than half a century ago, the yellow fever and other 
deadly diseases prevailed in Charleston, South Carolina, and it was 
known at the time to be almost certain death, except to the accli¬ 
mated, or to the very hardy, to sleep in the city a single night. Yet 
the farmers came to town at mid-day, under the blistering summer 
sun, with perfect impunity. 

Location of Beci-Cliambers —From June to October, peo¬ 
ple should sleep in the upper stories of their dwellings. And the 
rooms should be so situated that the rays of the sun can be admitted 
into them some time during the day. There is an Italian adage, to 
the effect that, “ Where the sun does not enter , the doctor does” 

When Malaria Does its Destructive Work —Malaria 
is most pernicious about sunset and sunrise, because the cooling of 
the atmosphere, at the close of the day, causes it to become con¬ 
densed above, and therefore heavy, and to fall to the earth; while, after 
sundown, it has settled so near to the earth as to be below the mouth 
and nostrils; hence it is not breathed. Another reason is that the 
bodily vitality is lowered during the night, and thus we have a 
smaller resisting power between sunset and sunrise. When the sun 
begins to rise in the morning, the malaria grows warm and begins 
to ascend; but after breakfast it is so high as to be above the point 
at which it can be breathed; and besides, it is so rarefied—so widely 
diffused—as to be innocuous or harmless. Therefore, the practical 
truth follows, that malaria exerts its most baleful influence on human 
health about sunrise and sunset; hence, of all the hours of the 
twenty-four, these are the most hurtful in which to be out of doors; 
and for the same reason, the hours of midday and midnight are the 
most healthful to be in the open air in malarious seasons; that is, 
from June to October, north of the thirty-fifth degree of north lati¬ 
tude. 

How to Render Malaria Harmless —But, unfortun¬ 
ately, the cool of the early morning and the late afternoon are the 
most pleasant times in the twenty-four hours for field-work, and 
the industrious farmer will be exceedingly loth to spend these 
hours in-doors. There is, however, an almost infallible preventive 
of any ill effects arising from such an exposure to miasm, or mal¬ 
aria, about sunrise or sunset; and it ought to be made known 


8 


HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY RESIDENCES. 


throughout the country. Farmers whose houses are already built 
in malarial districts, such as in low, “ made ” lands, near stagnant 
water, or in the neighborhood of sluggish streams, may exempt 
themselves, almost altogether, from the whole class of malarial 
diseases, such as diarrhea, dysentery, chills and fever, of nearly every 
grade, by eating a warm breakfast before they attempt to go out in 
the morning, and by taking their suppers just before sunset. The 
philosophy of the matter is, that a hot or hearty meal so excites 
the circulation, and so invigorates the whole frame, that the latter 
acquires the power of resisting the disease-engendering influences 
of malaria. The Creoles, in portions of Louisiana where vegetation 
is rank, as in swamps, upon which the summer’s sun beams with 
great power for many hours during the day, are proverbially ex¬ 
empt from fevers, as are others, who adopt their habits—that is, 
have their breakfast, or at least a cup of hot coffee with milk, on 
rising, or have it brought to their bed-side before they rise. 

The value of this practice is known and appreciated in many 
other portions of the South. 

Malarious Locations not Sickly at all Times— It 

may be practically, in some cases, useful, to know that in one year 
a house on the banks of a sluggish stream, or mill-pond, may be 
visited with sickness; the next year it may be exempt, because it 
is a very cold summer; the third year it will escape, because it was 
a very hot summer; the fourth year it is a very healthful habita¬ 
tion, because of a very wet summer. The causes of these variations 
are briefly as follows : 

1. Malaria cannot rise through water, and the wet summer 
kept the bed of the pond or stream covered. 

2. There can be no malaria without dampness, and the hot 
summer dried the bed of the pond to dust. 

3. The cold summer did not give the degree of heat necessary 
to the generation of malaria. 

4. Modern scientific discovery has taught us that the exist¬ 
ence of microbes , is the real cause of what we term malaria and 
the production of these microbic germs is caused by decomposition; 
this is brought about by alternate rains and summer heats promoting 
decay in vegetable matter. 

Another effectual prevention against malarious diseases. As 
has been stated, heat rarefies malaria, rendering it comparatively 
harmless; therefore, in order to accomplish this result, let a brisk 
fire be kept, for an hour, in the sitting room, at sunrise and sunset, 
from July to October, and the family repair to this room, and re¬ 
main there until after breakfast, and as long at sunset. This done, 
it would save an immense amount of suffering from chills and 
fever, and other malarious diseases. 

Where to Build —To those who are able to choose their 
habitations we offer a few suggestions. The subject is especially 
important to delicate families, and to persons predisposed to con- 


HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY RESIDENCES. 


9 


sumption; it also deserves the attention of those who are healthy, 
and desire to maintain that condition unimpaired in themselves and 
their children. We advise, if possible, a country residence, and the 
selection of a house so constructed as to secure dryness of the 
foundation walls and roof. The site should be dry—a gentle slope, 
a gravel soil—and the frontage generally southerly or easterly; the 
bedrooms, especially those appropriated to cases of sickness, should 
have this aspect. It should also be a site from which there is 
thorough drainage, but toward which there is none. If the 
house is not upon a slope, the artificial drainage must be perfect. 
In towns and crowded places, in which the accumulation of decom¬ 
posing and decomposed animal and vegetable matter is great, artifi¬ 
cial channels or drains must be so constructed that all noxious 
matters and vapors may be rapidly removed and carried to a dis¬ 
tance, before they can decompose and impregnate the atmosphere 
and water with their vicious poisons. Every dwelling, to be whole¬ 
some, should be accessible to the free passage of currents of air, 
and provided with an unlimited supply of good water. In the 
choice of a site for a house, a locality should be avoided in which 
the water is impregnated with lead, iron, or other mineral substan¬ 
ces, or in proximity to stagnant waters; the ground should be above 
the level of the mist or vapor which rises after sunset in marshy 
and other districts. In short, the fundamental condition of healthy 
dwelling-places is—perfect purity of air and water; this must take 
precedence of all other considerations. The cause of the spread 
and fatality of all the plagues of the middle ages in the Eastern 
hemisphere was neglect of the conditions necessary to secure pure 
air and cleanliness. 

Surrounding’s —Other points of subordinate importance 
may be.glanced at. The house should not be too closely surrounded 
by trees, or in immediate proximity to thick woods, as they both 
attract and retain moisture, while they exclude much sunlight, and 
prevent evaporation and also the free circulation of air, and thus 
render the climate cold, damp, and consequently unhealthy. A 
cheerful situation, at the same time commanding the view of green 
trees, hedges, shrubs, etc., has a beneficial tendency. If compelled 
to live in a town, the house should face a park, square, or other 
open place, or at least be situated in a wide, airy street, with cheer¬ 
ing pleasant views. Lastly, a house should contain adequate bath 
arrangements, or at least provision for free personal ablutions. 

Some who read these pages may not have it in their power to 
carry out these hints fully, but be compelled to live where their 
occupations, families, or means determine; nevertheless, even such 
may be benefited by these suggestions; for, although they cannot 
secure perfection in a house or situation, they may aim at an ap¬ 
proximation to it. 

It is true that many of our readers may be prevented, by 
circumstances, from selecting the kind of house which would most 


10 


HEALTHY AND UN HEALTH i' RESIDENCES. 


conduce to their own health and that of their families, but all can 
avoid many serious dangers, arising from badly located or unhealthy 
dwellings, if these are clearly pointed out to them and they compre¬ 
hend the necessity. 

Air and Water —Concerning the importance of wholesome 
air and pure water, too much can hardly be said; and in selecting 
or building a house, it is impossible to exercise too great care 
against the presence of soil, situation or method of construction, 
which does not meet these conditions of health. In city houses, of 
course, the great danger is in the foul air which is communicated 
by and escapes from the sewers, through the often empty waste- 
pipes, the openings of which are seldom properly closed and 
securely trapped by the plumber, and still more seldom receive 
proper attention from the inexcusable carelessness of all the members 
of the family* And yet, it has been well ascertained that, even 
more than this, there is no more fruitful cause of diphtheria, and of 
many other diseases but little less dangerous and deadly. When 
the house is built on what is called “made ground,” that is, where 
earth, rubbish, manure, and a villainous compound of all other 
impurities, have been carted and emptied into sink-holes and cess¬ 
pools, until they were tilled to the level of the neighboring streets, 
which is the case with many dwellings in graded towns and 
cities, of course, these impurities rise, permeate, penetrate and 
poison the atmosphere and the very walls of such a house for years 
retain the virus and communicate it to the unfortunate occupants. 

Construction of Houses —In country houses, on the other 
hand, the air is generally pure; but the danger arises from sinking 
wells and cisterns in too close proximity to barn-yards, pig-styes, 
privies, etc., whence all impurities percolate through the loose soils, 
and into the water-supply of the family, too often impregnating it 
with fatal poisonous germs. It is now well known that typhoid 
fever, diarrhea and dysentery arise and prevail in particular neigh¬ 
borhoods from this sole cause. Country villages, in which, as it 
would seem, almost necessarily, their wells and cisterns are in dan¬ 
gerous proximity to the deposits of every species of excrement, are 
particularly liable to these epidemic scourges. In the west of Lon¬ 
don an outbreak of typhoid fever occurred in the parish of Maryle- 
bone. Early in August, 1873, several children of an eminent West 
End physician were taken ill of typhoid fever, and it was finally 
discovered that the milk cans of the farmer who furnished them 
milk were washed with water from a well infected by a privy vault 
near by. For this, the only remedy is in building-lots so large that 
the stables and privies may be removed to a safe distance beyond the 
water-drainage of the wells and cisterns. Care, in this respect, 
would save, annually, many thousands of lives. 

It goes, almost without saying, then, that, in building or select¬ 
ing a house for your family residence, you should have the neces¬ 
sary cess-pit as far from it as convenience will permit ; taking care, 


HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY RESIDENCES. 


11 


of course, that the house is not so near the deposits of jour neighbor’s 
filth, as to render it liable to a similar danger. The well or cistern 
should never be sunk within a distance of five times its own depth 
from any deposit of impurity. 

Dampness —Even the smallest and poorest dwelling should 
have a cellar, which is well ventilated and kept as free from moisture 
as possible. Dampness promotes the growth of moulds, and is a 
powerful means of inducing and propagating disease. “The con¬ 
stant condition,” says a learned physician, “ according to all my ob¬ 
servation, of diphtheria, is structural dampness of houses.” He 
continues, “ Remember, always, that if cholera, cholera infantum, 
diarrhea or dysentery appear in your family without obvious cause, 
the chances are at least two to one , that there is something wrong 
with the water-supply, or the milk-supply , or the drainage of your 
house P 

The bedrooms of a dwelling should be large, airy and constantly 
supplied with abundance of fresh air and sunlight. The immediate 
removal of soiled linen and all excrements, either liquid or solid, 
should be strictly enforced. These things are particularly impor¬ 
tant with children, because their lungs, stomach, etc., are much more 
delicate, therefore more susceptible to contiguous influences than 
those of adults. It is well to observe, for the guidance of the many 
who will read these pages, that the coloring matter of many of the 
dark-green paper-hangings is composed largely of arsenic, and that 
the exhalations from walls hung in these colors are highly danger¬ 
ous. 

It is unnecessary to repeat, that every new house, or newly 
. plastered house, should be allowed ample time to dry, before it is 
occupied. In many European cities they allow a year to elapse. 

It may be said with some show of reason that it is absurd to 
talk to, or to write for, a man as to his house and its surroundings, 
if he lives in a tumble-down cottage at the outskirts of a low-lying 
village, or if he occupies a tenement among the foul courts and 
alleys that exist in parts of our populous towns and cities. Dirt and 
disease usually accompany each other, and under some circumstances 
the extinction of the # one, and the diminution of the other, is said 
to be a physical impossibility. If, however, a man’s house be his 
castle in any sort of way, he may and can accomplish something 
within his castle, though lie may have, in cities and towns, little or no 
control over the surroundings. 

Other Matters —The air of the living and sleeping rooms 
can be kept comparatively, if not positively, pure by leaving a win¬ 
dow sash partially open, and by keeping the chimney-shaft constantly 
clear, whether there be a fire in the grate or fire-place, or not. 
Water is usually plentiful, and there need be no practical difficulty 
in keeping floors clean. They should be washed on a dry day, and 
all the windows, as well as the door, freely opened during and after 
the operation. The expenditure of a very few nickels will buy suffi- 


12 


HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY RESIDENCES. 


cient limewasli to coat walls and ceilings at frequent intervals, say 
as often as every six months. Two or three pounds of Sulphate of 
Iron (Copperas) dissolved in water and poured into the privy vault, 
is a very useful and effective disinfectant. Chloride of Lime may 
also he thrown in occasionally. A pound of commercial Carbolic 
Acid in a pail of water, is also one of the best purifiers we have. 
Whether the closet or privy is shared with others or not, it will be 
an advantage to see that it is not blocked, that it is washed regularly, 
that floor and seat are kept clean, that its walls are limewashed at 
least as often as those of the house within, and that, if any window 
exist, it is kept open as constantly as possible. With this, as indeed 
with all other windows, it is a good plan to nail a piece of wood 
along the top edge of the window slanting inwards, so that, when 
the top sash is open, the air from without is directed upwards, and 
so a draught is prevented. The ash-heap is frequently a nuisance. 
Foul smells may, however, be in great measure avoided, if nothing 
but ashes are thrown into ash-piles in a town. Potato parings, cab¬ 
bage stalks, and other vegetable refuse should be burnt. 

Water —It is frequently difficult to secure water fit for cook¬ 
ing and drinking purposes, even if the supply be fairly abundant, 
because the cisterns, casks, etc., in which the day’s supply is col¬ 
lected, are very badly built, or very badly kept. Whether the sup¬ 
ply be stored in cistern or tank, or any other receptacle, see that it 
is emptied and thoroughly scrubbed at least once a quarter. If it 
can be limewashed at the same time, so much the better. Remem¬ 
ber the necessity of keeping these water receptacles covered, so as to 
prevent, as far as possible, the thousand and one impurities that 
exist in the air of towns from finding their way into and polluting 
the water after it has reached the receptacle from the main pipe. If 
the drinking-water has any taste or smell, or is at all thick in ap¬ 
pearance, boil it always before drinking. If a filter be needed, buy 
two pounds of animal charcoal, and clean it by pouring on to it some 
boiling water. Dr. Parkes’ cottage filters may then be thus pre¬ 
pared. He says, “ Get a common earthenware flower-pot, and cover 
the hole with a bit of zinc gauze, or of clean-washed flannel, which 
requires changing from time to time; then put into the pot about 
three inches of gravel, and above that the same amount of white sand 
washed very clean. Four inches of charcoal constitute the last layer, 
and the water should be poured in at the top, and be received from 
the hole at the bottom into a large vessel. The charcoal will, from 
time to time, become clogged, and must then be cleaned by heating 
over the fire in a shovel. The sand and gravel should also be cleaned 
or renewed from time to time.” This very simple and cheap filter, 
kept in constant use, and the boiling of all suspicious water, will 
render us tolerably safe from water-propagated diseases, among 
which typhoid fever, cholera, and dysentery are pre-eminent. 

If the washing is done at home, great efforts should be made to 
accomplish it when the head of the house is awav at his business. 

1 «/ 7 


HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY RESIDENCES. 


13 


and the children are at school. The work is at all times specially 
disagreeable to those not immediately engaged in it, and the damp 
air resulting from the hanging up of clothes to dry in an inhabited 
room is bad and unhealthy for the occupants in every way. The 
washing of towels and bed linen or handkerchiefs used during the 
prevalence of contagious or infectious diseases, should be done apart 
from the wash of other members of the family, and only after they 
have been properly and carefully disinfected, by being placed in a 
tub containing one ounce of Carbolic Acid to the gallon of water. 

Bedrooms —In proportion as bedrooms are limited in size, 
so must the importance of keeping that space as clear as possible be 
carefully considered. All bed-hangings, curtains and clothes occupy 
spaces that had better be tilled with air, make the room itself 
musty, and help to store up dust and dirt, as well as fleas and other 
still more objectionable insects. Hence, if one is compelled to live 
in a crowded locality, with little room-space, health will be best 
maintained by doing with as few hanging things as possible. Plain 
bedsteads and straw mattresses, with no bed-curtains and very little 
carpet, should be used. In fact the bedroom should contain nothing 
that is not absolutely necessary. It should be remembered that, in 
the matter of space, if there are but two rooms, it is better as a rule, 
co make a bedroom of the larger, though the reverse is generally 
done. If, instead of gas, a coal or other kind of oil lamp be used, 
it should be borne in mind that the commoner kinds of oil, i. e., 
those that smell disagreeably, are not only extravagant, but un¬ 
healthy. On the score of health, as well as of comfort, lamps of all 
kinds should be kept very clean. 

Bad Habits —In rural districts, the surroundings of the hab¬ 
itation, however humble it may be, have to be considered as well as 
the house itself. And here it is astonishing how much is often 
doneb\ 7 the occupier (unintentionally, or rather carelessly) to render 
the immediate vicinity of his dwelling-place unwholesome and fav¬ 
orable to the development of disease. In how many cases in villages 
and around detached houses is it the prevailing custom to throw 
all slops and refuse immediately outside the back door, so that a 
heap of decomposing organic matter and a pool of dirty water 
collect and remain from one year’s end to the other? The children 
play about and inhale the unwholesome vapors; the pigs, fowls, 
ducks and geese take their pickings at leisure, each adding his 
mite to increase the existing tilth; and the doorstep is a disagreeable 
and often a dangerous spot, although, by the way, few .of those 
interested appear to be aware of the fact. To avoid this evil, a 
fair-sized tub should be provided, into which all slop-water should 
be thrown, and when the tub is full, its contents should be scattered 
over the garden, where it will assist fertilization, and the opportun¬ 
ity for evaporation will be increased and the odors more diffused. 

Provision should be made for the exclusion of wet, and for the 
entrance of fresh air into the privy-pit during all seasons of the 


14 


HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY RESIDENCES. 


year; also for the prevention of soakage from it into the ground; and 
the contents should be regularly removed at frequent intervals, and 
used as suggested, and during the intervals a solution of Copperas as 
previously mentioned should be thrown into the vault to prevent 
unpleasant and offensive odors. Comfort as well as health is pro¬ 
moted by insisting upon habits of cleanliness and decency in the 
use of such places, for their condition in many hamlets, and about 
solitary farmhouses, is often excessively disgusting. Earth-closets 
have been successfully adopted in many districts, and if they are 
carefully superintended, and only fine dry earth is chosen, they 
may be confidently recommended. 

Insufficient Water —Many in rural districts are dependent 
solely on small streams in the neighborhood, which dry up in the 
summer, and are in numerous cases fouled by privies, slop-water, or 
other varieties of sewage. The water of ponds is sometimes used, 
and many houses have a shallow well near the house, and often at a 
lower level, so that sewage, slop-water, and other refuse soak into it. 
These things should be remedied by properly constructed cisterns. 
If it is absolutely necessary to keep water for any number of hours 
in the house, do not let it remain in the bucket, but keep for the 
purpose, a large glazed earthenware jar with a cover, or a covered 
stone jar, and clean it out thoroughly at frequent intervals. It is 
better not to use any sort of metallic pails for drawing the water, 
but to keep to the old wooden bucket, and great care should be 
taken that this bucket is not used for any other purpose than that 
of drawing water from the well. 

Basements —A large proportion of houses still exist in this 
country that have no proper basement, but are built simply on the 
ground. As a natural consequence, when damp exists, the floorings 
rot, the walls are often more or less wet and sometimes dripping 
with water, and ague and diarrhea, rheumatism, etc., are the results. 
If, therefore, the cottage has no proper foundation, use all possible 
means to obtain a clear space between the earth beneath and the floor¬ 
ing of the rooms above. The earth should not be scooped out from 
below, but you should raise the floor a few inches, and leave open¬ 
ings in the walls here and there, so that this space under the floor 
may have free communication with the outer air. By adopting 
this simple plan, the woodwork will be preserved, the house kept 
dry from beneath, and much sickness saved. The openings should 
be protected by some sort of grating, and had better be opposite 
each other. ’ But any apertures, however rough, are better than none 
at all. 

The foregoing remarks are intended only for the use of those 
compelled to live in tenements in towns, or in rented houses in 
country districts. And, in such cases, it cannot be expected that 
the tenant will have much power or control over the construction of, 
or arrangements around, his dwelling-place. But even under these 
circumstances, individual energy and forethought and a small 


HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY RESIDENCES. 


15 


amount of labor may accomplish a great deal in the way of comfort 
and also in preventing disease. 

Soil —Soil is both an air-conductor and a water-carrier, and it 
contains a great variety of solid matters. As regards air, carbonic 
acid gas is found in all porous soils, arising chiefly from the oxy- 
dation of organic matter. Gases of all kinds will find their way 
through the soil. Houses act as suckers to the ground on which 
they are built, because the air inside is warmer than the external 
atmosphere, and so sewer-gas, coal-gas, and indeed any other gaseous 
matter, may be drawn from the earth below into our habitations, 
and take the place of pure air. Foul air from cess-pools has been 
sucked into houses from quite a distance. The late Dr. Parkes 
attributed to emanations from the soil, attacks of cholera, dysentery, 
paroxysmal fevers, typhoid, and various forms of remittent fever. 
The catch-basin of every house, where there are sewers, should be 
ventilated through the down spout from the house eaves. 

The amount of surface as well as of so-called ground water in 
the soil is of importance. Nearly all land has a current of water 
flowing under it, at a varying depth, and it may be stated broadly 
that the greater the depth of this ground water, the more healthy 
is the site. But as a matter of health, it is of greater consequence 
to attend to the surface water. Surface water collects chiefly on 
clay soils, or is stopped by a clay sub or under stratum, and rises, 
causing a moist surface. Inquiries instituted in England by the 
medical officer of the Privy Council, and conducted by Dr. Bu¬ 
chanan, went to prove that the prevalence of pulmonary consump¬ 
tion is in proportion to the dampness of the soil. Who can say 
after this result that consumption is not a disease which may be 
prevented ? 

The sum of the matter as to soils, then, is this: Unless in Cal¬ 
ifornia, or some other equally dry climate, avoid “made ground” 
always if possible, but if this cannot be done, take care that the 
ground has been “ made ” at least two years, and the longer the bet¬ 
ter. When it is not a question of made ground, endeavor to choose 
a site with as little tendency to retain surface water as possible, with 
a deep run of ground water. These conditions, of course, jndicate 
an avoidance of all clay soils, which are invariably damp and un¬ 
wholesome, and of alluvial soils also, which, though porous, are 
mostly wet, and as a consequence more or less malarious. Gravel, 
the looser limestone formations, chalk, and, in some cases, loose 
sand with permeable sub-soil, are, in a sanitary sense, the best soils 
for residence locations. If, as will frequently happen, clay cannot 
be avoided, it is specially necessary to insist upon good trenching 
round the house, an impervious drainage system with steep grades, 
and foundations built up with cement or concrete. 

It must not be forgotten, however, that the best soils may be 
speedily fouled by imperfect drainage. A loose brick, careless lay¬ 
ing of pipe sewers, insufficient cementing, and, in fact, any sort of 


16 


HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY RESIDENCES. 


bad workmanship under the house, will, in much less time than is 
generally imagined, so foul the surface soil around the house that 
the ground may he aptly compared to a big sponge saturated with 
sewage. It may be remarked as regards the power of retaining 
heat that (according to Schuebler), sand with some lime (speaking 
comparatively ) retains the most, and fine chalk the least heat. 

Situation —Few of our readers may be in a position to 
choose the situation of their dwelling place, but some hints may be 
useful, even if all cannot be acted upon. In a rural or suburban 
district it is frequently possible to secure a detached house. The 
slope of a hill is, perhaps, the very best situation, with trees in the 
immediate vicinity, but not close up to the house walls. The prin¬ 
cipal rooms should face south and east, or, as the next alternative 
south and west, care being taken that any neighboring houses built 
above the level of your own do not drain into your domain. In 
semi-detached houses, it is necessary to keep an eye on the sanitary 
arrangements of your neighbor, and it will be well if, in such mat¬ 
ters, you can arrange to work together. As, however, sloping 
ground cannot be always secured, it is advisable that a house built 
on level or comparatively level ground should not, especially if low- 
lying, be situated close to a watercourse of any sort, for moist air 
as a matter of course is to be avoided. For purposes of health, 
flat grounds can hardly, under any circumstances, be overdrained. 
It is well to shun the close neighborhood of factories or mills, 
which even in rural districts often, and in many cases unavoidably, 
assist the pollution of the atmosphere as well as of the water in their 
vicinity. Above all things, in choosing a site, ascertain, first of all, 
that the supply of water is both good and abundant. In city dis¬ 
tricts, particularly those that are densely populated, sanitary arrange¬ 
ments with neighbors are difficult, if not impracticable. Avoid, 
under all circumstances, houses that are built back to back, and 
avoid unfinished suburbs, because the lighting, paving, drainage, and 
other matters are usually incomplete, and often dangerous. Open 
spaces should, under any circumstances, always exist at the back, 
and it is hardly necessary to remark that the shorter continuous 
rows of houses are the better. A garden, whether in town or coun¬ 
try, is of course always advantageous. We may sum up the ques¬ 
tion of situation by saying, get as much air and light as possible, 
with an abundant supply of good water. 

Construction —The external walls of houses are compara¬ 
tively seldom built with requisite 'care, and an old enemy, damp, 
speedily attacks us. If there be an opportunity of looking after the 
building of the house, see that the foundations, and some feet be¬ 
yond them, are laid in concrete. The basement story should be iso¬ 
lated from the surrounding ground by an open space, and, in order 
to prevent the admission of underground damp, a thin outer wall 
should be built, reaching the ground level, and leaving a space be¬ 
tween it and the main wall. The porous nature of bricks is very 


HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY RESIDENCES. 


17 


great, and Pettenkofer, one of the most distinguished German hy¬ 
gienists, has demonstrated the possibility of blowing out a candle 
through a nine-inch brick wall. 

Walls should be built double, with an interspace, strengthened 
occasionally by cross-ties of brick. This will prevent to a great 
extent the bad results that follow from a driving rain, but it is al¬ 
ways well to cover the outer walls with plaster or slate. It is very 
important to put ventilating brick at frequent intervals just below 
the level of every floor, so that the joists and other woodwork of 
both floor and ceiling shall be preserved from damp rot by contin¬ 
uous ventilation from without. 

The style of architecture need not be discussed here, but it is 
necessary to remind the reader of the following points: 1. That 
light (and therefore plenty of window space) is essential to health; 2. 
That windows, for purposes of ventilation as well as light and 
cheerfulness, should reach almost to the top of the room, should face 
the south, southeast, or west, and open at the top and bottom; 3. 
That no sleeping room should exist in the basement. These are all 
important points in house construction. But to plan and build in a 
sanitary sense successfully, drainage, water-supply and ventilation, 
must be all considered separately and collectively. The chief error 
of house-building (as of ship-building),even in the present day, con¬ 
sists in the fact, that the house is built first, and rendered tit for 
habitation afterwards; that is to say, drains are put in here, ventilat¬ 
ing shafts there, and outlet or inlet pipes anywhere, the result being, 
as a rule, by no means satisfactory. The size of bed-rooms must of 
course be governed by circumstances. Make them as large as prac¬ 
ticable, but remember that each person should have, for purposes of 
health, at least 500 cubic feet of air, and as much more as can be 
‘ given and with ample opportunity for fresh supplies. 

Danger of New Houses —One of the many errors which 
people who build houses are apt to commit is that of living in them, 
or rather suffering and dying in them, before they are sufficiently 
dry for occupation. It not unfrequently happens that a man, dis¬ 
gusted with the defective sanitary arrangements of the generality of 
houses, ancient and modern, builds a dwelling for himself and his 
family, constructed with all the latest improvements, and in his ex¬ 
treme anxiety to commence a career of longevity rushes into it be¬ 
fore the workmen are out of it, and while the walls are still satura¬ 
ted with moisture. The consequences are, as might have been 
expected: in addition to the architect’s charges, the rash owner is 
called upon to pay within the first few months a further bill to the 
doctor, and too often to the undertaker also. A house agent, not 
Ion a* ago, being asked why the house agency business was so com¬ 
mon! v combined with that of the undertaker, grimly replied that 
the two “went together;” and on being asked for a further explana¬ 
tion, stated that he had found, as an almost invariable rule, that 
when, as a house agent, he found a tenant for a newly-built house, 


18 


HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY KESIDENCES. 


lie was applied to as an undertaker on behalf of that tenant or some 
member of his family within a twelve-month from the date of occu¬ 
pation. lie added, that he himself (the house agent) would be sor¬ 
ry to live in any house “that had not been baked by six summer 
suns.” Whether this amount of baking is absolutely required is a 
question for doctors and architects to decide; but there can be no 
doubt whatever that a want of caution in this respect leads occasion¬ 
ally to the most lamentable consequences. An instance in point will 
be found in the case of Peabody’s Buildings, mentioned in the an¬ 
nual report of the health officer for Southwark, England, lately 
printed. It seems that these buildings have a death-rate of 23^- 
in 1,000 persons living, or 1 in 43. In other metropolitan 
model buildings the death-rate only averages 17 per 1000. The less 
favorable state of health prevailing in Peabody’s Buildings is 
attributed to their being too soon occupied after construction, many 
of the ground floors having been found to be still very damp some 
months after the buildings were inhabited. 

We have purposely made these introductory observations as 
practical as they are brief. While it is true that not many of us 
can control the situation and all the surroundings of our dwellings, 
yet we can all do something, and surely we are bound to do all that 
we can, toward mitigating, if we cannot entirely remove, those 
baleful influences of disease and death by which so many families, 
in this country, are surrounded. 


DIVISION SECOND 


ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES. 


SNAKE BITES. 


Deadly snakes are generally distinguishable by the thinness of 
the neck, immediately behind the head, and by their having only 
two teeth in the upper jaw. 

Remedies —The first object to be attempted is arrest of the 
circulation of the poison. A handkerchief, a rope, or anything else 
to serve the purpose, should be tied tightly round the limb, between 
the wound and the heart. While this is being done, if possible a 
second person should extract the poison as suggested in the next 
paragraph. 

1. The wound should be sucked with all the force the patient 
can command; or if unable to do it himself, an attendant should do 
it for him. No danger attaches to the person thus sucking the 
wound so long as the poison does not come in contact with any 
abraded or raw surface of the mouth, or other part of the body. 

2. Alcohol, in any of its forms, brandy, whiskey, gin, etc., 
should be drunk largely by the patient. Let him drink it freely, 
a gill or more at a time, once in fifteen to twenty minutes (or small 
doses oftener), until some symptoms of intoxication are experienced 
by the patient. 

3. Onions are a speedy and an effectual cure. Patients in 
the very agonies of death have been cured with them. Pound and 
apply them raw; followed by fresh applications as soon as a disagree¬ 
able odor occurs. In dangerous and critical cases, the whole person 
should be enveloped in this preparation of onions, then bathed with 
tepid water and renewed as often as the unpleasant odor is pro¬ 
duced. 

4. Saleratus is a positive cure for the bite of snakes, and 
should be used as follows: Moisten and bind it on the wound; then 
dissolve more, and keep the parts wet with it for a few hours. Also 
take a table-spoonful of saleratus-water every hour, internally, until 
five or six doses have been taken. This should be prepared by add¬ 
ing a teaspoonful of saleratus to half a pint of water. If any con¬ 
siderable time has elapsed after the bite, and before the application 
has been made, a small incision of the flesh should be made with a 
knife across the wound, in order the more readily to admit the 
solution into the wound. 





20 


STING OF INSECTS. 


5. Lard is also a superior remedy. Bind it on the wound; 
take a tablespoonful every half hour, in a liquid state, until six or 
eight doses have been taken. 

6. Black snakeroot ( Sarticle ) is employed by the Indians as a 
certain cure for snake-bites. It is to be taken freely in decoction, 
and, at the same time, the parts are to be bathed with it. 

7. The juice of the fresh leaves of the plaintain if taken in 
teaspoonful doses every hour, and the leaves bruised and applied to 
the wound will not only cure snake-bites, but those of spiders, and 
other poisonous insects. 

8. Soft clay mud, applied to the wound, is another good 
remedy, and has been known to cure. This is considered a most 
potent remedy by the Indians. 

Snake-Bitten Cattle —Cattle or horses are usually bitten 
in the feet. When this is the case, all that is necessary to do is, to 
drive them into a mud-hole and keep them there for a few hours. 
If upon the nose, bind the mud upon the place in such a manner as 
not to interfere with their breathing. 

Tarantulas and Scorpions —Bites of these are to be treat¬ 
ed the same as snake-bites. Saleratus is especially good for them. 
Apply dry then moisten. 

Carbolic acid, applied locally, and administered internally, is 
recommended in cases of poisoned wounds; and according to the 
following experiments of P. O’Connell D’Oyle, assistant-surgeon R. 
N., would seem to offer the most favorable prospect of success. 

“During the Niger expedition of 1868,” writes the above named 
gentleman, “ being in medical charge of H. M. S. Investigator , and 
having to pass through a hostile country, where poisoned arrows 
and spears were the principal offensive weapons, I procured several 
freshly-poisoned arrows, and taking some fowls, I stripped the 
feathers from their thighs, and ran the heads of the arrows through 
their most fleshy part. The arrow was allowed to remain in the 
wound rather more than one minute—in some instances as long as 
ninety seconds. As I withdrew the arrow I poured liquefied, un¬ 
diluted carbolic acid into the wound, taking especial care to make it 
come into contact with every portion of it. A small bandage was 
now applied over the wound, and the fowls isolated. On one-half of 
the fowls inoculated no carbolic acid was used, and I found every 
one of these die in a space of time varying from one to twelve min¬ 
utes. On the other hand, those I used the acid with lived, and 
seemed not to suffer from the effects of the poison, although a great 
deal of discoloration was visible around the wound for several days. 
This gradually disappeared.” 


STING OF INSECTS. 

Sting' of Gnats —The disagreeable itching occasioned by the 
sting of these insects may be removed bv spirits of ammonia, or bv 

t) i l J 



LOCK-.1 AW. 


21 


immediately rubbing and washing the parts affected with salt 
water. 

Spider Bite —Catnip or plantain leaf is a 'prompt and 
effectual remedy for the cure of the bite of spiders and other in¬ 
sects. Bruise the leaves and apply them to the wound. At the 
same time give internally every hour for six hours teaspoonful 
doses of the juice of the plaintain leaf. 

Mosquitoes —These may generally be prevented from troub¬ 
ling in the night, by taking the precaution to rub soap on the hands 
before retiring. This is said to be a certain remedy. Honey is 
also good, but from its sticky nature is more disagreeable than the 
soap. Diluted carbolic acid is, however, the surest protection 
against insect irritation. The hands, face, and other exposed parts, 
should be washed with a weak solution. The application of lemon 
juice will also afford relief. Oil of pennyroyal in glycerine is 
very efficacious. 

Flea Bites —Indigo, moistened and applied, will give relief 
in the bites of these little pests; or, wet the “bluing sack” and ap¬ 
ply it. Soda, moistened and applied, is also good. 

Sting’ of a Nettle —’11111) the part affected with balm, rose¬ 
mary, mint, or any other aromatic herb, and the smart will soon 
cease. Sage leaves are also efficacious. 

Bee, Hornet, etc. —1. Should you be stung by a bee, wasp, 
hornet, or other insect, bathe and bind on the parts a strong solution 
of ecpial parts of salt and baking powder or saleratus. This will im¬ 
mediately arrest the swelling, and relieve the pain. 

2. The common onion is another remedy for the same pur¬ 
pose. A piece is to be cut off, and at once placed on the wound. 
Dr. Hill of Philadelphia uses no other remedy for stings. If the 
pieces of onion are changed every few minutes, the pain, he says, 
“will immediately cease.” 

3. Two or three folds of flannel, dipped in hot lard, will gen¬ 
erally remove the pain and swelling occasioned by the bite of in¬ 
sects. 

If the above remedies are not at hand, make a thin mortar of 
clay-eartli, and apply. This is an old Indian remedy but a good 
one. 

Accessory Measures —When stung by an insect, examin¬ 
ation should be made for the sting, as this is often left in the wound. 
It must be carefully extracted by the fingers or a pair of fine-point¬ 
ed forceps. If the sting has entered the skin perpendicularly, the 
pressure of a small key may dislodge it; the center of the hole being 
placed over the wound, and sufficient pressure used, when probably 
the sting will be squeezed out. The wound may then be sucked to 
extract the venom. 


LOCK-JAW. 

Sometimes this disease arises without any previous injury, 



22 


LOCK-JAW. 


more especially in warm climates, and near the sea. Robust, vigor¬ 
ous, middle-aged men are more liable to it than others. 

In the majority of cases lock-jaw comes in consequence of 
stabs and punctures in tendinous parts, in the palms of the hands 
and soles of the feet; and this frequently when the wound heals 
kindly. 

Symptoms —The muscles of the lower jaw become contracted 
and hard; at length the patient cannot open the mouth at all. A 
difficulty of swallowing succeeds, resembling hydrophobia. The 
muscles of the neck and back, and, indeed, of the whole body, 
become successively affected with violent spasms. The symptoms 
are sometimes rapid, at others slow in their progress. If the patient 
survives the fourth day, there is a chance of his recovery. 

Remedies — 1. Moisten a paper of fine-cut tobacco, and 
apply to the stomach. If plug tobacco is used, it should be first 
softened by warm water, before it is applied. It relaxes the muscles, 
producing vomiting, and thus relieves the patient. This simple 
remedy has saved many patients, when they were considered beyond 
the hope of recovery. 

2. The speedy application of the spirits of turpentine, to the 
face and neck and along the spine, will often give great relief. 
Also, pour a small quantity of warm turpentine into the wound. 
This will serve to relieve the spasms, and thereby cure the patient. 

3. Many Eclectic physicians regard the tinctures of lobelia 
and cayenne pepper combined as one of the safest and' best remedies 
in use for the cure of lock-jaw. Equal parts of them are to be 
given, in doses of a half tea-spoonful each. Repeat every fifteen 
minutes, until relaxation is produced. 

As the jaws are set and the teeth closed, the best way of getting 
the medicine down is to hold the cheek at the corner of the mouth 
loose from the teeth, and if the case is a bad one, chloroform should 
be given by inhalation, to relieve from spasm, five or ten drops, in 
sirup, may be given internally; then pour the medicine from a 
spoon between the teeth and cheek, and it will immediately find 
its way to the throat and afford relief. 

Accessory Treatment— The patient should be kept in a 
dark room, free srom noise or excitement, and his strength must 
be sustained by strong tea or broth of meats, administering them by 
injection if he cannot swallow. The injured part must have a 
discharge kept up from it; and, in obstinate cases, means should be 
used to keep up a moderate degree of perspiration. 

To Prevent Lo< 3t-jaw — 1. Pour some turpentine into a 
tin cup, and hold it over a lighted candle, or the fire, until it 
boils. It boils at so low a temperature, that it will not burn when 
applied to the skin. Make a swab by wrapping soft muslin or linen 
round a stick. Dip this in the turpentine and apply it to the 
wound, rubbing it in carefully for some time. Apply it as warm as 
can be borne. 


BURNS AND ^CALDS. 


23 


2. The following is another very effective means for the same 
purpose: Make a strong lye from ashes, and apply as warm as can 
be borne. This will prevent it even when there are strong 
symptoms of its approach. When the wound is upon a limb, 
immerse it in the lye; if upon the body, apply it by means of 
flannel cloths. This remedy has even been known to cure cases of 
lock-jaw. A captain of a vessel was cured of a severe attack of 
lock-jaw by bathing the part in lye as hot as could be borne. 

Nail in the Foot —To obtain relief from the terrible effects 
which sometimes take place from running a nail into the foot, take 
peach leaves, bruise them and apply to the wound. Confine them 
in their place by a bandage, and the cure is accomplished. Renew 
the application twice a day, if necessary; but one application is 
generally sufficient. Both men and animals have been cured in a 
few hours, when they were apparently on the point of having the 
lock-jaw. 


BURNS AND SCALDS. 

Remedies —1. A liniment composed of equal parts of lime- 
water and linseed oil, is a superior application for burns. Lime- 
water alone is excellent. 

2. Dissolve two ounces of alum in one pint of hot water, 
saturate cotton cloths with this solution, and keep the burn well 
wrapped in them. The pain will quickly cease, and the process of 
healing' will soon commence. 

3. Sprinkle the burned surface with common baking soda, and 
cover it with a wet cloth. When the burn is only superficial, the 
pain will cease immediately, and but one application is needed; 
where the injury extends deeper, longer time and more applications 
will be required. This is a speedy and very effective cure for 
burns. For the mode of using it in connection with cosmoline in 
dangerous cases see “New and Favorite Remedy,” at the close of 
this article. 

4. The following are good remedies: Tea leaves, steeped 
and applied; the white of an egg, applied by means of a feather 
brush, or wisp of old muslin. As soon as the first layer dries, 
another should be applied. Common table salt is another good 
application, when the skin is not broken. A lather of soap, from 
the shaving cup, applied by a brush, is often followed by immediate 
relief. Make a paste of lard or sweet oil and flour and cover the 
burned surface, and exclude the air. 

When the clothing of a person catches fire, throw him on the 
ground and roll him in a carpet-rug or bed-quilt to extinguish the 
flame. If these articles are not at hand, then take your coat and 
use it instead. Begin the wrapping at the neck and shoulders, so 
as to keep the flame, as much as possible, from the face and throat. 



24 


BURNS* AND SCALDS. 


For an extensive burn or scald, there is, perhaps, no better remedy 
than pure hog’s lard. If you have not the pure article, it can be 
prepared in the following manner: Take a cupful of the best lard 
and put it in a vessel of hot water, boil a few minutes, stirring at 
the same time, until all the salt and alum that were put in to bleach 
it have been washed out. Then allow it to cool until the floating 
lard hardens; then collect it and put it in a bowl, which, in turn, is 
placed in a vessel of hot water on the stove, and kej3t there until 
the water in the bowl has been driven off. The bowl of lard is 
heated by surrounding water to prevent cooling. It can then be 
put away in suitable vessels, until required for use. Apply once a 
day. 

For a bad burn, where the skin is removed, cover the part with 
white lead from any paint shop. Also, a fine dressing is, to apply a 
fine quality of cotton wadding to the part and leave it on, sprinkling 
it occasionally with a weak solution of carbolic acid to remove 
the odor, and let it remain on until it drops off. 

Kerosene Oil for Burns — This remedy is now being 
extensively used for this purpose, and producing the best of results, 
though there are occasional cases where the texture of the skin of 
the individual is such that this remedy is not well adapted to him; 
yet this seldom occurs. 

A Nexv and Favorite Remedy —Cosmoline is a new and 
important remedy for burns and scalds. In severe cases the follow¬ 
ing method of procedure should be adopted : To a quart of warm 
water add a paper of cooking soda. Wring out of this old cotton 
clothes, and apply luke warm to the burnt or scalded surface. 
Continue their application for tw T o or three hours, frequently 
changing the outside cloths. This will soon relieve the pain. 
After having used this as above directed, take pieces of old linen or 
cotton, and, after first wringing them out of warm water, spread on 
them the cosmoline, with a knife, until the cloths are entirely 
covered with it, and apply to the burnt surface, the other appli¬ 
cations being removed, and cover all again with damp cloths of 
several thicknesses. Or, what would probably be better, after 
covering the cosmoline with one thickness of cloth, wrap the entire 
dressing with raw cotton, to exclude the air. The cotton should be 
kept on until the parts are healed. If the weather is very warm, 
the cosmoline dressing should be renewed twice a day; otherwise, 
every other day will be sufficient. This remedy is reputed to be 
unsurpassed for the cure of burns and scalds. 

The above are among the better remedies, commonly employed 
for the cure of burns and scalds. We present a large number of 
them, from the fact that it often happens that one remedy is at hand 
and ready for use, whilst the others cannot be procured without 
difficulty, or the loss of much valuable time. 


FAINTING FIT-VOMITING SICKNESS. 


25 


FAINTING-FIT. 

This is a loss of volition and muscular power, with partial or 
complete loss of consciousness, due to defective nervous power. 

Causes — Debility , from constitutional tendencies, or from loss 
of blood or other animal fluids; emotional disturbances—fright, 
sudden joy or grief, hysteria, etc. Many persons faint on seeing 
blood or a wound. 

Treatment —Always immediately place the patient in a 
horizontal position, with his head as low as, or even lower than, the 
body. If you leave the patient sitting up, or even with a pillow 
under his head, he may die. If he is sitting in a chair, a good plan 
is to always tip him right over hack in his chair, on the floor. 
Usually, by the time his head reaches the floor, he will be revived. 
Itemove everything tight from around the throat and chest. 
Sprinkle a handful of cold water over the face, neck, and chest, 
wipe it off, rub the limbs with your hands, and slap the surface of 
the skin with the open hands. Let the patient smell of camphor, 
and give a drop of it in a few drops of water. Admit fresh air 
freely. 

In choking, and fainting of every kind, the immersion of the 
feet in warm water will restore the patient. 

Some people manifest a strong disposition to faint. In such 
cases, a few drops of the spirits of camphor, will give very speedy 
relief. 

In lifting or moving a person when in a fainting condition, 
always keep the head lower than the body. Let patient inhale a 
little aqua ammonia; it will usually arouse him. 


VOMITING SICKNESS (Vomitus). 

Causes —Improper food, or too large a quantity; a disordered 
condition of the digestive functions; pregnancy; disease or irritation 
in other organs, as the brain, kidneys, uterus, etc.; cancer or ulcer 
of the stomach; mechanical obstruction of any part of the intestinal 
canal; morbid states of the blood. It also occurs in most of the 
eruptive fevers. 

Remedies — 1. Ordinary cases of vomiting can be cured by 
giving the patient cinnamon-bark tea every flve or ten minutes. 

2. Bruise peach leaves and add cold water to them. Give this 
occasionally as a drink. Frequently one draught is sufticient to 
check the vomiting. 

3. Severe vomiting is often checked by placing a mustard- 
poultice over the pit of the stomach. 

4. When no other remedy is at hand, prepare the following: 
Take a quantity of oat or cornmeal, parch it perfectly brown, then 
make coffee of it, and give to the patient to drink every few minutes. 
Obstinate vomiting will usually yield to this. It is especially 
valuable in cholera morbus. 



26 


POISON VINE, POISON OAK, AND POISON SUMACH. 


5. The following is well adapted to the more inveterate cases 
of this difficulty: Take lime, slacked or unslacked, one-half ounce; 
white sugar, two ounces; water, one-half pint. Mix and let stand 
two hours. Pour off the clear liquor, and to this add two-thirds 
teacupful of milk. This will be kept on the stomach when nothing 
else will be retained. 

It should be given, in tablespoonful doses, every twenty or 
thirty minutes. It should be remembered that an addition of a 
teaspoonful of cooking soda to every quart of milk, not only pre¬ 
vents it from becoming sour, but renders it much more digestible. 

For vomiting in “Morning Sickness,” see the article under that 
head. 

6. One of the best remedies for nausea and vomiting is car¬ 
bonic acid water as obtained in any of our mineral waters charged 
with this gas; let the patient drink a wineglassful every fifteen 
minutes, and, if vomited, give it immediately again. Any mineral 
water, either Bethesda, White Pock, or Apollinaris as obtained in 
any drug store is charged with this gas. 

Accessory Means —Small pieces of ice placed on the tongue 
are very grateful, and tend to allay the sickness. The diet should 
be simple, nourishing, and non-irritating. Beef tea is, probably, 
most suitable, and may be given every one to three hours, in small 
quantities, till other food can be borne. In many cases soda-water 
and milk, in equal proportions, given in small quantities, freshly 
mixed, can be retained and digested. The stomach will often retain 
bland liquid diet when it would reject any other. 


POISON VINE, POISON OAK, AND POISON SUMACH. 

Remedies —1. Mix a small quantity of starch with glycer¬ 
ine , sufficient to form a thick paste , and apply to the poisoned 
parts. One application is generally sufficient to effect a cure. If 
not, repeat on the following day. Before this application is made, 
bathe the parts in very hot water, just near enough the boiling point 
not to scald the flesh. 

2. But, as this remedy may not always be at hand, I will give 
others: Baking soda, or common washing soda, will remove this 
difficulty. . Add sufficient water to it to form a paste, and apply 
thoroughly once or twice a day to the part poisoned. It will usually 
cure in two to four days. 

3. An application of blue vitriol is recommended as an 
effective remedy. It is made by adding one-half teaspoonful of 
vitriol to two-thirds of a teacupful of water. 

4. Sweet oil is regarded as an antidote to this, as well as to 
most other vegetable and many animal poisons. Though it may 
not act so promptly as some others, yet it may be relied on. It is 
to be taken freely, two to four tablespoonfuls every two hours dur- 



CRAMP IN T11E STOMACH. 


27 


ing the day, until a pint has been taken; and, at the same time, 
apply externally, and cover the parts with thin muslin. 

5. The following is from Prof. Bundy, of Oakland, Cal., in 
which State poisoning from poison oak is of frequent occurrence: 
“Take of the fluid extract of Grindelia liobusta, 2 drachms; glycerine, 
2 ounces. Mix. Apply to the affected part, three or four times 
daily. This is a new remedy, and is a specific for poison oak 
poisoning; hut, as it may not always be obtainable, I give another: 
A strong solution of borax, frequently applied, is perhaps next 
equal in efficacy to the Grindelia. Another, and a good one , is the 
Tine, of Lobelia applied to the part.” 


CRAMP IN THE STOMACH. 

Symptoms —Severe, pinching, gnawing, or contractive pains 
in the stomach, generally occuring after taking food. 

Causes —Highly-seasoned or indigestible food; stimulants, 
coffee, and tobacco; long fasting; exposure to cold or damp, etc. 
It is usually but a symptom of indigestion. 

Remedies —1. Most forms of this difficulty can be effect¬ 
ually cured in a few minutes, by very simple means: Take a tea¬ 
cupful of hot water, and add to it a heaping tablespoonful of sugar. 
Drink it as hot as possible. In some cases it may be necessary to 
repeat the dose in twenty to thirty minutes; but it is seldom that 
more than one will be needed. 

2. A strong decoction of prickly ash berries, when they can 
be procured, will usually afford relief. 

3. Another means is to place a mustard poultice on the 
stomach, and let it remain until considerable redness is produced. 
Then follow this with a hot fomentation of hops or tansy. 

4. If a patient is so situated, at any time, that no remedies 
can be procured, he should immediately apply friction over the 
stomach. This rubbing should be continued until a high degree of 
heat is produced, and it will often afford effectual relief. 

5. Hot peppermint tea with about as much common soda 
added to it as would cover a nickel is very good indeed. 

Accessory Treatment —In severe cases, two or three folds 
of flannel, wrung out of hot water, and applied as hot as can be 
borne; in mild cases, warmed dry flannels. 

The patient should shun all articles which excite attacks of the 
disease, and live on plain easily digested food, spend his time in 
the fresh air and sunlight, and take regular, active exercise. 


POISONS AND THEIR ANTIDOTES. 

When poison has been taken, the first thing to be done is to ex¬ 
cite vomiting. Then some remedy may be given which will neu¬ 
tralize or destroy the action of the poison. 




28 


POISONS AND TIIEIii ANTIDOTES. 


Vomiting can generally be produced by drinking a large quan¬ 
tity of tepid water, and then tickling the throat with the linger or a 
feather. If this fails, a tablespoonful of powdered mustard in a 
glass of warm water may be given, or half a teaspoonful of ijjecac , 
or a teaspoonful of sulphate of zinc in half glass of water, may be 
given. Generally the tepid water and tickling the throat will lie 
sufficient, if the patient drinks rapidly all he can. Where a stomach- 
pump is at hand, employ it in the first instance. 

Poisons which Occasion Vomiting* —As a general rule, 
after poisons that cause vomiting, pain in the bowels, and purging, 
give chalk, magnesia, fresh milk, the whites of eggs, sweet oil, or 
any other oil or butter. After poisons that produce sleepiness or 
delirium, give emetics and stimulants, such as camphor and strong 
coffee, and keep the patient awake. When it is not known what 
the poison is, give magnesia, chalk or charcoal, equal parts, mixed 
in warm water; also, sweet oil. 

Arsenic —When a person has taken arsenic, he soon perceives 
a burning heat and a violent pricking pain in his stomach and 
bowels, an intolerable thirst, and an inclination to vomit. The mat¬ 
ter vomited is greenish or yellow, and streaked with blood. The 
tongue and throat feel rough and dry; and, if proper help be not 
soon administered, the patient is seized with great anxiety, hiccough¬ 
ing, faintings, and coldness of the extremities. The urinary organs 
are occasionally affected with violent burning pains and suppression 
of urine, followed by convulsion, cramp, clammy sweat, delirium and 
death.. 

Antidotes —1. Excite vomiting a,s soon as possible, by any 
of the above measures, also give warm milk, equal parts of sweet oil 
or the white of eggs. Either of the above articles, or any two of 
them, should be given as soon as possible, in connection with the 
measures to excite vomiting, and should be repeated occasionally 
afterward. 

2. Give lime water, if you cannot get carbonate of iron. If 
you can, give half a teaspoonful in water. Give also flax seed tea. 

Tartar-Emetic {Antimony )—Give tannic acid; or a strong 
decoction of green tea; or of oak bark. It will not be necessary to 
give the mustard, or any other emetic, as the antimony will produce 
sufficient vomiting. Promote vomiting by giving freely of warm 
water and sugar, etc. 

Antimony —Give the same antidotes as for tartar emetic, as 
it is the same drug. 

Corrosive Sublimate, Verdigris and Lunar Caustic 

—Among the symptoms from taking verdigris, lunar caustic and 
corrosive sublimate, will be noticed the following: The tongue be¬ 
comes dry and parched, while if there is not severe vomiting, there 
will be fruitless efforts to vomit. There will be frequent black 
stools which will usually be bloody. The breathing will be difficult, 
while the headache is intense. There will be all the signs of irritant 


POISONS AND TIIEIR ANTIDOTES. 


29 


poisoning, burning in the throat, and intense pain in stomach and 
bowels. 

Verdig ris—( Copper )—Poisoning by copper is rare, yet occa¬ 
sionally a case is met with where it is accidental, as by getting the 
verdigris off of old copper. The symptoms are headache, cutting 
pain in the bowels, cramps in the legs and thighs, the pulse being 
small, quick and feeble. There will be a metallic taste in the mouth 
and coppery eructation. 

The Cor rosive Sublimate —Mix the whites of a dozen 
eggs with two pints of cold water, and give a glassful of the mixture 

everv two minutes till the stomach can contain no more. If there 

€/ 

are not eggs enough at hand, make up the deficiency with milk. 
Wheat flour, mixed with water, is a good remedy. Use the stomach- 
pump, if it is at hand. Drink freely of warm water. 

Lunar Caustic —Used in hair dyes and indelible ink. The 
antidote for this violent poison is common salt, which acts promptly 
and efficiently. It decomposes the poison and creates a chloride of 
silver which is inert. A strong brine should be swallowed as soon 
as possible, and afterward milk and castor or sweet oil. 

Nitrate of Silver —-This is the lunar caustic , the same as 
the above. 

Strychnine —The first symptoms are a feeling of weight and 
weakness in the limbs, with unnatural rigidity or slight spasms, 
when motion is attempted. When its effects are fully developed, 
there are frequently recurring spasms, the entire body being convulsed, 
and the person suffering intense pain. These continue to increase 
in frequency and intensity, until it would seem impossible for the 
sufferer to live, and, finally, death ends his misery. 

Antidotes —Always use chloroform to quiet the spasms, 
sprinkle it on a handkerchief, and let the person inhale it freely. 
Give freely of any fatty matter, sweet oil, lard, lard-oil, etc., a pint 
at a time, and have it vomited each time by passing the finger down 
the throat. Give two teaspoonfuls of baking soda dissolved in a 
little water. One dose is said to be a certain antidote for strych¬ 
nine. 

Matches —Children sometimes eat phosphorus from the ends 
of matches, and are poisoned. For antidotes, see u Phosphorus.” 

Oil of Savin —This substance in large doses inflames the 
stomach and bowels. Give olive oil in tablespoonful doses, and 
empty the stomach with emetics. Give ether in half teaspoonful 
doses in camphor water. 

Iodine and Iodide of Potassium —Give starch or wheat 
flour, mixed with water. 

Sugar of Lead— Excite vomiting with ground mustard and 
give epsom salts or diluted sulphuric acid. Castor oil is good; also 
give milk freely. 

Shell Fish —Clams, muscles, etc., are sometimes poisonous. 



30 


POISONS AND TIIEIR ANTIDOTES. 


Excite vomiting, give powdered charcoal or strong coffee without 
milk or sugar. 

Alcohol —The effects of poisonous doses of alcohol may be 
counteracted by showering the head and body with cold water, when 
the body is hot. If feet and limbs are cold put in hot water. Also 
cause vomiting as soon as possible. Use electricity. 

Belladonna-, Hyoscyamus (.Black Henbane ), Stra¬ 
monium —These are all narcotics, and when accidentally taken in 
poisonous doses, the treatment is the same as for poison by opium. 
Strong coffee is said to counteract the effects of these articles. Rem¬ 
edies must be used at once, or death is sure to ensue. Keep the 
patient in motion; dash cold water on the head. 

Spanish Flies, Potato Flies —Symptoms are acrid taste, 
burning heat in the throat, stomach and bowels, bloody vomitings, 
colic, purging, retention of urine, convulsions, death. Take large 
draughts of olive oil, thin gruel, milk, starch injections, linseed tea, 
laudanum, and camphorated water. 

Aconite —Give an emetic of ground mustard or sulphate of 
zinc, or use the stomach-pump, instantly, and then give stimulants, 
as brandy, gin, whisky, rum, etc. 

Ammonia —Spirits of hartshorn, or ammonia, is a well-known 
strong irritant. When taken, give at once table vinegar, by the tea¬ 
spoonful, till the pain lessens. Lemon-juice will also answer. Olive 
oil will afterward be beneficial. Emetics should not be given. Give 
any oil, it forms a soap in stomach. 

Opium —The symptoms of poisoning by opium, or any of its 
preparations, are unnatural stupor and disposition to sleep, with a 
very marked apathetic countenance. The person does not like to be 
disturbed, and would rather die than live. When he cannot be 
aroused by shaking or dashing cold water in the face, there is dan¬ 
ger, and especially if the breathing is stertorous or snoring. Always 
examine the pupil of the eye, and see if it is contracted, if not, the 
poison taken is not opium. 

1. When an overdose of opium, or airy of its preparations, has 
been swallowed, the stomach should be evacuated as speedily as pos¬ 
sible. To effect this, a teaspoonful of ground mustard seed, or as 
much tartar emetic as can be held on a five-cent piece, or as much 
ipecacuanha as can be held on a twenty-five cent piece, should be 
mixed in a tumblerful of warm water, and one-half given at once, 
and the remainder in twenty minutes, if the first has not, in the 
meantime, ojDerated. In the interval, copious draughts of warm 
water, or sugar and warm water, should be drunk. 

2. The use of the stomach-pump, in these cases, is of the 
greatest importance, and should, if possible, be resorted to without 
delay. After most of the poison has been evacuated from the 
stomach,a strong infusion of coffee ought to be given; or someone 
of the vegetable acids, such as vinegar or lemon-juice , should be ad¬ 
ministered. 


t 


POISONS AND THEIR ANTIDOTES. 31 

3. The patient should be kept in motion, and salutary effects 
will often be produced by dashing a bucketful of cold water on the 
head. Artificial respiration (see “ Drowning”) ought to be estab¬ 
lished, and kept up for some time. If the extremities are cold, 
apply warmth and friction to them. After the poison has been evac¬ 
uated from the stomach, stimulants, as warm wine and water, may be 
given, to keep up and sustain vital action. 

Phosphorus —First excite vomiting; then give milk and 
magnesia, followed by slippery-elm tea, flax-seed tea, gum-Arabic 
water, etc. Avoid all oils and oily drinks. 

Citric Acid, Acetic Acid, Tartaric Acid —For these 
poisons, give chalk-magnesia, flax-seed tea, gum-Arabic water, lime 
water. 

Carbolic Acid —Oil, glycerine, milk, flour and water, white 
of eggs, magnesia, and flax-seed tea, may be used. 

Prussic Acid —This is the most deadly of all known poisons. 
One drop of the pure acid will cause immediate death. Give 
water of ammonia or hartshorn, one part diluted with six parts of 
water, freely. Let the patient smell camphor or ammonia. And 
shower the head and spine with cold water and use electricity. 

In poisoning by any of the above acids, after they have been 
neutralized by their appropriate antidotes, the following mucilagi¬ 
nous drinks should always be administered: flax-seed, gum-Arabic 
and slipperv-elm. 

Lj e—The remedy is vinegar, or oil. Vinegar will convert the 
lye into acetate of potash, and any of the oils will unite with it, and 
form soap; and neither the acetate of potash nor soap will materi¬ 
ally injure the stomach. 

Saltpetre —Induce vomiting by lukewarm water, and by 
tickling the throat with a feather; but avoid irritating the stomach 
with the ordinary emetics. Give flax-seed tea or gum-water. 

Ergot, Black Hellebore, Veratrum (. American Helle¬ 
bore'), Fox-Glove, Gelsemiuum ( Yellow Jessamine )—Evacu¬ 
ate the stomach with a stomach-pump, or an emetic composed of 
four or five grains of tartar-emetic, fifteen or twenty grains of sul¬ 
phate of zinc, or large doses of mustard and water, repeated every 
quarter of an hour until the full effect is produced. 

Sweet milk is also an antidote to this poison, and should be 
given freely. It is said to be a specific. 

Nux Vomica {Dog-Button) —This is strychnine. Remedies, 
the same as strychnine. 

Mercury— The same antidotes should be used for this, as 
those employed for corrosive sublimate; which see. 

Oxalic Acid, Sulphuric Acid (Oil of Vitriol), Nitric 
Acid (Aqua Fortis), Hydrochloric Acid— The symptoms of 
the above poisons are, acute pain in the throat, stomach and bowels, 
with an acrid taste and frequent vomiting, together with copious 
stools more or less bloody, and sometimes difficulty of breathing. 




32 


POISONS AND THEIR ANTIDOTES. 


The pulse is irregular, and, while the thirst is excessive, drinking 
increases the pain. 

Oxalic Acid —Give powdered chalk mixed with water, or 
magnesia, and excite vomiting by drinking freely of warm water. 
Do not give saleratus or potash in any form. A mixture of lime- 
water and sweet oil is very valuable. 

Oil of Vitriol (Sulphuric Acid )—In case of poisoning from 
acid, give immediately soapsuds, wood-ashes mixed with water, car¬ 
bonate of magnesia, chalk, or lime-water, and let the patient drink 
freely of milk. Oil is also useful. No water must he taken, it 
creates intense heat to stomach. 

Nitric Acid (Aqua Fortis )—Give freely of calcined mag¬ 
nesia in a little water; or chalk; strong soap and water is an effi¬ 
cient remedy, and is always on hand. If nothing better is at hand, 
give freely of a mixture of wood-ashes and sweet milk. Aqua am¬ 
monia in half teaspoonful doses in wine glass of water is good. 

Hydrochloric Acid (Muriatic Acid) —Soda, lime, potash, 
magnesia in milk are antidotes to this poison. As soon as the acid 
is neutralized, give flax-seed, gum-Arabic, or slippery-elm. Use 
freely barley water, oily drinks, gruel and milk in large quantities. 

Creosote (Oil of Smoke), Oil of Tar, Oil of Turpen¬ 
tine— Starch, wheat-hour mixed with water, white of eggs, milk, 
and mucilaginous drinks, are excellent antidotes; or the stomach 
may be evacuated, with an emetic or a stomach-pump. 

The Compounds of Arsenic, Yellow Sulpliuret of 
Arsenic, Red Sulpliuret of Arsenic, King’s Yellow, 
Fly-Powder, Arsenical Paste, Arsenical Soap, Paris- 
Green, Scheele’s Green —Give oils or fats, lard, melted butter, 
or milk, then induce vomiting with white vitriol; fine powdered 
iron rust, or magnesia, may be given every five or ten minutes. 
Mucilaginous drinks should be given as soon as the stomach is 
evacuated, such as gum-Arabic, flax-seed, or slippery-elm. 

Tobacco —The oil of tobacco is a violent poison, and the 
leaf, when swallowed, causes sickness and often vomiting. This 
should be encouraged with warm water, after which twenty-drop 
doses of spirits of ammonia, in a tablespoonful of water, or whisky. 
Stimulating injections per anus may be given. 

Sulphate of Zinc and Chloride of Zinc —The symptoms 
are, astringent taste, sensation of choking, nausea, vomiting, purg¬ 
ing, pain and burning in the throat and stomach, difficult breath¬ 
ing, pallor and coldness of the surface, pinched face, cramps of the 
extremities, but, with the exception of the chloride, seldom death. 
For the first, give copious draughts of milk, and white of eggs and 
water, mucilage, and olive oil. Relieve urgent symptoms by fomen¬ 
tations, and after the vomiting, give castor-oil. 

2. For the chloride, in addition to the above, give soda, warm 
water, in frequent draughts, with the addition of friction and 
warmth. 


APOPLECTIC FITS. 


33 


White Vitriol —This is the same as the above {Sulphate of 
Zinc). 

Oil of Bitter Almonds —Give ten to twenty drops of am¬ 
monia; or it may be inhaled. Apply cold water to the head. This 
oil is speedily fatal. 

Lead and its Compounds, Acetate of Lead ( Sugar of 
Lead), White Lead, lied Lead, Litharge all have a sweetish', 
astringent, metallic taste. The symptoms are manifested by tight¬ 
ness of the throat, colicky pains, violent vomiting, hiccough, convul¬ 
sions, and death. Takeepsom, or Glauber’s salts, plaster of Paris, or 
phosphate of soda. An emetic of sulphate of zinc (24 grs. to pt. 
of water); apply fomentations if necessary; produce free evacuations 
of the bowels with castor oil. 


APOPLECTIC FITS (Apoplexia.) 

This disease is characterized by the abrupt loss, more or less 
complete, of consciousness, from extravasation of blood ( hemor¬ 
rhage) within the cranial cavity. 

Varieties —1. Congestive apoplexy is an overloaded condition 
of the vessels of the brain, and at the same time small blood points 
occur all over the surface of the brain substance. 2. Hemorrhagic 
or sanguineous apoplexy is the most frequent, and consists in the 
rupture of a vessel, and extravasation of blood in the substance of 
the brain, or outside the nervous masses. The symptoms are usu¬ 
ally sudden, and its development most rapid. 

Modes of Attack and Warnings —Apoplexy may come 
on suddenly or gradually. The patient may be suddenly struck— 
falling, at once bereft of motion and consciousness. Such a case is 
termed primary apoplexy. More frequently, however, apoplexy is 
indicated by well-marked premonitions, which are, chiefly, head¬ 
ache; giddiness, particularly on stooping; fullness and pulsation of 
the blood-vessels of the head; epistaxis; retinal hemorrhage; sleepi¬ 
ness, with heavy or snoring breathing; transient blindness, loss of 
memory considerable difference in the sizes of the pupils of the eye; 
deafness or noises in the ears; momentary loss of consciousness, 
with or without indistinctness of speech or incoherent talking; 
flashes, motes, etc., before the eyes; nausea, vomiting, numbness, 
or tingling in the hands or feet; unsteady gait; partial paralysis, 
sometnnes involving the muscles of the face, sometimes those of a 
limb; the patient becomes comatose, and drowsiness gradually in¬ 
creases to perfect coma or stupor. This is called ingravescent apo¬ 
plexy, because the symptoms become worse gradually , and it is 
far more serious than a primary case, because we have evidence that 
the cause of the symptoms is still in operation, and because such a 
case is always hemorrhagic, and the brain has undergone organic 
and permanent changes. On the other hand, a primary case may 
be a congestive variety, and the condition may pass off without any 
permanently injurious result. 

3 



34 


APOPLECTIC FITS. 


Symptoms —These vary according to the seat and amount of 
the hemorrhage, and are sometimes so vague that cerebral hemor¬ 
rhage can only be suspected. Pain in the head, giddiness, faintness, 
sickness, laboring pulse, succeeded by some reaction, may only be 
present. In the early stage of an ingravescent case, before the 
patient becomes comatose, there is great depression in the circula¬ 
tion from the shock to the nervous system; the surface is cold, pale, 
and clammy, or it may be red and turgid, the veins are engorged 
and the face assumes a livid hue, and the pulse frequent, small, 
and weak. The pulse of old people, the ones most subject to apo¬ 
plexy, is small and feeble, at outset of attack; later it becomes full, 
slow and labored (passes slowly under the fingers); the surface 
warm, sometimes preternaturally so, and perspiring; the counte¬ 
nance has a peculiar bloated appearance, and is often congested; the 
pupils are insensible to light, and usually dilated, although one or 
both may be contracted; the breathing is stertorous from paralysis 
of the soft palate; the urine is retained from inaction of the bladder; 
and the bowels are sluggish. The cheeks are puffed out with a loud 
noise from the lips, caused by paralysis of the muscles of the face. 

One or several of the above symptoms may, however, occur as 
the consequence of indigestion. Vomiting and headache are more 
important as indications when they come on suddenly without any 
obvious cause, and not on first rising in the morning, and the vomit¬ 
ing, or efforts at vomiting, are continued beyond the emptying of 
the stomach. 

This complaint may be distinguished from palsy by the difficult 
and loud breathing, profound sleep, and the entire suspension of 
voluntary motion; and when to these we add the absence of convul¬ 
sions, it will be distinguished from epilepsy; and from intoxication, 
by the impossibility of temporarily arousing the patient by shouting 
or any other means, and absence of alcoholic smell. 

Apoplexy chiefly attacks individuals of middle or those of ad¬ 
vanced age; and it has been observed, that persons of a corpulent 
habit, and those having a short neck and large head, and who lead 
an inactive and sedentary life, or make use of full, rich diet, are 
more liable to it than those of different habits. Men are much 
more liable than women to apoplexy. 

This disease is generally supposed to arise from compression of 
the brain, caused by an effusion of either blood or serum within the 
head or cranium, which has given birth to the two distinctive names 
of serous and sanguineous apoplexy. 

But the main cause of apoplexy, doubtless, is disease of blood¬ 
vessels. The most powerful predisposing cause is age; hence the in¬ 
creasing liability to it with advancing age. The gradual degener¬ 
ation or ossification of arteries common to old age renders them in¬ 
elastic, and as the blood is forced on them by the action of the 
heart, they give way. Hemorrhage within the crainum is some¬ 
times caused by the bursting of aneurisms involving the arteries of 


APOPLECTIC FITS. 


35 


the brain. The idea that increased pressure on the blood-vessels of 
the brain, as during exertion or rapid movement of the body, is an 
originating cause of apoplexy, is incorrect. The exciting cause is 
increased blood pressure; but the origin of the trouble is in the 
actual degeneration of the arteries, the process probably of years, be¬ 
fore they can give way. The predisposing cause of apoplexy is 
general bodily unsoundness, which may be especially due to granu¬ 
lar disease of the kidney, Bright’s disease, or enlargement of the left 
ventricle of the heart. Apoplexy is almost always the local expres¬ 
sion of a general constitutional failure, hence it is classed as a con¬ 
stitutional disease. It often is the result of hereditary tendencies. 

Remedies —The patient should be immediately removed to a 
pleasant, airy, and cool place, and placed in a recumbent position, 
to favor a return of blood from the brain. All compression should 
be removed from the neck, and all tight bandages or ligatures. The 
feet and legs must be immediately immersed in very warm water, 
in which lye or ashes has been added. This simple process is at¬ 
tended with the most extraordinary effects. I have never known it 
fail to exert a salutary and decidedly good effect. The feet and legs 
should remain in the water fifteen or twenty minutes, and friction 
be then applied to them. The whole surface must also be bathed 
with a mild tincture of cayenne papper, applied very warm. If the 
tincture is not at hand, put dry cayenne on a flannel cloth and rub 
the patient’s body with it, and put a mustard poultice at pit of stomach 
and back of neck. 

Administer an injection composed of half a pint of soapsuds 
with half a tablespoonful of salt and a teaspoonful of cayenne pep¬ 
per. The patient should be covered warmly, in order to excite per¬ 
spiration. Hot bricks covered with cloths wet with vinegar, may 
be applied to the extremities to assist in recalling the blood back to 
its original channels. 

A mustard-plaster should also be immediately applied between 
the shoulders. Never give an emetic and if patient gets livid see if 
tongue has not fallen back, if so turn on side. 

Many eminent medical authors regard common table salt as one 
of the best remedies known in apoplexy. It is to be applied wet to the 
head and temples, until sufficient sensibility returns to admit of 
swallowing, when salt water, given internally, will completely re¬ 
store the patient. 

In the treatment of this disease, it is well to apply tight liga¬ 
tures around the limbs to prevent the blood from returning rapidly 
in the veins. The ligatures should be gradually removed when the 
patient-recovers his consciousness. Powerful cathartics are always 
indicated. 

As a constitutional remedy in the treatment of this disease, the 
compound sirup of stillingia, with iodide of potash, should be taken 
daily. To half a pint of the sirup, add twenty grains of the potash, 


36 


CONGESTIVE CHILLS. 


and take a teaspoonful every morning. This can be found at the 
drug stores. 

After a Fit—Should the patient recover from the fit, great 
and unremitting care must be observed to prevent another attack. 
The diet should be light, but nourishing; milk, light puddings, 
cooked vegetables, fish, etc., are extremely valuable; a full animal 
diet should not be allowed till all fear of a relapse is passed; and 
stimulants should almost invariably he avoided. Moderate exercise 
of the muscles is a remedial agent of high value; it tends to pro¬ 
mote a more active circulation through the entire system, and, con¬ 
sequently, to diminish the pressure on blood-vessels which a little 
extra force might cause to give way. If active exercise cannot be 
taken, frictions performed by a second person, by means of a bath 
of strong mustard w r ater, then rub thoroughly, especially along the 
spine, with towels or flesh-brushes, and also all over the surface of the 
body and the extremities are necessary. The causes of the disease 
should as far as possible be avoided or modified. If much depress¬ 
ion exists a little light w r ine may be used. 

Preventive and Accessory Measures —Undeviating 
temperance in eating and drinking. Physical and mental exertion 
and excesses of every nature, fits of passion or excitement, sudden 
changes of temperature, over-heated rooms, warm baths, wet feet, 
etc., must be uniformly avoided. Errors in diet, exposure to a hot 
sun, violent emotions, etc., may excite the gravest symptoms in per¬ 
sons predisposed to apoplexy, and may possibly cause a recurrence 
of the attack. 

The neck should be free from all tight cravats; the feet should 
be kept warm; exposures to cold, and especially to cold feet are dan¬ 
gerous. Sour stomach should always be cured, if possible, as soon 
as known to exist, which can be done with a few doses of magnesia. 
The hours of sleep should be regulated not to exceed eight or nine, 
and the bed should be a hard mattress, using only a small pillow 
that the head may be kept low. Whenever there is giddiness of 
the head, cold water, poured on the head and along the spinal col¬ 
umn, will be found a very salutary measure. Pure air in the rooms 
is indispensable. Direct exposure to the sun’s rays should be in¬ 
variably shunned. Sudden turning of the head, to look upward or 
sideways, should also be carefully avoided, as well as straining at 
stool. For at least two hours previous to retiring to bed, no food 
must be allowed to enter the stomach. Constipation must be avoid¬ 
ed as straining at stool is liable to precipitate an attack. Indeed, 
without the most rigid attention to the rules of hygiene generally, 
it will be a very difficult matter to prevent an attack of apoplexy in 
those predisposed to it. 

CONGESTIVE CHILLS. 

These are an aggravated form of common chills and fever, and 
are sometimes called ‘‘Sinking Chills,” in medical books styled 



CONGESTIVE CHILLS. 


37 


Pernicious fever. In this form of the disease, the chill is very 
much lengthened, and there is great pain in the head, a feeble pulse, 
vertigo, a sense of weight and oppression of the chest. The hot 
stage comes on slowly, and is imperfect, the pulse being frequent, 
small and tense, the countenance anxious, the skin hardly warm, 
perhaps an internal heat complained of, and little or no thirst. 
The perspiration in the sweating stage is copious and fetid. 

As the disease advances, stupor comes on; the patient lies upon 
his back, with tendency to slip down to the foot of the bed; the 
breathing becomes more difficult; the pulse is small, weak and flut¬ 
tering, or is intermittent, and at last cannot be felt at the extremi¬ 
ties; a cold, clammy perspiration, sometimes fetid, covers the body; 
the face assumes a leaden, deathly hue; the lips are contracted over 
the teeth, and the patient dies. Death usually happens during the 
cold stage, and more commonly in the third paroxysm. This is 
called the Algia or cold variety; another variety is the delirious 
which is marked by active delirium; another the Gastro Enteric 
marked by violent delirium. 

In describing the symptoms of this disease, a medical writer 
remarks, “ It commences with a sensation of languor, weariness, 
disinclination to exercise, and a want of appetite. The chill comes 
on with a shrunken condition of the extremities, and is not always 
felt by the patient, and is followed by paroxysms of fever of greater 
or less intensity. Not unfrequently the patient may be able to move 
about for some days, but eventually becomes prostrated by an increase 
in the severity of all the symptoms. The stomach becomes greatly 
irritated, and the bowels very torpid. The cold stage frequently 
continues for five or six hours, during which the patient suffers 
excessively from the irritable condition of the stomach. The 
tongue varies in its appearance, being coated from a pale-brown to 
black, but commonly moist; the pulse is weak, and but little in¬ 
creased in frequency above natural. Usually, the attacks manifest 
themselves every other day with great severity, a light chill being 
exj:>erienced, however, every day. It may commence like a simple 
fever and ague for two or three days before its pernicious character 
is developed. A sensation of burning is frequently felt by the 
patient, who will desire to be placed where he may have the cool air 
to pass over him, and this will be the case when the parts in which 
the burning is felt are very much below the ordinary temperature of 
the body; which will also be the case with the surface of the limbs 
and body generally. With each successive paroxysm the fever 
becomes weaker and weaker and the strongest stimulants are no 
longer of avail to arouse.” 

Remedies —The chief object of treatment, during the chill, 
is to produce reaction, or to bring warmth to the patient. For this 
purpose, give the patient, immediately, a vapor bath, or surround him 
with bottles of hot water, hot bricks, or stones, enveloped in wet 
cloths. Make a strong tea of ginger, red pepper, or black pepper, 


38 


FITS—INFANTILE CONVULSIONS. 


and give it freely. If these measures do not cut short the chill, give 
the patient five grains of quinine in a gill of good whisky, and repeat 
the dose every half hour, until the chill is overcome, and reaction takes 
place. Then give three grain doses every four hours of the intermission. 
Warburg’s Tine., an East Indian remedy, is very useful, in half 
ounce or tablespoonful doses every four hours, continuing , at the 
same time, the above applications. 

In the second place, during the hot stage, promote perspiration; 
this is done by giving cooling acid drinks, and removing 
gradually the clothing, etc., which greatly oppresses the patient at 
this time. 

In the third, or sweating stage, the patient should be wiped 
dry after it is over, the clothing changed, and sleep permitted. 
During the intermission, take equal parts of the black-snake root, 
generally called Yirginia snake root, and wormwood, which 
grows in every garden, made into a tea: it is used with great 
success in curing this disease. Dose, a wineglassful three 
times a day. The following preparation is used with the most 
successful results: Take two nutmegs, and burn or char them 
over a flame, pulverize them, then add an equal quantity by weight, 
of dried or burnt alum, and divide the mixture into six powders. 
Administer one powder every time the chill comes on; frequently, 
the first dose will effect the cure. For further treatment of this 
disease, the reader is referred to the article on “ Fever and Ague,” 
as the remedies used in this and that disease are adapted the one 
to the other. 

Accessory Treatment —People subject to this affection, 
as well as to the ordinary chills and fever, should avoid the damp 
air of the morning and evening, also, exposure to allot sun; should not 
take violent exercise; beware of fatigue; during damp seasons, fires 
should be kept in the sitting and sleeping rooms. The diet during 
the hot and sweating stage, should be very light. During the inter¬ 
mission, and for some time after a cure has been effected, the diet 
should consist of nutritious food, as boiled rice, bread and butter, 
beef-tea, chicken-broth, toast-water, and plain bread-pudding. All 
high-seasoned, stimulating, or indigestible food, must be carefully 
avoided. 


FITS—INFANTILE CONVULSIONS. 

Symptoms —In simple cases there is slight twitching of the 
muscles of the face, rolling of the eyes, and some difficulty or 
irregularity of breathing, which soon pass off spontaneously. Severe 
cases are marked by sudden loss of sensibility, violent movements 
of the arms, legs, and head, the sides of the nose are pinched and 
some froth may issue from the mouth; turning of the eyes so that 
the white is visible, and the pupils almost invisible; pallor or red¬ 
ness of the face; lividity of the lips; clenching of the hands, the 



CONGESTIVE CHILLS. 


39 


thumb being under the fingers; and bending of the great toes upon 
tlie soles of the feet. The lit may last for one or two minutes, 
when it passes off either altogether, or to recur after a longer or 
shorter interval. The slighter attacks are common to new-born 
infants. 

Causes —The irritation of dentition (teething) or from indi¬ 
gestion, worms, over-feeding with improper food, constipated bow¬ 
els, a blow or fall; fright; disease of the brain; impure supply of 
of blood to the brain, as in the eruptive fevers; feeble action of the 
heart; deficient supply of blood from defective nourishment; 
suppressed eruptions; powerful mental emotions; worry, over¬ 
heating, a fit of anger, or indigestion in the nursing mother. A 
fit may take the place of a chill or ague. More remote causes may 
be general ill-health of the parents, too early or too late marriage, 
and inherited taint of constitution. 

Remedies —Commence the treatment by making warm 
applications to the lower part of the body, and lower extremities, 
or put the lower half of the body into warm water with mustard in 
it. If the head is hot and the face red, sprinkle the head for a few 
moments with cold water, especially if the disease has been caused 
by teething. “ If the attack has been caused by eating green fruit, 
or other indigestible food, let him drink freely of warm water, or 
give half-teaspoonful of ipecac in warm water as an emetic, then 
tickle the throat with a feather, so at to cause vomiting; even if 
vomiting does not ensue, the warm water may benefit the patient. 
In all cases where the bowels are costive, or you have the least 
reason to suppose the attack is caused by irritation of the stomach 
and bowels, or by worms, give a free injection of warm water, and 
repeat it in one hour, if the bowels do not move freely/’ (. Ellis .) 
The gums should be looked to, and if they appear swollen, or much 
inflamed and painful, lanced. The most severe convulsions cease 
immediately after this operation. It sometimes happens that after 
a convulsion, the child becomes unable to urinate; for which he 
may be placed in a warm bath, and kept there for ten minutes, and 
then onions, pounded and slightly warmed, must be placed over the 
region of the bladder, and parsley-root, or pumpkin-seed tea, or 
watermelon-seed administered freely. 

When a nursing-mother becomes overheated, or violently ex¬ 
cited, her blood and milk are thereby poisoned. Under such 
circumstances, the milk should be withdrawn, and her brain and 
blood allowed to cool and the agitation to cease, before nursing 
again, or serious, or even fatal results may ensue. 

The quickest and best treatment is ten to fifteen drops of chloro¬ 
form on a handkerchief and let the child breathe it. It will soon 
recover consciousness. 

Put one drop of the spirits of camphor into two teaspoonfuls 
of sweetened water, and give a teaspoonful at a dose, and repeat 
occasionally. This generally affords speedy relief. Essence of pep- 


40 


BLACK EYE-HEMORRHAGE. 


permint, is also a good remedy, used in doses of two or three drops, 
in sweetened water. Or, if the essence is not at hand-, give a weak 
infusion of the herb. 

Preventive —When there is a tendency to convulsions, as 
shown by a foul tongue and breath, disordered evacuations, with 
screaming, restlessness, etc., the addition of lime-water to the 
child’s milk (a tablespoonful to a feeding-bottle of milk) often acts 
as a preventive. 

BLACK EYE. 

1. Immediately after the eye has been struck, with force 
enough to make it black, apply a cloth, wet with water, as hot as 
you can bear, in which you must put two teaspoonfuls of sal ammo¬ 
niac. Keep on applying the water for fifteen or twenty minutes, 
and the coagulated blood will become thin and pass off into its 
natural channels, and leave the eye clear of blackness. A bruise 
on any other part of the body may be treated likewise. Do not 
put on leeches. 

2. Tincture of arnica is an excellent application to remove the 
soreness of the parts after the discoloration is removed and restore 
them to their natural condition. 

3. An application of brandy is another good remedy to check 
the tendency to discoloration. 

4. The application of raw beef is another very superior means 
for removing the discoloration, and also for checking the tendency 
to it, and relieving the pain. 


HEMORRHAGE OR BLEEDING FROM THE LUNGS. 


This disease is usually preceded by a sensation of weight, full¬ 
ness, tightness, soreness, heat and oppression, over a part or the 
whole of the chest, and flushing of the cheeks, and sometimes even 
chills and fever. A dry cough often precedes the attack or it may 
only be preceded by a slight tickling in throat. 

The following table will enable the reader to determine whether 
the discharge of blood is from the lungs or stomach: 


FROM THE STOMACH. 

1. The blood is of a dark 
color. 

2. The blood is vomited. 

3. The blood is often mix¬ 
ed with food, and is not frothy. 

4. Is preceded by nausea 
and stomach distress. 

5. Blood is generally pas¬ 
sed with the evacuations from 
the bowels. 


FROM THE LUNGS. 

1. The blood is of a bright- 
red color. 

2. The blood is generally 
coughed up. 

3. The blood is generally 
frothy and mixed with spittle. 

4. Is often preceded by 
pain in the chest and difficult 
breathing. 

5. Blood is not found in 
the stools. 





HEMORRHAGE. 


41 


A patient may spit blood without its coming from the lungs; 
it may descend from the back part of the nostrils into the throat, 
or it may come from the throat itself, and even from the mouth. 

Patients may have a single attack and never have a return. 
Hemorrhage from the lungs may be caused by severe exertion in 
speaking, coughing, violent muscular exertion, tight lacing, very 
cold or hot air, and diseases of the heart. It is frequently caused 
by tubercles in the lungs. It is caused often by ulceration eating 
into a blood vessel when a cough exists. It is often caused by dis¬ 
ease of the heart, causing obstruction to the return of blood. 

Remedies —One of the best remedies for bleeding from the 
lungs is salt. Half a teaspoonful should be taken dry, and repeated 
every twenty or thirty minutes. This, in most all mild cases, will 
be found sufficient, as an internal remedy. 

In cases of bleeding from the lungs, the most perfect quiet 
must be enjoined, and the patient prohibited from talking, and sup¬ 
press cough as much as possible. Some later authors do not consider 
this absolutely necessary and say, talk and cough if you feel so in¬ 
clined. If the attack is not immediately fatal you may not be 
alarmed. He must be placed on the bed with the head and 
shoulders raised. 

But few persons should be in the room, which should be well 
ventilated and cool. If the feet are cold, a hot mustard foot-bath 
is very useful, and the warmth subsequently continued with a jug 
of hot waiter. 

A strong decoction, or tea, made of the leaves of the bugle weed 
{Ly copus Virgmicus), is one of the best remedies known for bleed¬ 
ing of the lungs. As much as a pint a day should be drunk cold 
for several days, to prevent a return of the bleeding. 

A tincture, made of equal parts of black cohosh root ( Cimici - 
fuga Racenwsa), and blood-root ( Sanguinaria Canadensis ), is also 
a valuable remedy, especially if there is any liability to consump¬ 
tion. It may be taken in teaspoonful doses every three hours. 

The folio wing remedies have been used with success: Alum, 
which when pulverized, may be given in doses of two grains—or as 
much as will lie on the point of a penknife, every thirty or forty 
minutes; turpentine, ten to fifteen drops of which may be taken at a 
dose, once an hour; ten grains of Gallic acid every two hours is one of 
the best remedies; oil of C anada fleabane (.Erigeron Canadensis ), 
in doses of three to live drops every half-hour, is relied on by many; 
ipecac,, the tincture, in doses of fifteen to twenty drops, every twen- 
ty or thirty minutes; the common stinging nettle (TJrtica Dioica ), 
of which drink a strong infusion or tea; or, what is still better, take 
frequent doses of the juice of its leaves. 

Accessory Treatment — When persons of an enfeebled 
condition are attacked with bleeding from the lungs, they must take 
a mild nourishing diet, consisting principally of milk, eggs, oysters, 
gruel, panada, strong beef-tea, etc.; they should exercise moderately 



42 


BLEEDINGS FROM THE STOMACH. 


in the open air, increasing the exercise as they gain in strength. 
Such patients should avoid all animal food, all liquors, tea and cof¬ 
fee, and every article of diet that is indigestible; oranges, lemons, 
ripe, acid fruits of all kinds are very good, and all drinks should be 
taken cold. 


BLEEDINGS FROM THE STOMACH, OR VOMITING 

OF BLOOD. 

Vomiting of blood is generally preceded by pains in the stom¬ 
ach, sickness and nausea, and is accompanied with great anxiety 
and frequent fainting-tits. 

This disease is sometimes periodical; in which case it is less 
dangerous. It often proceeds from an obstruction of the menses in 
women, and sometimes from the stoppage of the hemorrhoidal dux 
in both sexes. It may be occasioned by any thing that greatly 
stimulates or wounds the stomach, as strong vomits or purges, acrid 
poisons, sharp or hard substances taken into the stomach. It is of¬ 
ten the effect of obstruction in the liver, the spleen, or some of the 
other organs. It may likewise proceed from external violence, as 
blows or bruises, or from any of the causes which produce indam- 
mation and ulceration. 

Remedies —The patient should be condned to the bed; small 
pieces of ice should be swallowed. If the bleeding is excessive there 
should be entire rest of the stomach and nourishment should be giv¬ 
en by injection. Among the most suitable for this purpose is strong 
beef-tea and milk. 

From one-lialf to a teacupful may be used at each injection, 
four times a day. 

After the injection, drm pressure should be made upon the 
anus with a napkin under the hand, until all efforts to expel it cease. 
It sometimes happens that vomiting of blood takes the place of the 
menstrual dow. If this is the case it should not be immediately 
arrested, but kept within proper limits. The swallowing of ice, and 
hot foot-baths, are advantageous. 

One-half a teaspoonful of common table-salt, repeated every 
twenty to thirty minutes, is an excellent remedy, and is usually all 
that will be required in mild cases. A mouthful of vinegar, swal¬ 
lowed occasionally, will often answer the same purpose. With some 
patients, it may be necessary to dilute it with water before using. 

Two tablespoonfuls, of epsom salts in glass of cold water jn 
which you have dropped dve or ten drops of sulphuric acid is very 
useful. A tea, made of the witch-hazel (Ilamamelis Virginica ), 
when administered in obstinate cases, affords speedy relief. This 
bark, or the liquid preparations of it, can be obtained at all drug¬ 
stores. 



FROST-BITE. 


43 


Among the professional remedies, Mousel’s solution of subsul¬ 
phate of iron is, perhaps, the best known to check hemorrhages. In 
these cases ten drops of the solution should be given in ice or cold 
water, and after the first two or three doses can be given frequently, 
from ten to thirty minutes apart, if the bleeding does not cease. 
Take it through a glass tube so as not to spoil the teeth. 

If the hemorrhage occurs in the course of scarlet fever, typhus 
etc., vinegar, citric acid, lemonade, sulphuric acid diluted, yeast, 
chloride of soda, and chloride of lime in solution, etc., together 
with means to strengthen the system. 

Accessory Treatment —It is also important in hem¬ 
orrhage from the stomach that the organ should have perfect rest. 
As long as any tendency to hemorrhage continues, the patient 
should remain in bed, and take nothing by the mouth except occa¬ 
sional sips of iced water. Food, beef-tea, etc., should be introduced 
by the rectum. 

Should faintness occur, no alarm need be excited, because it is 
often nature’s method of arresting the bleeding. After the hemor¬ 
rhage, the patient must still be kept cool and quiet, and the diet be 
light and unstimulating, while the posture of the body should be 
such as to favor the return of blood from the bleeding organs. 
Should the faintness persist, iced champagne is often an excellent 
restorative, and is not likely to induce vomiting. 

During the discharge, gruel, rice or barley-water may be 
allowed, but after its arrest, the diet must be more nutritious, as 
beef-tea, toast-bread, custards, soft-boiled eggs, oysters, oyster- 
soup, etc. 


FROST-BITE. 

When a person has exposed his hands or other parts of the body 
to severe cold, so that they are frozen or frost-bitten, he should 
avoid suddenly approaching a lire, as it might cause a violent and 
painful inflammation, and even mortification. The parts should be 
rubbed with ice or snow, or immersed in cold water ; or cloths, 
folded in several thicknesses and frequently wet with cold water, 
may be applied to them. After this course has been pursued until 
the frost is abstracted, the part should be bathed with strong 
alum-water. 

Roast-beef steak is a very superior application to parts that 
have been frost-bitten. 

Coal-oil, has, latterly, been used extensively for this purpose. 

“ The most effectual remedy,” says a medical author, “ I have 
ever known, and it is generally effectual in all cases, if persevered 
in, is rabbit’s fat. Anoint the part well once or twice a day with it, 
especially at night, and bathe it in well by holding the part to the 
fire. During the day, wear a piece of fresh rabbit’s skin next the 



44 


BLEEDING OF TIIE NOSE. 


affected part, with the flesh-side next the foot. If there is much 
swelling, with inflammation, poultice at night with rotten apples, or 
with elm and ginger. But in all ordinary cases, the use of the 
rabbit’s fat and skin will be sufficient.” If this is not at hand, 
mutton or tallow will answer. They will generally effect a perma¬ 
nent cure. Bathing the parts at night in cold water will also be 
found serviceable. 

“ When the extremities are frozen,” says an intelligent writer, 
“ and even when quite black, it is the custom in Kussia to rub the 
parts with warm goose-grease, repeating the application so often as 
to keep them always covered with the grease. This method,” 
continues he, u has been found to restore their life and circulation 
with great effect.” The oil or grease of common fowls will probably 
answer as good a purpose. 

To relieve itching, to which the feet are subject, in such cases, 
bathe them in alum-water, and then warm them bv the fire. One 
or two applications will afford relief. Some use a hot foot-bath ; it 
is a positive cure. 


BLEEDING OF THE NOSE. 

In simple cases, when the discharge is trifling, no treatment is 
necessary ; that suggested below is for cases in which the bleeding 
is excessive, long-continued, oft-recurring, or in which it arises from 
a debilitated state of the constitution. 

Remedies —The application of cold water or ice to the fore¬ 
head, neck, or back, raising the arms above the head, and holding 
them so for a short time, or pressing horizontally on the cheek-bone 
with the fingers, just above the bleeding nostril, and so compress¬ 
ing the blood-vessel, generally arrests the hemorrhage promptly. 

In obstinate cases, blow a little gum-Arabic powder up the 
nostrils through a quill, which will immediately stop the discharge. 

The following are other means, that may be employed for this 
purpose, and often with success : Apply a piece of cold iron to the 
back of the neck ; plug the nose with lint saturated with a strong 
solution of alum ; saturate a plug of lint with tincture of hamamelis 
and crowd the nostril full; or a strong tea of crane’s bill ; or the 
powdered leaves of the witch-hazel, used as a snuff. The two latter 
remedies will afford relief when all other means have failed. Pinch 
the nostrils so that no air may enter and disturb the clot. Suck up 
a little tincture of iron into a small syringe, let the patient hold his 
breath, and inject it into nostril. 

In full-blooded persons, with redness of face, and subject to 
headache and dizziness, bleeding from the nose may be salutary, 
and necessary to ward off apoplexy, and should not be too suddenly 
stopped. 



SUN* STROKE. 


45 


SUN-STROKE. 

Symptoms —Most cases are preceded by pain in the head ; 
wandering of the thoughts, or an inability to think at all ; disturbed 
vision ; irritability of temper ; sense of pain or weight at the pit of 
the stomach ; inability to breathe with the usual ease and satisfac¬ 
tion. Very soon the patient feels unable to command his limbs, and 
sinks down in a state of more or less complete unconsciousness ; and 
there are two kinds, one in which the face is red and flushed, and 
the other when the face is pale. 

Remedies —The old practice of putting cold water on the 
head is bad, and should be abandoned in cases of the pale-faced 
variety. In this give whisky or brandy. 

A better method is to make hot applications. If hot water 
cannot be obtained at first, bathe the head with tepid water, and, 
with the hands moistened, rub the extremities, the neck, and the 
whole length of the spine, rubbing in a downward direction to 
draw blood from the head. As soon as boiling water can be 
obtained, put a dry blanket around the body, then wring flannels 
from the hot water and apply them quickly to the region of the 
stomach, liver, bowels, and spine over the blanket ; also immerse 
the feet in hot water, or wrap them in hot flannels as far as the 
body. Re-wring the flannels once every five or eight minutes for' 
half an hour or more, then remove them and apply cool water in the 
same way, either by wet towels or by sponging with cool water ; 
dry well and rub the surface lightly and briskly with the hand until 
a glow is produced. As soon as the patient can swallow, give hot 
water to drink, plenty of it, with occasional bits of ice, or sips of 
cold water ; and in the cases when the face is red and flushed, pour 
cold water on head and do not give stimulants. 

Preventive —During the heated term, as it is called, all use 
whatever of malt, fermented, or distilled drinks should be aban¬ 
doned. Wear a hat that permits the air to pass through, and have 
the top lined with one thickness of flannel, or keep a silk handker¬ 
chief, or wear a cabbage or plantain leaf in the crown. Persons 
who feel the symptoms above named should immediately get in the 
shade, and bathe the head in cold water. 

Everything in any way calculated to impair the strength 
should be avoided. Sleep is a most wonderful restorer of strength, 
and the want of it is often caused by a badly assorted late meal of 
the evening before. Defective ventilation leads to a condition of 
affairs favorable to the malady under consideration. 

Drinking large quantities of cold water in very hot weather, 
merely because it is cold, should be avoided, particularly before, 
during, and after meals. 

Loosely fitting garments should be worn, and warm baths 
should be regularly taken. 


46 


drowning. 


DROWNING (Asphyxia). 

When a drowned man is taken from the water, he should he 
first turned on his face, to allow the escape of water from the mouth 
and throat. The finger of the attendant, slightly curved, should be 
thrust backward, to depress the tongue, to favor the escape of a 
small quantity of water, or mucus, often collected at the base ot the 

tongue. 


I. INSPIRATION. 




II. EXPIRATION. 

Illustration of the positions of the body during the employment of this 
Method of inducing Respiration, or Breathing. 

The barbarous practice of rolling a person over a barrel, or 
hanging him head downwards, to permit the escape of water from 
the lungs, has almost ceased, in view of the fact, now generally 
known, that no water can get into the lungs. 

The body should be stripped of the clothing, dried, and, when pos- 















































DROWNING* 


47 


sible, placed on a bed previously warmed, tlie neck, bead and should¬ 
ers raised a very little, if any; friction with the dry hands used to the 
extremities, and heated flannels kept applied to the rest of the body. 

The point to be aimed at first, is, the restoration of breathing. 
One of two methods is usually employed to effect this purpose, the 
one known as “ Sylvester's Ready Method ,” which is embraced in 
the following rules: 

Rule 1. To maintain a Free Entrance of Air into 
tlie Windpipe —Cleanse the mouth and nostrils from dirt, saliva, 
etc.; open the mouth; draw forward the patient’s tongue, and keep 
it forward; an elastic band, over the tongue and under the chin, 
will answer this purpose. Remove all tight clothing from the neck 
and chest. 

Rule 2. To adjust the Patient’s Posture —Place the 
patient on his back, on a flat surface, inclined a little from the feet 
upwards; raise and support the head and shoulders on a small, firm 
cushion or folded article of dress, placed under the shoulder-blades. 

Rule 3. To Imitate the Movements of Breathing 
{see engravings )—The operator, standing or kneeling behind, and at 
the head of the patient, should grasp the patient’s arms, just above 
the elbows, and draw them gently and steadily upwards till they 
meet above the head (this is for the purpose of inspiration, or 
drawing the air into the lungs), and keep the arms in that position 
for two seconds. 

He should then turn them down, and press them gently and 
firmly for two seconds against the sides of the chest (this is with 
the object of pressing air out of the lungs—expiration). 

If an assistant compress with both hands, flat, the lower part 
of the ribs and diaphragm, when the patient’s arms are turned 
down, the expiration will be facilitated. The operator and assistant 
must carefully act together. 

As the process of artificial respiration is laborious, the best 
qualified assistants should be selected to take turns with the oper¬ 
ator; but changing places must be rapid, that not a single respira¬ 
tory movement may be missed. 

Repeat these measures alternately, deliberately and persever- 
ingly, fifteen times a minute, until a spontaneous effort to respire is 
perceived, immediately upon which cease to imitate the movements 
of breathing, and proceed to induce “ Circulation and Warmth,” 
according to Rule 5. 

Should a warm bath be procurable, the body may be placed in 
it up to the neck, continuing to imitate the movements of breath¬ 
ing. Raise the body in twenty seconds to a sitting position, and 
dash cold water against the chest and face, and pass ammonia un¬ 
der the nose. Tlie patient should not be kept in a warm bath longer 
than five or six minutes. 

Rule h. To Excite Inspiration— During the employment 
of the above method, excite the nostrils with snuff or smelling- 


48 


DROWNING. 


salts, or tickle the throat with a feather. Rub the chest and face 
briskly, and dash cold and hot water alternately on them. 

The efforts to restore life must be joersevered in until the pulse 
and breathing have ceased for at least an hour, for well-attested 
instances of resuscitation are on record after several hours of sus¬ 
pended animation. 

Another and effectual method of effecting artificial respiration, 
is by the operator inflating from his own chest; and as he is able to 
drive in much more air than is absolutely necessary, its impurity is 
of no great consequence. An assistant must empty the patient’s 
lungs, by compression of the chest, between the insufflations. 

Rule 5. To Induce Circulation and Warmth —Wrap 
the patient in dry blankets and commence rubbing the limbs up¬ 
ward, firmly and energetically. The friction must be continued 
under the blankets or over the dry clothing. 

Promote the warmth of the body by the application of hot 
flannels, bottles or bladders of hot water, heated bricks, etc., to the 
pit of the stomach, the armpits, between the thighs, and to the 
soles of the feet. Warm clothing may generally be obtained from 
bystanders. 

On the restoration of life, when the power of swallowing has 
returned, a teaspoonful of warm water, small quantities of warm 
wine, warm brandy and water, or coffee, should be given. In some 
cases, an enema of beef-tea and brandy is to be preferred to admin¬ 
istration by the mouth. The patient should be put into a warm bed, 
in a room well ventilated, and encouraged to sleep. Great care is 
requisite to maintain the restored vital actions, and at the same 
time to prevent undue excitement. 

The second “ Ready Method,” as it is called, is that of Marshall 
Hall. 

The person whose breathing is to be restored is placed flat on 
the face, gentle pressure is then made on the back, the pressure re¬ 
moved, the body turned on its side, or a little beyond that. The 
body is then turned again on the face, gentle pressure again used to 
the back, then turned on the side. This should be done about six¬ 
teen times in a minute—facilitating artificial respiration as described 
above. 

Both of these methods have the same object in view; either may 
be exclusively used, or one may be alternated with the other. Most 
physicians express a preference for the first described (“ Ready 
Method of Sylvester ”). Both of these procedures might be prac¬ 
ticed, in advance, by the reader, because such practice might be more 
easily remembered than a concise rule. 

Accidents in Water —If thrown into the water, and you 
are not able to swim, draw the breath in well, and keep the mouth 
shut. Do not throw the arms up; but yield quietly to the water, 
hold the head well up, and stretch out the hands only below the 


APPARENT DEATH FROM HANGING. 


49 


water. To throw the hands or feet up, will pitch the head down, 
and cause the whole person to go immediately under water. 


APPARENT DEATH FROM HANGING. 

Persons found hanging are to be cut down instantly, and the 
same means employed to re-establish breathing as in cases of drown¬ 
ing. It may help to restore the breathing, to bathe the forehead 
and face with vinegar, or tincture of camphor, and to pass hartshorn 
frequently under the nostrils. 


APPARENT DEATH FROM NOXIOUS VAPORS. 

When persons become insensible from breathing foul air, gases, 
etc., in a well or other place, let them be immediately exposed to the 
open air, and cold water be dashed upon the face, and strong vine¬ 
gar be rubbed about the nostrils, removing the clothing from the 
neck and chest. As soon as they can swallow, give lemonade, or a 
few drops of sulphuric aid, dropped into a tumblerful of water, and 
slightly sweetened. A stimulating injection may be given, prepared 
as follows: 

Castor oil, 1 gill; pulv. cayenne, 10 grs.; molasses, 1 gill; 
table-salt, 1 teaspoonful; warm water, 1 pint. Mix. 

No well, vat, or old cellar of any kind, should ever be entered 
without lirst lowering down into it a lighted candle. If the flame 
is extinguished, or burns dimly, indicating the presence of carbonic 
acid gas, no one, under any circumstances, should he permitted to 
enter without removing this foul air. Buckets of water dashed 
down into the well, or masses of lighted shavings give enough move¬ 
ment to the carbonic acid gas to dislodge it. Freshly slaked lime 
also rapidly absorbs it. 


COMMON BURNING GAS. 

Persons retiring at night often leave the gas “ turned down,” 
and the flame becomes extinguished. Enough gas often escapes to 
give trouble to the sleeper unless the room is well ventilated. Per¬ 
sons have been known to “ blow it out,” and suffocation has fol¬ 
lowed. 

Treat as for poison of other gases above described. 


APPARENT DEATH FROM BURNING CHARCOAL. 

Some persons attempt to warm their sleeping rooms with a 
portable furnace, or open pan filled with burning coals. This is 

4 






50 


APPARENT DEATH FROM LIGHTNING. 


altogether wrong, as such coals, while burning, throw off large quan¬ 
tities of carbonic acid gas, a deadly poison. This being heavier than 
atmospheric air, falls to the bottom of the room, and for a time may 
do no damage; but, if there be no chimney draught, or window, it 
will rise above the heads of those in the room, and bring on asphyxia 
and death. 

Let such cases be treated the same as that of “ noxious vapors 
and gases,” with the additional measure of attempting to excite 
breathing, as in the case of persons apparently dead from drowning. 


APPARENT DEATH FROM LIGHTNING. 

In such case, the same means for recovery should be used as in 
apparent death from drowning. Or the patient may be placed in a 
current of fresh air, and cold water dashed upon the face and breast, 
and warm friction and hot cloths should immediately be applied, if 
the body be cold. 

Artificial respiration should be kept up until the parts of the 
brain and nervous system in charge of this duty shall have recovered 
sufficiently to attend to it; as recoveries after an hour of supposed 
death are on record. 

Some stimulant, as the spirits of ammonia, may be used. 
Twenty drops, in a tablespoonful of water, every few minutes, may 
be given; or a teaspoonful of brandy. A bucket of cold water on 
head and neck may revive one. If a battery can be procured, pass 
a current of electricity from the base of the back part of the head 
down the spine and to the extremities of the limbs every two min¬ 
utes; but discontinue as soon as signs of life appear. 


APPARENT DEATH FROM STARVATION. 

Give repeatedly small injections of warm milk, and after a little 
while, add to the injections chicken broth or beef tea. When the 
patient begins to breathe, give a few drops of warm milk every few 
minutes, and as he revives increase to a teaspoonful every ten min¬ 
utes. As he still revives and asks for more food, give toasted bread 
and water, in spoonful doses; and next a little broth or beef tea. Be 
careful not to give too much. Let him eat often, but only a little 
at a time.— Gunn. 


FREEZING. 

• 

Treatment —In case of an individual being apparently dead 
from freezing, he should be rubbed with snow or ice-cold water; this 
should be done in a room without afire; if breathing appears to 





SHOCK-CONCUSSION OF THE BRAIN. 


51 


liave ceased, the case may be hopeless, but an effort may be made to 
restore it by adopting “ the Marshall Hall method ” (see drowning). 
After some time the body may be wiped dry, and flannels may then 
take the place of the snow or cold water; a little weak warm wine, or 
brandy and water, may be given from time to time. An injection 
of warm water should be used in connection with the other means, 
and, as vitality seems to improve, add to the brandy, wine or whisky, 
injections of weak coffee; beef-tea should be given, at first in small 
quantities, but repeating it or the stimulants as they can be borne 
without exciting fever. Do not apply heat or have a fire in the 
room. It is dangerous to your patient. 


SHOCK. 

Mild forms of shock are often, by the non-professional, con¬ 
founded with fainting. As far as they extend, the symptoms of an 
ordinary attack of fainting are similar to those of shock. 

Treatment —Place the patient flat on his back with the head 
raised over an inch or two. Stimulants are required. The aro¬ 
matic character of brandy enables it to be retained by the stomach 
when whisky and other forms of alcohol are rejected. Give a tea¬ 
spoonful in a tablespoonful of water every two or three minutes, 
until six or eight have been taken. If the temperature of the body 
is raised by it, and there seems a revival of the action of the heart, 
enough brandy has been given. Ten drops of the spirits of am¬ 
monia in a teaspoonful of water may be given every couple of min¬ 
utes, until four or five doses have been taken. Twenty drops of lauda¬ 
num or half a grain of morphine may be given. Flannels, wrung 
out of hot water, or bottles of hot water properly wrapped up, should 
be applied to the extremities and to the “ pit of the stomach.” 


CONCUSSION OF THE BRAIN. 

This is an interruption to the functions of the brain, from a 
blow, or other mechanical injury of the head; it may vary in degree 
from a slight stun to extinction of life. 

Symptoms —Insensibility; pale face; small or imperceptible 
pulse; snoring breathing; cold extremities, etc. By shaking the 
patient, or calling his name loudly in his ears (which, however, 
should never be done), he may give a surly answer, and soon become 
insensible again. After a time, longer or shorter, according to the 
severity of the injury, reaction comes on and consciousness returns, 
often with vomiting. At first the reaction may be imperfect; it is 
often several days, or even weeks, before the power of the mind is 
restored. 

Remedies —Moisten the tongue with a few drops of the 
tincture of arnica, by means of a feather or quill, and repeat the 
dose every hour, for several times. 




52 


FOREIGN BODIES IN TIIE THROAT. 


The patient should be placed in a warm bed, with his head at 
first moderately low, and warmth applied to his extremities and 
arm-pits. On no account should he be induced to eat or drink; he 
must also be kept very quiet, and no attempt made to arouse him. 
When reaction comes on, the head and shoulders should be 
raised a little and cold evaporating lotions applied, keeping the 
patient at the same time in a cool, quiet room, with the light modi¬ 
fied and noise and conversation shut out. He must be under care 
for two or three weeks, lest some insidious inflammation should 
arise within the head. 


FOREIGN BODIES IN THE THROAT. 

When a person is choking, few would think of running off to 
consult a book; still, as it is desirable to have a clear idea of what 
should be done under the circumstances, directions are given, as 
every person should have some general knowledge how to act in case 
of emergency, and should acquire that information by reading dur¬ 
ing leisure moments. 

Foreign bodies, becoming fixed in the throat or gullet, as some¬ 
times happens when eating, may cause death. Efforts are made to 
cough, and the sense of choking is experienced wdtli all its distress¬ 
ing accompaniments, in the form of distorted countenance and 
great fright. 

Treatment —The patient should be made to sit down, when 
the finger of the operator should be pushed as far down the throat 
as possible, to endeavor to reach and dislodge the substance. Turn 
the person upside down and it may be dislodged. A surgical bent 
forceps may help in its removal. If this cannot be accomplished, 
the piece of meat or whatever it may be, should be pushed down 
into the stomach by means of a small bit of sponge tied to the end 
of a piece of whalebone, or some similar instrument. Surgical 
cutlers have these probangs, as they are called, constantly in stock. 
A riding whip, a piece of cane or whalebone, cut at the moment out 
of an umbrella, have been, before now, made available in cases of 
choking, by wrapping it with silk and then oiling it. 

When a fish-bone is stuck in the throat, it may at times be got 
rid of by eating a piece of bread. Fish-hooks have been swallowed 
by children. It has been proposed, in the event of such an accident, 
to drill a hole in a bullet, pass it over the line, in order that the 
weight of the descending ball may dislodge the hook, which can then 
be withdrawn, the bullet protecting the soft part. Were I called in 
to such a case, I should much prefer using the common probang, 
making a hole in the sponge for the line to pass through, then guid¬ 
ing it by that, force out the hook, or shielding the end of the pro¬ 
bang, to which a silver ring is ordinarily attached, with a piece of 
sponge; use that end, which would be better able to make force if 
necessary. 



FOREIGN BODIES IN THE NOSE. 


53 


Tying a number of threads of silk to a piece of whalebone, so 
as to form loops, may make an instrument that would be useful for 
withdrawing any rough body. 

Feathers have been swallowed when attempting to tickle the 
throat, so as to induce vomiting, and have been withdrawn from the 
esophagus by such an instrument. 

Where glass has been swallowed, it has been recommended to 
fasten a piece of tallow candle to a string, swallow it and then with¬ 
draw it. Where other means fail, and the operation is required, it 
may sometimes be in the power of the surgeon to reach the part by 
cutting, and so remove the cause of danger. 

Where a piece of meat or other substance is lodged in the 
throat, and where no surgeon or no probang can be got, or if got, 
cannot be used from nervousness on the part of those present, the 
best course to adopt, is that recommended some years ago by the 
late Dr. Marshall Hall. 

Pressure being made on the abdomen, to prevent the descent of 
the diaphragm, a forcible blow should be made by the flat hand on 
the thorax (chest). The effect of this is to induce an effort similar 
to that of expiration; the larynx being closed, esophagean vomiting 
takes place and the morsel is dislodged. 

If this plan fail, not an instant being lost, the pressure should 
be kept on the abdomen, the finger should be introduced into the 
throat, and the same smart, forcible blow made on the thorax, as be¬ 
fore. 

A little boy eating some fowl in haste, attempted to swallow 
too large a morsel and was choked; I ran to him, placed him be¬ 
tween my knees, one knee (the right) pressing firmly on the stomach, • 
and the other on the back. I then placed one hand (the left) on the 
back part of the thorax, whilst I gave a firm blow with the other on 
the breast. In an instant I had the joy of seeing the morsel of 
chicken expelled with force to a considerable distance, and all was 
safe. 

In the absence of anything else, he recommends to get some 
cotton or linen made into a firm scroll and greased; he also suggests 
a thin, bent tallow-candle. 


FOREIGN BODIES IN THE NOSE. 

Children, sometimes, in play, introduce things into their noses. 
If peas, beans, or any other substances, be thrust in, no time should 
be lost in getting them out, otherwise, as they enlarge, they become 
more firmly fixed. Hard substances, which remain unchanged by 
moisture, are of less consequence, and may remain some days without 
causing much inconvenience, and often drop out of themselves. 

The effect of a pinch of snuff may be tried, as a means of dis¬ 
lodging them; keeping the mouth and the opposite nostril closed, and 
then forcing air through the other, may also be tried. 



54 


FOREIGN SUBSTANCES IN THE EYE AND EAR. 


These means failing, a bent wire or scoop may be usod; in some 
cases it becomes necessary to push the foreign body back into the 
throat. These cases, however, must be treated by a medical man, 
where any such course is necessary. Two or three drops of car¬ 
bolic acid in half pint of water used as an injection into the nose at 
the same time remembering to open the mouth is much better. 


FOREIGN SUBSTANCES IN THE EYES. 

When the substance is beneath the lower lid, draw the lid 
down, and ask the patient to look up, then with the head of a pin 
covered with a soft silk or cambric handkerchief, remove the sub¬ 
stance. If it is beneath the upper lid, take a knitting needle in one 
hand, place the end across the upper lid about half an inch from its 
edge, take hold of the eyelashes with the fingers of the other hand, 
and gently raise the edge of the lid while you press the pencil or 
needle downward, so as to turn the lid inside out over the pencil, 
when an assistant can readily remove it. The corner of a dry silk 
handkerchief is very good to use. Small particles of steel are some¬ 
times driven into the ball; they can be removed with the sharp 
point of a needle or knife, but when practicable apply to a physi¬ 
cian or surgeon. 

Mortar or lime is rapidly destructive. If seen immediately , 
the eye should be washed with a tepid solution of one part vinegar 
and eight of water. The lids should be everted, as above directed, 
and every particle of lime removed. Grains of gunpowder may be 
removed with plain tepid water. 

When the foreign body is removed, a weak solution of arnica 
should be applied to the eye, by means of lint or soft linen, and 
covered to prevent evaporation. Ten grains of borax in two ounces 
of water is very good for the eye after removal. 

Instead of using the vinegar and water, as above directed, sweet 
oil is equal, if not superior. It should be at once dropped or rub¬ 
bed into the eye. After the particles of lime have been removed as 
carefully as possible, the eye should be opened in water, as well as 
syringed with water. 

Another method of removing substances from the eye, immedi¬ 
ately after the accident has occurred, is to catch the lashes of the 
upper lid between the finger and thumb, then draw the lid gently 
outwards and downwards as far as it will go, then let it return to its 
place. In doing this the lower row of lashes sweeps out the inner 
surface of the upper eyelid, and in this manner removes anything 
that may adhere to it. Any person can do this for himself. 


FOREIGN SUBSTANCES IN THE EAR. 

When a solid substance gets into the ear, and you have no for- 




HYDROPHOBIA. 


55 


ceps, and can not extract it without, call in a physician immedi¬ 
ately. 

To remove foreign substances from the ear it is better, where 
it is possible to do so, to use a small syringe and tepid water, than 
the forceps. If an insect gets into the ear, deluge it with sweet 
oil—with a syringe, if you have it. If you have not the sweet oil, 
use lard oil, or melted lard. Warm water is an excellent substitute 
for these; turn the ear up and drip the water into the ear from a 
sponge. 


HYDROPHOBIA (Rabies). 

(Two Latin words signifying dread of water.) 

This is a disease resulting from the bite of a rabid dog, or from 
its licking an abraded portion of the skin, the chief characteristics 
of which are severe constriction about the throat; spasmodic action 
of the diaphragm; a peculiar difficulty of swallowing, and conse¬ 
quent dread of fluids; anxiety and restlessness; followed by exhaus¬ 
tion, delirium and death. 

Symptoms of Rabies in the Dog* —According toYouatt, 
the earliest are, sullenness, and frequent shifting of posture; loss of 
appetite; lapping his own urine; disposition to lick cold surfaces, 
to eat straws, excrementitious matter, and other rubbish; and fight¬ 
ing with his paws at the corners of his mouth. A very early and 
constant symptom is change of voice , every sound uttered being 
more or less changed. 

The amount of ferocity varies; some show extreme fondness; 
while others bark and rush to the end of their chain to meet an im¬ 
aginary foe; or, if loose, rush out, biting every one they meet. 
There is no dread of water , as in human beings, but, on the con¬ 
trary, great thirst; and the saliva becomes viscid, and adheres to the 
mouth. In the last stages of the disease, the eyes become dull; the 
hind legs, and afterwards the muscles of the jaw, are paralyzed; and 
the animal dies exhausted, in from four to six days. 

Symptoms in Man —These are not manifested till a period 
varying from a few weeks to one or two years after receiving the 
infection, the wound having probably healed, and the scar present¬ 
ing no remarkable appearance. Twitching and itching sensations 
are sometimes felt in the vicinity of the wound prior to an attack. 
Sometimes there is stiffness, or numbness, or partial palsy; or the 
wound may be red and swollen; there is an indistinct feeling of un¬ 
easiness and anxiety, with giddiness, chills, heat and a general feel¬ 
ing of being unwell. The special symptoms are arranged under 
three heads. 1. A spasmodic affection of the muscles of the 
throat and chest; the act of swallowing commonly exciting 
convulsions, makes the patient afraid to repeat the attempt; hence 
the horror of all liquids which is so remarkable a feature of the dis¬ 
ease. 2. An extreme degree of sensibility of the surface of the 



56 


HYDROPHOBIA. 


body . 3. Mental agitation and terror frequently mark the disease 

throughout. To these symptoms we may add extreme thirst; the 
secretion of a remarkably viscid saliva, the effort to swallow which 
brings on the convulsive fits; the convulsions increase in frequency 
and violence; the lips and cheeks become livid and perpetually 
quiver; till, at length, one fit lasts long enough to exhaust the re- 
maining strength. 

Cause —A bite from an animal already affected with hydro¬ 
phobia. It is asserted and generally believed in India, that rabies 
never originated in dogs, but can always be traced to a mad jackal 
or wolf entering a village or town, and biting the dogs. Close con¬ 
finement, want of fresh water, unwholesome food, etc., may have 
some influence in developing the malady. 

Remedies —1. The following treatment has proved effectual 
in hydrophobia: At the time of the paroxysm, divest tlie patient 
of ail clothing and bandage the eyes. Put him into a bath-tub in 
the following manner: Place a thermometer in your bath-tub, and 
when you have prepared the water at a temperature of sixty-five 
degrees Fahrenheit, plunge him into it without regard to his remon¬ 
strances. Repeat the bath whenever the paroxysms return. It is 
important that the patient should neither see nor hear the water, 
nor know of the proposed bath; for this disease is aggravated by 
either. Give patient chloroform to relieve the spasms. One of 
the secrets of the success of this treatment is the suddenness and 
unexpectedness to the patient of the application. 

2. A Syrian missionary gives the following as a remedy of 
some notoriety used in that country, for the cure of hydrophobia. 
Add about three handfuls of stramonium ( jimson ) leaves to one 
quart of water; reduce to a pint by boiling; strain, and give the 
whole to the patient at one dose, as soon as possible after the bite. 
•It will seem to produce most violent madness, but it will be of 
short duration. After which, there will follow profuse perspira¬ 
tion, and, in twenty-four hours, the patient is relieved. This mission¬ 
ary, P. P. Legrand, reports many successful cures with this 
remedy. 

German Remedy —An aged German forest keeper, not wish¬ 
ing to carry it to the grave gives as a valuable remedy he has used 
for fifty years, and which, he says, has saved several men and a large 
number of animals from a horrible death by hydrophobia: Bathe 
the bite as soon as possible with warm vinegar and water, and, 
when this has dried, a few drops of muriatic acid poured upon the 
wound will destroy the poison of the saliva and relieve the patient 
from all present or future danger.— Dr. J. C. Caswell. 

Curious Methods of Treating Hydrophobia in Mexico 
—“The person under the influence of the disease must be well secured, 
that he may do no mischief to himself or others. Soak a rennet in 
a little more than a half-tumbler of water about ten minutes; when 
this has been done, add of pulverized savadilla (.Indian barley ) as 


SPRAINS. 


57 


much as may be taken by the thumb and three lingers. Mix it 
thoroughly, and give it to the patient (that is, force it down his 
throat in the interval between the paroxysms). The patient is then 
to be put into the sun, if possible, or placed near the lire, and well 
warmed. If the lirst dose trancpiilizes him after a short interval, 
no more is to be given; but if he continue furious, another dose 
must be administered, which will infallibly quiet him. A profound 
sleep will succeed, which will last twenty-four or forty-eight hours 
(according to the strength of. the patient’s constitution), at the ex¬ 
piration of which time he will be attacked with severe purging and 
vomiting, which will continue until the poison is entirely ejected. 
He will then be restored to his senses, will ask for food, and the 
cure is effected.” 

If a person is supposed to have been bitten by a mad dog, or 
other rabid animal, he should use, for his daily drink, in place of 
tea, coffee or water, the following: A tea, made of equal parts of 
dried black-snake root and dried sage. This tea may be sweetened 
with honey to the taste of the patient, but it is supposed to be better 
to be drunk without sugar. Continue this beverage for one whole 
year, and let the patient take his food free from salt, or, at least, in 
very small quantities. If this course be steadily pursued, as 
directed, it is almost certain, that, at the expiration of the time in¬ 
dicated, the system of the patient will not contain a particle of 
poisonous material introduced by the bite of the animal. 


SPRAINS. 

Sprains are simply the effects of over-doing, or straining the 
muscles or ligaments, tendons or cords, producing swelling, soreness, 
pain, and disabling the joint for use. One of the very best means 
for the relief of sprains is a thorough application of beef-brine to 
the part. Bathe and wrap the part in cloths saturated with the brine. 
It should be applied hot. Manipulation of the sprained part 
with the palm of the hand is one of the best measures to relieve 
pain and remove swelling. Ben net, dissolved in warm water 
and applied hot, well wrapped in flannels, will cure at once. 

The plantain leaf, mixed with vinegar, is a prompt and effectual 
application. It is to be thoroughly bruised, and a small quantity 
of vinegar added, and applied in the form of a poultice, and occas¬ 
ionally renewed. This has been known to relieve a person in 
twenty-four hours, in whom the difficulty had resisted the efforts of 
the medical attendant for weeks in succession, and during which 
time the patient had been unable to walk, or to place his foot on 
the floor, without experiencing the most intense pain. 

The following is another that is reputed effective: “ Mix a 
little turpentine with flour and the yolk of an egg, and apply it as a 
plaster. 



58 


BRUISES—CRAMPS. 


The tincture of arnica is a very popular remedy, in this affec¬ 
tion. It should be applied several times a day, first diluting it 
with equal parts of water. A solution of sal ammoniac with a 
tablespoonful of tincture of aconite is still better. 


BRUISES. 

Under this head we include all injuries from blows and falls, 
which are of so serious a character as to.require medical aid. Apply 
a cloth, wrung out of very warm water, and renew it often until the 
pain ceases. The moisture and heat liquefy the blood and send it 
back to its proper channel. Use hot water, or very warm water, 
but not cold. It should be applied as soon as possible, and as hot 
a*s it can be borne. It is excellent to prevent stiffness. If the 
bruise is on the hand or foot, it will do to put it into the water and 
keep it there for some length of time, but it will be better to 
apply it with a cloth as above, only be sure and apply it often 
enough to keep it hot. This will also prevent any discoloration of 
the parts. 

Common table salt is a most admirable remedy for bruises. 
Saturate cloths with a strong solution of it, and apply. 

Petroleum (the crude article) is said to be unsurpassed for re¬ 
moving the soreness of bruises and wounds, and for promoting the 
healing process. 

Tincture of arnica is the usual remedy for bruises, and is a very 
effective application. It should be prepared for use by adding two 
teaspoonfuls to half a teacupful of water, and the bandages, or 
other dressings, kept constantly saturated with the solution. 

When no other remedies are at hand, apply raw beef. In 
ordinary cases, no other application will be needed. 


CRAMPS IN THE LEGS. 

Symptoms —Sudden contraction of the muscles of the calf 
of the leg, frequently the result of indigestion. 

Remedies —1. Make a strong tea, of the high cranberry 
bush bark, and drink one-third of a teacupful, and it will stop the 
cramp in twenty minutes. 

2. Another good remedy is the bark of the root of the black 
haw (Viburnum Prunifolium), which should be prepared and 
taken as the first. Persons who are troubled with cramping, should 
obtain either of the above remedies (the former being the better), 
and take it for a week or two, night and morning, and their trouble 
will seldom return. Pub the parts with dry mustard and bend the 
toes forward towards the shin letting palm of hand rest on 
sole of foot. If physicians would come down to these simple 
medicines, their success would be far greater ih the treat- 




COMMON OK FLATULENT COLIC. 


59 


ment of this difficulty, and, we might add, in most other diseases. 
These remedies act equally in the cramps attendant upon pregnancy, 
and perfect confidence can be placed in their action, for this purpose. 

The following is a good means for relieving this difficulty: 
Press the foot firmly against some hard substance, as the wall, the 
floor, or bedstead. Sometimes, immediate relief is obtained by 
rubbing the limb downwards with spirits of camphor, or the tinc¬ 
ture of cayenne pepper. 

When the cramp is in the calf of the leg , draw up the foot 
strongly toward the shin-bone, and in a few seconds the cramps 
will pass off. When they are in the thigh or arm , tie a cord around 
the limb just above the cramped part, and then rub this part. 

Immersing the parts in hot water is another good plan for ob¬ 
taining immediate relief. 


COMMON OR FLATULENT COLIC. 

Symptoms —Severe twisting, griping pain in the abdomen 
chiefly around the navel, relieved by pressure, so that the patient 
doubles himself up, lies on his stomach, or rolls on the floor, 
writhing in agony. The bowels are generally constipated, but 
there is a frequent desire to relieve them, although little passes but 
wind; there is no fever, nor is the pulse even quickened, unless 
after a time it becomes so from anxiety. The paroxysms of pain 
are owing to the efforts of the bowel above to force downwards the 
mass of accumulated gas or faeces, while the lower portion is con¬ 
tracted. The distention of the intestines also is one cause of pain. 

Colic is sometimes mistaken for inflammation of the bowels, 
and for rupture; but it may be distinguished as follows: In colie 
there is no fever, no acceleration of the pulse, no serious apprehen¬ 
sive anxiety, the pain is relieved by pressure, and there are inter¬ 
vals of almost complete relief, being entirely paroxysmal. Inflam¬ 
mation of the bowels, on the other hand, is attended with fever 
and constant extreme tenderness of the abdomen, causing the 
patient to avoid any movement which would bring into action the 
abdominal muscles, so that he breathes by the chest alone; and 
although there are paroxysms of severe pain, there are no complete 
intermissions and it is always attended with an accelerated pulse. 
Colic may be distinguished from rupture by the tumor which exists 
in the latter disease, but which is absent in the former. In colic 
there is always a great desire to urinate, and you can by putting your 
ear to the abdomen hear the rumbling of gas. 

Causes —Errors of diet, such as eating a mass of heterogene¬ 
ous, acrid, indigestible food, or acid fruits; cold, from wet feet or 
suppressed perspiration; worms; constipation, etc. It may also 
arise from a stricture of the intestines. It often occurs in hysteri¬ 
cal subjects. 



60 


COMMON OK FLATULENT COLIC. 


Remedies —In most forms of this disease, we doubt if there 
is any remedy equal to sugar and hot water. We have known it 
to cure the most violent cases as if by magic. 

1. Dissolve a tablespoonful of sugar in a teacupful of hot 
water / drink it as hot as it can be borne. This is an infallible 
remedy for almost any form of colie. 

This remedy, as powerful as it is'simple, may well banish from 
the couch of helpless infancy and childhood the soothing-syrups, 
cordials, paregorics, and all the other deadly opiates with which it 
is customary to dose those innocent sufferers, and it will surely save 
their parents from many sleepless nights of pain and anxiety. For 
infants and little children, a very small amount of it only will be 
necessary. The application of cloths wrung out of very hot water 
and laid over the bowels aids very materially in effecting a speedy 
cure. 

2. Dr. Beach says, “ A person had been several days in great 
pain with this disease, constipation, etc. Four physicians were in 
attendance, but all their endeavors to alleviate the pain were of no 
avail; another physician was sent for, who immediately ordered 
tobacco injections, which afforded relief and shortly cured him. 
Take tobacco, a teaspoonful; boiling water, one pint; inject.” 
Repeat if necessary. 

3. The application of hot dry salt, in a small bag, or folded 
in a towel, will often give relief. This is always to be had, it is 
soon heated and has this great advantage over hot fomentations, 
that it does not leave the patient wet after his pain is relieved. By 
keeping two napkins in use, the salt for the one may be heated 
while the other is applied. In all cases of colic the heat gives 
relief almost from the first application. Hot aromatic drinks of all 
kinds are good. If you can get chloral give 30 gr. in wine glass of 
water, it will speedily cure. 

4. In many cases, salt taken internally, will afford speedy 
relief, if used at the commencement of the attack. Dose, one-half 
to a teaspoonful dissolved in a teacupful of hot water. 

Spearmint, or peppermint tea, is also very good in this disease, 
if taken freely. 

Cramp-Colic —The wild yam, taken as directed in “ Bilious 
Colic,” is a very prompt remedy, and reputed to be a specific in 
cramp colic. 

This is only a more intense form of the common colic, but the 
same remedies are adapted to both forms of the disease. 

The doses given in this disease, as well as all others mentioned 
in this book, are intended for adults. For children, see “Table of 
Doses for Children.” 

_ Accessory Means —Hot flannels over the abdomen; or a 
copious injection of warm water , is often followed by immediate 
relief. Food of a flatulent character, especially vegetables, and 
every kind that has been found to disagree with the patient, should 


I 


COLIC. 61 

be avoided. Persons subject to colic may be benefited by wearing 
a piece of flannel covering the entire abdomen, and having the 
feet well protected from damp. 


PAINTERS’ OR LEAD COLIC. 

Lead miners, plumbers, manufacturers of white lead, and 
painters, are subject to this affection. Persons using water that 
has passed through or stood in lead pipes or cisterns, are liable to 
attacks of it. Many of the symptoms are similar to those of other 
forms of colic; but the pain generally commences less abruptly, 
and is at first dull and afterward increases and extends to the back 
and sides. The stools are usually hard, dry and knotty; sometimes 
there is diarrhea, but the abdomen is not tender; there is a blue line 
along the gums; this is diagnostic of lead colic. 

Remedies —1. It is well, sometimes, to put the patient into 
warm water, for half an hour, in order to relax the muscular 
system, and overcome the spasms of the bowels. 

2. A decoction of ground ivy (Nepeta Glechoma ), used 
freely, is said not only to ward off the disease, but to cure it 
when once developed. 

8. Malic acid will also be found a very useful agent, in pre¬ 
venting and removing this painful disease. It can be procured at 
drug-stores, and it also exists plentifully in the juice of apples, 
currants, barberries, and other fruits. 

4. Iodide of potash, one-half ounce; water and simple 
sirup, of each two ounces. Mix. Dose, one teaspoonful every 
three hours. If it is desired to use other remedies than those 
specified above, those recommended for bilious colic may be em¬ 
ployed. (See “Accessory Measures,” under common or flatulent 
colic, which are applicable to this disease). 

5. Aromatic sulph. acid is very useful, put a tablespoonful in 
one half-pint of water and drink freely. 


BILIOUS COLIC. 

This disease is characterized by severe colic pains, which are 
often attended by vomiting yellow and green bile. An attack is 
often preceded by nausea, yellowness of the skin and eyes, and 
uneasiness in the right side; sometimes it begins with a chill. There 
is occasionally partial paralysis of some portion of the upper and 
lower limbs. The disease 'may be caused by improper food, or 
exposure to cool nights in warm weather, sudden colds, or over¬ 
eating. 




62 


WOUNDS. 


In all cases, examine the abdomen carefully, and see if you can 
find a rupture, which will be manifested by a tumor or swelling, 
usually situated either at the navel or in the region of the groin. 
A warm bath is one of the best measures in every form of colic. 
Cloths, wrung from hot water and applied over the bowels, often 
afford some relief. In all cases where the bowels are costive, or in 
any case where there is no diarrhea, injections of warm water will 
give immediate relief. Also let the patient drink freely of warm 
water, sweetened, especially if there is nausea and vomiting. 

Remedies — 1. A strong tea of the wild yarn (Dioscorea 
Villosa ), given in tablespoonful doses, every ten minutes, will cure 
almost any case of bilious colic. It is regarded as a never-failing 
remedy. If the medicine is vomited, repeat the dose. In a few 
hours relief will be obtained. 

The active principle of this plant, called Dioscorein , may be 
given in five-grain doses. Or the fluid extracts, in one-teaspoonful 
doses, where the root cannot be obtained. This remedy is said to 
be equally good for cramp-colic. 

2. The American or wild ipecac has the reputation of being a 
prompt cure for this disease. Dose, ten to fifteen grains, or as 
much of the powder as will lie on a ten-cent piece, every half-hour. 

3. If you have neither of the above remedies at hand, mix two 
tablespoonfuls of corn-meal in a tumblerful of hot water, and drink 
at two draughts. It very frequently gives relief. 

4. Two tablespoonfuls of ground mustard in a tumbler of hot 
water, drinking at the same time large draughts of warm water 
until vomiting is freely produced, is often very efficacious. 

Dr. M. Curtis says he has never found anything to equal the 
following, in effecting speedy relief and soothing the patient when 
he seems to be almost in the agonies of death. 

5. Half a pint of soapsuds (Castile soap), one tablespoonful 
castor oil, half a pint of water, a small handful of poppy leaves. 
Mix. After standing a short time, strain and use as an injection. 

6. Dr. Lane recommends the following as affording effectual 
relief in this affection, in a very large proportion of cases, without 
any medicine : “ Lie on the back, with the head the lowest, and rub 
the bowels towards the head, at the same time bearing down upon 
them.” See “Accessory Measures,” under common or flatulent 
colic. 


WOUNDS. 

Incised Wounds —Incised wounds are those that are made 
with sharp, cutting instruments. 

How to Check the Flow of Blood —If the blood flowing 
from a wound is dark-colored and does not flow in jets, but in a 
steady stream, it can generally be checked by applying cold water 
and exposing the cut surface to the cold air, or by a compress 



WOUNDS. 


63 


applied to the part directly. If the vessels from which it flows are 
small, or when an artery of the arm is cut, elevating the wounded 
limb above the head will tend to arrest the flow of blood. In a 
wound of a lower limb, raise the foot, so that it shall be higher than 
the hip, until the bleeding ceases. 

If these measures do not soon relieve, or if large veins are 
wounded, Dr. Ellis gives the following valuable directions for their 
management : “ Compress the veins with the ends of the Angers, or 
by a compress, bound to the part by a bandage, or held by the hand. 
It is never well to heap on a large quantity of rags or cloths, for 
they only absorb the blood ; a few thicknesses, with steady com¬ 
pression, are far more efficacious. If the blood is of a bright color, 
and flows in jets, it shows that an artery has been wounded, and 
that there is more danger of serious hemorrhage. If the artery is 
small, by compressing it firmly with the end of a finger for a few 
moments, the bleeding will often cease. If it is larger, but not 
very large, and a surgeon or physician is not at hand, it may be 
compressed by the linger until a small pair of forceps can be 
obtained, with which the bleeding vessel may be seized, and either 
twisted around once or twice, or drawn out and tied with a strong 
thread. This should also be done with the larger veins. 

After making compression with the fingers, as described, take 
a piece of cloth or handkerchief, twist it cornerwise, and tie a hard 
knot midway between the two ends ; or put a small potato in hand¬ 
kerchief and twirl. This knot should be placed over the artery, 
between the wound and the heart, and the ends carried around the 
the limb and loosely tied. A stick, five or six inches long, should 
be placed under the handkerchief, which should be twisted until the 
knot has made sufficient compression on the artery to allow the 
removal of the fingers without a return of bleeding. Continue the 
compression until a surgeon or physician can be called. 

If the end of the bleeding vessel can be seen,it maybe directly 
compressed with the finger, in connection with the compression 
below. If the wound is low down in the neck, the only chance may 
be to press into the wound upon the bleeding vessel. If an artery 
in the arm is wounded, the main artery may be compressed near the 
arm-pit, or lower on the inside of the arm, any spot between the 
cut and the body, the nearer the wound the better ; or a handker¬ 
chief may be tied around the arm above the wound, and always 
above the elbow, even if the wound is below, and with a stick, the 
handkerchief may be twisted until it stops the flow of blood. It 
will the more readily do this if a compress of cloth or of a stick, or 
stone, half as large as a hen’s egg, is placed under the handkerchief, 
over the course of the artery, on the inner side of the arm. 

How to Dress Wounds —Having arrested the hemorrhage 
the next point is to see that the wound is free from all foreign 
substances, such as dirt or bits of clothing; also, as far as practicable, 
from clots of blood. After the hemorrhage has ceased, the wound 


64 


WOUNDS. 


may be washed out with tepid water, but if there is still some 
oozing of blood, cold water may be used. Yery hot water applied 
with a sponge to the part will often stop the flow. 

If it is very large, one or more stitches may be required, which 
can be made with a common needle and coarse linen or white silk 
thread, if a surgeon or physician can not be obtained within an 
hour or two. Narrow strips of adhesive plaster should be used to 
draw the edges of the wound accurately together, as indicated in the 
cut below. 

At the end of four days the stitches should be cut on one side 



Fig. 4. The manner in which strips of adhesive plaster are applied to 
wounds. 


close to where they enter the skin, and by taking hold of the knots 
they should be drawn out. If an artery has been ligatured, one 
end of the ligature should be left hanging out of the wound when 
it is first dressed, so that it can be withdrawn when it becomes 
loose. Over the adhesive plaster may be put a few folds of cotton 
and a bandage around the whole, if the parts are adapted to a 
bandage. The strips of adhesive plaster should not be removed 
until the wound is well, which will usually require the best part of 
a week, before it will be safe to remove the dressing entirely, or 
exercise the part. Nature effects the cure ; all that art can do is 
to furnish favorable conditions. Excessive inflammation sometimes 
occurs, although rarely, especially in cut-wounds ; but when it does 
if not soon relieved, it will prevent healing. In such a case cold* 
and if that does not relieve, warm applications—simple cloths 

wrung from cold or warm water, or a bread-and-milk poultice_are 

all that are necessary. But where there is not much inflammation, 
no applications are necessary, more than the first dressings of straps 
and bandages ; and often the latter may be dispensed with. 










WOUNDS. 


65 


But in order for wounds to thus heal in four or five days, they 
must not be tampered with before being dressed; they must be 
dressed within a very few hours—within one or two, if possible— 
after being received, and be let alone after they are dressed until the 
parts have time to heal. Do not wash a wound of any description. 

But a good deal of ignorance prevails with many, which is the 
cause of much mischief and unnecessary suffering. Every man and 
woman, almost, has a cure-all for cuts and wounds; one applies soap* 
and sugar, another whisky, another salt, and another some quack 
plaster, ointment or liniment. With not a few, tobacco is a sovereign 
remedy. Not long since, I was called to dress a finger, which had 
been nearly severed, and found the wound stuffed full of this poison¬ 
ous and filthy weed; the result was, the young man lost his finger. 
The best modern surgery treats all wounds antiseptically. A solu¬ 
tion of carbolic acid, a teaspoonful to half a pint of water can be used 
as a dressing, and all cloths should be saturated with it. Let no one 
dress a wound, whose hands have not been washed in the solution 
referred to above. All such applications, when made to the surface of a 
wound, cause an unnatural irritation, and it is always very difficult 
to heal a wound, by first intention, after they have been once applied; 
and it is generally impossible to avoid suppuration, and consequently 
much unnecessary suffering, loss of time and deformity. But as 
wounds generally get well in spite of bad treatment, the nostrum 
used gains credit through the ignorance of the user. No application, 
then, should generally be made to the kind of wounds we are now 
considering, except such as are necessary to keep the two surfaces 
of the wound closely together; and often all that is needed for this 
purpose, especially about the extremities, are a bandage, and a small 
compress or two,'of cloth or cotton. Where these are not sufficient, 
adhesive plasters, and occasionally stitches, are needed, as directed 
above. No irritating applications should ever be made to the raw 
surface of a fresh cut, as it not only causes severe suffering, but it 
also serves to lessen the chance for a speedy cure. The application 
of salt, spirits of turpentine, and like stimulating substances, to cut 
surfaces, in the lower order of animals, is not only cruel in the ex¬ 
treme, but also injurious. The oil of turpentine may sometimes be 
applied to the hair around the wound, when it is difficult to confine 
dressings to the parts, to keep the flies away, but care should always 
be taken that it does not enter the wound. 

Nature Her Own Healer— The union of the divided parts 
is effected by the action of the divided blood-vessels, and not by 
salves and ointments. The only object of dressing is to adjust the 
parts together, to keep them so, and protect the wound from 
air and impurities. Nature , in all cases of injuries, performs her 
own cure. Such simple wounds do not generally require a second 
dressing, and should not be opened until the incisions are healed. 

These remarks apply, of course, to a simple, incised wound, 
when union takes place at once, or with but little suppuration 

5 


66 


CONTUSED AND LACERATED WOUNDS. 


(making of pus). This cannot always be secure from suppuration of 
the sides of the wound after the dressing has been applied, or an 
unfavorable condition, as it is said, of the blood. In such a case the 
blood or pus must be removed once a day, as a rule, the surfaces of 
the wound kept together as much as possible by adhesive strips until 
a junction is effected. Do not use too much soap and water, as the 
only object of them is to better and more easily remove the foreign 
matters (blood and pus), which, if retained, act as irritants; but not 
to remove the healing material poured out by nature ior joining the 
separated surfaces. 

Razor-Cuts —In shaving the face, cuts are sometimes made 
which bleed to a troublesome extent. A crystal of common alum 
should always be kept with the apparatus, the bleeding absorbed by 
a fold of the towel, and then, before the blood can accumulate, thrust 
into the incision the edge of the crystal, holding it there a few sec¬ 
onds. If the bleeding continues, it is because the alum does not 
reach the divided vessel, and the wound should be wiped out until it 
can. 

Fainting from Loss of Blood —If the patient faints from 
the loss of blood, lay him on his back, with his head low, and give 
him a spoonful of brandy and water, or a drop or two of camphor, 
and dash cold water in his face. Do not mind fainting, it is rather 
beneficial. 

Or the patient may take five or ten drops of the spirits of 
ammonia in a little water. The dose may be repeated in ten or fif¬ 
teen minutes, until the patient is sufficiently recovered. 


CONTUSED AND LACERATED WOUNDS. 

These are produced by cudgels, bullets, or whatever else of a 
blunt nature, tears asunder the muscular fibres, leaving uneven sur¬ 
faces. 

These wounds need careful cleaning and removal of clots. The 
general treatment may be the same as for “ Incised Wounds.” As 
soon as any alarming bleeding has been checked by the application 
of ice or cold water to the blood-vessels, or, if necessary, by pressure 
upon them, bring the edges of the wound together by strips of ad¬ 
hesive plaster; remembering , in applying them to a contused wound, 
that there must necessarily be inflammation of the bruised parts, 
with consequent discharges. After sloughing has begun poultices 
are often of use in favoring the process. 

To prevent inflammation the applications should be kept quite 
cool. If the parts are much bruised or swollen, apply cloths wet in 
cold water, or what is better, a solution which contains a teaspoon¬ 
ful of calendula to half a pint of water. 

But if the wound becomes inflamed, warm applications do better 
—simply cloths from warm water, or a warm bread-and-milk 



PUNCTURED WOUNDS. 


67 


poultice. After the inflammation is relieved, the more simple the 
dressings the better, for nature heals the wound, and the danger is 
that the applications which are made may do harm. See that 
there is free exit for accumulated pus. 


PUNCTURED WOUNDS. 

These are made by a sharp-pointed instrument, as by a dagger, 
bayonet, scissors, etc. Punctured wounds are not only dangerous 
on account of their depth, injury of blood-vessels, nerves, or vital 
parts, but they also frequently give rise to extensive inflammation. 
Immense agitation of the nervous system, even lock-jaw, follows. 

If very deep, they should not be allowed to heal at the surface 
very speedily, and consequently should not be closed up with adhes¬ 
ive plaster. They are very apt to become inflamed, if allowed to 
heal by the first intention at the surface. 

Once a day, or oftener if the wound is discharging, it should 
have the dressing changed, to insure neatness and escape of pus. 

Under the head of “ Punctured Wounds, ” may be mentioned 
those produced by a thorn, splinters of wood, or a piece of metal. 
In all cases, if it is a splinter or thorn, it should be taken out; not 
by poking at it with a needle, which adds to the irritation, but by 
making an incision or cut along its course, so as to expose it enough 
to get a sufficient hold of it. If the splinter is under the finger 
nail and cannot be pulled out, the nail immediately above should be 
scraped as thin as possible with a piece of glass, and then the thin 
nail overlying should be split with the blade of a knife, or an incis¬ 
ion made on each side of the splinter, the tongue of nail between 
the incisions removed, when it can be taken out. 

When the finger, hand or toe, has been pricked, particularly by 
anything foul, as a rusty knife or nail, the opening does not permit 
the escape of the retained foreign particles, inflammation results and 
lock-jaw supervenes in many cases. 

Whenever flesh wounds are received, an incision should be 
made into the puncture, thereby providing a suitable escape for the 
blood, pus, etc. This can be done by almost any one. 

In washing clothing, an entire needle is sometimes forced be¬ 
neath the skin. Do not attempt to get it out, but hold the part 
quiet until a physician or surgeon can be procured. The slightest 
movement often "places it beyond detection. When this happens, 
there is no occasion to be alarmed, as the needle passes in between 
the muscles, and cannot even be felt as painful. It does no harm 
there, as inflammation almost never results. 

Remedies —In case of pain, swelling or inflammation occur¬ 
ring in the part, in consequence of the presence of a splinter of wood 
or bone, that has not been, and cannot well be, removed, apply a 



68 


GUNSHOT WOUNDS. 


poultice of bread and milk, or of flax or linseed meal, in order to 
promote suppuration, or the formation of “ matter.” When this 
takes place, and is discharged, the splinter will commonly be dis¬ 
charged with it. 

Calendula Lotion —The tincture of marigold ( Calendula ), 
diluted with water, forms an excellent lotion, or wash, to arrest 
bleeding and check suppuration. When it is necessary or proper to 
accomplish these objects, the lotion is often employed with great 
benefit. It is also a very useful agent to effect the healing of cuts 
and bruises. The lotion is prepared by adding a teaspoonful of the 
tincture to half a teacupful of water. 

Petroleum —When this is applied to wounds, it will remove 
soreness and tend to heal them rapidly. 

Arnica Lotion —This should be prepared by adding two tea¬ 
spoonfuls of the tincture to a half-teacupful of water. 

After the wound is dressed, the bandage may be kept wet with 
this lotion. 

Pond’s extract of witch hazel is one of our best applications to 
wounds. 

In cases of internal wounds, give the patient one or two drops 
of the tincture, in a little water, every four hours. 

Arnica lotion is useful and efficacious in wounds and bruises 
and may be freely applied. 

Dressing- of Wounds —Wounds should never be uncov¬ 
ered, for the purpose of being dressed, until everything that is re¬ 
quired during the process is close at hand. 

Old dressings that have become fast to the surface of a wound 
should never be pulled off sharply, but should be previously loos¬ 
ened by bathing with warm water. 

Discharges should be cleaned away from the edges of a wound, 
and from the surrounding parts, but the surface of the wound itself 
should be left undisturbed. 

A soft surgical sponge should be used, or else cotton or tow 
soaked in water; when, as in burns, the wound is extensive, but a 
part of it should be uncovered at once. 


GUNSHOT WOUNDS. 

% 

After cleansing the wound, inflammation must be kept down by 
cooling applications, elm-poultices, etc. Treatment for these should 
be the same as named for punctured wounds. Be careful never to 
enlarge a gunshot wound by the introduction of tents, , or cutting 
them. 



FRACTURES. 


69 


DETECTION OF FRACTURE (Broken Bone). 

A few words on the immediate management of cases of broken 
bones seem necessary, as a surgeon is not always just at hand, and it 
is necessary to be prepared to act till surgical attendance can be had. 

Symptoms —A fractured bone may generally be detected by 
having felt or heard it snap; by some deformity , such as bending 
or shortening; by the fact that if the upper end of the bone is held 
firmly by the hand, the lower part maybe moved independently; 
also by a grating noise which may be heard, if the broken ends are 
rubbed against each other. Further, there will be pain, loss of pow¬ 
er of the broken part, and other symptoms. Fracture is said to be 
simple when there is no wound of the skin communicating with it; 
compound when there is such a wound. 

Causes — Mechanical violence is the most frequent; but 
muscular contraction is sometimes a cause. Old age, some diseases, 
and prolonged disuse of a limb, render bones liable to fracture from 
trilling causes. 

Immediate Treatment —A broken leg should be fast¬ 
ened to the whole one, by a handkerchief at the ankle and above and 
below the knee, before the patient is removed. 

The patient must be moved gently , and special care taken to 
prevent the broken bone from being forced through the flesh and 
skin. He should be placed on a stretcher or litter, and taken to his 
home, or to a hospital. A litter may be made, of a couple of poles 
and a horse-blanket or sack; even a door or hurdle may serve the 
purpose. Placing him on this, and carrying him by two men, is 
much better than removal in a cart or carriage. It is important 
not to be in a hurry , as an injury is often greatly aggravated by 
carelessness or too hurried measures. When a surgeon is within a 
moderate distance, after making the patient as comfortable as possi¬ 
ble, it is better to wait a little, so that he may superintend the mov- 
ing. 

The patient being placed in the most comfortable position 
possible, the injured parts should be well bathed with arnica. 
This may be applied by means of a sponge or piece of soft linen rag. 
Should the fracture, however, be a compound one with disposition 
to bleed, calendula lotion should be used instead of arnica. 


FRACTURES. 

In fracture of the clavicle, or collar-bone, a pad should be 
placed in the arm-pits, so as to raise the shoulder upwards and out¬ 
wards. The knee of the operator being pressed against the back, 
admits of the shoulders being drawn backward; this will allow the 
broken ends of the bones to come together; bandaging will then be 
required to keep the parts in this position. The shoulders can be 



70 


FRACTURES. 


kept backward by a bandage, going round each shoulder and cross¬ 
ing on the back. Another, or part of the same bandage, will keep 
the arm to the side, while a handkerchief from the neck will form 
a sling that will raise the arm. 

Fractured Jaw —Fracture of the lower jaw may generally 
be detected by inequality of the teeth, and by the crepitus, <>r grat¬ 
ing. In some cases it mav be hidden by the swelling, considerable 
difficulty being experienced in making a diagnosis, or detecting the 
injury. 

The parts should he carefully adjusted, and kept in their place 
by a piece of pasteboard softened in hot water. A piece of calico, 
about four inches wide and a yard and a half long, should he torn 
from each end longitudinally, leaving about seven or eight inches 
in the middle nntorn. A not b r longitudinal tear should he made 
in the centre of this, sullicient to let the dun slip in. Two ends 
should be tied on the top of the head, and the other two brought 
round to the hack of the head; this keeps the jaws in contact. A 
thin piece of cork should be | laced between the molar or back 
teeth; the patient should remain in bed. with the head bending to¬ 
ward the chest. Sometimes the teeth require to be fastened to¬ 
gether by strong thread. 

Fractured Ribs —Fractures of these bones may be recog¬ 
nized by the detection of crepitation, or grating, felt during inspir¬ 
ation; also by feeling along the hone with the fingers, till they pass 
over tiu fracture, when the difference between that part and the 
sound portion becomes perceptible. It must, however, be recollect¬ 
ed that in fat persons these sources of information may fail; the 
pain, however, will direct attention to the seat of the injury, and 
create a suspicion of what has happened. These accidents are apt 
to happen when many persons are squeezed together from the press¬ 
ure of a crowd. 

The usual course, when a fracture is known to exist, and where 
it can he borne, which in some cases cannot be done, is to put a 
broad bandage or towel round the ribs, under which tightly applied 
at the point of fracture is a compress of folded cotton cloth and sup¬ 
ported over the shoulders by straps. The arms are kept to the side 
and perfect rest enjoined. In addition to the treatment by arnica 
internally, use arnica lotion externally, as directed under that head. 

Detect Ion of Dislocation —Our attention is called to the 
accident tint has happened, by the deformity of the joint, or the 
diminution of the j ower of movement. The limb is found to be 
s hortened or lengthened; it often happens that the ligaments are 
torn. Dislocation may o *cur with fracture, and is at times mistaken 
for fracture. It. nisiy, however, he recognized by the absence of 
crepitation (‘lie grating < escribed under the head of fractures), the 
diminution of the power of movement, the elongation of the limb, 
which is most frequent in dislocations (in fracture the limb bein^ 
shortened, and further, by the remedial process of making exten 


g 


FRACTURES. 


71 


sion), if the head of the hone is restored to its place; the improved 
condition being evident. In dislocation of the arm it is upward 
when it is shortened or if downward into the arm-pit it is length¬ 
ened. In dislocation of the thigh the same is the case. 

Result of Neglected Dislocation —If a dislocation is 
allowed to remain unreduced, a sort of false joint is formed, new 
tissues being created to serve the purpose of those no longer in use. 
Imperfect movement and deformity result. 

Treatment —No time should be lost in attempting to reduce 
the dislocation, the very state of faintness induced by the injury 
being often of great service to the operator in enabling him to re¬ 
place the bone with ease, while the delay of a few hours is likely to 
make the operation in every way much more difficult. The body of 
the patient is to beheld firmly, so that the socket of the joint from 
which the bone has been dislodged may be maintained in a fixed 
position. The dislocated portion is then to be drawn or extended, 
in such a manner that the head of the bone may be returned back 
into its natural cavity by the action of the muscles. 

A sudden pull or jerk may sometimes reduce a recent dislo¬ 
cation; those of longer standing are much more troublesome to 
manage. In dislocation of the arm, put the heel in the arm pit, 
and pull steadily, pressing with the heel against the line of the bone. 
In dislocation of the elbow, let the patient sit in a chair and put 
the knee against the inside of the arm at the joint and bend slowly 
pulling at the same time. In operating in this way except with the 
elbow the patient should lie on the floor. 

In those cases where a cavity of a joint communicates with the 
open air, especially when further complicated with fracture, am¬ 
putation may be called for. Medical assistance should be obtained 
as soon as possible. 

Arnica in solution should be given every three hours, and 
arnica-lotion applied externally, the parts being enveloped in linen, 
wetted with the lotion. See “ Arnica Lotion.” . 


v 


DIVISION THIRD. 


GENERAL DISEASES. 


ASTHMA. 


Asthma is a spasmodic disease, characterized by paroxysms of 
difficult breathing, with great wheezing, and a dreadful sense of 
constriction across the chest; each paroxysm terminates by the ex¬ 
pectoration of a more or less abundant quantity of mucus. It is 
now considered a mucus disease and dependent upon some heredi¬ 
tary taint or condition of the mucus system. 

Symptoms —A paroxysm generally occurs in the night, par¬ 
ticularly from midnight to early morning; the patient wakes sud¬ 
denly with a sense of suffocation, springs up in bed, and assumes 
various postures; or he even rushes to the open window, where he 
leans forward on his arms, employing all the muscles of the neck, 
back, and chest to assist respiration; and, wheezing loudly, from the 
great obstruction to the entrance and exit of air, labors for breath 
like one struggling for life. The countenance bears evidence of 
great distress; the eyes protrude; the skin is cold and clammy; the 
pulse small and feeble, the perspiration stands in large drops on the 
forehead, or runs down the face, and he often looks imploringly, 
sometimes impatiently, at his medical attendant for relief from his 
misery. At length, after an uncertain time, one or two hours or 
longer, there comes a remission, cough ensues, with expectoration 
of mucus and some small round pearls like mucus but containing 
no pus or watery matter. Sometimes we have attacks of what is 
called dry asthma which is unattended with any secretion of mucus 
and the paroxysm ceases, permitting the sufferer to fall into the 
long-desired slumber. 

The attacks are unattended with fever, but are generally pre¬ 
ceded by some disturbance of the digestive organs. They are often 
periodic and sudden, and attended with distressing anxiety T . 

Causes —Irritation of the nerves of respiration, resulting in 
most cases from deranged digestion, from the intimate nervous con¬ 
nection existing between the digestive and the respiratory organs; 
it may also be produced by changes in the moisture of the 
atmosphere, or, again, by the introduction of some poisonous but 
subtle material floating in the atmosphere, and brought by in¬ 
spiration into contact with the lungs, such as the minute particles, 
or the mere odor, which passes off’from powdered ipecac or hay; 
the vapor of sulphur, sulphurous acid gas, or chlorine. Asthma is 





ASTHMA. 


73 


often associated with the gouty or rheumatic constitution. Ex¬ 
cessive exertion and mental emotion frequently bring on a paroxysm. 
Mountain air will bring it on with some people. Sometimes the driv¬ 
ing back of an eruption will produce it. After it has once occurred, 
asthma is easily reproduced by indigestion, especially after late 
dinners or suppers. A frequent repetition of the tits leads to a 
dilated state of the air-passages and air-cells of the lungs, dilation 
of the right cavities of the heart, and the general displacement of 
that organ which uniformly exists in persons who have long 
suffered from this disease. The disease may also be hereditary. 

Kemeclies —1 . Persons who are subject to the asthma 
usually know when a lit is coming on. There is often languor, 
drowsiness, depression of spirits. The warning of an approaching 
attack should receive prompt attention. Soak the feet in warm 
water, and endeavor to get up a perspiration by drinking warm 
herb-tea. By immediate attention, a lit may frequently be averted. 
As soon as you get your feet out of the bath, wipe them dry, and 
put on good, warm, woolen stockings, or socks, and commence 
walking about the room. Breathe slowly, and take long breaths. 
The great probability is, that, if this does not keep oft* the attack 
entirely, it will, at least, make it less severe. 

2. Smoking the leaves of the blue gum {Eucalyptus), four 
or five times a day, has proved an effective remedy in this disease, 
and performed some remarkable cures. 

3. Another remedy, that has been used with success and pro¬ 
duced unexpected cures in desperate cases, is the lemon. The 
patient should eat two or three of them daily. 

4. The tincture of lobelia is also a remedy of much import¬ 
ance in this disease. It should be taken in doses of one-half to one 
teaspoonful every half-hour or hour, until relief is obtained, or sick¬ 
ness or vomiting is produced. 

5. Take saltpetre, dissolve it in water, and wet a piece of 
brown paper in this solution. Let the paper dry, and then wet it 
with orujanum oil. Cut the paper into long strips, convenient for 
use. When you feel a fit of asthma coming on, burn a few of these 
strips, and hold them so that you can inhale the smoke. Take long 
breaths during this time. Even while the fit is on, great relief will 
be obtained in this way. 

6. Saltpetre used in the following manner is also very 
efficacious: 

Soak some blotting-paper in a strong solution of it; dry it, take 
a piece about the size of your hand, and on going to bed, light it, 
and lay it upon a plate in your bedroom. By doing so, persons, 
however badly afflicted with asthma, will find that they can sleep 
almost as well as when in health. 

7. Beetroot juice in tablespoonful doses is highly recommended 
by European physicians, for asthma. 


74 


ABSCESSES-BOILS. 


The quickest prevention of an attack is a pearl of nitrite of 
amyle, broken in a handkerchief and inhaled. 

8. Mix two ounces of the best honey with one ounce of castor 
oil, and take a teaspoonful, night and morning. This has often 
proved very efficacious. 

!>. To prevent lamps from being pernicious to asthmatic per- 
sons, let a sponge, three inches in diameter, be moistened with 
water, and suspended bv a string exactly over the dame of the lamp, 
at the distance or a few inches; this substance will absorb all the 
snmke emitte I dnrinir the i»ii»lit; after which, it should be rinsed in 
warm wafer, by which means it will be again rendered fit for use. 

I". Grlmlelia Kolmsta for the Cure of Asthma— 
Tibs is a new remedy for the cure of this disease, and is very highly 
extolled. I)r. Cleland, of Kewanna, lnd., in reference to it, says, 
1 cannot speak in too high praise of Grindelia Robusta , in 
asthma/’ Dose of the fluid extract, fifteen to thirty drops, three 
times a day. 

A source of great relief, if not a positive cure, is obtained 
in smoking strommonium leaves, now sold by all druggists, put up 
in a convenient form of cigarettes—but the leaves may be smoked 
in a common pipe, with equal results. 

i 1. Nitro-glycerine pills, one ( T ^ ¥ ) three times a day is abso¬ 
lutely curative. It is worth the trouble of sending to a large drug 
store to get them. 


ABSCESSES. 

Under this head, there are but two forms which should come 
within the scope of a work intended for families, and these are 
boils and carbuncles. Other abscesses, such as those of the liver, 
ear, tonsils, lungs, kidneys, etc., should come under the care of the 
surgeon. 


BOILS. 


Remedies. —1. They may be prevented from coming to a 
head by gently rubbing them, every three or four hours, with the 
tips of the fingers, moistened with spirits of camphor, and then 
covering the spot with flannel soaked in camphorated oil, which is 
prepared, by adding one teaspoonful of spiiits of camphor to one 
tablespoon"ul of sweet oil. 


2. They may likewise 
ing applied to them a c.oth 
t. ic, or tincture <»f arnica, 
boil should onlv be made wl 


be prevented, or “scattered,” by keep- 
. constantly wet with spirits of turpen- 
These efforts to prevent, or “scatter,” a 
ten it first makes its appearance. 




CARBUNCLES. 


75 


3. To prevent the tendency to boils when they return crop 
after crop, there is nothing superior to lime-water. Take a wine- 
glassful (or four tablespoonfuls) three times a day, for three or four 
weeks. This will entirely check the tendency to their return. The 
method of preparing limewater will be found amongst the recipes in 
another part of this book. 

4. The following is a very effective application for a boil: 
Make a poultice, of equal parts of wheat-hour and ginger, and 
apply. It will soon “draw” the boil to a head. If those who are 
troubled with boils will drink a tea made from a, handful of 
burdock- seed, no more will appear. If the seed cannot be obtained, 
use the root. 

5. Very strong sassafras -tea is an admirable remedy for the 
same purpose. 

6. The following will cure, if early applied, both boils 
and felons: Stir into the white of an egg from one-half to 
one teaspoonful of powdered Spanish files. Apply on brown 
paper, covering entirely over the painful spot, and bind it on with 
a thin cloth or handkerchief; after which, apply a cloth, folded 
several thicknesses, saturated with hot vinegar and salt, and keep 
this applied continually. This brings all the particles of pus to the 
inner surface of the skin, when it can be removed. 

7. When boils are not “ scattered ” or dispersed, they should 
be brought to a “ head ” as speedily as possible. To effect this 
purpose, poultices must be applied. The kind of poultice is im¬ 
material, for the reason that it is the heat and the moisture that 
cause it to “ ripen.” Flax -seed meal, bread-and-milk, or soap- 
and-sugar are among the best, and are made by wetting and heat¬ 
ing, and are to be kept on as warm as can be borne. When the boil 
comes to a head, it may be opened or left to itself to break. The 
best remedy to abort a boil at its inception is the strongest solution 
of carbolic acid applied to the skin when it commences to form. 


CARBUNCLES. 

These generally occur on the posterior portions of the neck 
or back, where vitality is less active. 

Symptoms —It first appears as a hot, hard swelling, harder 
than a" boil, accompanied by a burning, dull, throbbing sensation. 
As the red swelling gradually increases, the skin covering it assumes 
a purple or brownish-red tint, and, in a few days, softens, suppura¬ 
tion taking place at several points. The matter is thin, watery, and 
scantily discharged; but if pressure be applied, a thick, glutinous 
fluid may be squeezed out. If large, and especially if seated on the 
head, there is violent fever, delirium, and great and even fatal pros¬ 
tration may result. 

Carbuncle differs from a boil in its greater size; its broad, flat 



76 


ITCHING OF THE ANUS. 


shape; in usually appearing singly; in giving way and discharging 
from several openings / and in the dusky redness of the inflamed 
skin. 

Causes —A disordered condition of the blood, usually met 
with in a debilitated state of the constitution, as the result of 
chronic, exhausting diseases, or severe, acute maladies; great altera¬ 
tion in habits or diet; long continued fatigue, etc. 

Remedies —1. Poppy-leaves, when they can be obtained, 
make a very excellent poultice. It is prepared by adding a little 
dax -seed meal to these leaves, after they have been steeped. The 
poultice may be used several times by heating and moistening again, 
and it will be as good as at first. 

Carbuncles are very slow in coming to a head, and they often 
have several openings. They should be freely opened with the knife, 
cutting deep into them, in two directions, in the form of a cross, 
after which the poultice should be continued until the core comes 
out. This should be done before they are fully ripe. 

2. Another good poultice is made as follows: Take equal 
parts of ground linseed and slippery-^Zm bark, add a sufficient 
quantity of rain-water, and simmer until the linseed becomes soapy, 
and a mass of proper consistence is formed. When it is cool, to 
every half-pint of the mass, add a wineglassful of good yeast, and 
an equal amount of finely powdered charcoal, and let it be well 
mixed; apply it to the carbuncle tepid, and renew before it becomes 
dry. This will be found to have a very salutary effect upon the 
sore, to lessen the pain, swelling and inflammation, while at the 
same time it has a tendency to promote suppuration, or mattering. 

If the poultice last mentioned should, in any respect, disagree 
with the patient, as it may possibly do, in the first stages of the 
complaint, it may be omitted, and one made by boiling the bark 
from the root of sassafras , and mixing the elm-bark with this de¬ 
coction, It makes an excellent poultice for this and other kinds of 
inflammation. 


ITCHING OF THE ANUS. 

Causes —This difficulty may be caused by piles; in that case 
there is generally swelling and soreness; for its relief consult the 
section on “ Piles.” When it is caused by pin-worms, there is 
generally a creeping and tingling sensation, and on examination the 
worms often can be seen, and they are frequently found on the 
passages from the bowels. 

This itching around the anus is likewise caused by a very fine 
eruption of pimples; they may be scarcely perceptible. It is fre-. 
quentlv complicated with an excoriated, or fissured, or broken con¬ 
dition of the structure of the anus. 

Frequently, itching of the anus is only a symptom of derange¬ 
ment of .the liver, or of some portion of the digestive apparatus. 
The primary cause must, therefore, be obviated. 



BRONCHITIS. 


77 




1. A good means for alleviating this affection is to take four 
tablespoonfuls of glycerine , and two teaspoonfuls of tar , and sim¬ 
mer together for a short time, and apply twice a day. The best and 
at the same time the simplest cure is to sit in very warm water, 
repeat if necessary. 

2. In very aggravated cases, a strong solution of tannin ap¬ 
plied is very efficacious. 

3. Some forms of this difficulty have been cured by using, as 
a wash, a decoction of smart-weed. 

4. Take two and a half drachms of chloral hydrate, dissolved 
in four tablespoonfuls of water, and apply a little of this mixture 
when the itching occurs, and it will afford immediate relief. 

If the itching originates from worms, the reader is referred to 
the article on that subject. A solution of borax in water, one tea¬ 
spoonful to an ounce will often allay the itching. Continuous and 
thorough working after stool will often entirely alleviate this 
itching. 

See Itching Piles. 


BRONCHITIS, OR INFLAMMATION OF THE BRON¬ 
CHIAL TUBES. 

Symptoms— -The acute bronchitis generally commences, like 
a common cold or catarrh, with lassitude, chilliness, slight cough, 
oppression and tightness of the chest, with some fever. As the 
disease increases, these symptoms increase, with great anxiety of the 
countenance; respiration is more laborious, attended with a wheezing 
or rattling sound, as if the air were forced through a narrow apert¬ 
ure clogged with a viscid fluid. It is generally attended with 
hoarseness; respiration is more difficult in the recumbent than in 
the erect position. At first the cough is dry, but soon afterward a 
copious secretion of viscid transparent mucus, resembling the w r hite 
of eggs, occurs, and with it considerable abatement of the vio¬ 
lence of the cough ensues. But when the inflammation is about 
terminating without suppuration, the matter expectorated loses its 
transparency, and becomes mixed with yellowish, white or greenish 
masses, which are scanty at first, but continue to increase more and 
more, until at last they compose the whole of the expectoration. 
There is a severe pain in the forehead, which is aggravated by 
coughing. When the secretion of mucus in the bronchia is very 
copious, and breathing is much obstructed, considerable drowsiness 
occurs. The tongue is white, and covered with transparent mucus; 
the skin is dry, and its temperature generally but very little above 
the natural standard. 

This disease consists in an inflammation of the lining mem¬ 
brane of the bronchial tubes, or air passages. Persons who are in 
the habit of speaking much, or singing, are very liable to it, especi- 


1 



78 


BRONCHITIS. 


ally in cold weather, or in changeable climates. It may be either 
acute or chronic. The causes are the same as those of inflamma¬ 
tion of the lungs, and, where there is a predisposition to it, long or 
loud speaking or singing may bring on an attack. 

Remedies —1. A decoction of the seeds of the common sun¬ 
flower gives great relief, in a great majority of the ordinary cases of 
bronchitis, and many permanent cures have been made by" this rem¬ 
edy alone. To effect a cure from its use, requires time and patience. 
It will be found a pleasant and reliable remedy. It has been pre¬ 
pared in the following form, and in some cases it acts better than 
when given alone: Bruise any quantity of the seeds, and add 
strained honey enough to cover them. Simmer for one hour, strain, 
and, when cold, add one teaspoonful of the tincture of bloodroot to 
each teacupful of the honey. Dose, a teaspoonful, four or five times 
daily. This is not excelled for any form of bronchitis, and has been 
the means of curing many cases. Tine, of aconite in drop doses, 
every hour, for four or five hours, will abate the fever and irritation. 

2. Another excellent preparation is the following: Take three 
ounces, each, of Yerba Santa and Grindelia Robusta. Put into a 
pint and a half of water, and steep to one pint; strain, and, while 
hot, add one pound of white sugar. Dose, one teaspoonful, four or 
five times daily. Those who have tested this new remedy pronounce 
it prompt and effective. Where the crude drugs cannot be obtained, 
use the fluid extract, of each, four tablespoonfuls; sirup made from 
sugar, eight tablespoonfuls. Mix. Dose, one teaspoonful, four or 
five times daily. This and the foregoing, are new remedies and 
among the best in general use, for the cure of this disease. 


3. Take Flax seed.1 teaspoonful. 

Slippery elm.1 ounce. 

Thoroughwort.1 ounce. 

Licorice.1 stick. 

Water.1 quart. 


Simmer slowly over the fire, until the strength is extracted. 
Strain, and add one pint of the best vinegar, and half a pound of 
loaf or white sugar; after which, simmer them all well together, and, 
when cold, bottle tightly. Dose, one tablespoonful, two or three 
times a day. It is not only valuable for bronchitis, but for all diffi¬ 
culties of the throat and lungs. Many lives may be saved every 
year, by this cheap and simple remedy, as well as thousands of dol¬ 
lars, which would otherwise be spent in the purchase of nostrums 
which are both dangerous and useless. 

4. Prof. I. J. M. Goss says, “ Firwein has proven very suc¬ 
cessful. In chronic bronchitis and consumption, it has proven one 
of the best of remedies, palliating the cough, toning up the digestive 
and assimilating organs, and thus preventing undue waste of tissue.” 







BRONCHITIS. 


79 


Several physicians report cases of chronic bronchitis cured by 
firwein. 

Dr. Todd says, “ I have made trial of the new remedy, i firwein,’ 
in several cases of sub-acute and chronic bronchitis, both uncom¬ 
plicated and complicated with asthma and emphysema, and the 
majority were entirely cured by its use.’’ Dr. S. II. Hissley, of 
Pemberton, Ohio, reports a case of laryngitis, of six years standing, 
with complete loss of voice on exposure to cold, cured by firwein in 
a short time. Dr. James H. Ethridge, associate editor of the 
Chicago Journal and Examiner , Chicago, Illinois, reports a case 
of bronchial catarrh, of seven months’ standing, cured by this new 
remedy. It will be seen from the above reports, of the limited use 
that has been made of this new remedy, that it is proving very suc¬ 
cessful in lung and throat affections; in fact, it is proving more 
efficient than any remedy yet discovered. The dose is from one to 
two teaspoonfuls three or four times a day. In chronic bronchitis, 
halm of gilead buds in whisky, one pint, and allowed to stand for 
two weeks, will quiet cough and lessen expectoration. 

5. Dr. Hall gives the following: “Put a teaspoonful of pow¬ 
dered ipecac-root in a vial, pour upon it two tablespoonfuls of any 
kind of spirits, shake it well daily for several days; it can be used in 
ten minutes after the first shaking; let it settle, and take from ten 
to twenty or more drops on a lump of loaf sugar, or in a little water, 
or as it is; take enough to cause some nausea. 

This tincture of ipecac should be well stoppered; it is the safest, 
simplest and best remedy ever known for a troublesome, dry, hack¬ 
ing cough of any kind; it has no after ill effects, is of little bulk, 
can be carried in the vest-pocket, and may be always relied upon to 
loosen phlegm, if there is any phlegm to loosen, and anything can 
loosen it. Sal ammoniac in 5 gr. doses, is excellent in chronic 
bronchitis. A favorite remedy of a prominent physician in Chicago, 
is equal parts paregoric and glycerine. Dose, a teaspoonful, every 
hour for an adult. 

Accessory Measures— The patient should be kept in a 
warm atmosphere (65 to 70 degrees), which should be moistened by 
steam or evaporation of water from shallow dishes placed near the 
bed; or water in a kettle may be kept boiling on the fire, so as to 
moisten the air by its jet of steam sent into the room. Ventilation 
of the apartment, however, should not be neglected. 

Hot linseed-meal poultices applied to the chest and back are 
beneficial, as they relieve congestion. 

Diet— During an attack, give gum-water, barley-gruel, beef- 
tea, jelly, etc. Cold water, in frequent draughts, favors the healthy 
action of the skin, and is the most appropriate beverage. In feeble 
children, exhaustion is liable to come on, requiring nutritious sup¬ 
port. During convalescence, undue exposures must be guarded 
against, untiAhe constitution has been strengthened and inured by 
warm bathing, gradually reduced to cold as the reactive power of 


80 


BILIOUSNESS. 


the child permits. The sleeping apartment should be large, not 
occupied by more than one other person, should be well ventilated, 
and properly aired every day. The diet should be nutritious, and 
easy of digestion, avoiding acids and greasy food. 

“ Have your meals at regular hours. Observe great regularity 
in all your habits. If you have three meals a day on week-days, you 
should have three meals on Sunday, and at the same hour in the 
day. Eat enough to satisfy hunger, but not too much for supper. 
A neglect or failure to eat dinner for the sake of Sunday politeness 
may cause you many hours of suffering.”— Dr. J. C. Caswell. 


BILIOUSNESS. 

People who are in the habit of taking cathartics or emetics, 
when the period arrives for their usual u cleaning out” are generally 
sure to be troubled with biliousness. 

Symptoms —There is more or less fullness, sensation of a load 
or other symptoms of uneasiness, in the region of the stomach. 
There is languor, dull headache or sleepiness, and sometimes slight 
yellowness of the eyes and skin. 

Remedies —1. Take, daily, the juice of two small lemons or 
one large one. Use no other medicine, and you will find your 
difficulty will abate much sooner than if you take active, or strong 
medicine. This is an invaluable remedy for this difficulty. 

2. “ One-half teaspoonful of saleratus, or bi-carbonate of 
potash, in a tumblerful of cider, taken morning and evening, is a 
very good palliative remedy.”— Dr. Warren. 

3. Where constipation is present, with symptoms of bilious¬ 
ness and yellow complexion, take a dessert spoonful of common salt, 
dissolved in a pint of boiling water. When cool, take twice a day, 
on an empty stomach, two tablespoonfuls. It will remove the 
bilious condition in two or three days.— Dr. JVapheys. 

If a brisk cathartic is taken, and the stomach and bowels 
relieved of their loaded condition, after which a prudent course of 
diet is observed for a few days, the bilious conditions of the system 
will be entirely removed and the patient will be well. 

4. Put a teaspoonful of nitric acid in a pint of water, and take 
a tablespoonful after meals, it will clear up the skin and improve 
the appetite. 

5. A tea, made of the bark or berries of the black alder , is 
also very effective. 

Accessory Treatment —Much exercise should be taken, to 
excite a healthy action of the digestive organs. It will be absolutely 
necessary to abstain from all kinds of greasy meat, sweet articles, 
pastry, and rancid butter; likewise coffee and chocolate , both of 
which increase these affections. 



BLOODY URINE-OFFENSIVE BREATH. 


81 


BLOODY URINE. 

Causes —This difficulty frequently occurs from falls, bruises, 
or some violent exertion, such as hard riding and jumping ; but it 
often takes place in consequence of a small stone being lodged 
either in the ureter or kidney, which, by its size or irregularity, 
wounds the surface of the part it comes in contact with ; in which 
case, the blood discharged is most usually clotted, and deposits a 
sediment of a brown color. 

A discharge of blood by urine, when proceeding from the 
kidney or ureter, is commonly attended with an acute pain and 
sense of weight in the back, and some difficulty in passing water ; 
the urine which comes away first being muddy and high colored, 
but afterwards becoming transparent, and of a natural appearance. 
When the blood proceeds immediately from the bladder, it is 
usually accompanied with a sense of heat and pain in the lower part 
of the abdomen. 

This complaint is distinguished from the high-colored, red 
urine, attendant upon many diseases, by the deposit of clotted blood, 
and by its staining linen of a red color. 

Remedies — 1 . The principal remedy, in this complaint, is 
the marshmallow. A strong decoction is to be made of the leaves, 
buttons, or roots, and drunk freely. Usually, no other remedy is 
needed in the treatment of this disease. 

2. When the above cannot be procured, the next best is the 
peach. Use a decoction of the leaves, or, when they cannot be 
had, use the bark. 

3. Another excellent remedy is the yarrow. Drink of it 
freely twice a day. 

4. Still another is the leaves of the Epigcea Repens , or May¬ 
flower, steeped and drunk freely. 

5. When ulceration is the cause of blood appearing in the 
urine (which is known by its being attended with a discharge of 
matter), add five drops of the oil of turpentine to a teacupful of 
marshmallow tea, and take twice a day. If this cannot be had, 
another remedy, which is almost as effective, is the buchu, which 
can be obtained at all drug-stores. Steep a handful of the leaves in 
a pint of water, after which add a tablespoonful of gum-Arabic. 
Of this, take a tablespoonful twice a day. When bloody urine is 
occasioned by the mechanical action of a stone in the bladder, or in 
the ureters, or kidneys, employ the treatment recommended for 
those complaints. In all cases stimulants, such as liquors, tobacco, 
tea, coffee, etc., should be avoided. 


OFFENSIVE BREATH. 

This may be caused by a deranged stomach, abuse of mercury, 
decayed teeth, diseased gums, or want of cleanliness. 

6 



82 


HAI3J AND BALDNESS. 


Remedies —1. One or two teaspoonfuls of powdered char¬ 
coal, taken three times a day, will relieve this difficulty in many 
cases. 

2. The following preparation will at once sweeten the breath. 
It acts as a disinfectant, and will not injure the stomach, but it will 
he benefited by the preparation : To eight or ten drops of the 
saturated solution of chloride of soda, add one-half teacnpful of 
water. Take it every morning before breakfast. If the offensive 
breath arises from defective teeth, add one-half teaspoonful of the 
chloride to half a tumblerful of water, and rinse the mouth with the 
solution. The salicylate of soda, ten grains in a glass of water, is 
excellent for the purpose. 

Offensive breath is often due to an unhealthy condition of the 
stomach, or to decayed teeth. Remove these difficulties, and the 
breath will again become sweet. 


HAIR AND BALDNESS. 

The hair often falls off the head at so early an age as to indi¬ 
cate, clearly, that it is the effect of disease. 

Causes —Excessive action of the brain, such as intense study, 
great mental anxiety, etc., producing unnatural heat of the brain- 
surfaces, thus causing the hair to drop off. 

Remedies —People are often led to try many so-called specifics, 
to prevent the hair falling off, but they are generally either useless 
or worse. Doubtless, there are many thousands of pounds of hog’s 
fat sold every year as bear’s grease, etc., to cause the hair to grow 
abundantly and prevent its falling off. Washing the head often 
with warm salt water and combing it with a fine comb, together 
with regular and temperate habits, are the best preservatives and 
restoratives of the hair. 

The head should be as thoroughly w r ashed as any other part of 
the person, and that weekly. When the hair is very thick and long, 
its roots can be washed without wetting its entire length. This is 
important for ladies and those children whose custom and fashion it 
is to wear the hair long. The outside of the head has more to do 
with its inside than many people suppose. A muddy and confused 
mind is often the effect of external dirt and neglect. The natural 
perspiration is thereby suppressed, and serious evils are sometimes 
the result. Comfortable caps and hoods should always* be w r orn. 
The head should be dressed as lightly as is consistent with comfort. 
Neuralgia and inflammation of the brain are very often the simple 
consequences of following absurd and unnatural fashions in the 
dressing of the head. 

Look at one of these ‘‘martyrs of fashion!” Her head is 
loaded with hair, natural and artificial, and covered, under this load, 
with foreign mixtures, in the shape of hair-oils, perfumes, etc., 





HAIR AND BALDNESS. 


83 


while over all this is the bonnet, with a vail often attached and drawn 
closely over the face, to shut out the life-giving air from the poor 
starved lungs. 

A very common cause of injury to the hair-glands is the prac¬ 
tice, among families as well as barbers, of using the combs and 
brushes of others. A comb or brush for the head should no more 
be used in common, by two or more persons, than a brush for the 
teeth. Many diseases of the hair and scalp originate in this way, 
as well as from the habit of wearing the hats, bonnets or head¬ 
dresses of others. Parents, who take an interest in everything 
which conduces to the welfare of their children, should be careful 
that each is supplied with its own comb and hair-brush, and that 
these are never interchanged. 

The following is one of the best remedies in general use for 
baldness. It has produced a luxuriant growth of hair for persons 
who have been bald for many years, and will nearly always restore 
it, if the hair-follicles are not dead. 

Tincture of Spanish fly ( Cantharides ), one ounce; aromatic 
spirits of ammonia, one ounce; oil of rosemary, one drachm; 
alcohol and water, of each, two tablespoonfuls. Mix. With a 
sponge, rub this mixture well over the scalp, so that it will come in 
contact with the roots of the hair. The use of it may have to be 
persevered in for six months or a year, and should be applied 
twice a week. 

A celebrated physician called our attention to a fine head of 
hair succeeding baldness, which was obtained by a moderate use of 
kerosene, gently but persistently rubbed on the bald spot. 

Hair Invigorator —Wash the head once a day with warm 
strong sage tea. It will promptly check the falling out of the hair. 
If the use of this be continued for a sufficient length of time, it will 
make the hair thick and strong. 

Girls’ Hair— This should be kept cut short until they are 
twelve years of age, allowing it to curl if naturally inclined to do 
so, but should never be tortured into wisps and kinks by hot irons, 
or other violent means. As it becomes longer, in after life, it 
should be twisted, very lightly, into a loose coil, and the ends, if 
tied, should be fastened loosely with a ribbon. 

Men’s Hair— This, when it begins to fall out, may some¬ 
times be saved by keeping it cut very short. Brush it well when 
quite dry, then wash with warm soapsuds, rubbed well into the 
scalp, and wipe the whole hair with a soft towel. Then, in the 
same manner, rub into the scalp a little bay-rum or pure brandy. 
This should be done twice a month. The scalp should be brushed 
well two or three times a week. 

Oilin cr the Hair —The more the hair is oiled, the more it will 
be required; and it will only serve to keep a layer of grease and 
dust all over the scalp, which will prevent the air getting to the 
roots of the hair, and thus destroy its vitality. Nothing should be 


84 


IIAIR INDICATIVE OF CHARACTER. 


allowed to touch the hair of children, except soft, pure water; and, 
if it were regularly cut, every six weeks, from three years of age to 
fourteen, and the scalp kept clean, as above directed, the growth 
of the hair would be so strengthened that girls of twenty would 
have healthy, glossy and abundant hair of their own, instead 
of having to rely, for this natural ornament, upon the artifi¬ 
cial contrivances of the hair-dresser. 

Hair-Oils —These are nearly all made of hogs’ lard, as the 
chief ingredient. The least objectionable preparation is made of 
common castor-oil, two tablespoonfuls, in a pint of alcohol. No 
better hair-oil than this can he made. It may be scented or colored, 
but the pure preparation is best. 

Some prefer a glycerine hair-dressing; which is made by dis¬ 
solving three tablespoonfuls of glycerine in nine of rain-water, and 
one of rose-water. 

One of the most harmless washes, to cleanse the scalp effec¬ 
tively, is powdered borax. Put two even teaspoonfuls into a teacup¬ 
ful of warm water, then wet the whole scalp with warm water, hold 
the face over a basin, keep the eyes shut, dip the ends of the 
fingers into the borax-water, and rub it well into the scalp. After 
having rubbed the whole scalp into a lather, wash it off with fresh 
water, and then wipe dry with a soft towel, but do not comb until 
the hair is quite dry. Brush the hair at night w r itli a stiff brush 
five or ten minutes, it stimulates the scalp and excites the oil- 
glands. 


HAIR INDICATIVE OF CHARACTER. 

The character of persons is sometimes indicated by the color 
of the hair. 

The bilious temperament, black hair and dark skin are gener¬ 
ally found associated. These indicate strength of character and 
sensuality. 

Fine hair and dark skin show purity, goodness and strong 
mind. 

Stiff, straight and abundant black hair and beard are usually 
combined with strong, unyielding, straight-forward and rather bluff 
character. 

Fine, brown hair indicates exquisite sensibility, with a strong 
will for what is good and right, when unperverted. 

If the hair is straight and lies flat on the head, the tempera¬ 
ment is melancholy, but you may safely rely on that person, be it 
man or woman. 

If the hair is coarse, black and sticks up, there is not much 
sociability, and much that is stubborn, sour and harsh, in the 
character. 



BUNION. 


85 


Coarse, red hair indicates much fire and energy, with unusual 
strength and firmness. 

Auburn hair, with a florid face, gives purity, intensity, and 
great capacity for enjoyment or suffering. 

Fine, silky, pliable, easily dressed hair indicates delicacy, sensi¬ 
bility and goodness. 

Hasty, impetuous and rash people have crisp, curly hair, but if 
it is straight and smooth, even and glossy, a warm heart, a clear 
head and superior talents are indicated. 

White hair, as a general rule, indicates a good, easy, lazy 
fellow. 

The hair, naturally parting in the middle and falling on either 
side, indicates womanly refinement, purity and delicacy. When 
the hair extends and lies on the forehead in rings, it indicates a 
frank, open, and genial nature. 

The light-haired races are the thinkers, the poets and the 
artists of the world. 

Dark-brown hair combines the two, and is the most desirable. 

To sum up: 

Black hair indicates physical strength. 

White hair, mental vigor. 

Red hair, a fiery temperament, passion and devotion. 

Wavy hair, a pliable, yielding, accommodating disposition. 

Straight, stuck-up hair, stubbornness and fidelity. 

Very smooth, coarse-lying hair is “ Oily Gammon.” 


BUNION (Bunion.) 

An enlargement of the membranes of the great or little toe? 
chiefly the former, with more or less deformity of the joint is called 
a bunion. 

Cause —The pressure of narrow-pointed hoots or shoes , 
throwing the great toe over or under the contiguous toes; in this 
way a sharp angle is made on the inner side of the joint of the 
great toe, on which the bunion is formed. 

Symptoms —Pain, redness and swelling of the part, which 
soon subside on removal of the cause. Should, however, undue 
pressure be continued, the symptoms increase until pressure becomes 
unendurable. • 

Remedies —The direction of the toe must be changed by 
wearing properly shaped boots, made with the inner side of the 
sole straight the entire length of the toe. If irritation be acci¬ 
dentally excited in the part, a daily warm foot-bath should be used, 
continuing in the bath until the integuments are thoroughly re¬ 
laxed and softened, or, in very severe cases, a bran poultice to soften 
the parts. Then a piece of lint, saturated with melted lard, applied, 



86 


BACK-ACHE. 


and moistened from time to time with the same. At the same 
time remove the pressure caused by the shoe or boot, and a cure 
will soon be effected. A poultice of slippery elm or flax-seed is 
very good. In other respects, treat them the same as a common 
corn. Cut a hole in a piece of chamois skin and wear over 
a bunion. 


BACK-ACHE OR WEAK BACK. 

This is due to over-taxing the muscles and nerves of the back, 
remaining long in a stooping posture, over-lifting, and sometimes, 
through sympathy from a kidney difficulty. I have received the 
thanks of hundreds for the relief they have obtained from this dif¬ 
ficulty by the use of the following plaster. 


Gum galbanum. 2 ounces. 

Rosin. 1 ounce. 

Powdered camplior-gum. y 2 ounce. 

Opium, powdered. 8 scruples. 

Alcoholic extract of belladonna.. 2 drachms. 


Place the galbanum and the rosin together in a dish over the fire, 
and heat slowly until melted; then add the belladonna, and constant¬ 
ly stir it to prevent burning, which must, on no account, be per¬ 
mitted, as it destroys the plaster. When these are well mixed, stir 
in the opium and camphor, and immediately remove the dish from 
the fire, continually stirring the contents until they become cool and 
well hardened, when they are ready for use. Cut a piece of tanned 
sheep-skin, six by eight inches, warm the plaster so that it will 
spread; and, with a table-knife, spread it on the skin thinly, leaving 
half an inch of the border untouched by the plaster, so that it will 
not stick to the clothing. All who use this remedy will be sure to 
confess that it is the king of all plasters for backache, or “ lame back.” 

A strong tea, made of what is called Devil’s Bit, or button 
snake-root, is likewise very useful for giving relief in affections of 
this kind. Dose, half a teacupful three times a day. This malady 
when in females, most usually originates from the whites, falling of 
the womb, or some derangement of the kidneys or spine. Sponge 
the back night and morning with brine and then rub briskly with 
rough towel. 

In case of lumbago a specific is black cohosh steeped and taken 
in teaspoonful doses four or five times a day. When it is produced 
from any of these causes, the treatment must, of course, be directed 
to their removal. Sometimes it is owing to excessive sexual inter¬ 
course, and the weakness will only disappear, when the patient be¬ 
comes more temperate in this particular. 

Weak Back —1. Burgundy pitch, makes a superior strength¬ 
ening plaster for a weak back. It should be made exceedingly 
large, and worn as long as it will stick. 








CONSUMPTION. 


87 


\ 


2. Add about one-lialf of a beef's gall to a pint of alcohol, and 
bathe the back with the solution frequently. It often acts like a 
charm. 

Avoid tight dresses and use of corsets. 

3. Take, of hemlock gum, add one fourth the quantity of white 
turpentine, and dissolve. This forms an excellent strengthening 
and stimulating plaster. It is also employed in chronic rheuma¬ 
tism. 


CONSUMPTION (Phthisis Pulmonalis.) 

Causes —The causes which produce this malady are very 
numerous. The following are the most general: 

Hereditary disposition, narrow chest; scrofula, a state of the 
system indicated by a weak voice, and great sensibility; certain dis¬ 
eases, such as venereal, the small pox, and measles, particular em¬ 
ployments, exposing artizans to dust, or to the fumes of metals or 
minerals under a confined and unwholesome air; violent passions, 
exertions or affections of the mind, as grief, disappointment, anxi¬ 
ety or close application to study, without using proper exercise; 
frequent and excessive debaucheries, late watching, and drinking 
freely of strong liquors; great evacuations, as diarrhea, diabetes, ex¬ 
cessive venery, leucorrhea, immoderate discharge and also frequent¬ 
ly the obstruction of the menstrual flow, and the continuing to 
suckle too long under a debilitated state; and, lastly, exposure to 
cold, either by too sudden a change of apparel, keeping on wet 
clothes, lying in damp beds, or exposing the body too suddenly to 
cool air when heated by exercise; in short, by anything that gives 
a considerable and sudden check to the perspiration. The more im¬ 
mediate or occasional causes are, bleeding of the lungs, inflam¬ 
mation of the lungs, catarrh, asthma and tubercles, the last of which 
are by far the most general. 

Excesses or intemperance in eating, drinking, etc., and folly of 
dress, contribute to cause this disease. Thin dress, exposed chest, 
tight lacing till a female can hardly stoop or breathe; one minute in 
a heated ball room or crowd, in perspiration—the next in extreme 
cold air; a cough follows, and next the hasty consumption. 

Another cause of this malady is, the confined and sedentary 
habits of males and females in cellars, factories, etc. The air in¬ 
haled is impure, and the chest contracted by the employment of 
corsets; the stomach, lungs, or liver soon become disordered. 

Symptoms —The early indications are often obscure, and may 
appear at any age, but most frequently between twenty and thirty. 
The chief symptoms are impaired digestion , loss of appetite, red 
or furred tongue, thirst, nausea, vomiting, and, in rare cases, pain in 
the stomach; more or less cough , chiefly in the morning; hoarseness 
or weakness of voice; irregular pains in the chest ; difficult breath- 




88 


CONSUMPTION. 


ing on slight exertion; debility , languor and palpitation; 
ly accelerated pulse ; heightened temperature / night sweats , and 
progressive emaciation. 

Cough is a prominent symptom. In the early stage it is dry, 
short and irritative, and most troublesome in the morning, or after 
exertion; the expectoration is usually small in cpiantity, and consists 
of ropy mucus; the cough may continue for months without ag¬ 
gravation or the appearance of any other symptom. In a more ad¬ 
vanced stage, cough recurs during the day, and especially after 
slight exertion, being caused by the necessity for getting rid of the 
inflammatory products and disintegrated lung tissue, which then 
begin to accumulate. The mere existence of a cough, by no means 
proves that consumption is present, as it may arise from diseases of 
other organs than the lungs; neither does the absence of cough 
prove the non existence of the disease. 

Bleeding of the lungs frequently, but not invariably, occurs; it 
is a suspicious symptom, and often gives the patient the first in¬ 
timation of danger; its occurrence either before or soon after the 
commencement of a cough always renders consumption probable, 
especially if the patient has received no injury of the chest, and has 
no disease of the heart, or of the uterine system. “ But in the very 
great majority of cases,” writes Niemeyer, “in which the first at¬ 
tack of spitting blood has not been preceded by cough, difficult 
breathing or other symptoms of pulmonary disorder, the lungs are 
free, and by no means the seat of tubercular deposit, at the com¬ 
mencement of the bleeding.” The same author further remarks, 
“That bronchial hemorrhage is by no means so rare an event where 
there is no grave disease of the lungs, is shown, moreover, by the 
tolerably numerous cases in which persons, after suffering one or 
more attacks of bleeding of the lungs, regain their health completely, 
and, indeed, often live to an advanced age, and after death present 
no discoverable traces of arrested tuberculosis in the lungs.” 

Hectic fever , at length, makes its appearance, and its coinci¬ 
dence with the symptoms already mentioned confirms our diagnosis 
of consumption. The patient is feverish and flushed in the even¬ 
ing, and in the morning is found drenched with perspiration. The 
pulse is small and weak, uniformly too high, but greatly accelerated 
towards evening, reaching 120 beats in the minute, or more; “the 
heat being performed with a jerk, as if the result of irritation upon 
a weakened heart.” The bowels are relaxed, especially in advanced 
stages of the disease, the diarrhea aggravating the effects of the 
sweating, and consequently the exhaustion is greater; the tongue is 
furred white or brown in the center, but unnaturally red around the 
tip and edges, and, immediately preceding the final break-up, is 
covered with the eruption of thrush. The urine deposits red, brick- 
dust or pink sediment,consisting of the urates of soda and ammonia; 
the skin is clammy, except during the evening increase of fever, 
when it is burning hot; the complexion is cleai\ the eyes are bright 


CONSUMPTION. 


89 


and sparkling, and there is marked emaciation, especially as death 
approaches. 

Curability of the Disease — It is supposed by most 
people that consumption is incurable, and nothing is more common 
than, when an individual is attacked with this disease he consigns 
himself to the grave and his friends prepare for his funeral. But 
we should not be too hasty in arriving at such a conclusion. We 
have many well-authenticated instances on record where consumpt- 
tion has been cured, either spontaneously or by proper remedial 
agents. 

Indeed it is beyond dispute, that the lungs recover from disease 
the same as any other organ, though less frequently, provided the 
powers of nature are sufficient to bring about a healthy action; all 
which shows the propriety of pursuing a rational and judicious 
course of treatment; besides, it is our duty to alleviate disease when 
we cannot cure, and which can always be done, even in the worst 
stages of this formidable malady. The fact, that cicatrices, or 
scars, have been discovered in the lungs of persons on post-mortem 
examination, who had been cured of consumption, and who subse¬ 
quently died of some other complaint, proves beyond dispute that 
the disease is curable. 

Remedies —1. Elecampane, when used perseveringly, has 
frequently arrested this disease in its first stages, by taking one-half 
to a teacupful of the decoction, or tea, twice a day. At the same 
time strict attention must be given to the laws of health. Many per¬ 
sons, while undergoing medical treatment for consumption, as well 
as other diseases, pay no regard to these laws, trust all to medicine, 
and nothing to the general measures for the promotion of health. 
Hence, their medical treatment avails but little; and thus, often¬ 
times, they are prone to turn away in disgust or despair, at the fail¬ 
ure of medicine to cure or relieve them, while one of the chief 
causes of failure may be their own carelessness or ignorance. 

2. A London physician gives the following simple, yet some¬ 
what singular remedy, which, he says, has been very successfully 
used in curing consumption in that city: Boil one-half dozen lem¬ 
ons soft—not too soft—roll them to press out the juice; sweeten un¬ 
til palatable; drink the whole during the day. Should they cause 
looseness of the bowels, or pain, reduce the number of lemons. Re¬ 
covery is soon perceived to begin by the strength returning. Every 
patient should be apprised of the fact that many lives have been de¬ 
stroyed, in this disease, by taking strong medicine. 

" 3. Taking half a pint of new milk, and one tablespoonful of the 
expressed juice of green hoarhound, each morning, has worked 
wonders in giving tone to the general health, relieving the soreness 
of the lungs, and often eradicating the disease, in its incipient stag¬ 
es. 

4. In the first stages of this disease, hypopliosphites of 
lime and soda is a sovereign remedy. It is a food, as well 


90 


CONSUMPTION. 


as a medicine, and is one of the greatest vital restoratives 
we have. Take, of each of these, two teaspoonfuls; thick sirup, 
made of white sugar, one third pint; water, two-thirds pint. Mix. 
When dissolved, it is ready for use. Dose, one teaspoonful, three 
times a day. As a food-remedy associated with it*, sweet cream 
stands first, and cod-liver oil next. One or the other of these should 
he given with the hypophosphites. Three or four tablespoonfuls of 
good sweet cream should be taken during each meal. The cod-liver 
oil (none but the pure article should be employed) should be given 
only once a day, and in doses of from one-half to one teaspoonful. 
As to cough remedies, for confirmed consumption, they are only 
beneficial so far as they quiet and allay irritation, and by this means 
give rest and comfort. And, for this purpose, perhaps there is no 
cough-remedy superior to the first one given under the head of 
“ Colds and Coughs, ” which see. 

5. The chlorate of potash is highly extolled in this disease. 
Dissolve one teaspoonful of it in four tablespoonfuls of water; of 
this give two teaspoonfuls three times a day. Malt extract in wine- 
glassful doses is a tonic, moderates the cough and aids digestion. 
This is to be used only every other or second day. 

Prof. Palmer says he has used this remedy in a great many 
cases with complete success. . 

The respective advocates of this remedy and the hypophos¬ 
phites claim for each a superiority over the other. But much de¬ 
pends on the temperament, condition, etc., of the patient, as to 
which is the better remedy for any individual case. 


6. Take, of dandelion root. 2 ounces. 

Hops. 1 ounce. 

Spikenard root. J pound. 


Outer and inner portions of tamarack bark. peck. 

Boil in about six quarts of water, until the strength is ob¬ 
tained. Strain and boil down to near two quarts; and, while warm, 
add one pound of honey, and one pint of the best brandy. Dose, 
from two to three tablespoonfuls, three times a day, before meals. 

It is said, by some practitioners, that with the use of this 
sirup, “as long as there is life, there is hope.” 

- Pursuits for Consumptives. —You require the purest and 
dryest atmosphere. Therefore, go North, rather than South. 
Then travel, hunt, fish, and eat freely of the game. Take a friend 
with you, for society, or to lean upon in your troubles. Have 
potatoes and corn-meal with you; which last you can mix with 
water and bake on a board before the fire; and then say that, with 
roast venison, boiled fish, roast-potatoes and johnny-cake, you can¬ 
not make out a well-flavored, healthy and hearty meal! Your 
appetite will surprise yourself. 

Do not wait to leave home, until you have vainly tried every¬ 
thing else and are just ready for the grave; for then you need only 






CONSUMPTION. 


91 


the nursing-care of friends and a quiet place in which to die; 
but start out as soon as you become aware that the disease has 
fastened upon your lungs; and then you may not unreasonably 
expect a cure. Be sure you have the means with you to avoid 
getting wet in ‘rains. Often wash and rub the whole surface of 
your body, wearing flannel next to the skin, and clothing accord¬ 
ing to weather and sex; for there is no good reason why females 
should not pursue substantially the same course. 

For those who have families whom they cannot leave, garden¬ 
ing or out-door amusement of any sort, will be a good substitute for 
travel. “Throw physic to the dogs.” Take no nostrums, and shun 
even the prescriptions of regular doctors. Wear your clothing per¬ 
fectly loose; sit, stand and walk erect, and even lie with the should¬ 
ers thrown back; banish despondency—“laugh and grow fat;” and 
be regular in eating and sleeping, and in all your habits. 

It is well, in the first stages of this disease, to practice the 
taking of long breaths; that is, take as much air into your lungs 
as they will contain, and hold it there as long as possible. A good 
way to expand the lungs is to stand in a corner, put a hand on the wall 
on either side, then let yourself fall forward towards the corner, 
then throw T yourself back. It strengthens the chest-walls and ex¬ 
pands the thorax. Be sure the air is pure, and, if cold, this will do 
you the more good. Keep the mouth closed, so as to force yourself 
to breath only through the nose. Have only a little fire in your 
sleeping-room, and that rather to expel the damp malaria than to 
warm it. Exercise in the open air and bright sunshine, avoiding- 
only the noontide heats in summer. Let the sun shine freely into 
all your rooms. Eat freely any ripe fruit which agrees with you, 
and use neither tea nor coffee\ if you use any warm drink let it be 
cocoa, rich with cream and sugar. Be sure that you obtain your 
regular and sufficient portion of sleep every day; if } t ou are un¬ 
avoidably kept up beyond your regular hour at night, make it up 
next morning, without regard to domestic or business calls or claims. 
Wash the teeth and mouth thoroughly, every night and morning. 

Always eat something before going out in the morning and 
avoid all damp hours and places. 

If bleeding of the lungs occurs, rest, with perfect quiet, and 
gallic acid, in ten grain doses, will generally check it speedily. Ice, 
slowly dissolved in the mouth, will be useful, though salt is gener¬ 
ally the popular remedy. See “ Bleeding of the Lungs.” The 
night-sweats may be checked by elixir vitriol, ten drops in a wine¬ 
glass of water, or by bathing the body with alum, dissolved in 
whisky. The free use of sage-tea will generally produce the same 
effect. Its efficacy is usually increased when equal parts of white- 
weed are added to it. 

Beef-tea is very useful; it is easy of digestion, and rarely 
proves unacceptable. Milk, given in regular quantities, not so 
much at once as to embarrass the digestive powers, is of immense 


92 


CONSUMPTION. 


value. Koumiss, made by fermenting milk, is. claimed, by some, 
to be the real cure, if that be possible, of this disease. 

Accessory Treatment —To describe in detail the general 
treatment of consumptive patients is to write a treatise on hygiene; 
we shall therefore only mention several of the most important 
points. 

Nutritious Food —The diet should be nourshing. digestible, 
and sufficiently abundant; including animal food; tisli, especially 
oysters; good home-made bread, not less than one day old; pud¬ 
dings of arrowroot, rice, sago, or tapioca, with milk; various kinds 
of green vegetables and mealy potatoes; together with good milk , 
eggs raw or beaten up with a little milk, may be used. Pork, veal, 
and tisli not having scales, should generally be avoided; also pastry 
and all articles that give rise to irritability of the stomach, nausea, 
eructations, or any other symptoms of indigestion. 

God-liver oil must be considered as an item of food, and a 
very important one; and if properly administered may be expected 
to be productive of the happiest results. If, as is occasionally the 
case, cod-liver oil disagree with the stomach, the author has found 
cream of great value as a substitute for the oil. To favor 
its digestion, a teaspoonful of French brandy, or a tablespoonful of 
cold, strong, black tea, may be mixed with it. 

Clotliiug* —This should be sufficiently warm to maintain a 
vigorous cutaneous circulation; the extremities especially should be 
kept warm, to obviate congestion in the chest or abdomen. Flannel 
should be worn both in summer and winter; in the former it neu¬ 
tralizes any variation of temperature, and prevents sudden cooling 
by evaporation of the perspiration; in the latter it prevents loss of 
the vital warmth of the body. In winter, the addition of a chamois- 
leather vest may be worn over the flannel. The notion that delicate 
children may be hardened by habitually exposing them to atmos¬ 
pheric changes, when but imperfectly clad, is erroneous in all cases; 
and in the instance of children of tuberculous predisposition often 
leads to the worst results. 

Bathing and Friction of the Skin —Except in confirmed 
cases, bathing is generally beneficial; even sea-bathing may be often 
recommended. But on no account should the patient bathe when 
exhausted by fatigue, or when the body is cooling after perspiration, 
or within two hours after eating. When sea-bathing is not admis¬ 
sible, sj3onging the chest and back with water to which sea-salt has 
been added, can generally be borne and enjoyed; and when it is 
followed by a general glow, it is a most valuable aid in promoting 
the capillary circulation. Under all circumstances, vigorous friction 
should immediately follow the hath, as reaction is thus rendered 
more complete. In cases in which patients are prevented from 
taking exercise, friction by means of bath-sheets or flesh-gloves is 
the more indispensable. Bathing must be regarded as injurious if 
after a brief immersion the surface remains cold, numb and pale, in 


I 


CONSUMPTION. 93 

spite of the use of good friction. In such cases, warm salt-batlis 
are recommended. 

If possible, exercise should be so taken as to bring all the muscles 
into moderate and agreeable action, and with the body in an erect 
posture. Walking-exercise secures these conditions to a certain ex¬ 
tent; but riding on horseback has the advantage of permitting the 
patient to breathe a large amount of fresh air, while it does not 
occasion fatigue or great difficulty of breathing. Rowing, gym¬ 
nastic exercises, and especially the cross-bar swing (see article on 
“ Swing ”), are valuable aids when practiced according to the 
patient’s strength. But excessive exertion, either of the mind or 
body, should be avoided. 


THE SWING AS A CURE OF CONSUMPTION. 

“ I wish to say a few words ‘ to whom it may concern,’ on the 
use of the swing—one of the gymnastic exercises—as a preventive 
and cure of pulmonary disease. I mean the suspending of the 
body by the hands by means of a strong rope or chain fastened to a 
beam at one end, and at the other a stick three feet long convenient 
to grasp with the hands. The rope should be fastened to the center 
of the stick, which should hang six or eight inches above the head. 
Let a person grasp this stick, with the hands two or three feet apart, 
and swing very moderately at first—perhaps only bear the weight, 
if very weak—and gradually increase, as the muscles gain strength 
from the exercise, until it may be freely used from three to five 
times daily. The connection of the arms with the body (with the 
exception of the clavicle with the sternum or breast bone) being a 
muscular attachment to the ribs, the effect of this exercise is to 
elevate the ribs and enlarge the chest; and, as nature allows no 
vacuum, the lungs expand to fill the cavity, increasing the volume 
of air—the natural purifier of the blood—and preventing congestion 
or the deposit of tuberculous matter. I have prescribed the above 
for all cases of hemorrhage of the lungs and threatened consump¬ 
tion, for thirty-five years, and have been able to increase the meas¬ 
ure of the chest from two to four inches within a few months, and 
always with good results. But especially as a preventive I would 
recommend this exercise. Let those who love life cultivate a well- 
formed, capacious chest. The student, the merchant, the sedentary, 
the young of both sexes—ay, all should have a swing upon which 
to stretch themselves daily; in its absence, Indian clubs should be 
used, and I am morally certain that if this were to be practiced by 
the rising generation, in a dress allowing a free and full develop¬ 
ment of the body, thousands, yes, tens of thousands, would be saved 
from the ravages of that opprobrium mcdicorum, consumption.” 

Lawson Long, M. D. 



94 


CONSUMPTION. 


CLIMATE ON CONSUMPTION. 

An opposition of sentiment prevails among physicians and 
others as to whether consumptive patients are more benefited by a 
southern or a northern climate; some asserting the former, others, 
the latter opinion. Without assuming to determine this matter 
definitively, we will say that there is much depending on collateral 
considerations or circumstances, such as the patient’s tendency or 
predisposition to dyspepsia, affections of the bowels, liver and spleen. 
Liver complaints are generally the bane of a southern climate, and 
a sallow complexion is the inheritance of the people. If such he 
the condition of the native—the acclimated inhabitants—what a 
forlorn hope must that climate be to him who, broken down by the 
stern severity of a northern latitude, and trembling and languishing 
on the brink of a consumptive’s grave, seeks to recuperate his wasted 
energies, and overcome, perhaps, his inherited tendency to con¬ 
sumption and bilious disorders, by a residence in a climate which 
tends to produce such diseases. 

In many instances, the greatest benefits derived from traveling, 
either north or south, consists in the exercise involved, the excite¬ 
ment aroused and the agreeable sensation produced by the motion 
of the cars and steamboats, the ever-varying change of sights and 
sounds—these are what open anew the springs of life. 

Especially should all journeys for health be taken, if possible, 
with an object in view. Let the patient start with the view of 
seeing the Mammoth Gave of Kentucky, the prairies of the West, 
the great lakes of the North, the falls of Niagara, the Yosemite 
Valley in California, anything which he is willing to make exertion 
to see, and that he is sure he will rejoice in beholding; or, more 
than all, the orange groves and vineyards in Southern California, 
where the climate alone will restore health. 


PERCENTAGE OF DEATHS. 


The following table shows the percentage of deaths to popula- 
lation in the United States, from all causes, as given by the national 
census: 


Alabama. 

....1.08 

Arizona. 

.. .2.61 

Arkansas.. ... 

...1.26 

California .;. . 

...1.61 

Colorado. 

.. .0.94 

Connecticut. 

. ..1.26 

Dakota. 

. . ..0.71 

Delaware. 


District of Columbia... 

....1.53 


Missouri.1.63 

Montana.0.90 

Nebraska.0.81 

Nevada.1.45 

New Hampshire.1.35 

New Jersey.1.17 

New Mexico. .1.28 

New York.1.58 

North Carolina..0.98 






















CONSUMPTION. 


95 


Florida.1.21 

Georgia.1.15 

Idaho.0.33 

Illinois.1.33 

Indiana.1.05 

Iowa.0.81 

Kansas .1.25 

Kentucky.1.09 

Louisiana.2.00 

Maine.1.23 

Maryland.1.24 

Massachusetts.1.77 

Michigan. 0.94 

Minnesota...0.80 

Mississippi.1.11 


Ohio.1.11 

Oregon.0.69 

Pennsylvania.1.49 

Rhode Island.1.26 

South Carolina.1.05 

Tennessee.1.13 

Texas.1.37 

Utah.1.03 

Vermont.1.07 

Virginia.1.24 


Washington Territory.0.93 


West Virginia.0.91 

Wisconsin.0.94 

Wyoming.0.81 


SWEDISH MOVEMENT CURE FOR CONSUMPTION. 

We herewith append directions for the employment of the 
u Swedish Movement-Cure for Consumption,” which is extensively 
employed, and becoming popular in some parts of the country. 


HISTORY OF THE CURE. 

The value of bodily movements for the purpose of physical de¬ 
velopment and the cure of diseases has been appreciated from a 
very early period. Numerous medical authorities, of great emi¬ 
nence and learning, both in ancient and modern times, have advo¬ 
cated the use of special movements, in order to correct special 
diseased conditions. They were, however, but imperfectly under¬ 
stood, and little practiced, until the time of Peter Henry Ling, of 
Stockholm, Sweden, who, while suffering from gout in his arm, 
conceived the idea that it might be relieved by exercise. With 
this object in view, he took lessons in fencing, and was gratified by 
the cure of his disease. The success of this experiment induced 
him to think that other maladies could also be cured by suitable 
combinations of movements. The realization of this idea now be¬ 
came the grand object of his life; he devoted himself to its study 
with untiring energy, and succeeded in demonstrating that exercise 
is not only useful to preserve health, but that it is, when properly 
understood, a potent remedy for disease. 

He opened up a new field for physical investigation, hitherto al¬ 
most unknown even to the most learned physicians and physiolo¬ 
gists. To him, therefore, belongs the credit of having discovered the 
value of medical movements; of having arranged them into a com- 

































96 


CONSUMPTION. 


plete scientific system, indicating how they should be prescribed, and 
rendered highly curative in various chronic affections. 

Since the time of Professor Ling, institutions founded on the prin¬ 
ciples he inculcated, have extended throughout Europe. During the 
last few years, Ling’s system has been introduced into the United 
States. Still, the progress of this art has not been commensurate 
with its great value, mainly because of the opposition with which it 
has had to contend through popular and professional ignorance. 
Nevertheless, this system of curative movements is now regarded 
by those members of the profession who are acquainted with its 
merits as being a legitimate mode of practice, applicable to many 
forms of chronic disease and cases of deformity. In fact, wherever 
it is introduced, it always takes a very high rank as a healing agent. 

Directions Concerning- the Application of the Treat¬ 
ment —1. An invalid proposing to employ the following medical 
treatment must secure an operator sufficiently intelligent to under¬ 
stand what is to be done, and with adequate strength to do it. 

2. The movements should be applied at an interval of not less 
than one hour and a half after a meal. 

3. The morning is the best time; then the system has more 
recuperative power than in the after-part of the day. 

4. A period of rest from both mental and physical toil is 
desirable before receiving movements, otherwise their beneficial 
effect will be much less marked. 

5. After the reception of a passive movement the patient will 
rest two or three minutes, and four or five minutes after an active 
one. This is necessary to guard against fatigue, as well as to allow 
the specific effect of each movement time to be developed. 

6. The invalid should not indulge in either reading or exciting 
conversation while receiving treatment. 

7. The dress should be worn quite loose at all times, but par¬ 
ticularly so while receiving treatment, so as to permit the unre¬ 
strained action of the respiratory organs. 

8. After treatment, patients generally feel an inclination to 
sleep, which should be indulged in. They will awake greatly re¬ 
freshed. 

9. The peculiarly curative effect of the movements here pre¬ 
scribed for consumption depends largely on the order in which they 
are applied. This must be strictly adhered to, beginning with the 
first and continuing on to the last, except in the case of very feeble 
persons, when the movements numbered six and eight should be 
omitted for the first week or ten days. By this time the circulation 
towards the skin and extremities will have become established. 
These movements may then be used. 

10. Previous to beginning treatment, the patient should 
measure his chest accurately, observing what the circumference is 
when expiration is complete, and also its size during complete 
inspiration. Preserve the dimensions for future reference. 


CONSUMPTION. 


97 



First Movement—Fulling the Arms. 

The patient may either recline on a lounge constructed for the 
purpose, with an assistant operating at the same time on each arm, 
or he may sit erect on an ordinary chair, with his arms hanging 
passively by his side. The operator will then place his extended 
hands on each side of the arm, and roll the tissues thereof quickly 
to and fro, at the same time gradually slide his hands downward, 
keeping up the friction until the whole arm, from shoulder to wrist, 
has been operated on. This should be repeated on each arm six or 
eight times, always beginning at the shoulder and proceeding down¬ 
ward to the hand. 

Effect—The blood in the capillaries is pressed into the 
minutest ramifications of these vessels in greatly augmented quan¬ 
tities, and gently urged onward into the veins, through which it 
must pass to the heart, and lastly to the lungs for aeration. As soon 
as the pressure is removed the capillaries are refilled with fresh 
blood from the arteries supplying the part; the blood-circulation 
thus secured in the part subjected to the fulling is so perfect that 
the patient will feel the whole limb, to the finger-ends, tingling with 
the vital current. At the same time, waste matters are made to 
pass by endosmosis into the venous circulation to be removed from 
the body. The nutritive materials contained in the blood are 
brought to the parts that are also placed in the best possible condi¬ 
tion to assimilate them. 

Second Movement—Vibration of the Leg. 

(See illustration on next page.) 

The patient reclines in a perfectly easy position. The operator, 
who is seated before him, supports the leg, extended at full length, 
by grasping the heel; with the other hand, he rapidly shakes the 
toe back and forth. A quick, vibratory motion is thus communi¬ 
cated to the leg. 









98 


CONSUMPTION. 



Effect —This movement causes attrition of the elementary 
fibres and cells of the muscular and other tissues, brings together 
waste matters seeking union, by which their ultimate removal from 
the body is facilitated, and increases the blood-circulation and 
nutrition of the parts subjected to the movement. 



Third Movement—Fulling the Thighs. 

The patient is seated as represented in the cut. The operator 
will place both hands on the thigh, at the groin, making as firm 
pressure as the patient can comfortably bear, and give the parts a 
rolling motion back and forth, gradually sliding the hands down 
until the knee is reached; begin again at the groin; repeat six or 
eight times on each thigh. 

Effect —Same as that caused by movement No. 1. 

Fourth Movement—Rotation of the Foot. 

(See illustration on next page.) 

The patient is placed in a reclined sitting position; his leg is 
extended, the calf resting on both knees of the operator, who fixes 
the patient’s leg by grasping it with one hand, while he applies the 
open palm of the other to the toe of the boot, the heel of which 
should project over the operator’s knee, so as to allow it to move 
with perfect freedom. The operator will then cause the point of the 


























CONSUMPTION. 


99 



boot to describe a circle as large as possible, without straining the 
ankle-joint, first from left to right, then from right to left, ten or 
twelve times each way. Continue the movement three to five min¬ 
utes on each foot. 

Effect —This movement is actively derivative. Each time the 
toe describes a circle, all the muscles below the knee are alternately 
passively stretched and relaxed, hi ow, muscular contraction always 
increases the demand for blood in the acting muscles. When all 
the remainder of the body except the parts being acted on are at 
rest, the system is then able to respond more promptly and effect¬ 
ually to the call for blood at that particular point, there being, at 
that moment, no urgent demand for it elsewhere, the vital current 
is thus made to flow downward to the feet. The cold, clammy 
extremities of consumptives are thus readily warmed, although 
their temperature would not have been increased by as much walk¬ 
ing as the invalid had strength to take. 

The perfect circulation thus induced also has the remarkable 
effect of relieving the disagreeable burning in the soles of the feet 
when it exists, reducing it to a genial permanent warmth. 



Fifth Movement—Kneading the Bowels. 

When receiving this manipulation the patient should lie on his 
back, having the knees and shoulders slightly raised. In this posi¬ 
tion, the abdominal muscles, being slightly relaxed, are in the best 




























100 


CONSUMPTION. 


condition to permit tlie digestive organs to be influenced by the 
movement. After the patient becomes accustomed to the treat¬ 
ment, and the abdominal tenderness that often exists at flrst has 
been removed, the arms may be placed over the head and the limbs 
extended. The operator places the palms of both hands on the 
abdomen, and, pressing firmly, will roll it from side to side, always 
being careful to make the pressure from below upward and inward. 

Effect —Under this treatment the muscles forming the walls 
of the abdomen acquire strength ; the abdominal contents will be 
lifted up and supported in their proper position ; the alimentary 
tube invigorated, and its vermicular motions increased ; congestion 
removed from the mucous membrane lining the digestive organs ; 
constipation relieved ; the digestion and absorption of food pro¬ 
moted, and the appetite improved. 



Sixth Movement—Angling the Arms. 


All the preceding operations, it will be observed, are passive ; 
their application involves no exertion on the part of the patient. 
This, however, is an active movement. The main objects aimed at 
by the former are to relieve pulmonary congestion and secure a 
perfect blood-circulation generally ; these are always the flrst indi¬ 
cations in the treatment of consumption. After the excess of blood 
obstructing the lungs and other internal organs has been made to 
flow towards the surface, imparting a general warmth to the skin 
and extremities, the second indication, viz., to develop the respira¬ 
tory capacity, claims our attention. This is generally effected by 
active movements, the present one being admirably adapted to that 
purpose. 



CONSUMPTION. 


101 


The patient may either sit erect, as in the cnt, on an ordinary 
low-hacked arm-chair, or he may recline on a lounge, having the 
shoulders elevated at an angle of about twenty-five degrees. The 
patient will then place his hands at his shoulders, with the arms 
close to the side. The operator, who stands behind him, will now 
grasp his hands, and slowly and steadily draw them out at full 
length, the patient meanwhile resisting firmly, without putting 
forth all his strength. After waiting a moment, the patient will 
drawdown his arms to the commencing position, while the operator 
resists. This should be repeated two to six times up and down, 
according to the strength of the invalid. 

Effect —All the respiratory muscles on the anterior part of the 
body are gently but effectually stretched, the circulation in them 
improved, and their strength increased ; rigidity of the thoracic 
walls is overcome ; the chest vigorously but safely expanded ; the 
air is made to penetrate and inflate collapsed portions of the lungs, 
and dislodge the pus and mucus with which such portions are 
obstructed. 



Seventh Movement—Drawing the Shoulders Backward. 

The patient will sit erect on a stool, his arms hanging passively 
by his side. The operator will then place his knee, protected by a 
cushion, on the middle of the patient’s back, at the lower border of 
the shoulder-blades, and grasping the patient’s arms near the 
shoulder, draw them slowly and firmly backward, at the same time 
pressing steadily forward with his knee. 

Effect —With due caution, this movement may be applied to 
the most delicate invalid. It safely but powerfully expands the 
chest and invigorates the respiratory muscles. The effect on the 
patient’s feelings is most grateful ; it affords the consumptive an 
immediate sense of relief ; he feels as if a load had been lifted 
from his chest. 




















102 


CONSUMPTION. 



Eighth Movement—Arm Pumping. 

The patient reclines on a conch, with the shoulders slightly 
raised ; his arms are extended parallel to each other, and at right 
angles with his body. The operator, standing behind the patient, 
will now grasp his arms at the wrist, and draw them backward and 
downward until they are parallel with his body, the patient mean¬ 
while resisting firmly and steadily. After resting a moment, the 
operator will then resist while the patient returns the arms to the 
commencing position. 

Effect —The same as in movement No. 6, but much more 
powerful. 



Ninth Movement—Percussion on the Back. 

When receiving this manipulation, the patient should bend 
forward and lean his arms on some firm object. The operator will 
then apply from fifty to one hundred light, rapid blows, with the 
open palm, over the whole back. After the invalid becomes accus¬ 
tomed to the percussion, it may be applied somewhat more heavily. 
















































CONSUMPTION. 


103 


Effect —This operation sends a succession of waves through 
the lungs,. which have the important effect of expanding the 
shrunken air-cells, causing contraction of the pulmonary capillary 
blood-vessels, removing congestion, and dislodging the pus and 
mucus obstructing the air-cells and bronchial tubes. 



Tenth Movement—Fulling the Back. 

The patient lies in a prone position, as shown in the accom¬ 
panying cut. The operator places the pulp of his fingers on a part 
of the skin and causes it to vibrate to and fro on the tissues beneath 
for a few seconds, when the hands should be shifted to an adjoining 
portion of the integument, and the vibration repeated until the 
whole of the back has been operated on. 

Effect —This operation is most grateful to the patient; it 
exercises a decidedly soothing effect upon the nervous system 
generally, through the influence exerted on the spinal chord, besides 
exciting an agreeable warmth in the parts, due to improved blood- 
circulation. 



Eleventh Movement—Fulling the Posterior Part of the Lower Extremities. 


The patient lies in the same position as in No. l n . The opera¬ 
tor will apply to the whole posterior aspect of the limb the treat¬ 
ment described in No. 3. 
































104 


CONSUMPTION. 


Effect— This is analogous to that produced in movements 
Nos. 1 and 3. 

The Movement-Cure presents to the consumptive invalids two 
very encouraging features: First, They do not require to wait 
weary months hoping for improvement. In many cases, this is 
quite apparent during the first week or ten days; and even those 
who are so far advanced that they do not ultimately recover, rarely 
fail to be decidedly benefited in twelve or fifteen days. After a few 
applications of a prescription of movements, the skin and extreme- 
ties become warm and freer from feverishness; the sufferer is 
conscious that his breath penetrates into and expands every portion 
of his lungs. If a tendency to hemorrhage exists it is checked, the 
cough gradually abates, and the matters expectorated lose their 
thick, yellow character, and assume the appearance of ordinary 
mucus; the sleep becomes sounder and more refreshing, night- 
sweats no longer occur, the appetite improves, strength increases, 
flesh is gained, and despondency is supplanted by hope and courage. 
Second , When a consumptive gets well by the Movement-Cure, 
he has good reason to hope that his recovery will be permanent, because 
the treatment is directed not merely to the removal or modification 
of symptoms, but to the correction of the constitutional vice from 
which the disease originates. 

By a careful reading of the foregoing instructions it will readily 
seem that extensive appliances are not a necessity—a low back chair 
or stool and a common bench can be used for any position needed 
in the manipulation—and any person with a little strength with a 
goodly amount of perseverance can do all that is required whether 
it be in a crowded city or a trackless wilderness. 

Accessory Treatment —The consumptive invalid must 
have pure, fresh air to breathe night and day. His sleeping apart¬ 
ment should be ventilated so that the air inside, during the whole 
night, is as pure as the atmosphere out of doors. In the absence of 
scientific arrangements for ventilation, this may be accomplished by 
letting down the windows from the top to admit the air, and having 
an open grate or other aperture to permit its escape. In winter, the 
foul air is effectually removed by having an open coal fire burning 
all night. A steady current of air is thus produced from all parts 
of the room towards the fire, thence up the chimney. The invalid’s 
bed should be so placed that he will not be directly exposed to any 
draught caused by the effort to secure ventilation. 

. Flannels should be worn summer and winter. The undercloth¬ 
ing worn by day should not be worn at night; they should be put 
off on retiring,and hung up where they will be well aired. 

The diet of the consumptive should be simple and nutritious. 
No strict rules can or ought to be laid down. He should partake 
freely of any good solid food that best agrees with him. 

A tepid bath should be taken twice a week in a warm room 
during the winter, and three or four times a week in summer. The 


ILLUSTRATIVE CASES. 


105 


chest should he bathed with cold water every morning, and 
thoroughly rubbed with a coarse towel. 

Movements are not intended to take the place of ordinary 
exercise, such as riding on horse back or in a carriage, or walking. 
Ihese may be indulged in with moderation, care being taken never 
to continue them long enough to induce fatigue, nor with sufficient 
violence to increase the frequency of the pulse.— Swedish Move¬ 
ment Curey Published by S. P. Wells de Co ., New York. 


ILLUSTRATIVE CASES. 

Case 1 —Mr. R. J. had been gradually declining in health 
for about three and a half years. A cough had existed during the 
whole of that period, which had become very severe when he ap¬ 
plied for treatment. Every morning on awakening he raised quan¬ 
tities of thick, yellowish matter, and continued to do so at intervals 
throughout the day. He had little appetite; lost flesh and strength 
steadily. Ilis breath was so shortened that he found it impossible 
to go up an ordinary pair of stairs. Hectic fever and copious night- 
sweats had existed for months. His chest measured only 38^ inches; 
during health its circumference had been fully 41 inches, and its 
walls were quite rigid. A physical examination showed that tuber¬ 
cles were extensively deposited in the apices and upper lobes of 
both lungs, and that the process of softening had made considera¬ 
ble progress. During the three and a half years which his dis¬ 
ease had existed, it had advanced only into the second stage. Two 
weeks’ treatment produced an appreciable improvement, which in¬ 
creased, day by day, until, at the end of two months, he was so 
well that further treatment was deemed unnecessary. The physi¬ 
cal signs of the presence of tubercular deposit in the lungs, al¬ 
though not entirely removed, were greatly ameliorated; the air now 
penetrated into and dilated the parts of the lungs that had been the 
seat of active disease. During the two years that have since 
elapsed, his disease has manifested no tendency to return. Al¬ 
though not quite so strong as in his best days, he is actively en¬ 
gaged in business, which he was previously obliged to abandon on 
account of failing health. 

Case 2 —Miss N. had previously lost two sisters by consump¬ 
tion. Her health had been failing for more than a year. At the 
time she resorted to the Movement-Cure she exhibited all the 
symptoms of the first stage. There existed unquestionable physi¬ 
cal evidence of the presence of tubercles in the apex of the left 
lung, but there was no softening; the right lung was healthy 
throughout. Before she had received the movements a week, she 
reported herself better. She was under treatment less than two 
months, when not only had every symptom entirely disappeared, 



106 


COUGHS AND COLDS. 


but the physical signs indicating the presence of tubercles in the 
lungs were removed; the high-pitched, harsh, breathing sound at 
first heard had given place to the low-pitched, breezy, respiratory 
murmur of perfect health. She continues to the present day en¬ 
joying robust health. 

Case 3—Miss AY had declined in health for about fourteen 
months, when she was advised to try the treatment by the Swedish 
movements. She had nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, shortness 
of breath, night-sweats, slept badly, had a severe cough, pain in 
the chest, and she had raised blood very frequently, in small quan¬ 
tities, during the last ten months. Considerable tubercular de¬ 
posit existed at the apex of the left lung, but there was no evi¬ 
dence of softening. This lady made marked progress during the 
first ten days. Less than two months daily treatment sufficed to 
remove every symptom of consumption. Her periods had stopped, 
but were restored to a perfectly natural condition. Since then her 
health has been entirely satisfactory. 

Case 4 —Mr. B., a gentleman sixty years of age, had first 
raised blood about seven years ago. Since that time he was some¬ 
times better and at other times worse; on the whole, however, he 
declined from year to year. He was frequently and strongly urged 
by a friend of his to try the Movement-Cure, which he very 
reluctantly agreed to do, having long ago lost all faith in medical 
men and their capacity to cure his difficulty, AVlien he began 
treatment he was worse than he had ever been; yet, after two 
months’ daily attendance, he was so well as to be able to undertake 
long journeys on business, although he had previously been afraid 
to leave the town in which he resided, lest he would not be able to 
return. The results, in his case, were very satisfactory to himself 
and his friends. He frequently declares his astonishment how any 
treatment, of apparently so simple a character, can possess such 
curative power in so grave a disease as consumption. 

Many cases similar to the foregoing could be cited, but these 
are sufficient to illustrate the points on which I wish to throw light 
concerning the curability of consumption. 

For a more extended description of this method of cure, the 
reader is referred to a valuable little book entitled, “ Prevention and 
Cure of Consumption,” by the Swedish Movement-Cure, published 
by S. B. Wells & Co., 737 Broadway, N. Y. 


COLDS AND COUGHS. 

Most persons affect to despise colds; and as long as they can 
walk about, scorn to be confined by what they call a common cold. 
Hence it is that colds destroy such numbers of mankind. Like an 
enemy despised, they gather strength from delay, insidiously 
destroying until at length they become incurable. 



COUGHS AND COLDS. 


107 


Cause-Tile application of cold to the body giving a check to 
perspiration, is the general cause of these complaints. 

Prevention —Persons liable to coughs, from any little ex¬ 
posure to cold, should wear flannel next to the skin, but particularly 
over the chest; they should adapt their clothing to the vicissitudes 
of the weather, and be cautious how they expose themselves too 
quickly to draughts of external air when heated by exercise or in 
crowded rooms. The best way to prevent taking cold, is to accustom 
oneself to sponging off the body every morning with cold water, in 
which you have thrown a handful of salt. Then rub with a rough 
towel until re-action sets in. Bathing is a useful preventive, and may 
often be employed as a curative means. 

Remedies — 1 . An ordinary cold can be readily cured in its 
incipient stage by soaking the feet in as hot mustard-water as can 
well be borne. Wipe them dry, and retire to bed. At the same 
time, take three drops of the spirits of camphor, and a tablespoonful 
of sugar in two tablespoonfuls of hot water. 

2. The following has the reputation of being one of the best 
remedies in use, by those who have employed it, for coughs and 
colds. It has promptly cured many cases which were supposed to 
be in the first stage of consumption: 

Two tablespoonfuls of flax-seed, 

One tablespoonful of dry hoarliound, 

One quart of water. 

Boil for twenty or twenty-five minutes; strain, and add an 
ordinary-sized lemon (sliced), one stick of licorice, and an ounce of 
gum-Arabic. Dose, for a child, one teaspoonful; for an adult, one 
tablespoonful, and to be taken four or five times a day. This 
remedy will also cure common hoarseness. If the lemon cannot be 
procured, use a tablespoonful of good vinegar in its stead. 

3. To one pint of water, add two teaspoonfuls of flax-seed; boil 
moderately for twenty minutes; then add the juice of one-half a 
lemon; sweeten to the taste, and drink the whole quantity, in divided 
doses, during the day. This is a favorite remedy with some people 
for the cure of colds. 

4. Express, while warm, the juice from two carefully roasted 
lemons, and add two or three tablespoonfuls of brown sugar. Take 
a tablespoonful when the cough is troublesome. You will find this 
to be as effective as it is pleasant to take. 

5. Take equal parts of good vinegar and water; to a teacupful 
of this mixture, add as much capsicum (cayenne pepper) as will lie 
on a ten cent piece; sweeten with honey or sugar. A teacupful will 
allay a cough; a dose taken at bed-time will generally enable the 
patient to rest well during the night. It should be taken whenever 
the cough is troublesome. 

6. A medical writer says, “ The best remedy I ever used for 
a cough is, equal parts of the tincture of black cohosh, blood-root, 


108 


CHOLERA MORBUS. 


lobelia, and sirup of squills, sweetened with honey, taken every two 
hours, as required.” 

7. ' For coughs and colds of long standing, the Yerba Santa 
is an excellent remedy. It usually grows in mountainous sections 
of the country, and especially on the Pacific Coast. It is now 
commonly kept in drug-stores. A tea is to be made of the leaves, 
and drunk freely, five or six times a day. The Spanish people 
regard this as the king of remedies in this disease. 

8. An excellent remedy for coughs and hoarseness is strong 
hoarhound tea, sweetened well and drank hot, repeating until a 
slight sickness of the stomach manifests itself and sweating appears. 
Keep well covered in bed and free from air draughts, followed next 
morning with a thorough friction or rubbing. 

9. The following will break up an approaching cold : Take at 
night six or eight grains of Dover’s powders. 

Salt for Coughs —In many cases of troublesome coughs, if 
the patient will take a “ pinch ” of salt on retiring at night, it will 
measurably relieve the difficulty, and procure rest and sleep. 

Cold in the Head, or Influenza —Smelling hartshorn 
frequently during the day will often relieve cold in the head. 

Take equal parts of good vinegar and water, and to a teacupful 
of this mixture add one teaspoonful of best African cayenne ; 
sweeten with honey or sugar. Dose, one tablespoonful, which will 
allay the cough very speedily. A dose taken at bed-time will 
generally enable the patient to rest well all night ; if, however, the 
cough becomes troublesome at any time before morning, another 
spoonful will allay it. 


CHOLERA MORBUS. 

Cholera morbus is a violent purging and vomiting, attended 
with gripes, and a constant desire to go to stool. It comes on 
suddenly, and is most common in autumn. There is hardly any 
disease that kills more quickly than this, when proper means are 
not used in due time for removing it. 

Causes —It is occasioned by a redundancy and putrid acri¬ 
mony of the bile, cold, food that easily turns rancid or sour on the 
stomach, as butter, fat pork, sweetmeats, cucumbers, unripe melons, 
cherries, or, indeed, fruits of any kind, etc. It is sometimes the 
effect of strong acrid purges or vomits, or of poisonous substances 
taken into the stomach. It may likewise proceed from violent 
passions or affections of the mind, as fear, anger, etc. 

Symptoms —It is generally preceded by heart-burn, sour 
belchings and flatulencies, with pain of the stomach and intestines. 
To these succeed excessive vomiting and purging of green, yellow, 
or blackish-colored bile, with a distension of the stomach, and 
violent griping pains. There is likewise a great thirst, with a very 



CHOLERA MORBUS. 


109 


quick, unequal pulse, and often a fixed, acute pain, and extreme 
tenderness about the region of the navel. As the disease advances, 
the pulse often sinks so low as to become quite imperceptible, the 
extremities grow cold and cramp, and are often covered with a 
clammy sweat ; the urine is obstructed, and there is a palpitation 
of the heart. Violent hiccoughing, fainting and convulsions, are 
the signs of approaching death. 

Remedies — 1 . Take ground black pepper, one tablespoonful, 
and as much table-salt ; one-half tumblerful of warm water, and as 
much good vinegar. Dose, one tablespoonful, every few minutes, 
until the whole is taken. This may be relied on in curing cholera 
morbus, and, also, genuine cholera, if taken at the commencement. 
The first dose may be vomited. If this is the case, repeat the dose. 
The vomiting will seldom return. In the mixture, use cider 
vinegar, if it can be procured, and stir it well, each time, before 
using. 

2. Pulverized chalk is said to be a cure for this disease, if 
taken in tablespoonful doses. What is called prepared chalk 
should be used, if at hand, as it is much preferable to the other. It 
may be procured at drug-stores. 

3. The following old remedy has been very highly praised, 
for the treatment of cholera morbus: 


Take of rhubarb (pulverized). 2 scruples. 

Pearlash do . 2 scruples. 

Peppermint (plant). 2 scruples. 


Add a half pint of boiling water, and sweeten with loaf sugar. 
Dose, one tablespoonful every half hour, . hour, or two hours, 
according to the urgency of the symptoms. This is one among the 
most valuable preparations, for not only cholera morbus, but for 
cholera, cholera infantum, diarrhea and dysentery. It is the 
celebrated “ Neutralizing Mixture.” 

4. A good and often effectual remedy in cholera morbus, is 
to make a weak lye, about as strong as common table tea, from 
hard wood ashes, and take a wine glassful of it every two or three 
hours. It also is a sure regulator of the bowels. 

In the American Practice the following is very highly recom¬ 
mended : “Take of the best Turkey rhubarb, bruised or pulverized, 
half a drachm, saleratus half a drachm, peppermint plant half a 
drachm ; grind all together in a mortar, and put the powder in a 
tea-cup, with loaf-sugar enough to sweeten ; then add half a pint of 
boiling water. Dose, one tablespoonful every half hour, or as often 
as vomiting and purging take place. The effects of this medicine 
are truly surprising, it being seldom that a patient will vomit up 
more than one dose of it, if he vomits at all.” 

The following is highly recommended : Apply a strong mustard 
plaster to the stomach as long as may be conveniently borne ; to 
stop the vomiting, give a very little drink, allay thirst with small 
pieces of ice upon the tongue. When the vomiting is stopped give 





110 


CHAFING-CORNS. 


a tablespoonful of castor oil mixed with twenty drops of spirits of 
turpentine. 

Accessory Means —Hot bricks may be applied to the feet, 
and they should be bathed in warm lye-water. The patient should 
take freely of mint tea, slippery elm, and other mucilaginous drinks. 
Cold water poured upon bread toasted very brown or black, makes 
a very grateful and medicinal drink. Indian or oatmeal gruel also 
has a very excellent effect upon the bowels in this disease ; it acts 
as a soothing or emollient poultice to the stomach and intestines, 
while at the same time it affords nourishment. 

During convalescence the patient should be careful in his diet, 
using light, digestible, nourishing food. He should keep himself 
warm, guard against exposures to cold and damp, and avoid all 
kinds of intemperance. Oatmeal, made into a cake with water, 
baked, then browned and made into a coffee, is very useful in 
allaying the distress and vomiting. 


CHAFING. 

Remedies —1. Simple cerate is one of the best applications 
used for this troublesome complaint, applied once or twice a day. 
Every mother, with a young babe, should constantly keep the cerate 
in the house, for such cases. It is made of white wax and lard, but 
can be found already prepared at all drug stores. 

2. Another good remedy is alum-water, where chafing is 
caused by walking. The wash may also be used as a preventive. 
It should be applied at night by means of a soft linen or cotton 
cloth. A piece of alum, the size of a hazel-nut, dissolved in one- 
half a teacupful of water, is about the right strength. The pulver¬ 
ized article is more convenient for use. 

3. Fleshy people who chafe will find that the placing of a 
good sized piece of cotton between the parts where the chafing 
occurs will give perfect relief. This is invaluable information for 
those who are subject to chafing. 

4. To four tablespoonfuls of soft water add ten grains of sub¬ 
nitrate bismuth, use as a wash, it is harmless and effectual. 

AccessoryMeasures —An admirable means for this diffi¬ 
culty, is to wash the parts with cold or tepid water and carefully 
dry them two or three times a day. 

As a preventive, grown people may wear cotton between the 
parts which rub together. 


CORNS. 

Remedies —The following are among the best means for 
removing corns. But it should be borne in mind that a process 
that will remove them in one individual case, may fail to effect the 
same purpose in another. 




CHOLERA. 


Ill 


1. Apply spirits of turpentine, several times a day, by means 
of jaw cotton, bound on the corn. This will often be sufficient to 
remove it in a few days without pain. If this application should 
fail, pare the corn to the quick, don’t cut to bleeding, and apply the 
turpentine as before. 

2. Coal-oil, applied as above, is a very effective remedy in 
many cases. 

3. Bind securely, for several nights in succession, a piece of 
lemon on the corn. Frequently, on the following morning, the 
corn may be removed by a penknife. In some cases, several appli¬ 
cations of the lemon may be necessary. 

4. A very superior remedy for corns, is to spread adhesive 
plaster on a small piece of soft leather or buckskin, with a circular 
hole corresponding to the size of the corn. Thus, by removing the 
pressure and friction, the corn will disappear. 

5. Place the feet for half an hour, four or five nights succes¬ 
sively, in a strong solution of common soda. The alkali dissolves 
the cuticle, and the corn often falls out spontaneously. 

6. Trim the callus after soaking the corn in hot water; then 
bind on the corn a small quantity of sal soda; this repeated three 
times will often effect a cure. 

Soft Corns —A perfect cure for soft corns is salicylic acid 
twenty grains, tincture of Indian hemp twenty drops, colodion 
one dram; should be applied for four nights in succession. The corn 
will then come out when the feet are soaked in warm water. 

2. A piece of cotton applied fresh every morning gives great 
relief, or place between the toes a small piece of newspaper folded 
several thicknesses, change it every morning before putting on the 
shoe, and wear it through the day. At night, remove this piece and 
substitute another prepared in the samq way, thus wearing the 
folded paper, night and day, for four or five days, or a week. 
The paper prevents friction and chafing and also removes direct 
pressure on the corn; after which, nature effects the cure. 

Castile soap, placed between the toes, is said to possess both 
preventive and curative properties for soft corns. 


CHOLERA. 

Cholera, a miasmatic disease, propagated. through the air, and 
communicable from one person to another, is usually ushered in 
by premonitory 'painless diarrhea, and accompanied by sudden pros¬ 
tration, tremors, dizziness, spasms of the bowels and limbs, faintness, 
profuse serous mucilaginous or bloody discharges, vomiting, burn¬ 
ing heat at the stomach, coldness and dampness of the whole sur¬ 
face of the body, cold tongue and breath, unquenchable thirst, 
feeble, rapid pulse, extreme restlessness, oppressed breathing, albu- 



112 


CHOLERA. 


minous or suppressed urine, blueness of the body, sunken and 
appalling countenance, peculiar odor from the body, collapse, and 
finally, unless reaction comes on, death. 

Cause —Physicians are not agreed as to the exact character of 
the cause, but are unanimous in regarding the disease as a most 
serious one. Instances of death taking place in two, three, four, or 
more hours, are extremely common. The experience gained during 
former visitations of cholera teaches us that it seizes the poor in a 
far greater proportion than the rich, that the most potent conditions 
favorable to its spread are poverty, overcrowding filth , intemper¬ 
ance and impure air and water y and that as we prevent the 
accumulation of filth, foul air and other causes of general disease, 
and supply the people with wholesome food and pure water, 
so we render inoperative the powerful agencies which this 
dreaded disease chiefly spreads. 

External Applications —At the commencement of the 
disease, cover the patient up warm, and apply warm flannels or 
bottles of hot water, or a warm brick, to the feet; but if the 
patient is in the stage of collapse, and the surface is bathed with a 
profuse cold perspiration, do not apply external heat, as it will only 
make him uncomfortable, and increase the exhausting perspiration. 
In this stage, rub the surface, especially the extremities, freely with 
the dry hand, or a dry warm piece of flannel, or a coarse towel— 
the bare hand is the best. 

Remedies —1. At the commencement of the attack, if there are 
great weakness, or chilly sensations, copious sweats, and feeble 
pulse, disordered vision or dizziness, give a drop of spirits of cam¬ 
phor in a teaspoonful of water, every five or ten minutes, until snch 
symptoms are relieved, at the same time cover the patient in bed, 
and apply hot, dry flannjels to his feet, so as to get him into a gentle 
perspiration if possible. This course will often check the disease 
in an hour or two. 

Should this not succeed, and the patient continue to become 
rapidly worse, give the following immediately: “ One tablespoonful 
of ground black pepper and as much table-salt, four tablespoonfuls 
of good cider vinegar added to a tumblerful of hot water. The 
whole to be taken during five or ten minutes, in tablespoonful doses. 
I have used this remedy with better success than any other.”— 

Dr. Jordan . 

2. The following is Dr. Ure’s celebrated remedy for Cholera: 

“ Tincture of kino.1 ounce. 

Tincture of opium. .4 drachms. 

Common starch..1 ounce. 

Tepid water .,.3 wine glassfuls. 

Mix. Inject slowly into the bowels. 

“This injection mixture should be of about the thickness of thin 
gruel. . If it should come away, it should be repeated immediately. 
If the injection be properly administered, and in sufficient quantity, 






CHOLERA. 


113 


it will stop the discharge from the bowels in fifteen minutes, and 
nothing will pass them for several days. The patient is then safe. 
A weak mixture of chloroform, spirits of camphor and turpen¬ 
tine, may also be taken by the mouth. If the above injection can¬ 
not be quickly obtained, a preparation of starch-water, containing a 
solution of alum or laudanum, forms a convenient and effective 
injection. I have seldom failed to cure this disease with thisremedy.” 

To cure nausea at beginning of an attack, wring a cloth out of 
hot turpentine, place on the bowels, and give carbonic acid water to 


drink, or champagne if you can get it. 

3. Take, of rhubarb (pulverized).2 scruples. 

Saleratus do .2 scruples. 

Peppermint plant do .2 scruples. 

Add boiling water.pint. 


Sweeten with loaf sugar. Dose, one tablespoonful, every 30 or 
60 minutes, according to the urgency of the symptoms. Its oper¬ 
ation and action appear to be specific or almost infallible, not only 
for cholera, but also cholera-morbus and cholera-inf an turn. When 
the reactionary fever comes on, and the temperature begins to rise 
nourishment must be given with the greatest care, the rule being to 
postpone a solid diet as long as possible, consistent with the main¬ 


tenance of strength. 

Tincture of capsicum.1 ounce. 

Tincture of camphor.1 ounce. 

Tincture of opium.1 ounce. 

Spirits of ether. \ ounce. 


Mix. Dose, twenty drops every fifteen minutes. 

This is the Dr. Sappington remedy of New Orleans which is 
so highly recommended. 

General Directions — Absolute rest in the recumbent pos¬ 
ture, from the very commencement of the diarrhea. A hopeful 
and cheerful state of mind should be fostered, a presentiment of 
death being unfavorable. 

The sick-room should be warm but well ventilated. The re¬ 
turn to ordinary diet should be slow. Evacuations, bedding, and 
clothing should be disinfected. See Section on “ Nursing.” 

Preventive Treatment— When cholera is epidemic, cam¬ 
phor should be taken once or twice a day, in doses of two or three 
drops on sugar. The simple diarrhea which often precedes malignant 
cholera should be promptly arrested. 

Sanitary and Hygienic Measures— The following ex¬ 
cellent advice has been given, and should be adopted at the first 
indication of cholera: 

The house should be well aired, especially the sleeping apart¬ 
ments, all of which should be kept dry and clean. 

All effluvia arising from decayed animal or vegetable substan¬ 
ces ouo-ht to be got rid of; consequently, cesspools and dust-holes 
should be cleaned out , and water-closets and drains made perfect. 

8 










114 


CHILBLAIN, OR FROST-BITE. 


Disinfectants should be liberally used, viz. chloride of lime, or a 
solution of copperas sprinkled around freely. 

All exposure to cold and wet should be avoided, and on no ac¬ 
count should any one sit in damp clothes , piarticularly in damp 
shoes and stockings. Care should he taken to avoid chills or check¬ 
ing perspiration. Clothing must be sufficient to keep the body in 
a comfortable and even temperature. 

Habits of personal cleanliness and regular exercise in the open 
air should be cultivated; also regularity in the periods of repose 
and refreshment; anxiety of mind and late hours should be avoided. 
Be temperate in all things. 

The diet should be wholesome, and adapted to each individual 
habit. Every one should , however , he more than ordinarily care¬ 
ful to abstain from any article of food (whether animal or vege¬ 
table) which may have disordered his digestion upon former oc¬ 
casions , no matter how nutritious and digestible to the generality , 
and to avoid all manner of excess in eating and drinking. 

Haw vegetables, sour and unripe or wilted fruits , cucumbers, 
salads, pickles or any other vegetables should not be allowed. 

Wholesome varieties of ripe fruits, whether in their natural or 
cooked state, and vegetables plainly cooked, may be taken in moder¬ 
ation, by those with whom they agree. 

During the active stage of the disease, nothing but the most 
simple drinks, such as rice-water, arrow-root, corn-starcli, or toast- 
water, should be allowed, and even of such liquids only small quan¬ 
tities at a time. 

When the vomiting and purging cease, the above drinks may 
be made thicker and more nourishing, and when the appetite seems 
to demand it, thin puddings of arrow-root, rice, or corn-starch may 
be allowed, and after a day or two more toast, crackers and meat. 
Food in substance, like toast, rice, or meat, should never be given 
more than three times a day to a patient while recovering from this 
or any other disease, as the stomach needs seasons of rest. 

Preventive and Curative —From hard wood-ashes, make 
a weak lye, about as strong as common tea. Take half a wineglass¬ 
ful after each meal. This has been used with complete success as a 
preventive for many years when the cholera has been prevalent, and 
also successfully used in checking it in the first stages of the disease. 
The dose, in such cases, is to be repeated often, "it is also a sure 
regulator of the bowels. 


CHILBLAIN, OR FROST-BITE. 

Chilblains are painful, inflammatory swellings, of a deep purple 
or leaden color, to which the fingers, toes, heels and other extreme 
parts of the body are subject on being exposed to a severe degree of 
cold. The pain is not constant, but rather pungent and shooting at 



CHAPPED HANDS, LIPS AND FACE. 115 

particular times, and an insupportable itching attends. In some in¬ 
stances the skin remains entire; but in others it breaks and dischar¬ 
ges a thin fluid. When the degree of cold has been very great, or the 
application long continued, the parts affected are apt to mortify and 
slough off, leaving a foul, ill-conditioned ulcer behind. Children 
and old people are more liable to be troubled with chilblains than 
persons of middle age; and such as are of a scrofulous habit are very 
apt to suffer severely from them. 

The best mode of preventing these affections is to avoid any 
exposure to wet or cold ; therefore, those who are subject to them 
should be cautious, on the approach of winter, to keep warmly 
clothed and keep the feet dry. 

Remedies —1. Apply, morning and evening, a strong solu¬ 
tion of alum-water, as hot as it can be borne. It will effectually 
cure chilblains. 

2. They may also be cured by bathing and rubbing the parts, 
once or twice a day, for twenty or thirty minutes, in lye of wood- 
ashes. Use as hot as can be borne. 

3. Take lime and make a white-wash mixture—a foot-tubful 
of it—and as warm as you can conveniently bear it. When the chil¬ 
blains begin their nightly itching, plunge the feet into it. The re¬ 
lief will be instantaneous. At the end of thirty minutes take them out. 
They will be free from pain. Rub them briskly and there will come 
off rolls of dead skin. Anoint the feet with mutton-tallow; then put 
on a pair of cotton socks, and go to bed. Repeat the application 
two or three times, and you need not suffer from frozen feet longer 
than it will take you to get the white-wash ready on each recurrence 
of frost-bite. 

4. Another means of curing chilblains, if they are not in the 
advanced stages, is the following: Each night, wash the feet in 
cold water (soft water is much the best if it can be had). After 
wiping dry, warm them before the fire, and at the same time, rub 
them well with the hands. 

In cases where chilblains ulcerate and slough, constitutional 
treatment will be demanded; and for this purpose, give a sirup, 
made of black cohosh, one ounce, in one pint of water. Boil to one- 
half pint, strain, and, while hot, add one-fourth pound of loaf sugar. 
When cool, add enough spirits—say two tablespoonfuls of whisky— 
to keep the mixture from souring. Dose, one tablespoonful, three 
times dailv. 


CHAPPED HANDS, LIPS AND FACE. 

Remedies —1. These may often be healed by the frequent 
application of lioneij-water, equal parts of honey and vaseline, and 
protecting them from the influence of cold air. 

2. An excellent remedy for chapped hands is a mixture of 



116 


CATALEPTIC FITS. 


sub-nitrate of bismuth, two drachms, with double the quantity of 
fresh lard. This applied to the parts will effect a rapid cure. 

3. Camphor-ice is very useful and effective for the same pur¬ 
pose. This is prepared as follows: Melt slowly an ounce of 
camphor and one of fresh mutton-tallow; stir well. This may be 
applied two or three times a day. This is the same article found at 
the drug-stores and sold at such expensive rates. 

4. Put six or seven drops of glycerine into the water before 
washing the hands, or drop three or four drops in the palm of the 
hand after washing off the soap and dirt, rub all over the hands and 
wrists, then dry them thoroughly, and a cure will soon be effected. 
Tinct. of benzoin, a few drops to some pure glycerine, is the best 
application for cracked lips. 

5. Wash the hands with warm water, wipe them dry, then 
grease them with mutton-tallow, vaseline, or cosmoline. I)o this 
before going to bed, and put on a pair of gloves, to avoid greasing 
the bed-clothes. Practice this for a few days. It will cure the 
hands and make them soft, white and smooth. 

6. Washing them in vinegar is also excellent for this purpose. 


V 

CATALEPTIC FITS. 

Symptoms —This disease is characterized by a greater or less 
loss of consciousness, with rigidity, sometimes of all the muscles of 
the body, and sometimes of only a part. The limbs are not usually 
so stiff that they cannot be bent, but the peculiarity is that they 
retain the position in which they are placed, however awkward it 
may be. The paroxysm may last but a few minutes, or it may con¬ 
tinue for hours or days. This disease resembles hysterics in many 
respects, and arises from similar causes. 

Remedies —Catalepsy requires no treatment during the 
paroxysm, unless there are certain symptoms demanding it, such as 
flow of blood to the head, palpitation of the heart and feeble pulse. 
Generally, it is better to lay the patient in a horizontal position, 
loosen his neektie, and let him alone until the fit passes off naturally. 

1. The juice of the plantain-leaf is reputed to be a cure for 
catalepsy. Dose, one teaspoonful, twice a day. 

2. The shower-bath, exercise in the open air, and a nutritious, 
easily-digested diet should be directed. Sea-bathing, if practicable, 
is of great importance. 

3. If a person fall in a fit, let him remain on the ground, pro¬ 
vided his face be pale; for, should it be fainting, or temporary 
suspension of the heart’s action, you ma}^ cause death by raising him 
upright; but if the face be red, or dark-colored, raise him to a sitting 
posture, and sprinkle cold water on his head immediately. 



CHICKEN-POX-CANCER. 


117 


CHICKEN-POX. 

The eruption is often the first symptom noticed, in other cases 
a fever, with some headache, precedes the eruption for from a few 
hours to one or at most two days, and goes oft when the eruption 
appears. The eruptions may be numerous or but few. Small, 
irregular-shaped, transparent vesicles make their appearance on a 
slightly red surface, and rapidly enlarge to an eighth of an inch in 
diameter, sometimes even larger. There is more or less itching, 
causing the child to scratch. At the end of three or four days, they 
begin to dry up, forming small brown crusts, which fall off at the 
end of eight or ten days. Scratching the vesicles or blisters some¬ 
times causes the formation of large scabs which may leave pits. 
So far preventives are unknown, after exposure to the contagion, 
therefore, all we can do is use caution, prevent colds, keep the bowels 
regular and be prudent in diet. 

Remedies —It is not considered that any danger ever attends 
this complaint; but should the fever run high, let the patient take, 
of the tincture of aconite, two drops, in a tumblerful of water, well 
stirred together. Of this use two teaspoonfuls every two or three 
hours. If he has much thirst, let him drink freely of cold water 
and abstain from the use of all kinds of hot teas and slops that 
patients with chicken-pox or measles usually have poured down their 
throats. Use a little “ cold cream” on face and neck; see cold 
cream in recipes. Keep in doors and out of air draughts. 

Accessory Treatment —Attention to diet as in simple 
fever, especially if the digestive organs are impaired. Milk-diet is 
best. Exposure to cold should be avoided, especially in cold weather, 
but the room should be kept well ventilated. The child should be 
prevented from scratching the skin when the scales are formed. 


CANCER (Carcinoma). 

A cancer is an ulcer of the very worst kind, with an uneven 
surface and ragged and painful edges, which spreads in a very rapid 
manner, discharges a thin acrimonious matter that excoriates the 
neighboring integuments and usually has a very fetid smell, and 
which is generally preceded by a hard or scirrhus swelling of the 
part, if glandular. The disease is most commonly confined to 
glands, and particularly the breasts; now and then to be met witliin 
the womb, the face, and other parts. 

The cancerous sore is extremely irregular; on its surface are 
seen various prominences and excavations, from one or more of 
which a hemorrhage is frequently observed to proceed. It is 
attended with a peculiarly burning and lancinating pain, which is 
generally intermittent. The edges are thick, indurated, and often 
exquisitely painful, and acute pains are very frequently felt darting 



118 


CANCER. 


through the tumor. The odor of the discharge is frequently so 
intolerably offensive that it is difficult to inhale it long. 

There is a species of cancer called noli me tangere , which 
means, touch me not. It appears on the surface, generally the face, 
and is very small and slow in its progress, and rough, scaly, and 
itchy. It will continue for a great many years without much 
injury, or perhaps danger. Cancers of the female breast proceed 
to a more speedy termination, particularly when they have sub¬ 
mitted to empirical treatment by the knife; there are few excep¬ 
tions. 

Remedies —1. The juice of the full-grown leaves of the 
poke-root, allowed to thicken by evaporation in the sun, and then 
made into a thick plaster, with gunpowder, and applied once a day, 
has effectually cured cancers. 

2. Sheep-sorrel has been a celebrated remedy for this affec¬ 
tion. It is used in the form of a plaster made by expressing the 
juice of the green herb, evaporating it in the sun, to the consistency 
of a salve, and applying it twice a day. This juice should be 
placed in a pewter plate to evaporate, as oxalic acid combines with 
the lead in the pewter, which is necessary in forming the com¬ 
pound. 

3. Mash a quantity of cranberries in a mortar, then spread on 
a cloth and apply to the cancer, and change the poultice three times 
a day. In two or three days it may become sore, drawing out 
pustules that till like small-pox. This process must he renewed 
until the whole is drawn away and the cancer becomes soft and 
decreases in size and finally disappears. 

Dr. Elisha Smith, formerly president of the Hew York Asso¬ 
ciation of Botanic Physicians, says: 

“If the cancer has become open and ulceration commenced, 
apply the flesh of fresh-killed chickens. This will extract the fever 
and acrimonious poison astonishingly, and become in the course of 
two or three hours perfectly rotten and corrupted with it. They 
should then be changed for a fresh application. This method should 
be continued till the poison and life of the cancer are extracted, 
when the whole substance of the tumor "will become a dead mass 
and may he taken out with ease and without pain. If it is not 
convenient to obtain chickens’ flesh to apply continually, it may 
be alternated with poultices of charcoal and yeast, which also extract 
putridity. The flesh of any animal is good, but I consider chickens 
preferable.” 

The following recipe is by the renowned Dr. Gilbert, a name 
justly and widely celebrated in the cure of this species of affection: 
Take, of strong apple vinegar, one-half gallon; verdigris, one-half 
pound; honey, one pint; place in a copper-kettle with four or five 
bars of pewter-solder; boil very slowly, or simmer over a moderate 
fire, until reduced to one-half the quantity. Keep in a well-closed 
glass-vessel, as exposure to the air decomposes it. First wash the 


CANCER. 


119 


ulcer with castile-soapsuds, and if any proud flesh or unhealthy 
granulation appears, apply vegetable caustic, or any other caustic 
best suited to the case. Then moisten lint with the above, and All 
the ulcer with it. Over this, place a piece of folded muslin, large 
enough to cover all the inflamed parts, and bandage. Keep the 
whole constantly moistened with the preparation, never allowing it 
to become dry. The ulcer may be dressed as required, from one to 
three times a day. 

Few things contribute more to the healing of foul, sordid ulcers 
of any kind than keeping them thoroughly clean. This ought never 
to be neglected. The best application for this purpose seems to be 
the carrot-poultice. The root of the common carrot may be grated, 
and moistened with as much water as will bring it to the consistence 
of a poultice. This must be applied to the sore, and renewed twice 
a day. It generally cleans the sore, and eases the pain, and takes 
away the disagreeable smell, which are objects of no small import¬ 
ance in such a dreadful disorder. 

Red clover blossoms of late have obtained quite a celebrity in 
removing the humor from the blood. Gather and dry the blossom 
and make a cupful from a small handful of flowers, drink three or 
four cupfuls each day. The extract can be bought at drug stores. 
This is an easier production, and equally as efficacious as Dr. 
Thomson’s quoted below. 

Wort, or an infusion of malt, has been recommended not only 
as a proper drink, but as. a powerful medicine, in the successful 
treatment in this disease. It must be frequently made fresh, and 
the patient may take it at pleasure. Two or three pints of it may 
be drunk every day for a considerable time. Ko benefit can be 
expected from any medicine in this disease unless it be persisted in 
for a long time. 

Dr. S. Thomson’s Cancer Plaster —Take of the heads 
of red clover sufficient to fill a two-gallon brass-kettle, and boil 
them in soft water for one hour; then remove these from the kettle, 
pressing the liquor out from them, and fill the kettle again with 
fresh heads, which must be boiled in like manner in the same liquor, 
adding as much more w r ater as may be necessary. After boiling 
these about an hour, the liquor must be strained off and the clover- 
heads pressed as before to get it all out. Then return it into the 
kettle and boil or simmer down to the consistence of thick tar. 
Yery great care must be taken in boiling it down to prevent its 
burning; as by burning, not only the burnt part is destroyed, but 
the remainder is in some measure deprived of its medical prop¬ 
erties. 

When used it should be spread upon a piece of bladder, suet- 

skin, thin cloth or strong paper. 

If the cancer is discharging, change and renew the plaster at 

least twice a day. 

This has proved successful in curing many cancers. 


120 


CANKER OF THE MOUTH-COLD FEET. 


CANKER OF THE MOUTH (Cancrum Oris). 

Symptoms —This disease is characterized by the membrane 
covering the sides of the tongue and inside of the cheeks becoming 
red and inflamed, and afterwards covered with large ulcers. The 
tongue becomes swollen; there is a profuse secretion of saliva, or 
spittle, the breath is offensive, and swallowing difficult. 

Remedies —1. Use the following wash: Take one gill of 
yeast, and two of milk, and sweeten with molasses. Use three times 
a day, and at the same time take a wineglassful of it, internally, 
twice a day. This will be found very effective. 

2. In severe cases, the following is a very good treatment: To 
a teacupful of sage-tea, sweetened with honey or loaf sugar, add 
fifteen drops of the tincture of iron. Mix well together, and, with 
a little soft lint, touch the ulcerated parts three or four times a day. 

3. The best internal remedy is salicylate of soda sixty grains, 
water four ounces, a teaspoonful four or five times a day. 

Strong beef-tea, raw eggs, beaten together with milk, is very 
beneficial. 

When, in young infants, it is desired to wash the mouth with 
the swab, great care and caution should be employed in its use. A 
little soft lint on the end of a quill, and wet with the solution, 
should be lightly applied to the ulcers. 

4. The golden seal (Hydrastis Canadensis) is a very popular 
remedy in the treatment. A strong tea of it is to be used as a 
gargle or wash, three or four times a day. 

5. When the ulcers are on the outside of the lips or cheek, 
apply a poultice of charcoal and yeast; or use carbolic acid and 
water, in the proportion of one teaspoonful to half a pint of water. 
In mild cases, apply three times a day; in severe cases, use every 
three or four hours. 

Accessory Treatment —First of all, the child requires 
fresh air and sunlight, and next suitable food, milk thickened with 
coarse flour, a thin pudding made of the same, beef-tea, mashed 
potatoes, and, subsequently, beef or mutton. 


HABITUAL COLD FEET. 

Some people are often troubled with cold feet, caused by 
dampness from perspiration. In such cases, do not wear cork 
insoles, as some do, for they become saturated, and hold the 
moisture. 

Remedies —1. The best plan is to cut a piece of thick cloth, 
the size of the foot, and baste upon it half an inch in thickness of 
curled hair. Wear it inside of the stocking or sock. It should be 
removed at night, and placed by the fire to air and dry until 
morning. The hair creates a warmth, and at the same time 



HABITUAL COLD FEET. 


121 


conducts the dampness to the cloth. Cold and damp feet should 
be avoided, as they are a prolific source of disease. 

2.. A tincture of the berries of prickly ash, will often relieve 
this difficulty, taken in doses of from one to two teaspoonfuls, two 
or three times a day. 

3. Another good plan is to wear two pairs of socks, of differ¬ 
ent material. One of woolen and the other of cotton or silk, and 
alternate every day. 

4. The following is recommended as a means of preventing 
cold feet : Get two copper and zinc plates to correspond to the size 
of the shoe or boot you wear. The end of one is to be lapped upon, 
or interlinked with the other, about half or three-quarters of an 
inch. This lapping is to be in the hollow of the foot. Zinc and 
copper, like many other metals, when thus intimately associated 
with each other, aided by the moisture of the foot, generate electric 
fluid, which will re-establish the equilibrium of heat throughout 
the body. These plates may be purchased at surgical and optical 
instrument stores. 

5. Stand square on the feet and then tip forward on the toes 
and back, striking the heels ; repeat for five or ten minutes two or 
three times a day. If continued daily, as directed, for a week, it 
will afford relief. 

6. Another good means is to take two pails, one filled with hot 
water and one with cold ; put the feet in hot water and then 
immediately plunge them into the cold, and vice versa, three or 
four times. After which rub well. 

7. Brandy and mustard seed is also another good remedy for 
cold feet, if used in bathing them, just before retiring. 

Some people’s feet are kept more comfortably warm with 
woolen socks, others with cotton, others again with two thin pairs ; 
as that which is best adapted to one is not always to another. 

Accessory Measures —If you are subject to cold feet, 
immerse them morning and evening in hot water, rub with a rousdi 
towel, and run about your room till they burn. In one month, 
usually, you will be entirely relieved. But in some cases nothing 
external or internal can cure cold feet, if the stomach does not 
promptly digest its food. A cheerful spirit, simple food, with 
appropriate out-door exercise constitute the true principle of medi¬ 
cation for cold feet in most cases. 

When the feet are cold, go direct, if possible, to the fire. The 
quickest and best way to warm them is to draw off the stockings 
and hold the feet to the fire, rubbing the soles and between the toes 
until perfectly dry. This should be done by all men who are out 
of doors most of the day, first washing them, then wearing another 
pair of socks for the remainder of the evening, thoroughly airing 
those removed for the next day’s wear. 

It is a bad practice and most hurtful to sit around the fire for 
a whole evening in the same boots and shoes worn during the day ; 


122 


CONSTIPATION, OR COSTIVENESS. 


besides it makes disagreeably-smelling feet, because the perspira¬ 
tion condenses, is mixed with the dirt that accumulates while walk¬ 
ing, and there are decomposition and a noisome smell. 

C<iiiS6 of* Fevers —Every one knows that fevers are often 
occasioned by the application of cold to the feet, which drives the 
blood from the extremities and throws it upon some organ, or 
retains such agents as ought to be eliminated, in consequence of 
which fever takes place. Now, it must be evident that there is no 
better method of preventing these consequences than by recalling 
the blood to the feet and surface, thereby preventing and removing 
fever, by bathing the feet in warm water, to which a small quantity 
of lye has been added. 

I am persuaded that bathing the feet immediately after 
exposure to wet or cold, in nine cases out of ten, aided by drinking 
freely of warm catnip or other tea, and then covering warm in bed, 
will prevent an attack'of fever. 


CONSTIPATION, OR COSTIVENESS. 

Constipation and Purgatives —While we admit that 
constipation is not desirable, and may almost invariably be avoided 
by such measures as are pointed out further on, yet a tendency 
thereto is not so prejudicial as many persons suppose ; indeed, 
persons thus predisposed are generally long-lived, unless they 
commit suicide by purgative medicines ; while those who are 
subject to frequent attacks of diarrhea are soon debilitated. A 
daily action of the bowels is no doubt desirable in most cases, but 
by no means invariably so An evacuation may take place daily, 
or every second day, or even every third day, in persons who are 
equally healthy, no invariable rule applying to all persons. The 
most erroneous and dangerous idea on this subject is that extremely 
popular one—that mild purgatives contribute to health, not only 
during sickness, but also occasionally in health, inasmuch as 
impurities are thereby expelled from the body. The fallacy of 
this may be easily demonstrated : Let purgatives be taken for a 
week, and however good may have been the health previously, at 
the termination of this period very much “impurity” will be dis¬ 
charged, especially after taking any drastic cathartic. 

Purgation produced hy drugs is an unnatural condition and 
although temporary relief often follows the use of aperients, they 
tend to disorganize the parts on which their force is chiefly expended. 
The intestinal canal is not a smooth, hard, tube, through which can 
be forced whatever it contains without injury ; it "is part of a 
living organism, and needs no force to propel its contents on their 
way ; nor can such force be applied with impunity. Not only does 
the frequent use of purgatives over-stimulate the liver and pan¬ 
creas, but also and especially the numerous secretory glands which 



CONSTIPATION, OK COSTIVENESS. 


123 


cover the extensive surface of the intestinal canal, forcing them to 
pour out their contents in such excessive quantities as permanently 
to weaken and impair their functions, and so produce a state of 
general debility. The normal action of the stomach and intestinal 
canal being thus suspended, nausea, vomiting, griping, and even 
fainting are produced. The brain and vital energies are disturbed, 
occasioning lowness of spirits with melancholy, alternating with 
mental excitement and peculiar irritability of temper. 

An important end will be gained when persons can he led to 
regard constipation as a mere result of other causes—a want of 
balance in the general system; and when general and remedial 
measures shall be directed to the correcting of this condition as the 
adequate means of curing constipation. 

Constipation in Old Age —Daily evacuation, which is the 
rule in youth and middle life, is often an excess in advanced life, 
when three or four times a week are sufficient. It is desirable that 
this physiological fact should be known, as old persons often trouble 
themselves needlessly on this point. If constipation give rise to any 
^inconvenience in the aged, it is best met by articles of diet. 

Symptoms —Headache; feverishness; pressure or distension 
in the stomach and bowels; urging and repeated but fruitless efforts 
to evacuate the contents of the bowels, or complete torpor without 
desire; pulsation or pain in the abdomen; piles and varicose veins; 
uneasy breathing, disturbed sleep; depression of mind, etc. If con¬ 
stipation be persistent, it may be attended with vomiting. 

Causes —In most instances, constipation depends upon some 
faulty habit in the patient, the regulation of which will probably in 
every case suffice to remove this condition. The following are a few 
of the faults in question: Sedentary habits; smoking tobacco; 
drinking too much beer, port wine, or tea; dissipation; the exclusive 
use of superfine flour; taking food too dry and too destitute of suc¬ 
culent vegetables; neglect in attending to the calls of nature to 
relieve the bowels; loss of tone in the mucous lining of the bowels 
from the use of purgatives. Sometimes constipation is the result of 
disease in other parts—disease of the liver, brain or spinal cord, or 
their membranes. Here, again, the remedy must be directed to the 
cure of the disease, if that be possible, rather than to the simple 
removal of one of the symptoms to which it gives rise. 

Remedies —1. A new remedy has recently been introduced 
to the medical profession, for constipation, which is pronounced by 
many practitioners superior to anything yet employed. In fact, 
some regard it as a specific. It is the cascara sagrada, or chitim 
bark (Rhaninus Purshiana). A very agreeable preparation of this 
remedy is prepared by Hark, Davis & Co., which is on sale by all 
druggists and should always be kept in the house. Steep one ounce 
of the bark in half a pint of water for twenty minutes. Dose, one 
teaspoonful two or three times a day. Of the fluid extract, the dose 
is ten to fifteen drops, three times a day. If it should act as a 


124 


CUKE FOK COSTIVENESS WITHOUT MEDICINE. 


cathartic, reduce the dose, or take less frequently. In habitual con¬ 
stipation, go to stool every morning at a regular hour, whether you 
succeed or not. Stewed prunes sweetened with molasses are very 
good, and tigs eaten at night are excellent. 

2. The following remedies are given on the recommendation of 
late medical authors: “To a four-ounce vial of soft water, add ten 
drops of the tincture of nux vomica; shake well together. Of this 
take a teaspoonful on retiring at night. Half an hour before break¬ 
fast, on the following morning, have ready and take this additional 
remedy. Flower of sulphur, one teaspoonful; simple sirup, four 
tablespoonfuls; mix well. Dose, one teaspoonful. Continue these 
medicines daily, taking the nux vomica at night, and the sulphur in 
the morning, for several weeks, if so long a time be necessary. 
These remedies have been known, not only to relieve, but also to 
permanently cure many obstinate cases of constipation, when used 
in connection with proper dietetic habits.” 

3. A fresh egg, beat in a gill of water and drunk on rising in 
the morning, and at each meal, for a week or ten days, has cured • 
obstinate cases. It might be increased to two or three at a time, as 
the stomach will bear. 

4. To a pint each of water and new milk, add a handful of 
Irish moss. Boil half an hour, strain, and of this liquid take a wine- 
glassful before each meal and before retiring at night. This cured 
a Mr. Henry Hudson of Chicago, of an obstinate case of constipation 
of thirteen years standing. 


CURE FOR COSTIVENESS WITHOUT MEDICINE. 

Never postpone, for either pleasure, business or convenience, the 
call of nature, but obey her first and faintest intimation. This 
neglect is what produces, originally, the costive habit, and brings on 
the long train of diseases and ailments which follow in its course. 
The bowels should be evacuated every day, without fail, except in 
some extraordinary cases of illness. The best time for this is prob¬ 
ably after supper, at night; for the reasons, first, that this is more 
likely than any other hour of the day to afford the necessary quiet 
and leisure; and, secondly, because any tendency to piles, which may 
be produced by straining at stool may then be followed and over¬ 
come by a night of rest, instead of being aggravated by a day of 
labor. We would, therefore, advise every one to select this hour, 
in preference to any other of the twenty-four, for this purpose. But, 
whatever hour you select, the all-important point is, that it should 
be fixed and changeless, like “the laws of the Medes and Persians.” 
No ordinary exigency of domestic, business or society claims should 
keep you from this appointment. It is a solemn and holy trust with 
Nature, which you break at your peril; for Nature is like a coy 
mistress, and cannot easily be induced to meet you again after you 



CURE FOR COSTIVENESS WITHOUT MEDICINE. 


125 


have once disappointed lier. A very simple way of obtaining action 
of the bowels, is to knead them with knuckles and the palm of the 
hand, for live minutes every morning. 

It may be well for those who lead a sedentary life, and who 
have been for a long time troubled with costiveness, to eat freely of 
Graham-bread and apple-sauce, especially at breakfast. Meat, hot 
biscuits and coffee should be taken sparingly at any meal, and never 
for supper. 

A tablespoonful of corn-meal, stirred into a glass of hot water 
and taken before breakfast, for several consecutive mornings, will aid 
in the cure of obstinate cases, and help them to the re-establishment 
of natural habits Nearly all fresh and ripe fruits are also favora¬ 
ble, and should be eaten in the morning. Above all, let it be 
remembered, that the chief difficulty is in making up one’s own 
mind, firmly and decidedly, to pursue the course directed. This 
done, no one will long be troubled with the curse of costiveness. 

Do not fail to read the article on “ Costiveness,” in another part 
of this book. 

Diet and Accessory Treatment —The most important 
measure, without which remedies will he of little use, is to make an 
attempt to have a passage at a regular hour every day, or every 
other day, and never neglect this duty. 

Meals should be taken with regularity, animal food eaten 
sparingly, but vegetables and ripe fruits freely. Coarse oatmeal 
porridge, with molasses, may be taken for breakfast, and brown 
bread should always be preferred to white. If brown bread be not 
eaten exclusively, a little should be taken with nearly every meal; 
its effects will thus be more uniformly exerted through the 
alimentary canal than if only taken occasionally. Water is an ex¬ 
tremely valuable adjunct, both as a beverage and for external use. 
For tea and coffee, cocoa from the nibs may be substituted with 
great advantage. Spirituous liquors, highly-seasoned food, and late 
suppers should be strictly avoided. 

Walking exercise in the country, with the mind unencumbered, 
is useful, particularly in the morning; but it should not be carried 
to the point of inducing fatigue or much perspiration. Friction 
over the abdomen, by towels, horse-hair gloves, or the hands, is fre¬ 
quently of great utility; it tends to stimulate peristaltic action of 
the bowels, and to dispel accumulations of gas. 

Injections—In obstinate, protracted constipation, attended 
with feverishness and hardness, or fulness of the bowels, and when 
it is ascertained that the lower bowel is obstructed with fecal matter, 
too large or too hard for discharge, and the means before suggested 
have not proved at once effectual, the enema, or injection may be 
used as an almost certain means of obtaining temporary relief. The 
injection should consist of a pint or more of tepid water, which 
should be carefully and slowly injected up the rectum by means of 
a syringe. Repeat if necessary. Unirritating in its operation, and 


126 


CATARRH, OR INFLUENZA. 


acting directly on tlie seat of obstruction, an injection is far prefer¬ 
able to deranging the whole alimentary tract with strong drugs, 
which excite violent action only to reduce it to a state of greater 
debility and torpor than existed before. 

An effective injection especially for children is, to take a piece 
of castile-soap, and, after shaving it with a knife, into a proper 
shape and size, having it pointed at one end, introduce it into the 
rectum and retain it there for a minute or two. The result is gener¬ 
ally a speedy action of the bowels. 

Similar prompt results will be obtained by using a piece of 
writing paper. Take a square piece and roll it from one of the 
corners, so that one extremity shall be smaller than the other, and 
pointed. CJse this the same as the soap. It is a neat, safe and 
effective means to move the bowels of infants, and always at 
hand. 

Costiveness in children generally disappears as soon as the 
child is weaned, and he begins to run around, unless the bowels 
have been weakened by cathartics or laxatives. 

For infants, a piece of phosphate of soda as large as a bean 
dissolved in milk and given three times a day is a specific. 


CATARRH, OR INFLUENZA. 

This disease sometimes prevails epidemically, and to this form 
it is that medical writers apply the term infiuenza; whilst cases that 
occur incidentally, are called catarrh, or cold. When it prevails 
epidemically, it undoubtedly depends upon the state of the atmos¬ 
phere; though in some cases it has been attributed to contagion. 

In general, it comes on with a dull pain or sense of weight in 
the forehead, sometimes preceded by a slight chill, a redness of 
the eyes, and a fullness and heat in the nostrils, which is soon 
followed by a thin acrid fluid from the nose, together with a sore¬ 
ness in the wind-pipe, hoarseness, frequent sneezing, dry cough, 
loss of appetite, and general lassitude; towards evening the pulse 
becomes considerably quickened, and a slight fever arises. 

In the progress of the disorder, the cough is attended by an 
expectoration of mucus, which at first is thin, white, and thrown off 
with some difficulty: but becoming gradually thicker and of a 
yellow color, it is at length brought up with more ease and less 
coughing. 

Influenza is seldom attended with fatal consequences, excepting 
with very young children, persons who are old and feeble, or those 
who are of a consumptive habit; but usually terminates in a few 
days, if not too much neglected, either by an increased expectora¬ 
tion or a spontaneous sweat. It, however, in some instances, lays 
the foundation for pulmonary consumption, or produces a tendency 



127 


CATARRH, OR INFLUENZA. 

to asthma, or dropsy of the chest. Occasionally it becomes habi¬ 
tual, and is accompanied with difficulty of breathing, especially in 
winter. 

The description which we have given only applies to the worst 
forms of this disease, from which it may be traced, by impercept¬ 
ible gradations, down to cases which do not interfere with a person’s 
ordinary business. 

Remedies — 1 . The following new remedy has been recently 
introduced to the medical profession, and is regarded as excelling 
anything yet published for the catarrh: 


Yerba reuma.2 ounces. 

Alcohol .1 gi 11. 

Water.2 gills. 


First mix the water and alcohol, then add the herb. Let it stand 
five days, then strain and express the juice. Put one tablespoonful 
into two of water, and it is ready for use. If there is any discharge 
from the nose, first snuff some warm water to cleanse the parts. 
Then pour one teaspoonful of the liquid into the hand, and snuff it 
into one of the nostrils, while pressing on the other with the finger; 
after which, repeat the same with a second teaspoonful in the other 
nostril. Employ this medicine in this way, four or live times a day. 
If there is any offensive smell existing, add one drop of carbolic 
acid to each of the above tablespoonfuls. 

If the herb cannot be obtained, the fluid extract generally can 
at any drug store, and of this, take one part, added to two of water, 
and use as above. 

2. Experience has proven that salt and sugar is one of the few 
remedies that will cure catarrh. The solution should be prepared 
as follows: To a pint of water add half a teaspoonful of salt and 
the same amount of granulated sugar. Then snuff this solution up 
into the nostrils and retain it there for a minute or two, by holding 
the nose with the fingers, and immediately repeat the operation; but 
do not attempt to pass the liquid into both nostrils at the same time, 
but snuff it into one nostril while the other is compressed by the 
finger. This operation should be repeated three times a day. 
Gradually increase the strength of this solution each week by 
adding equal parts of the salt and sugar. But care should be taken 
not to make it strong enough to give any irritation at the time of 
using it. 

3. The Indian remedy is to cut down a live white oak tree, 
hollow out a bowl in the stump and let it fill with rain and snuff 
this water daily: They say “ it cure Indian.” 

4. Dissolve a tabiespoonful of powdered borax in half a 
tumbler of water. Pour into the hollow of the hand, and snuff it 
up the nose five or six times a day. This remedy has cured this 
disease after years of medical treatment. 

5. A remedy that has been used recently, in Paris, with sue- 





128 


DROPSY. 


cess* in this disease, is spirits of ammonia. It is applied by inhal¬ 
ing it through the nose. 

Dip a camel-hair brush in glycerine and press it up the nostril 
as far as possible. This promotes the natural secretion of mucus 
and is healing. 


DROPSY. 

Dropsy is a watery accumulation in the areolar tissue, more or 
less general throughout the body. 

"it is of two distinct varieties; for, besides its occurrence in the 
meshes of the loose tissue beneath the skin, it may take place as a 
local dropsy in any of the natural cavities or sacs of the body, and 
is named according to the parts involved. If the accumulation occur 
in the ventricles of the brain, it is called hydrocephalus; if in the 
membrane that lines the surface of the lungs, hydrothorax; if in 
the membrane of the heart, hydropericardium; if in the intestine, 
ascites. 

According to Murchison,there are three forms of dropsy—partial 
dropsy, dropsy at first partial but which afterwards becomes general, 
and dropsy which is general from the first. 1. Partial dropsy is al¬ 
ways due to excessive venous repletion; and this over-distention of 
the small veins is the result of some mechanical impediment to the 
venous circulation. Dropsy due to obstructed portal circulation may 
be recognized by the following clinical characters. It begins in the 
abdomen; difficult breathing but does not precede the ascites; 

there is a tendency to vomiting, diarrhea and piles. Further, the 
spleen becomes enlarged, and there are varicose veins on the right 
side of the abdomen. 2. Dropsy at first partial but afterwards be¬ 
coming general, commences in the feet and extends upwards; and 
this is also due to excessive venous repletion, from obstructed venous 
circulation. 3. Dropsy invading all parts of the body at once is 
due to diminished exhalation in one part, leading to compensatory 
exhalation in another. This is almost invariably renal, and albumen 
is present in the urine. Here dropsy results from diminished ex¬ 
halation of water from the kidneys, and is consequently chiefly met 
with in the form of kidney-disease in which the tubes are blocked 
up by diseased or inflammatory products. 

Character of the Swellings —Dropsical swellings are 
soft, inelastic, diffused, and leave for some time the indentation 
made by the pressure of a finger. In chronic cases, and when the 
swelling is very great, the skin becomes smooth, glassy, and of a 
dull-red or purple color; and where the skin is less elastic, it becomes 
livid or blackish, and troublesome, even gangrenous; or sloughs may 
form. 

The most common attack of this disease is the dropsy of the 
abdomen, called ascites, which is easily distinguished by a sense of 
weight or swelling of the abdomen, with a gradual accumulation of 



DROPS Y. 


129 


water; the weight being felt on the side on which the patient gen¬ 
erally lies. 

Dropsy is usually the effect of other diseases. It sometimes 
arises from pressure upon the blood-vessels, as in pregnancy and 
tumors. It is especially produced by intemperance; for drunken¬ 
ness more frequently produces this disease than any other cause. 

In treating dropsy, of whatever organ, it is necessary to use 
such remedies as will act on the kidneys and skin, and excite 
them to increased activity. The result of this activity is to dimin¬ 
ish the fluids which have collected in one or another part of the 
body and remain there unabsorbed, and cause them to be taken up 
by the kidneys, or thrown off by the skin, and thus carried out of the 
system through the natural outlets. Any remedy that accomplishes 
this object effectually cures dropsy occurring in any part of the body; 
so that, in general, dropsy of the bowels, chest, etc., may be treated 
by similar remedies, with the reasonable expectation of securing 
similar beneficial results. 

Remedies —1. The common elder, which grows in all parts 
of the country, has become a very popular remedy for this disease. 
It is very simple, yet it has cured many cases. It is made by boil¬ 
ing three handfuls of the inner bark in a quart of milk and water 
down to one pint; half of which is to be taken morning and night, 
every day until cured. 

2. The Apicynum Currabinum, or Indian Hemp, one ounce in a 
pint of water, one-half wineglassful three times a day, is now known 
to be the best remedy we have for dropsy from liver troubles. 

3. Take two drachms of the leaves of the fox-glove (Digitalis), 
and steep it for twenty minutes in a pint of water and give one 
teaspoonful of the tea thus made every three hours; and, if the 
case is severe, it may be given every two hours. The remedy 
acts powerfully upon the absorbents, and also carries off, through 
the kidneys, large quantities of water; at the same time, it 
strengthens the action of the heart and otherwise stimulates the 
circulation generally. Digitalis is generally cultivated in flower- 
gardens, and can be obtained at all drug-stores. It is a powerful 
medicine, and should be used with care; but this should not inter¬ 
fere with its use, for it is harmless when properly employed. It is 
almost a specific in dropsy of the chest, and valuable in all dropsical 
affections. It may be had at the drug-stores, either in its crude 
form—that is, the leaves—or it can be obtained in the form of a 
tincture. The tincture, however, is much more reliable than the 
infusion made as above directed, and answers the purpose better. 
The dose of the tincture would be, five drops three or four times 
daily. 

4. The common rag-weed is another excellent remedy. In 
one case, where the patient seemed almost at the point of death, 
immediately after giving the rag-weed the water was carried off, 
the distressing and threatening symptoms passed quickly away, and 


130 


DIPHTHERIA. 


the patient speedily recovered. Prepare by making a strong de¬ 
coction of the weed, then add a tablespoonful of fox-glove ( Digitalis ) 
tea to a pint of the decoction, or four drops of the tincture to each 
tumblerful. Take four or live tumblerfuls a day, according to the 
apparent necessity. 

5. “ The grape vine,” says a medical author, “ is found to be 
one among the most valuable medicines known for the dropsy.. It 
is prepared by taking the inner bark of the vine and burning it to 
ashes. The dose is a teaspoonful added to a wineglassful of Catawba 
or Madeira wine, three times a day. Increase it to two teaspoonfuls 
when it can be borne on the stomach. The bowels are to be kept 
open with some mild purgative. The vapor-bath should be used at 
least once a day.” 

6. The checkerberry ( Mitchella Repens) has recently been 
discovered to be a cure for dropsy. It is made into a decoction, and 
drunk freely, every two or three hours during the day. This herb is 
also known by the names of Winter-Clover and Squaw- Vine. 

Very recently, the winter-green has attained a very high 
reputation in the treatment of this disease, especially dropsy follow¬ 
ing scarlet fever and measles. Prof. Goss, author of the “ New 
Materia Medica,” says, “ If I had to depend upon one single remedy 
in this disease, I believe I would as soon risk this one, as any other 
in the entire Materia Medica.” 

Accessory Treatment —A dry , soft and moderately warm 
atmosphere is generally most suitable; and if the dropsy be at all 
owing to climatic influences, or to any local disease, a change of 
residence is necessary. A damp climate or soil is particularly un¬ 
favorable. In acute dropsy the diet should be similar to that in 
acute fever; in chronic dropsy patients require nourishing diet, but 
on account of the extreme feebleness commonly present, only easily 
digestible food should be taken. To allay the burning thirst often 
experienced, cold water is the best beverage; but any other that the 
patient desires, if not positively injurious, may be taken. Water 
may be said to be a real restorative, for it increases the amount of 
fluids excreted to an extent greater than its own bulk; it also tends 
to improve the appetite and strengthen the pulse, while it diminish¬ 
es the dropsical collections. It will thus be seen that the common 
notion that drinking water increases dropsy is quite erroneous. 

Warm baths for promoting perspiration, small doses of Hol¬ 
lands, tapping, and other palliative measures may sometimes be nec¬ 
essary, but the propriety of such means can only be decided by cir¬ 
cumstances of each individual case. A Turkish bath if it can be 
taken or a hot air bath three or four times a week will remove the 
trouble effectively. 


DIPHTHERIA. 

Causes —Like many other diseases which human flesh is heir 
to, diphtheria may be traced to unwholesome poisoned air arising from 



DIPHTHERIA. 


131 


the many cess pools of tilth contiguous to our dwellings, where 
the lungs are constantly inhaling its noxious influences. Decaying 
vegetable matter is considered one of the fruitful sources for the 
generation of vitiated atmosphere, nor is that alone the only source. 
Water seeping through decomposing matter, whether animal or 
vegetable, absorbs and becomes the vehicle which conveys the 
concentrated extracts or residuum, the germs so to speak of disease 
which day by day is taken into the system and becomes a slow poi¬ 
son to the body, which in the lapse of time must surely succumb to 
its powerful influences. The period of incubation as well as the 
condition of the system, has much influence upon the character of 
the disease: the natural vigor of the body to some extent determines 
the violence of this dread disease. Therefore, with these conditions 
as the source and origin of diphtheria we conclude we may safely 
term it a miasmatic contagious disease. 

Symptoms —To simplify that we may the more readily com¬ 
prehend, it is divided into simple and malignant; either division may 
be local and confined to the organ affected or it may be general per¬ 
vading the whole organic system, which is always the case near the 
later stages of the malignant form. In the slighter or simple form 
it is usually ushered in with a rigor or a slight chill succeeded by 
fever, hot skin, aching limbs, some soreness of the throat, dryness in 
the mouth and fauces; sometimes so light are these symptoms that 
if the disease is not then prevailing one is liable to be deceived and 
attribute them to a cold. With malignant diphtheria however it 
is impossible to be so mistaken; after the rigor or chill occurs the 
febrile condition arising is characterized by vomiting, diarrhea, feeble, 
thrilling, accelerated pulse, sunken yet flushed countenance, the 
mouth dry, voice husky, throat red, covered or covering over with a 
gray or white deposit which soon merges together and soon forms a 
false membrane in the throat, which is of soft, slightly 
adhesive consistency, and if detached as a whole, exhibits a mould 
of the inside of the throat; where this false membrane has become 
detached, the spot exposed appears red and raw, from which surface 
is discharged a most offensive sanious fluid, the odor of which doubt¬ 
less carries to the senses of the attendant the contagious nature of 
the disease, the virulence of which may be greatly mitigated by 
paying strict regard to common sense laws, frequent ventilation, re¬ 
moval of sputa and excreta, extreme even prudish cleanliness, dis¬ 
infectants being in constant use to destroy the poison germs which 
are constantly forming and floating in the air if the disease is not ar¬ 
rested in its surely downward course. 

Dangerous symptoms supervene, and may be distinguished by 
increasing odors in the room, on the breath and person; the pulse be¬ 
comes quick and feeble, accompanied with vomiting, followed by 
drowsiness, delirium, and coma. The constitutional condition exhibits 
a gradual waning of all vital forces and we sit helpless by the bedside 


132 


DIPHTHERIA. 


of our sick one, uttering vain regrets at careless delay in this dread 
disease. Delays are Dangerous. 

Distinguishing* Characteristics —This disease may be 
known from quinsy, by the manner in which the patient swallows. 
In quinsy, the patient usually shuts the eyes, leans the head for¬ 
ward, and swallows quickly; while, in diphtheria, the face and 
chin are raised, the eyes are usually wide open and staring, and the 
act of swallowing is performed slowly. The act of swallowing, in 
quinsy and sore throat, seems to cause severe pain; while, in dip>h— 
theria, swallowing does not seem so much painful as difficult. 

Diphtheria may be readily known from croup, from the fact 
that it is not attended with cough, while a peculiar cough is one of 
the characteristic symptoms of croup. In diphtheria, the nose 
seems to be stopped up, or discharges a watery fluid, which gives 
to the voice a sort of nasal character, not met with in croup or any 
other form of sore throat. 

We append a table exhibited by Prof. Hall of Westminster 
hospital, London, and one regarded by the profession as reliable in 
all particulars, for the purpose of showing the difference between 
diphtheria and croup. 


Diphtheria. 

1. Is a general disease com¬ 
mon to all ages. 

Is decidedly contagious and 
diminishes vital forces. 


2. Commences with a chill, 
sore throat, difficulty in swallow¬ 
ing, either hoarsness or cough at 
the outset, stridulous breathing a 
late symptom. 

3. The membraneous affec¬ 
tion begins in throat and ends 
in the larynx. 

4. Fauces injected, swollen, 
presenting exudation. 


5. Submaxillary glands swol¬ 
len. 

6. Epistaxis and albuminaria 
frequent. 

7. Considerable, often ex¬ 
treme prostration. 

8. Demands stimulating, sus¬ 
taining and tonic treatment. 


Croup. 

1. This is a local complaint, 
rarely occuring after puberty. 

Is not contagious, no diminu¬ 
tion of vital forces, tends to in¬ 
flammatory conditions. 

2. Commences with a cough, 
catarrh and hoarseness, little or 
no sore throat and difficulty in 
swallowing; cough, shrill, metal¬ 
lic; breathing stridulous from 
the outset. 

3. The membraneous af¬ 
fection begins in the larynx and 
extends to the throat. 

4. Fauces injected but rarely 
swollen, generally without exud¬ 
ation. 

5. No swelling of sub-max¬ 
illary glands. 

6. Epistaxis (nose bleed) and 
albuminaria absent. 

7. Little or no prostration 
of strength. 

8. Improves under emetics, 
local counterirritants, expecto¬ 
rants, etc. 


DIPHTHERIA. 


133 


9. Subsequent paralysis fre- 9. Is never followed by par- 

quent. alysis. 

10. Frequently fatal, blood 10. Rarely fatal, blood not 
usually fluid and dirty brown, changed, spleen not affected, 
spleen enlarged and softened. 

Remedies —It is found by experience that the simple reme¬ 
dy of lemon juice will cure almost any case of diphtheria if taken 
in time. It should be used as follows: —Gargle the throat with 
it every hour, and at the same time swallow a portion of it. For 
many persons the clear juice is too strong. In such cases it should 
be diluted with water. A French physician claims that his life was 
saved by the use of this remedy, after his case had been pro¬ 
nounced incurable by the physicians. 

2. The black-snake root, otherwise called black cohosh ( Cimi - 
cifuga Racemosa ), is a valuable remedy in this disease. It is used 
both locally as a gargle, and taken internally. As a gargle, one tea¬ 
spoonful of the tincture is added to four tablespoonfuls of water, 
and used every hour while awake, for twenty four hours, or until 
the progress of the disease is arrested; after which the intervals may 
be extended to two or three hours, according to the necessity of the 
case. This remedy has been used with the most gratifying results 
in the treatment of this disease. 

3. To one gill of soft water add a teaspoonful of dilute sul¬ 
phuric acid. Dose, a teaspoonful every three hours; in severe cases 
every hour. For infants, double the amount of water used and half 
the dose. This is a celebrated Australian remedy, and was publish¬ 
ed by the authority of the government for the use of the people. 

When malignant or putrid symptoms appear at any time in the 
disease, a gargle of one teaspoonful of chloride of lime to half a pint 
of water will be found very serviceable. 

Local Treatment —At the commencement, a large, thick, 
hot poultice may be applied around the throat; but in advanced, 
severe cases, external applications are inadmissible, as they rather 
tend to increase the swelling and extend the disease. The inside of 
the throat may be steamed with the vapor of water and acetic acid, 
or a wineglassful of strong vinegar to a pint of boiling water. 

Fumigation by Burning Sulphur— In the recent report 
of a Royal Commission on Diphtheria, in Victoria, the value of 
sulphurous acid , administered in the gaseous form, is dwelt upon 
with great force, and we reproduce the recommendations here under 
the conviction that the results of this treatment will be highly satis¬ 
factory. The fumigation of patients is recommended to be carried 
out much in the same manner as that of fumigating infected clothes 
and rooms. If thoroughly and properly used, the Commission 
thinks it will bring diphtheria into the catalogue of zymotic diseases, 
the treatment of which is thoroughly under the control of the pro¬ 
fession. But in adopting it there must be no half-measures. By 
keeping the apartment tilled with fumes of burning sulphur, which 


m 


DIPHTHERIA. 


are more trustworthy than the spray of sulphurous acid, all risk of 
imperfect instruments is avoided, and it can be used with thorough 
effect in the case of children, without the desperate struggles and 
depressing effects which are so much deprecated by practitioners. 
The report strongly recommends every householder in Victoria to 
keep a supply of crude sulphur in the house, as its fumes are the 
most powerful disinfectant we possess; and in diseases of the throat 
and air-passages threatening diphtheria, it is a remedy which may 
be used on every occasion with the utmost benefit, till medical aid 
can be obtained. Its extreme simplicity is a great recommendation, 
for all that is required is to sprinkle a small quantity of sulphur on 
a piece of burning wood, or a few live coals in a room, all the aper¬ 
tures of which are closed up till the room is tilled with the fumes. 

Warm Vapor—The temperature of the room should be 
maintained at about 68° Fahr., and the atmosphere made moist by 
the steam from a kettle, with a long spout, constantly boiling on 
the tire. 

Warm Baths —These are valuable accessories. The skin is 
hot and dry, the urine is often suppressed, the bowels confined, and 
thus the poison is retained in the system. Warm baths, and drink¬ 
ing freely of cold water, often restore the functions of the skin, the 
bladder and the bowels. 

Diet, Etc.— The strength of the patient must be sustained 
from the very commencement of the disease by nourishment, and 
he must be urged to swallow it in spite of the pain which it occa¬ 
sions. Eggs beaten up m milk, or in brandy with water and sugar; 
beef-tea slightly thickened with rice or pearl-barley; arrow-root or 
sago, with port or sherry. Sudden, extreme prostration requires 
wine or brandy. One teaspoonful to four of water, given in tea¬ 
spoonful doses, every ten or fifteen minutes. 

Children who persistently refuse to swallow must have nutritive 
injections, in bad cases. The injections should be repeated every 
two to four hours, and consist of about one ounce or two table¬ 
spoonfuls at a time. 

In cases where the patient is so low that he cannot swallow, 
beef-tea and wine, a tablespoonful of each, should be injected into 
the bowels every two hours, for a child six years old; milk, or 
mutton broth, may be occasionally substituted for the beef-tea; and 
even where the patient can swallow, but does not take enough 
nourishment to sustain him, these injections should be used. 

If vomiting occur, sucking small pieces of ice will tend to 
allay it. Ice also affords comfort to the patient, and favors the 
action of the kidneys. 

Convalescence —Much caution and patience are required 
during convalescence, as relapses are prone to occur. Nourishing 
diet, rest, and change of air are of great utility. Nothing does so 
much good as a thorough change of air. 

Preventive Measures— The cess-pools should be emptied, 


DYSPEPSIA, OR INDIGESTION. 


135 


and if too small or defective, new ones built. The house, water- 
closets, and local drainage should be thoroughly examined, and 
imperfections rectified; also, if necessary, chloride of zinc or of lime 
constantly kept therein, and thrown down the drains. All dust- 
holes and accumulations of refuse should be cleared away; a plenti¬ 
ful supply of water kept in the house, and every room regularly 
well cleaned, whitewashed, and thoroughly ventilated. See “ Pre¬ 
ventive Measures,” under “ Scarlet h ever,” section 2, which is 
applicable to diphtheria. 

The great debility accompanying this disease precludes the 
possibility of the patient taking warm baths; except at the first 
stage. Sponging with acetic acid or vinegar (one part) and hot 
water (six parts) two or three times a day is preferable. 


DYSPEPSIA, OR INDIGESTION. 

Causes —Irregularities in diet, such as over indulgence in 
luxuries of the table, partaking of rich, highly-seasoned, heavy, fat, 
sour or bad food; eating too quickly; imperfect mastication of 
food; eating too frequently, or, on the other hand, too long abstin¬ 
ence from food; the use of warm and relaxing drinks, green tea, 
coffee, tobacco, wine and alcoholic beverages; too little out-of-door 
exercise; excessive bodily or mental exertion; late hours; exposure 
to cold and damp, etc. Business and family anxieties are frequent 
causes of dyspepsia, and their operation is very general and ex¬ 
tended, implicating not only the mucous coats of the stomach, but 
the liver, the bowels and often the whole nervous system. “ The 
battle of life ” is too often fought, not only with much wear and 
tear, but with almost overwhelming anxieties and disappointments; 
and the disgestive organs are often the first to suffer from depres¬ 
sion of the mind. In this respect, the cause is often put for the 
effect, the common remark being that depression of spirits 
accompanies indigestion; but it is truer to say that indigestion 
accompanies depressed spirits. When the mind is depressed by 
disappointment or anxiety, there is a corresponding depression of the 
nervous energies, and so the stomach, in common with other organs, 
loses vital energy. 

Hence, in the treatment of dyspepsia, the use of medicines 
and the observance of hygienic rules and habits must ever go hand 
in hand; for the former, however correctly prescribed, will alone be 
unavailing. 

Symptoms —These vary greatly, both in character and in 
intensity, but there is commonly one or more of the following: 
Impaired, perverted appetite, flatulence, nausea, and eructations 
which often bring up bitter or acid fluids; furred tongue, often 
flabby, large or indented at the sides; foul taste or breath, heart¬ 
burn, pain, sensation of weight, and inconvenience or fullness after 



136 


DYSPEPSIA, OR INDIGESTION. 


a meal; irregular action of the bowels, headache, diminished mental 
energy and alertness, dejection of spirits, palpitation of the heart 
or great vessels; and various affections in other organs. 

Remedies —1. A new remedy, now employed for dyspepsia, 
and one that is, perhaps, more highly extolled for the cure of this 
disease, where it is known, than any other in this country, is what 
is known as the chitim bark, or cascara sagrada (Rhamnus Pur- 
shiana). Steep one ounce of the bark in one-half a pint of water, 
for about twenty minutes. Dose, one tablespoonful, two or three 
times a day. Of the fluid extract, the dose is ten to fifteen drops, 
three times a day, in a little water. This preparation has already 
performed many remarkable cures. 

2. Dr. I. Whitaker, of California, gives the following com¬ 
paratively new remedy for this distressing complaint, and says he 
has cured, by the use of it, many of the worst cases, and that it 
acts almost like a charm in many forms of this disease. As yet he 
has not known it to fail, when taken as directed : 


Essence of peppermint. 1 teaspoonful. 

Saleratus. 1 even teaspoonful. 

Water. i tumblerful. 


Mix. Dose, two teaspoonfuls twenty or thirty minutes before 
each meal, and on retiring at night. 

3. Send to the nearest drug-store and ask them to get a 
bottle of Metcalf’s Liquor Pancreatics, prepared by Theo. Metcalf, 
Boston, Mass. Use according to directions. This cures when other 
remedies fail. 

4. Golden seal is highly recommended in the treatment of 
this disease. Dose of the tincture, one teaspoonful, every night 
and morning. 

5 Take one-half teaspoonful, of the inner peeling of the 
gizzard of a chicken or turkey, dried and pulverized. Use it 
immediately after each meal. This is an old remedy, but those 
who are not acquainted with the virtue and curative power of it 
will be surprised at its prompt action when they once make use 
of it. 


6. Take a piece of rennet the size of the hand, and put it into 
a half-pint of warm water and let it soak over night ; and of this 
liquid take two tablespoonfuls twice daily. Occasionally renew. 
This remedy has often proved efficacious, and is highly recom¬ 
mended by some practitioners. 

7. A German physician gives the following : “Take every 
morning, before breakfast, a teacupful of hot water, as hot as can 
be drunk. I have cured the worst cases in two or three weeks 
with it.” 

Other remedies might be added, but the above are some of the 
best in general use. 

Dyspeptic patients should carefully examine the directions 





137 


DYSPEPSIA, OR INDIGESTION. 

given in the following pages, for a cure will often depend on a 
compliance with these instructions. 

Additional information may be obtained from the article 
entitled, “ Diet for Dyspepsia,” in another part of this volume. 

General Habits —Mental or bodily occupation should not 
be renewed immediately after a full meal ; nor should food be taken 
without a few minutes pause after exhaustive fatigue. Violent 
muscular or mental exertion arrest digestion by engaging the 
nervous energies in other directions. The weary man—whether 
weary from the sweat of his brow or sweat of the brain—should 
rest before he eats ; and if the cause of fatigue has been in opera¬ 
tion till the time of rest approaches, solid food may then be 
productive of the most serious results.— Ellis. 

The following is a cure for dyspepsia without medicine : 

It is plain inference that, as wrong diet often brings on this 
disease, a right regime will cure it. You need not, in this case, 
take any medicine at all. The first thing to be observed is, plenty 
of gentle, healthful, out-door exercise ; then, eat your meals at 
precisely the same hour every day, and eat nothing between meals. 
Use no tobacco, tea, coffee, spirituous or malt liquors. Avoid, as 
far as possible, all that might occasion anxiety or trouble. 

Your diet need not be unnaturally low—only do not eat food 
too highly seasoned, or overload the stomach, and especially shun 
hot bread or biscuit. A moderate quantity of simple food, well 
chewed, is what you need. Take plenty of time at your meals ; 
never eat in a hurry, and never eat so much that you will not feel 
hungry at your next meal-time. The doctor may tell you to eat 
little and often ; but this is just what does the mischief. Do not 
mind him, but follow nature ; that is, follow all your innocent 
habits, which are all you can know of nature. Do not suffer him 
to put you out of the track of life-long custom, so that you may fall 
an easy victim to his medicines. Should you chance not to be 
hungry at meal-time, just miss a meal. It will do you no harm. 
If you are thirsty, drink warm milk or water, or both, mixed and 
sweetened to your taste. You will find this more satisfying than 
cold drinks. Do not drink too freely while eating, but allow the 
saliva to moisten the food. 

For the sensation of heat in the stomach, common to dyspeptics, 
squeeze a piece of flannel out of cold water, and lay it, still quite 
wet, over the stomach, with a dry cloth over that to prevent wetting 
the clothes. This may be used at any time, day or night ; though 
the best time is at night, on going to bed, and then you can lay it 
aside in the morning ; but, on taking it off, bathe the part, w r ipe 
dry, and then rub it briskly with the hand. 

As to food, be governed by your own experience, and eat only 
such as digests easily. Close each meal with two or three tea¬ 
spoonfuls of wheat-bran moistened and made agreeable to your 
taste by the addition of a little cream and sugar. You will soon 


138 


DYSPEPSIA, OR INDIGESTION. 


become quite fond of it, and regard it as the pleasantest part of 
your meal. This recommendation is very important and valuable. 
We have known it to cure, perfectly, cases of dyspepsia of more 
than twenty years’ standing, which had resisted all the agencies of 
medicine, administered by the most accomplished physicians. It is 
regarded, by those who have tried it, as simply infallible. You 
must remember, however, should you eat, as a guest, at any other 
table than your own, always to carry your bran with you, and use 
it at the conclusion of your meal. These directions being carefully 
observed, you will soon cease to be a dyspeptic, without ever taking 
a single dose of medicine. 

Accessory Treatment —Dr. Ellis, in his Domestic Medical 
Work, recommends the following excellent accessory measures: 
“ As in this disease the gastric juice is either lessened in quantity 
or deteriorated in quality, which allows the food to be decomposed 
instead of being digested, it is all-important that the patient abstain 
from drinking much at his meals. He may gratify his thirst at 
other periods. We can only expect to permanently cure this or 
any other chronic disease, by removing the cause; therefore, the 
reader will do well to consult the chapters on the use and abuse 
of the digestive organs, the conditions requisite for physical de¬ 
velopment and preservation, excessive labor and amusements. The 
patient should avoid all substances which are of difficult digestion, 
or which disagree with him, and he must not be constantly trying 
different articles of food. As a general rule, he should avoid all 
vegetables, with the exception of well-boiled rice, Irish and sweet 
potatoes, and these should be cooked dry and mealy. Sweet peaches 
and ripe blackberries may be used with moderation. Good fresh 
milk can generally be taken, unless it disagrees with the patient. 
Sweet cream and good fresh butter, cold, may be used moderately 
with stale brown bread, rice, or potatoes. Also tender mutton, beef, 
venison, turkey, chicken, partridge, and some of the smaller 
birds, if kept some time before being cooked, may be used; and 
even soft-boiled eggs are often allowable. Salt may be used mod¬ 
erately, but all other condiments should be avoided. Among the 
above articles the patient will find all he needs, and he must confine 
himself strictly to the above list, and above all things shun the use 
of stimulating drinks, for if they afford temporary relief, they are 
sure to weaken the stomach stili more. Milk and hot water, only 
moderately sweetened, weak cocoa, and at most, weak black tea, are 
the best drinks. He should eat at regular hours, never more fre¬ 
quently than three times a day, and eat slowly, and masticate or 
chew his food well/ 5 We therefore warn the busy, the solitary, or, 
on the other hand, those persons who talk too much during meal¬ 
time of the danger of neglecting to chew their food properly. As 
a rule, animal food is easier of digestion than vegetable, and it is 
well known that a weak stomach is much more liable to flatulence 
and other symptoms of digestion after vegetable food than after 


DIABETES. 


139 


animal. Indeed, the teeth of man partake of an intermediate char¬ 
acter, as he is no doubt intended to subsist both on animal and 
vegetable food, so that a due admixture of both is probably more 
easily digested than a more or less exclusive use of either. It is 
important to remember that starch is not a nitrogenous or flesh¬ 
forming substance. Foods, therefore, the chief constituent of which 
is starch, as potatoes, rice, sago, etc., are farinaceous foods and very 
necessary for the formation of fat, and should be eaten only as 
additions to food containing a large amount of nitrogenous material. 

Further, it is especially necessary that the dyspeptic should 
select tender and perfectly fresh animal food, and have it cooked so 
as to retain all its natural juices. Hard, dried, cured meats—ham, 
tongue, sausages, and the like—are especially to be avoided. In 
the same category we may place veal, pork, twice-cooked meats, 
salmon, lobsters, crabs, salads, cucumbers, raw vegetables, cheese, 
new-baked bread, coffee, and all other substances known to disagree 
with the patient. The last remark is important; for if pain or dis¬ 
comfort follow any kind of food or drink, it should be regarded as a 
warning to avoid it afterwards. 

The patient should not fail to examine the articles on “ Condi¬ 
ments,” and on “ Tea and Coffee.” 


DIABETES (Excessive Flow of Urine). 

This disease is indicated by excessive discharges of sweet urine 
of a pale-yellowish or greenish-yellow color. The first symptom 
usually is the frequency of the calls to pass urine, with an increased 
quantity of it. Sometimes the patient discovers that it is sweetish 
to the taste. The patient soon begins to be troubled with great 
thirst, the appetite often becomes craving, the mouth dry and 
parched. There is a sensation of sinking, with faintness at the pit 
of the stomach, and other dyspeptic symptoms. The quantity of 
urine discharged usually varies from ten to twenty, and sometimes 
from thirty to fifty pints or more in twenty-four hours, and this 
often for weeks or months together. Add a little yeast to some of 
the urine and set it down in a warm place, and if there is sugar 
present it will begin to ferment within twenty four hours; whereas, 
healthy urine will not go through the same process. This disease is 
very slow in its progress, sometimes lasting for many years. 

Remedies —1. An infusion of equal parts of chamomile 
flowers and sage, drunk twice a day, in wineglass doses, will prove 
effective in many cases of this disease. 

2. A new and simple remedy has recently been introduced 
for the cure of this disease , which is composed of alum and milk . 
Its use has been attended with the best results, often curing in the 
short space of a few weeks. It is is prepared by adding two pints 
of milk to one and one-half drachms of alum. Dose, one gill, three 
times a day. 



140 


DIABETES. 


3. Skim-Milk Treatment— Several cases have been re¬ 
ported in the medical journals, of diabetes in which the quantity of 
urine was steadily and greatly diminished, and the specific gravity 
correspondingly reduced, by restricting the patient to six pints of 
skimmed milk per day. This treatment is cheap, and patients can 
adopt it without interfering with their usual occupations. Mr. H. 
May (Birmingham) gave five pints of milk a day to a diabetic 
patient, and in six weeks the specific gravity fell from 1.040 to 
1.0IT; the patient at the same time became stout, and stronger than 
she had been for years. Dr. Donkin has also successfully pre¬ 
scribed it; but he insists that “ skim-milk loses its curative power 
altogether, when administered in combination with solid animal or 
other nitrogenous food. By the skim-milk treatment, he says, “ I 
mean the administration of skim-milk properly prepared, in quantities 
measured and limited to the requirements of individual cases, 
given at regular intervals in definite doses, and to the exclusion 
of all other food for a longer or shorter period. This system of 
treatment, in short, must be pursued in a strictly methodical man¬ 
ner, and according to rule; and if this is not done, success must 
not be expected.” He gives seven to ten pints, according to cir¬ 
cumstances, divided into meals taken at regular intervals. Two or 
three pints may be made into curd, daily, by the essence of rennet. 
Dropsy has also been very successfully treated with milk diet in 
India. Hence, we may presume that skim-milk has some physiolog¬ 
ical effect on the kidney and its secretions. After the skim-milk 
has been taken for about six weeks, almost every variety of animal 
food may be taken once, twice, or thrice daily, and bran-biscuits, 
gluten-bread, diabetic bread, may be added by degrees to the diet. 
To allay the intense thirst, acid drinks and alkaline waters may be 
given. A Mr. Swick, in Delaware, Ohio, says, “ I consider this 
‘milk-remedy’ was the means of saving my life.” 

4. A professor in a medical college in California writes, 
“ The best remedy we have used, in this part of the country, for 
diabetes, is the water hoarhound, called bugle-weed; botanically, it 
is the Lycopus Yirginicus. 

Dose of the tincture, one teaspoonful, four or five times a day; 
and, as the disease is a stubborn one to cure, it will have to be per¬ 
severed in for some time.” The herb answers a good purpose when 
steeped and drunk as a tea. In this form, it is often as efficacious 
as the tincture. It is found in all drug-stores. 

5. “ The treatment next in favor,” continues the Doctor, “ is 
the use of the bird’s knot grass, known also as door-yard grass, 
chickweed, etc., and found in nearly every door-yard. Botanically, 
it is the Polygonum Aviculare. This should be prepared as the 
bugleweed, and taken freely, and continued as above.” 

6. Tannic Acid.5 grains. 

Pulverized Opium.^ grain. 

Mix. To be taken thrice dailv, between meals. 




DANDRUFF. 


141 


t- 

7. Yeratria.1 drachm. 

Simple cerate (or vaseline).1 ounce. 

Make an ointment, and rub a piece the size of a cherry along the 
spine morning and evening. Dr. S. D. Gross, Phila. 

Accessory Treatment —Amylaceous food (such as contains 
starch),, and every substance containing sugar, or that is readily 
convertible into it, should be avoided. Potatoes and fine flour in 
every form should be omitted. The most nutritious food slroukl 
be preferred, and the greater proportion consumed in the fresh 
state. Fat meat, fish, oysters, eggs, milk, good soups thickened 
with finely powdered bran, cocoa prepared from the nibs, lettuce 
with oil, vinegar, etc., may be taken, if they agree, and be varied 
to suit the patient. The action of all articles must be watched, 
and anything that occasions indigestion avoided. As a substitute 
for ordinary bread, bran-bread or brown-cakes, or ground almond 
pow T der made into bread or biscuits, with eggs, are recommended. 
“ Diabetic bread” made of the following ingredients bears a closer 
resemblance to ordinary brown-bread than any previously sug¬ 
gested, and is often found more palatable. To eight parts of 
gluten add two parts of bran nearly free from starch, and 
a small quantity of butter. It is more nutritious than any 
other, and prevents and corrects constipation. The excessive thirst 
of diabetic patients may be gratified, as fluids aid in the elimina¬ 
tion of the sugar in the blood, and patients become greatly de¬ 
pressed if they are not allowed to drink as much water as they 
desire. Warm baths, the use of flannel, and a warm climate are 
valuable accessories in the cure of diabetes. Dr. Bouchardat re¬ 
commends “ laborious bodily exercise, especially gymnastics,” ob¬ 
serving that profuse perspiration on farinaceous food lessened sugar 
in the urine. It is difficult, if not impossible, to cure this disease 
in a person who is and continues in the daily habit of using intoxi¬ 
cating liquors. 


DANDRUFF. 

Remedies —1. Wear the hair short, and let the head cover¬ 
ing be as light and well ventilated as possible. Avoid applications 
of all kinds of grease, or dyes. Wash the head every two or three 
days with warm salt and water, and follow each washing by vigorous 
rubbing with the balls of the fingers. The better the general health, 
the less tendency there is to the accumulation of dandruff. 

2. Take a teaspoonful of refined, powdered borax, and two 
teaspoonfuls of glycerine. Dissolve in one-half a tumblerful of 
water, and, before using, brush the head well. Then, wet the brush 
with this solution and apply to the head every day for a week. 

3. Carbolic acid, diluted and perfumed, makes an excellent 





142 


DELIRIUM TREMENS. 


hair-wash, and its occasional use tends to remove dandruff. Rub 
the head every morning with the tip ends of the fingers, and after a 
week you will find the condition will improve vastly. 


DELIRIUM TREMENS. 

*Tlie suspension of the habitual use of alcoholic or fermented 
liquors is the cause of this disease, and it is more liable to occur with 
steady drinkers, than with those who only take an occasional 
“ spree.” 

Symptoms —Trembling of the tongue, when the patient 
attempts to protrude it, and twitching of the cords in his wrists, are 
among the first. He appears frightened, and begins to see the most 
frightful or disgusting objects; such as serpents, rats, toads and 
other loathsome reptiles and vermin, crawling over his head, his 
person, or about his room, and he hunts them among his bed¬ 
clothes. He is always afraid. Robbers, officers, or creditors, are 
after him. He imagines that he hears them conspiring against 
him. He sees knives and fire-arms pointed at him, strives to escape 
from his tormentors, and is liable to injure himself or others, in 
striving to protect himself or escape. 

Remedies —To prevent the full development of the disease, 
or cure it after it has been developed, in most cases, give the patient 
moderate but regular doses of brandy, and then withdraw the 
stimulant gradually as the disease abates. A tablespoonful of 
brandy, in water, once in two hours, will, in many cases, be suffi¬ 
cient; but if the patient has been a hard drinker, he may require 
two tablespoonfuls, once in two hours, or even, in some severe cases, 
more frequently; and the brandy should be continued until the 
patient falls into a quiet sleep. When he awakes, it need not be 
repeated unless symptoms of the disease return, and it should never 
be continued longer than is absolutely necessary to relieve the visions 
and sleeplessness. For debility, give no stimulants, but only beef- 
tea, chicken-broth, mutton and beef. 

2. The following is a very excellent treatment to begin with: 
Give a turkish or hot air bath, lasting half an hour, then give the 


following: 

Chloral hydrate.2 drams. 

Tincture capsica.1£ ounces. 

Bromide potass.1 ounce! 

Camphor water.3 ounces. 


Take a spoonful every half hour until four are taken. 

The treatment above indicated, and generally adopted by the 
medical profession is, first, to allay the paroxysms and calm the 
nervous system by giving brandy and other spirits. But is is some¬ 
what questionable whether this is the better course to pursue. 







143 


DYSENTERY, OR BLOODY FLUX. 

The redness of the face, and the pulsation of the arteries and 
heart, indicate determination of blood to the head; therefore, the 
first course to pursue, is to equalize the circulation by bathing the 
feet and legs in warm lye-water, and then apply mustard-plasters to 
the bottoms of the feet, and nape of the neck, and give the most 
nutritive food that can be obtained. 

A successful plan is that of giving highly nutritious food, and 
procuring sleep by giving large doses of chloral. The first dose, say 
thirty grains, should be followed, unless the patient sleeps, by a 
repetition of the remedy in one or two hours, but in smaller doses, 
say twenty grains. 

When sleep is induced, if prolonged, the patient may be 
aroused at the end of eight or ten hours, and made to take some 
nourishment. 

1. Large doses of the tincture of foxglove ( Digitalis) ten drops 
given at once, and repeated every two or three hours, have been 
useful in severe cases. 

2. It is said that a strong decoction of wormwood, taken freely, 
has been highly successful, in some Puritanical Hospitals, perhaps 
for the purpose of exciting the intense disgust of the patients for all 
kinds of spirituous liquors. We would suggest the addition of a 
little gall, as an additional means of securing the above purpose. 


DYSENTERY, OR BLOODY FLUX. 

There is a difference between this disease and diarrhea. In the 
latter complaint, the discharges are more copious, thin and watery, 
than in the former. 

Dysentery usually commences with severe pains in the bowels, 
with frequent inclinations to go to stool, which is small in quantity 
and sometimes mixed with blood. There is generally a peculiar 
sensation of bearing down while at stool, as if the whole bowels were 
falling out, and accompanied with considerable pain. 

Sometimes chills and fever precede the symptoms, in other 
cases, they either accompany them or soon follow, if the attack is at 
all severe. Griping pains in the abdomen, followed by discharges 
from the bowels, are the first prominent symptoms. 

Causes —This disease may be caused by unripe and acid fruits, 
indigestible food, cathartics, exposure to cold night-air after a hot 
day, and sudden changes of temperature. 

Remedies — 1 . Purchase at the drug store , or dig a handful 
of the hark of the root of the common willow. Make a tea of it, 
and drink one-half to onefourtli of a teacupful , three times a day. 
It is one of the best remedies in use for this disease. 

2. In many obstinate cases, the following remedy has acted 
almost like a charm: Try the tallow from fresh mutton-suet, and 
give a tablespoonful three times a day. Frequently, two or three 



144 


DYSENTERY, OR BLOODY FLUX. 


doses are sufficient to effect a cure, and it is especially good when 
there is much irritation of the bowels. 

3. To a pint of water add pulverized slippery elm bark, enough 
to make a thin mucilage. Let it simmer for half an hour, then 
strain it through thin muslin; the dose is two teaspoonfuls every 
two or three hours. A spoonful of glycerine, added when it is cool, 
will keep it from souring. This remedy is frequently used in 
alternation with the mutton suet remedy. We recommend that 
when so used in alternation every two hours, the dose of the mutton 
suet remedy be reduced one-half. These two remedies, when thus 
used, have been known to cure dysentery when the patient had been 
given up to die. 

4. Take butter, after being churned, without being salted or 
washed; clarify it over the lire like honey. Skim off all the milky 
particles when melted. Let the patient (if an adult) take two table- 
spoonfuls of the clarified remainder, two or three times a day. For 
the proper dose for a child, see “ Table of Doses for Children.” 
This is a very effective remedy, and many families who have em¬ 
ployed it say they have never known it to fail to effect a cure. 

5. The following is an old but a favorite remedy with many 
people: To one-half a pint of water add one tablespoonful of salt 
and two of vinegar. Dose, a wineglassful every one or two hours. 
For children the proportions should be one-fourth the amount of 


salt and vinegar. 

6. Pulverized catechu.2 drams. 

Pulverized accacia.ounce. 

Water.6 ounces. 


Mix. Take a tablespoonful every two hours. 

Dr. F. Yan Niemeyer, Tubingen. 


7. Pulverized opium...1£ grains. 

Nitrate of potash..5 grains. 

Calomel.1 grain. 

Mix. To be taken every two hours until the pains and tenes¬ 
mus (bearing down of the rectal tissues) are relieved and patient 
inclined to sleep. 


Dr. A. S. Davis, Chicago. 

To Cure Dysentery Without Medicine— Some people 
have the idea that the patient should eat all he can to keep up the 
strength; but this is quite wrong. There is the greatest danger in 
too much eating. If you would cure the disease, without leaving 
any bad effect in the system, eat but little or, which is better, eat 
nothing at all for a few days, and when you commence eating again, 
eat only a little at a time, and not oftener than at regular meal¬ 
times. Should it become necessary to take anything to keep up the 
strength while the disease is on you, you may take a little flax-seed 
tea, or slippery-elm tea, or something else of a simple and light 
nature. 









DIARRHEA. 


145 


Take a warm sitting-bath every day. After coming out of the 
water, dry the skin by wiping the whole surface with a towel. Then 
let some strong, healthy person rub the surface with his bare hands. 
Finally, cover the bowels with cotton, on which has been sprinkled 
a little gum-camphor. The stomach and bowels, feet and legs 
should be kept warm by external applications. Renew warm 
flannels often enough to keep the bowels, stomach and extremities 
warm. Lie in bed most of the time, and do not become excited 
about anything. This treatment will usually effect a cure in a few 
days. 

A bag tilled with pounded ice placed on the abdomen has been 
highly recommended, when there is congestion. 

When the disease becomes chronic, it takes a little longer to 
cure it. Eat sparingly of wholesome food. Make a tea of cloves 
and flax-seed, and occasionally sip it. Give an injection of tepid 
water after each passage; or, perhaps, it will be better to give an 
injection of slippery-elm tea or flax-seed tea, instead of water. 

Accessory Treatment —The patient should maintain a 
recumbent posture in bed, in a well-ventilated apartment, and, in 
severe cases, use the bed-pan instead of getting up. Local applica¬ 
tions afford great relief. If the pains are very severe, large, hot 
poultices, or flannels wrung out of hot water , should be applied over 
the abdomen, a second hot flannel being ready when the first is re¬ 
moved. Great benefit often results from injections, if there be not 
too much inflammation to admit of the introduction of the enema 
tube; they may be administered after each evacuation, if they prove 
beneficial. The first two or three injections may consist of from 
half a pint to a pint of tepid water, the temperature being after¬ 
wards gradually reduced. Mucilaginous injections are also fre¬ 
quently of service. The drink should consist of cold water, toast- 
water, gum-water, barley-water, etc.; the diet should be restricted 
to lime-water and milk, arrow-root, cocoa, broths, grape-juice and 
other liquid forms of food—all cold. Animal food and stimulants 
should be avoided; when recovery has considerably advanced, and in 
chronic cases, beef-tea and other animal broths may be taken. 

Preventive Measures —Besides avoidance of the condi¬ 
tions pointed out under “ Causes,’’ it is necessary promptly to 
remove, disinfect and bury the evacuations from a dysenteric patient, 
and to adopt the “Accessory” and “Precautionary Measures” 
pointed out under “Typhoid Fever.” 


DIARRHEA. 

Causes —Overeating may occasion diarrhea, by the mere 
quantity of the food introduced, but these results more commonly 
follow the mixture of various kinds of food and drink in one 
meal. 


10 



146 


DIARRHEA. 


Such are, especially, sour, unripe, wilted, or decaying fruits or 
vegetables; badly cooked food; fatty and rich food; various kinds 
of shell-fish; putrid or diseased animal food. 

Impure water is a fruitful cause of diarrhea. Water contami¬ 
nated with sewage or sewage gases, or with decomposing animal 
matter, is almost certain to occasion diarrhea. 

The heat of summer, the hot days but chilly nights and morn¬ 
ings of autumn, are frequent exciting causes of diarrhea; so is the 
application of cold to the perspiring body, or of the sudden check¬ 
ing of perspiration. Hot weather is a frequent exciting cause of 
diarrhea, termed, on this account, summer-complaint. 

The depressing influences of fear or anxiety, or the violent ex¬ 
citement of anger are frequent exciting causes. 

Symptoms —Nausea, flatulence, griping pain in the bowels, 
followed by loose evacuations, which may vary greatly as to their 
consistence, nature, odor and color, being watery, or slimy, bilious, 
or bloody. Furred tongue, foul breath and acrid eructations are 
generally superadded. The circulation, breathing and other func¬ 
tions are usually unaffected. In summer-diarrhea, the discharges 
are chiefly bilious, and there are often violent pains in the abdomen, 
cramps in the legs and great prostration. 

Remedies —1. Parch a pint of rice until it is perfectly 
brown; then make a tea of it, and drink a teacupful at once, and 
the remaining part during the next six succeeding hours. This is 
an old, but generally prompt and effective remedy 

2. Dr. Benjamin Clark states that in the East Indies warm 
milk is regarded by many as a specific, which means an almost cer¬ 
tain cure. One pint of warm, fresh, sweet milk, every four hours, 
will often check the most violent diarrhea, or dysentery. A gentleman 
states he has tried it as often perhaps as fifty times in his own case, 
with unvarying success in from six to twelve hours. One man 
seemed to be dying from diarrhea of eight months’ standing; in 
three weeks he was a hale, hearty man. 

3. A strong decoction of checkerberry, is said to be a sover¬ 
eign remedy in this disease. Dose, half a teacupful two or three 
times a day. 

4. Browned or parched rhubarb, made into a tea, and drunk 
freely, is likewise a good remedy. 

5. Another excellent one, for a watery or very loose discharge 
from the bowels, is to take for an adult a teaspoonful of starch, 
every one or two hours. Usually one to three doses will be sufficient 
to cure the disease. 

6. The following is the old celebrated neutralizing mixture for 


all bowel difficulties: 

Laudanum.1 drachm. 

Rhubarb (pulverized). 2 scruples. 

Saleratus do.2 scruples. 

Peppermint plant do.2 scruples. 






DEAFNESS. 


147 


Add half a pint of hot water, sweeten with sugar. Dose, one 
to two teaspoonfuls, every two or three hours, according to the ur¬ 
gency of the symptoms. Its operation and action appear to be specif¬ 
ic or almost infallible. When loose evacuations from the bowels 
afford relief, they should not he interfered with, for they may be 
nature’s mode of curing disease. The evacuations following the too 
free indulgence of the table, or those of children during teething, 
are of this class. 

A very common remedy in this county is blackberry leaf tea, 
strength to suit the occasion. 

Diet —The diet may consist of barley-water, rice-water, flax¬ 
seed tea, gum-Arabic water, infusion of elm hark, Iceland moss, 
sago with boiled milk and toast-water. Well-boiled rice, flavored 
with powdered cinnamon, is one of the most digestible aliments, 
and is, therefore, very good. Fats, all acids, juicy vegetables and 
unripe fruits must be prohibited. Ale, porter and beer must not be 
used. As soon as the appetite returns, the tender part of the sirloin 
of beef, or boiled mutton, or chicken will be more readily digested 
than strong soups, which are exceedingly improper. 

Chronic Diarrhea —Simple diarrhea remaining uncured for 
some time becomes chronic. In such cases the remedies must be of 
a soothing and tonic character, persistently continuous. At the same 
time attention must be paid to the liver and skin, for both will be 
found more or less out of order. See “ Liver Complaint.” 

Remedies —1. Take, for an adult, one drop of the oil of 
spearmint, three times a day. This is a new remedy, and seldom 
equalled. If the above quantity is not effective, add another drop. 
Frequently, two or three doses will be sufficient. 

2. An infusion of the persimmon ( Gum-Tree ) bark, is es¬ 
teemed a valuable remedy for chronic diarrhea. Dose, a tablespoon¬ 
ful three times a day. A sirup of the unripe fruit is reputed to be 
equal if not superior to the bark for this purpose, employed in 
similar doses. 

3. A decoction of blackberry-root is also an admirable remedy 
in this complaint; it is both tonic and astringent, and may be relied 
on. 

4. Make a tea of butter-weed (Erigeron Canadensis) by boiling 
two or three handfuls of it in sweet milk. Sweeten with white 
sugar, and drink one-half a teacupful or more, three times a day. 

The butter-weed is known by the various names of Canada 
fleabane, colt’s tail, pride-weed and horse-weed. 


DEAFNESS. 

This affection may be owing to inflammation of the internal 
ear, to a relaxed condition of the drum of the ear, to paralysis of the 
nerve of hearing, or, to a collection of wax in the ear. In the 



148 


DEAFNESS. 


majority of cases, though, it is difficult to correctly determine the 
cause of the deafness. 

Remedies —1. Where there is want of secretion, or dryness 
of the ear, take, of glycerine, two teaspoonfuls; sweet oil, one tea¬ 
spoonful. Mix. First cleanse the ear carefully, but thoroughly, 
with castile-soap and warm water. When it is well dried, moisten 
the entire cavity of the ear with the above mixture, using a small 
feather for this purpose, repeating it every day. If there seems to 
be a secretion of wax in excess, cleanse the ear as before, and apply 
the following: Glycerine, two teaspoonfuls; strong infusion, or 
tea, of white-oak bark, one teaspoonful. Mix. Apply the same as 
the first, every day. Deafness may be produced by cold. When 
this is the case, drink freely of smart-weed tea, or pleurisy-root tea, 
for a few days. 

2. Stew garlic in sweet-oil, strongly pressed, and strained. A 
few drops, each day, should be put into the ear from a warm tea¬ 
spoon, and stop the ear with cotton or wool. You will find this 
remedy unsurpassed in this form of deafness, originating from cold. 

3. Put into the ear a few drops, once daily, of the following 
mixture: Harlem oil, fifteen drops; glycerine, one teaspoonful. 
Mix. It is often very effective. 

4. Another means, which sometimes succeeds, is to close the 
mouth tightly, and grasp the nose with the thumb and finger, take 
a full breath, and blow as hard as possible, allowing no air to escape, 
except what passes from the throat to the ear through the eustachi- 
an tubes. This will often relieve the deafness resulting from a 
cold. Other forms of this disease should come under the care of an 
accomplished aurist. 

5. Take, of carbonate of potash, five grains; glycerine one- 
half ounce; water, one ounce. Mix. First, carefully syringe the 
ear with castile-soap and water; then put three or four drops of the 
above mixture into the ear, once or twice daily. This remedy has 
been the means of curing many cases of deafness, caused by catarrh— 
the result of a cold. Before using this remedy examine the ear and 
see if there is not hardened wax pressing on the drum, if so a drop 
or two of glycerine will moisten it, when it can be removed. 

6. Prof. J. H. Bundy, of the California Medical College, 
recommends the following: “Take, of sassafras-oil, five drops; 
sweet-oil, half an ounce. Mix, and drop into the ear, once or twice 
a day. I have been very successful with this treatment.” 

Dr. Thomas says the following method has been employed, in 
some cases of severe and long-continued deafness, with great success 
and efiicacy: 

“ The mode of using it Is to fill the mouth with the smoke of 
the strongest tobacco, instantly closing the mouth and nose, and 
then for the person to make all possible” effort as if he meant to 
force the smoke through his nose, which must be prevented by 
holding the nostrils very tight; this forces the smoke through the 


AFFECTIONS OF THE EAR—EPILEPTIC FITS. 


119 


eustachian tube into the ear. These efforts are to be repeated 
until one or both ears give a seeming crack, immediately on which 
the hearing returns.” 

This process is simple and cheap, and probably without hazard, 
therefore may be tried by any one. 


GENERAL HINTS ON AFFECTIONS OF THE EAR. 

Wet or Damp Ears —A frequent cause of disease of the ear 
is the practice of leaving the head and ears of children imperfectly 
dry after washing. It is the more necessary to guard against this 
danger if there already exist any discharge from the ear. After 
bathing, the greatest care should be taken to dry the hair and ears 
thoroughly. As a further precaution, a piece of fine linen or 
blotting-paper should be twisted into a coil, and gently introduced 
into the cavity of the ear, to absorb any remaining moisture. 

Boxing’ the Ears —Parents, governesses, and others who 
have the care of children, should be aware of an accident very liable 
to occur from blows on the head, or boxing the ears; namely, rupture 
of the membrana tym/pani , a membrane which closes the bottom of 
the meatus, and is stretched something like the parchment of a 
drum. The accident may be recognized by a sense of shock in the 
ear, deafness, and a slight discharge of blood from the orifice; and if 
examined by an ear speculum, the rent may be seen. There should 
be complete rest for several days, and a warm weak arnica-lotion 
used. * 


EPILEPTIC FITS (Epilepsia). 

This disease is a sudden deprivation of all the senses, wherein 
the patient falls suddenly down and is affected with violent con¬ 
vulsive motions. Children, especially those who are delicately 
brought up, are most subject to it. It more frequently attacks men 
than women, and is very difficult to cure. When the epilepsy attacks 
children, there is reason to hope it may go off about the time of 
puberty; when it attacks any person after twenty years of age, the 
cure is difficult; but when after forty, a cure is hardly to be ex¬ 
pected. The sooner after the first attack the cure is attempted the 
greater the hope of a complete cure. If the fit continues only for a 
short space and returns seldom, there is reason to hope; but if it con¬ 
tinues long and returns frequently, the prospect is bad. It is a very un¬ 
favorable symptom when the patient is seized with the fits in his 
sleep. 

Causes —The epilepsy is sometimes hereditary. It may like¬ 
wise proceed from frights of the mother when with child; from 




150 


EPILEPTIC FITS. 


blows, bruises or wounds on the head; a collection of water, blood 
or serous humors in the brain; a polypus; tumors or concretions 
within the skull; excessive drinking; intense study; excess of ven- 
ery; worms; teething; suppression of customary evacuations; too 
great emptiness or repletion; violent passions or affections of the 
mind, as fear, joy, etc.; hysteric affections; contagion received into 
the body, as the infection of the small-pox, measles, etc. 

Symptoms —An epileptic fit is generally preceded by un¬ 
usual weariness, pain of the head, dullness, giddiness, noise in the 
ears, dimness of sight, palpitation of the heart, disturbed sleep, 
difficult breathing; the bowels are inflated with wind, the urine is in 
great quantity but thin, the complexion is pale, the extremities are 
cold, and the patient often feels, as it were, a stream of cold air 
ascending towards his head. 

In the fit, the patient generally makes an unusual noise: his 
thumbs are drawn in toward the palms of the hands; his eyes are 
distorted; he starts and foams at the mouth; his extremities are 
bent and twisted various ways; he often discharges his semen, urine 
and feces involuntary, and is quite destitute of all sense and reason. 
After the fit is over, his senses gradually return, and he complains 
of a kind of a stupor, w r eariness and pain in his head, but has no re¬ 
membrance of what happened to him during the fit. 

The fits are sometimes excited by violent affections of the mind, 
a debauch of liquor, excessive heat, cold, or the like. 

This disease, from the difficulty of investigating its causes and 
its strange symptoms, was formerly attributed to the wrath of the 
gods or the agency of evil spirits. In modern times it has often, 
by the vulgar, been imputed to witchcraft or fascination. It de¬ 
pends however, as much upon natural causes as any other malady, 
and its cure may often be effected by persisting in the use of proper 
means. 

Remedies —1. The ice-plant is a great remedy for the treat¬ 
ment of this kind of fits, especially in children. It may be given 
in powder, in doses of one-half to a teaspoonful, night and morning, 
in some warm herb-tea, such as sage or pennyroyal, if convenient. 
Or the decoction may be employed in teaspoonful doses. 

2. This disease has frequently been cured by the patient 
using almost an exclusive milk-diet. 

3. Dr. Henry states that several patients have been radically 
cured of epileptic fits by the following prescription, in three or four 
weeks: Take one pound of fresh, green leaves of stramonium, 
pound them, press out the juice, put it in a pewter plate, and place 
in the sun to evaporate; stir frequently, until the extract is fit for 
pills; then give a small-sized pill of it night and morning. The 
dose may be increased to three times a day. 

4. We give the formula of an excellent physician whose repu¬ 
tation in curing this disease is widely known. Bromide of potash, 


EPILEPTIC FITS. 


151 


one part to eight parts of distilled water. Dose varied by condi¬ 
tions from a teaspoonful to a tablespoonful three times a day. 

5. I have found that fine salt has a very salutary effect on 
epilepsy. As soon as there are any premonitory symptoms, give a 
teaspoonful in a little water, and, if practicable, repeat in fifteen or 
twenty minutes; it prevents or shortens the fit. 

6. As soon as a person is taken with a fit of epilepsy, cover his 
face with black silk, tying it over the head and neck, and using but 
one thickness. This novel method of cure was first adopted in Paris, 
with marked success, in that it rendered the fits gradually lighter, 
until at length they ceased altogether, and the patient remained per¬ 
manently cured. 

The following is the celebrated Dr. Brown-Sequard’s prescrip¬ 
tion for epilepsy: 

Potassia iodide...2 drachms. 

“ bromide.2 “ 

Ammonia “ .“ 

Potassia bi-carbonate.40 grains. 

Infusion columba.6 ounces. 

Dose, a teaspoonful before each meal and three tablespoonfuls 
at bedtime. This will cure epilepsy. 

For Preventing Epileptic Fits —Two methods have 
recently been discovered for preventing attacks of epileptic fits, 
which are of great value to those afflicted with this disease. First, 
on the first symptoms of the convulsions, give or force the patient 
to swallow some water. The second is, to choke the patient until 
he makes an effort to swallow. 


Accessory Treatment —The patient’s tongue should be 
put back into his mouth, and a cork or linen pad fixed between his 
molar teeth; he should be laid on a couch or rug, fresh air freely 
admitted around him, his head slightly raised, and all ligatures re¬ 
laxed that interfere with circulation and breathing. Throwing cold 
water in the face does no good; and restraint should not be exercised 
beyond what is absolutely necessary. In epilepsy preceded by the 
aura , a firm ligature applied above the part where the sensation is 
felt is said to prevent the attack. After the fit, the patient should 
be allowed to pass undisturbed the period of sleep which follows. 
Hygienic treatment, especially such as the causes of the disease 
suggest, is of great importance. Uuder this head we would promi¬ 
nently mention sponging the body, and especially the head, every 
morning with cold water, quickly followed by rapid and thorough 
drying. Shower-baths do not usually agree, and bathing in the open 
sea is obviously dangerous. All violent emotions, excesses of every 
kind, and especially the precocious development or the unnatural 
excitation of the sexual instinct, must be strictly interdicted or pre¬ 
vented. Avoid all fried foods, all heavy substances in diet. An 
indigestible meal is very liable to produce an attack. 

"Regular out-of-door exercise is beneficial, but it should never 







152 


ENLARGED OR VARICOSE VEINS. 


be carried too far, as fatigue often excites an attack. Epileptic 
patients require much rest and frequent change; boys and girls 
should not on any account sit at lessons for three or four consecu¬ 
tive hours. Studies and open-air recreations should be pleasantly 
blended. 

Should fright, disappointment, anxiety, or other mental influ¬ 
ences tend to keep up the disease, a thorough change is necessary, 
including a change of residence, companions and habits. “ All 
ambitious intellectual exertion, especially rapid and discursive read¬ 
ing and writing against time, should be absolutely prohibited. But 
moderate employment of the thoughts, especially on familiar and 
interesting hobbies, is useful in preventing that stagnation or con¬ 
centration of the mind upon itself which is so hurtful in all chronic 
complaints. Further, the mind requires exercise for its healthy 
growth. The diet should be almost exclusively vegetable, and 
taken regularly, in moderate quantities. As the appetite is often 
voracious, it should be judiciously controlled. 


ENLARGED, OR VARICOSE VEINS (Varices). 

Symptoms —The affected veins are dilated, tortuous,knotted, 
of a dull, leaden or purplish-blue color, with much discoloration of 
the parts, and some swelling of the limb. If a great many small 
cutaneous veins are alone affected, they present the appearance of a 
close network. The enlarged veins and local swelling diminish 
after taking the horizontal posture. 

Causes —Generally, conditions which induce more or less 
permanent distention or enlargement of the veins. Strains, or over¬ 
exertion of a part, may cause an afflux of blood into them and lead 
to their distention; standing occupations favor the gravitation of 
blood to the lower extremities; and further, the length of a vein 
may lead to its undue distention in consequence of the long column 
of blood it contains. Obstacles to the return of venous blood are 
such as tight garters or stays, a tumor, or the pregnant womb. 

Remedies —1. The witch-hazel (Hamamelis Virginica), 
administered internally, and applied externally as a lotion, a com¬ 
press, covered with oil-silk, and a well applied bandage, an elastic 
stocking knitted to measure and fitting closely, are often specific. 
Lotion: One part of the strong tincture, to six parts of water. 
Dose, one teaspoonful of tincture every two to four hours, accord¬ 
ing to the severity of the symptoms. This is one of the best cura¬ 
tive means in this difficulty. 

2. For the engorged or feeble state of the veins, use a wash 
of alum-water, or an infusion of white oak bark. When both can 
be procured, use them combined. 

Varicose Ulcers —Their treatment is the same as that of 
ulcers generally, with the exception of the following directions: 



ERYSIPELAS. 


153 


Should a vein burst, excessive hemorrhage may suddenly take place, 
inducing fainting, or even death. The patient should be immedi- 
ately placed flat on the floor, and the leg raised, when the hemor¬ 
rhage generally ceases. A compress and bandage should then be 
applied to prevent subsequent bleeding. Excoriations or tender 
spots about varicose veins should have early attention, to obviate 
the formation of ulcers. 

The suppuration or discharge, in this as in other complaints, 
may be checked by freely drinking of cliamomile-tea. The power 
to control suppuration has been discovered as belonging to chamo¬ 
mile flowers. 

Accessory Treatment —Moderate compression by accur¬ 
ately fitting bandages or laced stockings, so as to afford that support 
to the blood which the valves can no longer give, and to prevent 
increased distention. The pressure should be very gentle and 
uniform, and be applied in the morning, before the patient puts his 
foot to the floor, and maintained until he retires to bed. Should 
only a small portion of a vein be enlarged, a piece of strapping- 
plaster may afford the requisite support. Prolonged exercise or 
standing should be abstained from, and after taking moderate ex¬ 
ercise, the limb should be raised, and maintained in a horizontal 
posture. Standing is more unfavorable than walking. The leg 
should be well washed, gnd rubbed quite dry every morning. 

In place of the laced stocking, mentioned above, the following 
may be employed: 

A strip of muslin, two or three inches wide, and long enough 
to wrap the foot and leg from the toes to the knee, or to a point 
above the swelling, may be used as a bandage, or means of com¬ 
pression. Begin at the toes, and wind round the foot and leg, as 
tightly as can be worn without discomfort, allowing the edges of the 
layers to overlap each other a little. This should be removed twice 
a day that the ulcers may be washed and dressed. 


ERYSIPELAS (St. Anthony’s Fire). 

Causes —Exposure to cold; impaired digestion; wounds, par¬ 
ticularly from dissecting and surgical instruments; badly ventilated 
and over-crowded apartments; certain conditions of the atmosphere; 
and a morbid state of the blood from disease, the habitual use of 
stimulants, etc., and consequent debility. The tendency of this 
disease to attack different parts simultaneously furnishes evidence 
of its origin in a bad condition of the blood. The chief exciting 
cause of erysipelas is a recent wound, and the predisposing cause is 
inattention to the laws of health, combined perhaps with a personal 
or family tendency to the disease. An incautious use of arnica we 
have repeatedly known to occasion an attack. 

Symptoms —Erysipelas is known by a spreading, inflam- 



154 


ERYSIPELAS. 


matory redness of the skin, with considerable puffy swelling, tender¬ 
ness, burning, painful tingling and tension. The color varies from 
a faint-red to a dark-red or purplish color, becoming white under 
pressure, but resuming its former color on the removal of the pres¬ 
sure. An attack is usually ushered in with shivering, languor, 
headache, nausea, bilious vomiting, and the ordinary symptoms of 
inflammatory fever, accompanied or followed by inflammation of 
the part affected. When erysipelas attacks the face, it nearly always 
commences at the side of the nose near the angle of the eye. 

Remedies —Applications, externally used, should always be 
put on warm, whatever form the disease may assume. This may be 
done by poultices, or cloths wrung out of hot water. Cold applica¬ 
tions should never be made, as they interfere with the free circula¬ 
tion of the blood, and the nutrition of the part, and they always 
increase, rather than diminish, the extent and severity of the 
disease. 

1. To one gill of brandy, add the juice of two lemons. Keep 
the affected parts well moistened with this until the inflammation is 
allayed. The administration of this remedy has been attended with 
marked success in the treatment of this disease. 

2. Ordinary white beans are a sovereign remedy for erysipelas, 
and in many cases are all that is required to effect a cure. They 
are applied in the form of a soft poultice, by first boiling them. 
Poultices of all kinds, for this disease, should be kept constantly 
applied and frequently changed. As simple as this remed // appears 
to be , it has produced many surprising and unexpected cures. 
And if taken in time , is almost infallible. 

3. A simple poultice made of raw cranberries, pounded fine, 
and applied in a raw state, has proved an effective remedy. 

4. Dr. M. Curtis, of Oakland, Cal., gives the following simple 
application: Mix corn-meal with bay-rum; apply in the form of a 
large poultice, and change as often as it becomes dry. Continue the 
use of this application until the disease is relieved. He says, u This 
is the best remedy I have found in my practice.” 

5. Dissolve a tablespoonful of sulphate of soda in a pint of 
hot water, and apply on cloth constantly to the part. 1 have used 
this with the best of success in my practice.— Dr. Watson. 

6. When erysipelas arises from a wound, carrots boiled, mashed 
and applied hot, is one of the best external remedies in use. A fresh 
poultice should be applied three or four times a day, until the 
inflammation is allayed. 

Diet —The diet should be light, nothing more than gruel, rice, 
toasted bread and cracker, until the fever has abated and there is a 
return of appetite, when it may be gradually made more nourishing. 
In a malignant attack, if the vital forces seem to be giving way, it 
may be necessary to resort to beef-tea or mutton-broth. 

Sweets, as preserves, candies, etc., raw fruits and vegetables, 
fish, veal-broths, lemonade or other causes of acidity, should not be 


INFLAMMATION OF THE EYES. 


155 


used. Milk is an improper article in all erysipelous cases, owing 
to the existing disposition of the stomach to acidity. 


SORE EYES, OR INFLAMMATION OF THE EYES. 

The most common causes of sore eyes are external injuries, such 
as blows, bruises or other wounds on or about the eye; foreign 
bodies getting under the eye-lids; some of the eyedashes growing 
too near the inner edges of the lids, or the ends turning inward and 
irritating the eyes; exposure to cold; intemperance in drinking, 
reading or performing any kind of work requiring close attention of 
the eyes by candle-light. It also occasionally takes place from 
contagion, and often prevails as an epidemic. 

Inflammation of the eyes often comes on with a sensation as if 
sand had got into the eye. In some instances this complaint pro¬ 
ceeds no further, but gradually goes off. But at other times it is 
followed by heat, redness and pricking, with darting pains. 

Remedies — 1 . The juice of the common grape-vine, used as 
an eye-water, two or three times a day, is one of the best remedies 
in use for some forms of sore eyes. 

2. Chronic Sore Eyes —The malva , or clieese-weed, is very 
effectual, and has often cured when all other means had failed. The 
green herb is to be pounded thoroughly, and then applied in the 
form of a poultice. 

3. Take three tablespoonfuls of fresh lard and one of white 
precipitate; rub them into a salve. Apply it on the outside of the 
lid of the eye, three times a day. This has cured, even after the 
lashes had disappeared in consequence of disease. 

4. A poultice, of ground flax-seed or slippery-elm bark, as 
many people know, is an admirable remedy in this complaint. Use 
the fresh bark when it can be obtained. 

5. Those who have used the following simple remedy, recom¬ 
mend it very highly: When the eyes are inflamed and weak, break 
and pour out an egg, from the shell, and the last drops from the 
shell drop into the eye, and repeat three times a day. In two or 
three days, the inflammation will subside, and the eyes will become 
strong. 

6. Weak salt-water has produced some surprising and unex¬ 
pected cures of chronic sore-eyes, and this, too, in cases which had 
resisted months of treatment of various remedies. It is to be used 
as an eye-water, or wash, four or five times a day. 

Sore Eyes of Newly Born Infants —It is often the case 
that newly born babes have sore eyes, about the third, sixth or 
seventh day after birth. For cases of this kind, take green tea, one- 
half teaspoonful; water, one-half teacupful; boil for four or five 
minutes. Strain. Bathe the eyes with this mixture two or three 
times a day. A drop or two may be put into the eyes after each 
bathing. 



156 


INFLAMMATION OF THE EYES. 


In diseases of the eye, as well as in many others, it is often 
necessary to administer a variety of remedies. For what will cure 
one case, will not always do as much for another. 

A very useful remedy, for infants especially, is tepid milk and 
water, equal parts. Apply to the eyes with a soft linen or cotton 
cloth, four or live times a day. 

The following is given on the authority of Dr. Beach: 

“ I have cured blindness of one or two years’ standing, when 
the disease has depended on inflammation. I have merely ordered 
the feet to be bathed every night, or every other night, for a great 
length of time, and this treatment has recalled the blood from the 
head to the feet and surface, which, of course, lessens the pain and 
inflammation of the head.” 


Chronic Inflammation of the Lids —Mr. Campbell, of 
Mississippi, sends us the following chapter in his domestic experi¬ 
ence, which we give precisely as he furnished it to us, without the 
alteration of a word or phrase: 

“ My little boy, ten years of age, had been troubled from in¬ 
fancy with a scrofulous inflammation of the lids of the eyes, which, 
besides being very painful, seriously impaired his sight. The lashes 
all fell out, and the margins of the lids were swollen and constantly 
covered with ulcerous sores. I had in vain placed him for years 
under the care of the most eminent physicians; he continually grew 
worse. There was Anally recommended to me an 4 old woman’s ’ 
remedy, which I tried, and which has wrought a perfect cure. I 
send it to you for the benefit of any other similar sufferer: 

“ Put a peck of poke-root in ten gallons of. water, and boil 
down to one gallon. Then strain out the pulp, add nine gallons 
more of water, and again boil down to one gallon. Place in a cellar, 
or any other cool place, where it is not likely to sour, and give, of 
this decoction, one-third teacupful, morning and night. Before the 
medicine is exhausted, the cure will be effected, if it works in other 
cases as in mine. Of course, the evaporation by boiling of the 
nineteen gallons of water, is for the simple purpose of neutralizing, 
or weakening, by evaporation, the poisonous properties of the poke- 
root.” 


To Remove Films From the Eye —When films first 
begin to form on the eye, they can often be removed by hen’s oil. 
Apply it, three times a day to the film, with a camel’s hair pencil. 
Then hold away the lids for a short time, with the thumb and fore¬ 
finger. But you will have a still surer and better preparation by 
bruising and stewing a quantity of wintergreen leaves in the hen’s 
oil, enough to make it strong of the wintergreen; then strain before 
applying. 

The following is also highly recommended. To one-half pint 
of lime-water, add one-fourth ounce of verdigris; steep for an hour; 
strain and bottle tightly for u^e. Touch the film over the pupil, or 


INFLAMMATION OF THE EYES. 


157 


speck, with a brush, as before directed. Sometimes it will require 
two months to effect the cure. 

White vitriol,.2 grains, 

Borax,.20 grains. 

Water,.4 tablespoonfuls. 

Put a few drops in the eyes night and morning. This remedy is 
used by many of the leading oculists. 

A New Remedy for Sore Eyes —Raw beefs liver has 
recently been found to be one of the best remedies for inflammatory 
sore eyes. General Buell states that he was afflicted with sore 
eyes; finally he became totally blind , and so remained for eight 
months . While thus afflicted he was treated by the best oculists in 
the United States—two of them residents of New York City—but 
all to no effect. After they pronounced his case incurable he went 
to Austin , Texas , where an old lady cured him with raw beefs 
liver in fifteen days. It was bound on the eyes when going to 
bed at night. 





DIVISION FOURTH. 


GENERAL DISEASES CONTINUED-FEVERS. 


TYPHUS, OR NERVOUS FEVER. 


The slow or nervous fever is distinguished from other kinds of 
fever by its effects on the nervous system. It is a peculiar form of 
fever, which may be spread by contagion, characterized by a torpid 
state of the brain or great lethargy, with great prostration of 
muscular power, and more or less delirium. It principally attacks 
those of a weakly constitution, and is generated in jails, hospitals, 
prison-ships and illy-ventilated apartments of the poor, and in damp, 
dirty cellars, in cities and large towns. In a number of persons ex¬ 
posed to the contagion of typhus, some, although rarely, are 
attacked on the third or fourth day; others on the thirteenth; and 
some not under three months; but the most common period of an 
attack after an exposure is, from the end of the first week to the 
middle of the third. 

Causes —Typhus fever may be produced by whatever de¬ 
presses the spirits or impoverishes the blood; by certain passions, 
watching, intense study, the use of poor diet or unripe fruits of 
any description, moist, close or impure air. Hence it is more 
prevalent in wet weather, and proves most fatal to those who live 
in small, filthy houses, narrow and dirty streets, hospitals, jails, and 
manufacturing or large towns. It generally attacks those who lead 
an irregular and licentious life, or whose constitutions have been 
broken from free indulgence in exhausting excesses. It is occa¬ 
sioned by sudden transition from heat to cold, getting the feet or 
clothes wet, lying upon damp ground, great fatigue or bodily 
exercise. These are all predisposing causes; but the most frequent 
of all is infection or contagion communicated through the medium 
of an impure or heated air, by concentrated noxious effluvia arising 
from the body of a person laboring under the disease; and although 
it may not be contagious in the commencement, or under proper 
regulations, yet it may become so from the want of ventilation, 
treatment, etc. Other fevers, as before intimated, sometimes de¬ 
generate into typhus. This fever occurs sometimes in warm 
climates, but more generally in those that are cold and temperate; 
often in cold, wet autumns. 





TYPHUS, OR NERVOUS FEVER. 159 

Symptoms —Typhus fever usually commences with a great 
degree of mildness in all its symptoms. It is generally preceded 
by slight indisposition for several days, succeeded by rigors or chills, 
debility, sighing and oppression in breathing, with nausea and loss 
of appetite; with a certain unpleasant, uneasy sensation in the pit 
of the stomach. The countenance is pale and dejected, the eyes 
are dull and heavy, and there are often tremor of the extremities 
and a sense of weariness, both mental and corporeal. Towards 
evening there is some increase of these symptoms. In the course 
of a few days, as the disease progresses, there are oppression in the 
chest, pain in the head, giddiness, lassitude, want of strength, 
weariness, mental powers slow to act, confusion of ideas, confusion 
of intellect and great depression of nervous energy. There is 
sometimes a sinking or fainting, particularly when the patient 
attempts to sit up; the tongue is dry, at first white, and afterwards 
coated with a dark-brown fur; also the teeth are incrusted with the 
same, yet the patient seldom complains of thirst. There is a small, 
low, frequent and irregular pulse; a cold, unnatural and clammy 
perspiration breaks out upon the backs of the hands, while the 
inside of them is hot; the skin is dry and constricted, and all the 
excretions diminish; the bowels are usually costive; the intellect 
grows more confused; the patient becomes fretful, restless and 
watchful; the countenance more anxious and dejected; urine scanty 
and high-colored, sometimes there are catarrhal symptoms, with a 
short, dry cough; there is pain in the back, loins and extremities, 
with a sense of soreness over the whole body; sleep disturbed and 
unrefreshing; the functions of the brain become more and more 
disordered; there is more or less deafness; delirium approaches; 
indeed, body and mind seem, as it were, almost paralyzed. The 
patient has a great aversion to exercise, as well as to conversation. 
This stage of excitement generally continues about a week, when it 
terminates in a stage of prostration or great debility. The inflam¬ 
matory symptoms subside, and a great weakness and sinking ensue. 
The body emaciates rapidly, and if the disease is suffered to 
progress, it daily assumes more formidable and unfavorable symp¬ 
toms ; there is a fluttering, very weak and intermitting pulse, with 
startings of the tendons, hiccoughs, etc. There are also, in violent 
cases, some eruptions on the surface, a peculiar hollow sound of 
the voice, and a swelling and tenderness of the bowels. The later 
stages of fever are also attended with diarrhea, the discharges being 
very offensive, watery and acrid. There is also, generally, so much 
lethargy that it is with difficulty the patient can be aroused. 

There is sometimes one very prominent symptom in this com¬ 
plaint; this is, a very unequal circulation of the blood. It is com¬ 
mon for the temperature of one part of the body to be about natural, 
while another part is unnatural. Again, it is very remarkable that, 
in the middle and latter stages of the complaint, the whole force of 


160 


TYPHUS, OR NERVOUS FEVER. 


the disease is apparently withdrawn from every other part, except 
the nervous system. 

This fever frequently continues for some weeks, and terminates 
in such a state of prostration as to prove fatal; or, it degenerates 
into a malignant type; but when it terminates favorably, it generally 
subsides about the fourteenth or fifteenth day, by diarrhea, or by 
perspiration, diffused ever the whole body. It often, however, con¬ 
tinues thirty or forty days, and finally subsides without any evident 
crisis. 

The symptoms of typhus fever may be summed up in a few 
paragraphs. 

1. Great prostration of strength. 

2. Great alteration in the blood and other fluids of the 
system. 

3. A morbid state of the digestive organs, occuring as second¬ 
ary symptoms and not as primary. 

4. Agitation, anxiety, loss of sleep and delirium; spasms in 
various parts of the body; respiration hurried, sometimes with 
cough and bloody expectorations; lips dry and parched; gums red 
and dry and covered with mucus; teeth crusted; tongue generally 
swelled and stiff; great lethargy; quick, small and irregular pulse; 
thirst, nausea and vomiting. The passages from the bowels are 
very unhealthy, have a bad odor and are sometimes bloody; there 
is flatulence and sometimes swelling of the abdomen. 

Remedies—It is a question whether typhus can ever be cut 
short, or the definite course of the disease altered by the adminis- 
stration of remedies. Some contend that it may be broken up in 
the first stage; others believe that the disease must have its course. 
However, our experience amply proves that in the great majority of 
cases the violence of the symptoms can be held in check, its severity 
very much mitigated, the patient’s comfort greatly promoted and 
convalescence hastened, by judicious treatment. 

1. The oil of turpentine has long been a favorite form of treat¬ 
ment in this disease, particularly when the tongue is dry and the ab¬ 
domen is swollen by the presence of gas. A good mode of admin¬ 
istering it is, to add one teaspoonful to a half-teacupful of gum- 
Arabic water, and of this give one teaspoonful every four hours. It 
should be sweetened with loaf or white sugar. 

2. When nervous symptoms appear, give the following: Infuse 
one ounce each of chamomile-flowers and lady’s slipper in one pint 
of water, and give to the patient two teaspoonfuls every three or 
four hours, increasing the dose if necessary. 

3. The best results are claimed, and would appear to follow, 
in the latter stages, from the use of some of the mineral acids, for 
instance say elixir-vitriol, most especially is this indicated if the 
sweating is profuse, add ten drops of this do half a tumblerful of 
water, and of this give one teaspoonful at a dose, and repeat every 
four hours. If the acids mentioned can not be obtained, take a pint 


TYPHUS, OR NERVOUS FEVER. 


161 


of hard cider and let the patient drink a wineglassful every two 
hours until the whole is taken. After the lapse of a few hours take 
another pint in the same manner. 

When putrid symptoms appear, such as foul breath and fetid 
discharges, offensive perspiration and general sinking of the vital 
powers, give a tablespoonful of yeast mixed with a teaspoonful to 
pulverized charcoal every hour or two throughout the day. 

If, from any cause, the yeast is not given, charcoal may be used 
in an infusion, made by steeping three ounces of elm-bark and half 
an ounce of wild-indigo root, in four pints of water. Of this, two 
tablespoonfuls, with a teaspoonful of the charcoal added, are a dose. 

Accessory Treatment —A most powerful and valuable 
remedy is bathing in cold water: If the water is hard add to it a 
little borax or washing soda. The earlier it is used the better; but, 
in advanced stages, sponging the body will be safer. Both modes 
are refreshing to the patient, and generally cause an abatement of 
fever. Bathing with cold water may be practiced at any hour of 
the day, when there is no sense of chilliness, or when the heat of the 
body is unnaturally great. When the fever is high, a wet sheet 
pack is the best way to reduce it. Wring a sheet out of cold water, and 
wrap the patient up in it. Repeat this twice or three times a day. 

During the cold stage, while there is much sense of chilliness, 
or if there is much perspiration, avoid the cold bath, for it is dan¬ 
gerous. In some cases, where the delicacy of the system forbids 
the use of cold water, a tepid bath may be substituted. Affections 
of the brain, attended by stupor and delirium, will generally be re¬ 
lieved by often bathing the temples with cold vinegar and water, 
laying cold pledges upon the forehead; ice bladders may be used if 
convenient. 

Should there be any unusual coldness in the lower extremities, 
the warm bath should be used immediately, or some warm external 
applications, as mustard plasters, etc., in order to restore the circu¬ 
lation. The bath will be improved in such cases, by throwing in 
salt freely, and the patient should remain in it till his skin becomes 
warm. After this he should be rubbed dry, and warmed flannels 
and bottles of hot water should be applied to his feet, legs and under 
the arm-pits. 

When sleep has been disturbed by a disordered nervous system, 
or jerking of the nerves, three grains of camphor, dissolved in a 
wineglassful of water, is an admirable remedy. This dose may be 
given every two hours, until the spirits are composed and sleep in¬ 
duced. 

If the patient has diarrhea, lime-water is a good remedy, so 
also is blackberry tea. 

The points of greatest importance may be briefly summed up 
as follows: The patient should be placed in a large, or at least in a 
well-ventilated room, so as to secure a continuous and ample sup¬ 
ply of fresh air. Cases occurring in close, crowded rooms, in which 

n 


162 


TYPHUS, OK NERVOUS FEVEK. 


this prime hygienic condition cannot be secured, should be remov¬ 
ed to a suitable place. There should be frequent changes of per¬ 
sonal and bed-linen, and changes of posture to avoid congestion and 
bed-sores. Directly there is the least indication of a bed-sore, the 
part should be coated over with a layer of flexible collodion or soft 
mutton tallow. Food or beverages should be given in small quan¬ 
tities at regular and frequent intervals, including water, milk and- 
water, tea, broth and beef-tea. It is extremely important that, from 
the first, nourishment should be given regularly and persistently. 
The tendency to death is by asthenia, or weakness; and, keeping that 
in mind, the patient should be frequently supplied with small quan¬ 
tities of very nutritious food. In some cases in which the patients 
obstinately refuse all food, or are unable to swallow, life is often 
saved by nutritious or stimulating injections. Quiet should be se¬ 
cured in noisy streets, by stuffing the ears with cotton-wool; clean¬ 
liness; sponging the whole surface of the body and carefully drying 
at least once a day; and intelligent and unremitting watching. 
There are some simple remedies, in this disease, that doubtless do 
good, but the destruction of human life that has taken place in con¬ 
sequence of strong medicine administered, makes it apparent that it 
would have been better had none been given. 

Proper Nursing 1 is the “ saving ordinance” in typhus fever; 
but it is not such nursing as is usually given to patients by the 
would-be nurses who assume the management of them. Then let 
the nurse be one who is true, well-tried, and who properly under¬ 
stands the business and above all has good common sense and the 
nerve to apply it in practice. 

Diet —The diet, when the fever begins to decline, should be 
nutritious. The first precaution is to separate the sick from the 
healthy, and thus cut off the intercourse between them. Purify 
both beds and the clothes from every particle of filth; the chambers 
must be often fumigated with good, sharp vinegar, or the burning 
of tar. Use every possible and practical means to disinfect and de¬ 
stroy the odors which doubtless carry in them the poisonous infec¬ 
tious germs which are certain to convey the contagion to others. 

On the first appearance of typhus, or any infectious disorder, 
great cleanliness should be observed, the rooms should be freely 
ventilated, and the floors washed frequently with strong soapsuds, 
and wiped as dry as possible. 

As a purifier, the chloride of lime is among the best, and may 
be bought at any drug store. 

Preventives —As disinfectants, fresh air, efficient ventilation, 
and cleanliness are of paramount importance. Use as additional 
means for avoiding contagion, but by no means as substitutes, white¬ 
washing with quick-lime, washing the wood-work with soap and 
water, re-papering infected rooms, cleansing the linen in water to 
which chloride of lime has been added, and the use of carbolic acid 
in the water employed in sponging the patient—five drops of pure 


TYPHOID FEVER. 


163 


acid to a quart of water. Without cleanliness and fresh air, vine¬ 
gar, camphor and other so-called preventatives are useless, and only 
disguise noxious vapors. Persons in attendance on the sick should 
especially avoid the breath and exhalations which arise on turning 
down the bed-clothes, as there is reason to believe that the poison of 
typhus is mainly thrown off by the lungs and the skin. 


TYPHOID FEVER. 

This fever generally commences more gradually, is slower in 
progress and longer in duration than typhus. In the former, the 
bowels are constipated; but in the latter there is disposition to 
diarrhea, with soreness in the bowels on the left side of the abdomen; 
though these are not always present. Diarrhea may precede the 
fever symptoms, begin with them, or set in during the latter stage 
of the disease. The common duration of typhoid fever is about 
ten days, though it may last fourteen, or linger through four or five 
weeks, if not arrested by proper treatment. 

Symptoms- —This disease often comes on with a chill, fol¬ 
lowed by fever, though it sometimes comes on so gradually and in¬ 
sidiously that it is hard to fix the exact time of its beginning. The 
patient feels weary, has a slight but ever increasing headache, soreness 
of the limbs, and is generally indisposed to muscular exertion. The 
body is hot, and the extremities cool. If the attack is severe, there are 
painful headache, deafness, delirium, cold extremities, burning heat 
of the body, frequent and small pulse and, during the later stages, 
dry tongue, filthy sordes accumulate on the teeth, offensive breath and 
twitching of the tendons. There is the same tendency to hemor¬ 
rhage from the nasal structure, the mouth, throat and anus—any 
epithelial surface—as in typhus fever. Inflammation of the air- 
passages often occasions a troublesome cough; and a similar irrita¬ 
tion of the stomach causes vomiting. For the symptoms which 
indicate a fatal tendency, see “Typhus Fever.” 

Causes —The predisposing causes of this fever are all those 
things which greatly depress the vital powers of the system; and we 
might say, truly, that no one can have it in its primary form, unless 
he is of naturally feeble vitality, or under the powerful influence of 
some cause that produces great depression at or immediately pre¬ 
ceding the time of exposure. If any cause, acting upon the system, 
is very intense, the disease may be rapidly developed. Animal 
matter, in a state of decomposition, is one of the principal exciting 
causes. Prof. Liebig, says, “An animal substance, in the act of de¬ 
composition, or a substance generated from the component parts 
of a living body by disease, communicates its own condition to all 
parts of the system capable of entering into the same state, if no 
cause exists in these parts by which the change is counteracted or 
destroyed. Leachings of human excrement may also be regarded as 



164 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TYPHUS AND TYPHOID FEVER. 

a prolific source of cause; leacliings from the privy vault or stable, 
water taken from streams polluted by sewage, are also truly 
claimed as causes.” 

This fever may be epidemic, and the condition of the atmos¬ 
phere, as to moisture and temperature, w r ill determine the rate of its 
propagation. That the disease is contagious, in certain conditions, 
few will deny. From a person in low, typhoid fever, there is con¬ 
stantly given off, both in the excretions and from the lungs, matter 
in a state of decomposition; and if proper attention be not paid to 
ventilation and cleanliness, this matter will give rise to the same 
form of fever in all who come within their reach and are predis¬ 
posed to disease. 

There are still other causes, such as surface-wells which are 
supplied with water filtered through cess-pools or adjacent church¬ 
yards, the nitrates of the soil imparting to the water deceptive, 
sparkling and pleasant qualities; the connecting of drinking-water 
cisterns with water-closet pipe, or the sewer by a water-pipe , which 
also serves as an air-shaft by which the sewer gases rise into, and 
are dissolved by, the water which we are about to drink; the pollu¬ 
tion of the air of our houses by sewerage products through open¬ 
ings delusively “trapped,” or rather untrapped, which “trap ” the 
poisons in the house and bodies of those who dwell therein, but 
which pour their gases slowly into our chambers, which, by the 
rarefaction of the atmosphere, in winter especially, suck them in 
with great force. Extra fires and lights in the winter season, when 
outer doors and windows are closed, form a sort of a pump, lessen¬ 
ing the pressure upon the water-traps or the house drain, and bring 
up the products of decomposition from the sewers. We too readily 
take for granted that the traps are air-tight and do not allow the 
gases to find ingress to our apartments. How long will our law 
makers permit poor humanity to suffer sickness and death, ere sani¬ 
tary regulations will be made, enforcing a proper observance of 
health rules in house building? 


DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TYPHUS AND TYPHOID 

FEVER. 


TYPHOID. 

1. Age, generally from eigh¬ 
teen to thirty-five. 

2. Not directly contagious; 
often sporadic. 

3. Attack insidious, slow and 
almost imperceptible. 


TYPHUS. 

1. At all ages, often in per¬ 
sons beyond midle life. 

2. Highly contagious; gen¬ 
erally epidemic. 

3. Attack generally sudden; 
no lengthened proclamation (or 
foreshadowed). 



DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TYPIIUS AND TYPHOID FEVER. 165 


4. Duration may be three 
weeks, often longer. 

5. Death seldom before the 
end of the second week, more 
generally after the third week. 

6. Brain symptoms come on 
gradually. 


7. Great emaciation. 

8. Face pale; if flushed, con¬ 
fined to cheeks. 

9. Skin hot; sometimes cov¬ 
ered with acid perspiration. 

10. Abdominal symptoms; 
such as diarrhea, tympanites; in¬ 
testinal hemmorhage not unus¬ 
ual. 

11. Epistaxis (nose bleed) 
common. 

12. Bronchial symptoms; 
sometimes pleurisy. 

13. Eruption, light red, and 
not on extremities. 

14. The evening temperature 
is mostly higher than that of 
the morning. 

15. A high temperature is 
frequently accompanied by a 
slightly accelerated pulse—occas¬ 
ionally it is slower than normal. 


4. Duration; often not be¬ 
yond the second week. 

5. Death not unfrequent dur¬ 
ing the first week, often during 
the second. 

6. Delirium or decided stu¬ 
por appear soon, sometimes at 
the outset; existing headache 
disappears from ninth to tenth 
day. 


7. Less emaciation; great 
prostration. 

8. Face deeply flushed of 
purplish hue; eyes injected. 

9. Skin of pungent heat; 
sometimes emitting an ammoni- 
acal odor. 

10. No abdominal symptoms; 
bowels constipated; no intes¬ 
tinal hemorrhage; sometimes 
acute dysentery during convales¬ 
cence. 


11. No expistaxis. 


12. Pneumonia or marked 
congestion of the lungs. 

13. Eruptions darker and all 
over the body. 

14. The evening temperature 
is lower frequently than that of 
the morning. 

15. The rule is a high temper¬ 
ature, a high pulse. 


Remedies —Wild indigo (Bajptisia Tinctoria ) has given 
excellent results in this disease; and it is especially effective when 
there is foulness of the tongue. Infuse the bark of the root, for 
half an hour, in warm water, and give one tablespoonful every four 
hours. Of the tincture, five drops may be added to four table¬ 
spoonfuls of water, and given in teaspoonful doses, every two hours. 

In speaking of this remedy, Prof. J. M. Scudder, one of the 
leading lights of the United States, in the Eclectic Medical School, 
says, “ It will cure typhoid fever, typhoid dysentery, typhoid pneu¬ 
monia, typhoid sore throat, typho-malarial fever, or, indeed, typhoid 
anything.” 

Yeast has been employed in this disease, and with good success. 


166 


TYPHOID FEVER. 


It is prepared for use in tlie following manner: To half a pint, add 
one teacupful of mucilage, made by putting one teaspoonful of 
gum-Arabic or of tlax-seed in a teacupful of water, together with 
thirty or forty drops of the spirits of camphor. Mix well, and give 
in tablespoonful doses, every four hours. This will arrest the 
tendency to putrefaction, or disease of the contents of the bowels, 
and the consequent symptoms of black tongue, and of small putrid 
spots on the surface of the skin—these being more effectually re¬ 
moved by it than by any other means. 

As to purgatives, they are seldom required, and should there be 
accumulations in the bowels, it will be the better plan to remove 
them by injections; for, from the great tendency to diarrhea, from 
the use of physic, it will be safer to risk the drawbacks which may 
arise from intestinal accumulations than to cause purgation. 

For the diarrhea, which is apt to supervene in typhoid fever, 
the juice of ripe blackberries, given in doses of three or four table¬ 
spoonfuls, every three or four hours, is very effective. If there is 
hemorrhage of the bowels, which is apt to occur the third week, oil 
of erigeron in three drop doses every two hours, until five doses are 
taken, and an injection of charcoal and water will check it. 

For the pain and swelling of the abdomen, fomentations of hops, 
lobelia or tansy should be applied over the abdomen, frequently 
renewing them, not permitting them to remain on when cool, and 
they should not be made so wet as to dampen the bed. Oil of 
turpentine added to them, a teaspoonful or two, will be found very 
advantageous in inanv instances. These fomentations must be con- 
tinued until pressure can be made upon the parts without causing 
pain or tenderness, or until the stage of prostration comes on, when 
they must be dispensed with. 

The patient should never be allowed to stool or urinate in the 
erect position, as long as there is any inflammation or pain or 
tension of the bowels; a bed-pan must be made use of for these 
purposes. 

Accessory Treatment —Strong medicine has slain its 
thousands in this disease; but there are some simple remedies that, 
when properly administered, are effective; yet the great dependence 
should be in the accessory treatment, and in proper nursing. 

The patient should, if possible, be placed in a large, well- 
ventilated apartment, provided with a window, door and fireplace, so 
contrived as to allow of an uninterrupted admission of fresh air and 
free escape of tainted air. A blazing fire also assists ventilation. 
The room should be divested of carpets, bed-hangings and all 
unnecessary furniture. A second bed or convenient couch should be 
provided, so that, by removing the patient to it for a few hours every 
day, the fever-atmosphere around his body may be changed. The 
light from the window may be subdued, and noise and unnecessary 
talking forbidden. 


TYPHOID FEVER. 


167 


The patient should be but little disturbed, and enjoy complete 
physical and mental rest during the whole course of the disease. 

The body and bed-linen, including the blankets, should be 
changed daily, and all matters discharged from the patient imme¬ 
diately removed. The mouth should be frequently wiped out with 
a soft, wet towel, to remove the impurities which gather there in 
severe forms of fever. The water may contain a little perfumed 
carbolic acid. The patient’s body should be sponged over as com¬ 
pletely as possible at suitable intervals with tepid or cold water, as 
may be most agreeable to his feelings, and quickly dried with a soft 
towel. . If necessary, sponge limb by limb, to avoid fatigue. 
Carbolic acid may be added to the water, three or four drops of the 
pure acid to a quart of water. -Sponging the whole surface of the 
body with cold or tepid, soft or “ broken ” water should never be 
omitted in fever; it reduces the excessive heat, soothes the uneasy 
sensations, and is indispensable in maintaining that cleanliness 
which is so desirable in the sick-room. Water thus applied acts as 
a tonic, giving tone to the relaxed capillaries, in which the morbid 
action goes on. Frequent washing with soap and water also tends 
to prevent bed-sores, by keeping the skin in a healthy condition. If 
bed-sores have formed, they should be protected by arnica or 
calendula-plaster, or mutton tallow, which may be had at drug¬ 
stores. 

As soon as it is determined that the patient has the typhoid 
fever, the hair should be shingled. 

During the early course of the fever, the wet pack is an 
invaluable application, and tends to give a mild character to the 
disease, when properly administered. 

Beverages —At the commencement of the fever, pure water, 
toast and-water, gum-water slightly sweetened (one ounce of gum- 
Arabic, half an ounce of loaf-sugar, one pint of hot water), barley- 
water, lemonade or soda-water, is nearly all that is necessary. Cold 
water is an agent of supreme importance. It lowers the excessive 
temperature, and proves a valuable adjunct to the medicines pre¬ 
scribed. 

Patients are often unable to swallow or relish nourishment in 
consequence of the dry and parched state of the tongue, when it 
will be found necessary to soften the mucous lining by putting a 
little lemon-juice and water, or other acceptable fluid, into the 
mouth a few minutes before food is taken. 

A sheet is wrung out of cold water and placed on the bed. 
The patient is then laid on the sheet, with a proper support for his 
head. Each side of the sheet is then brought over the patient and 
tucked under the opposite side. The legs are well wrapped in, and 
the patient is well covered with blankets. He may remain in the 
pack from ten minutes to an hour. The pack may be repeated 
several times a dav, the freouencv being determined by the rise of 


168 


TYPHOID FEVER. 


temperature. When taken from the pack, the patient is to be wiped 
dry. 

An agreeable but less effectual plan is, cool sponging and 
having the cloths dipped in cold water and laid upon portions of the 
body. 

When there is any tendency to collapse, wet baths should not 
be given. There can be no doubt of a greatly diminished mortality 
by the use of cold baths, the disease pursuing a milder course under 
their use. 

If, in the use of water, the circulation becomes feeble, the skin 
blue or the extremities cold, bottles of hot water should be placed to 
the feet. 

Diet —In either typhoid or typhus fever, where there is no 
. irritation of the mucous membrane of the stomach and bowels, 
manifested by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and pain and tenderness, 
on pressure, over the stomach and bowels, the patient may be 
allowed to eat, from the commencement of the attack, regularly but 
moderately, of light food. If he has taken this from the beginning, 
then, when the stage of great prostration comes, he may, if able, be 
permitted to chew a little beef-steak and swallow the juice, or to 
take, in small quantities, beef-tea; which is made by putting the 
beef into a bottle, placing the bottle in boiling water, and keeping 
it there until the heat extracts the juice, which makes the tea, and 
which may be seasoned to the patient’s taste. But, if the prostra¬ 
tion is not very great, it is better, perhaps, not to resort to animal 
nourishment until the fever has entirely subsided. In all cases 
where there are nausea and vomiting , with diarrhea , and tender¬ 
ness over the right side of the lower abdomen , no nourishment 
should be taken except in a liquid form, and that of the lightest 
articles of food, such as rice-water, toast-water, etc. Solid or animal 
food should not be given, in such cases, until the fever has passed 
off for three or four days, and the patient has a good appetite. This 
stage of nourishment should be reached gradually, by making the 
liquid diet, every day, a little more substantial. You will lose 
nothing by being so careful, as the patient will improve steadily, and 
even rapidly, after the fever leaves him, without solid food. Fatal 
relapses often follow, when animal or other substantial food is given 
too soon, and sufficient variety and sustenance can be obtained 
without any such dangerous risk. 

Of course, as far as possible, the patient should have around 
him only those who are needed to take care of him. 

In reference to milk, Dr. Ilall says, “ In typhoid fever it pro¬ 
motes sleep, checks diarrhea, cools the body, nourishes the system, 
wards off delirium and prepares the way for cure. It will remain 
on the stomach sometimes when nothing else will.” 

Fruit, as a general rule, should not be given in this disease. 

Purifying the Atmosphere of the Room —The gen¬ 
eration of ozone (active oxygen) constantly in the sick-room, is very 


TYPHOID FEVER. 


169 


beneficial. This is best done by a mixture of two parts of per¬ 
manganate of potash and three parts strong sulphuric acid in a 
broad, open vessel. An invigorating equality is imparted to the 
atmosphere of the room, and is especially beneficial when, for any 
reason, the room cannot be freely open. Dry scales of iodine, in a 
chip-basket, hung over the bed, and placed in saucers in different 
parts of the room, are valuable in removing any unpleasant odor in 
the atmosphere. 

Disinfectants —An available disinfectant is carbolic acid; 
a few drops may be put on wetted cloths which are hung up in the 
room. The floor may be occasionally sprinkled with Labarracpie’s 
Solution (chlorinated soda). 

Coffee, dried and pulverized, and a little of it sprinkled upon 
a hot shovel, will, in a few minutes, clear a room of all impure 
effluvia, and especially of an animal character. 

To purify the air from noxious effluvia in sick-rooms, not of a 
contagious character, simply slice three or four onions, place them 
upon a plate upon the floor, changing them three or four times in 
the twenty-four hours. 

Moderation in Food —A distinguished physician observes, 
“Food should only be allowed in great moderation, and never to 
the capacity of the appetite, till the tongue is quite clean and moist, 
and the temperature, pulse and skin have become natural. In 
typhoid fever, and in other conditions in which the bowels have 
been inflamed, this caution is especially necessary during con¬ 
valescence. Solid food should not be given till the temperature of 
the patient in the morning and evening has remained, at least for 
two days, at about the natural point—98-99° FA 

To determine the temperature of the body, place the bulb of 
the thermometer in the armpit, in the groin, or in the mouth. 

The tongue may be moist and clean, and the appetite vigorous, 
but the ulcers yet unhealed. If the thermometer shows an evening 
temperature of about 101° F., with a morning temperature one or 
two degrees lower, solid meat might be sufficient to induce fresh 
irritation of the unhealed ulcer, fatal hemorrhage, or perforation. 
Not until the evening temperature has remained, for at least two 
successive days, below 99° F., can we be certain that the ulcers have 
healed, and that solid food may be allowed without risk. 

Change of Air —The salutary influence of change of climate 
and scene to persons who have suffered from a serious attack of 
fever can scarcely be over-estimated; and if the place or climate be 
intelligently chosen, the happiest results may be anticipated. After 
recovery from a serious attack of fever, the whole man becomes 
changed, and there seems to be a renewal of youth. Nothing gives 
such a beneficial direction to this change, or renders it so perfect, 
as a temporary removal to a suitable climate and locality. We fully 
endorse Dr. Aitken’s statement, No man can be considered as jit 


170 


TYPHOID FEVER. 


for work for three or four months after an attack of severe typhoid 
fever. 

Precautionary Measures —To check the contagion: All 
discharges from fever-patients should be received on their issue 
from the body into vessels containing a concentrated solution of 
chloride of zinc. All tainted bed or body-linen should immediately 
on its removal be placed in water strongly impregnated with the 
same agent. The water-closet should be Hooded several times a day 
with a strong solution of chloride of zinc; and some chloride of 
lime should also be placed there, to serve as a source of chlorine in 
the gaseous form. So long as fever lasts, the water-closets should 
only be used as receptacles for the discharges from the sick, and 
disinfected as directed above. 

Prevention —Architects and builders should provide for the 
ventilation of every house-sewer, by a pipe running up sufficiently 
high, so as to prevent injury to the occupants of the upper stories. 
Where the waste-pipe communicates with the drains, sewer-emana¬ 
tions are absorbed by the water in the cistern, and foul air admitted 
into the dwelling. 

The ventilation of sewers thus becomes a matter of great im¬ 
portance, for, on account of the lightness of sewage-gas, dangerous 
results have been shown to arise where sewers and drains are merely 
trapped, if provision has not been made for its escape at the highest 
outside elevation. In some cases the sewers and house-drains have 
been found in good order and properly trapped; the water, also, was 
pure; the source of mischief being in the absence of outside venti¬ 
lation for the house-drains. It cannot be too forcibly impressed 
upon architects and builders that sewage-traps are useless when the 
gas has reached a certain pressure, for it will force them. But with 
proper, free, open, outside ventilation the communicating house- 
drains can never store in them as much sewer-gas as will suffice to 
force a properly made trap. 

As to the regular flushing of drains which has been recom¬ 
mended, Mr. Chadwick writes, “ Those who talk of drains or sewers 
being good which require to be regularly flushed do not know what 
good drainage is. Good tubular sewers or drains should be so con¬ 
structed that the water will run off and thus be self-cleansing, and 
be always clear of deposit.” 

There is an important fact connected with drainage pointed out 
very clearly and forcibly by Mr. Chadwick to the Council of the 
Society of Arts, viz., that fresh, human excretions are not innocuous 
or harmless. Noxious decomposition begins in about four days in 
the sewer-tank. Then it is, and there it is, in the distant tank or 
sewer of deposit, that danger arises. Stagnant sewage is putrid, 
and kills fish; whereas fresh sewage from self-cleansing drains and 
sewers discharged into rivers, feeds them and augments their num¬ 
bers. Hence the most effectual course is not to combat with the 
gases when produced, but to prevent their production—to prevent 


171 


REMITTENT, OR BILIOUS FEVER. 

the poison-pits and the need of the various materials and services 
for guarding against them. 


REMITTENT OR BILIOUS FEVER. 

By remittent is understood a fever that abates, but does not go 
off entirely before a fresh attack ensues; or, in other words, where 
one paroxysm succeeds the other so quickly that the patient is never 
without some degree of fever. 

This fever is principally induced by the effluvia arising from 
marshes and stagnant waters. In warm climates, where great heat 
and moisture rapidly succeed each other, remittent fevers often 
appear under a highly aggravated form. It appears most apt to 
attack persons of a relaxed habit, those who undergo great fatigue, 
breathe an impure air, and make use of poor and unwholesome 
diet. 

Remittent fever generally comes on with a sense of languor, 
attended by sighing, yawning, and alternate fits of heat and cold. 
The patient then experiences severe pains in the head and back, 
intense heat over the whole body, with thirst; the tongue is white; 
the eyes and skin often appear yellow; nausea and vomiting of 
bilious matter, with a frequent, small pulse. 

After the continuance of these symptoms for a while, the fever 
abates or goes imperfectly off by a gentle moisture diffused partially 
over the body, but returns again in a few hours. 

It often, however, appears in a more aggravated form. The 
fever runs much higher, the face is greatly flushed, the thirst ex¬ 
cessive, the tongue is covered with a dark brown fur, breathing is 
laborious; the pulse is quick and tremulous. After a while another 
short or imperfect remission takes place, but the symptoms again 
return with redoubled violence, and at length destroy the patient. 

Remedies —1. A very important treatment in this disease, 
and one which will often arrest it in its first stage, is the following: 
Take a common-sized tumbler two-thirds full of cold water, and add 
to it ten drops of the tincture of aconite-root; give a teaspoonful 
every half-hour when the fever is highest, and every hour during 
the remission. 

If this treatment is persevered in for a few days, it will gener¬ 
ally prove successful. 

2. From half to a wineglassful of a decoction of the root 
of iron-weed , taken three or four times a day is almost a certain 
cure for bilious fever. 

3. To prevent bilious fever from assuming the typhoid form, 
take a teaspoonful of prepared (willow) charcoal three times a day. 
It may be found in all drug-stores. 

4. The following is also effective for the same purpose: Take, 
of the tincture of wild indigo (Baptism Tinctoria ), ten drops, in a 
tumbler two-thirds full of soft water; stir well. Dose, two tea- 



172 


REMITTENT, OK BILIOUS FEVER. 

spoonfuls every three or four hours for several days in succes¬ 
sion. 

5. Columbo root, as a tea, in this disease, is very valuable; 
it checks the vomiting so frequently an attendant upon this com¬ 
plaint. Put ice, if you can get it, in a bladder or ice bag over the 
pit of the stomach to check vomiting. If you cannot get ice a 
mustard poultice or cold compress. 

6. An old treatment is, give quinine every two hours in three 
grain doses until eighteen grains are taken. On the following day 
repeat, and thus continue for three days. 

Accessory Treatment —Quiet is essential, and any excess 
of noise, heat or strong light should be removed or avoided, as 
these tend to increase the fever. The body linen, and that of the 
bed, should be frequently changed; the chamber should be venti 
lated daily, and sprinkled with vinegar, or purified by the use of 
other disinfecting agents; and the discharges from the bowels of 
the patient should always be immediately removed. The chamber 
of a seriously sick person should be kept entirely free from visitors. 
The physician, nurse and family are the only persons who should 
ever be allowed to enter there. Neglect of this requisition has 
often brought discredit upon the physician and death to his 
patient. 

During convalesence, great prudence must be observed in diet 
and exercise. The food should be light and nutritious and small in 
quantity. Both mental and physical exertion must be moderate, 
though gentle exercise in the open air may be taken as soon as 
strength will permit. 

Bathing: the Surface —Those who are unacquainted with 
the effects of bathing the surface cannot appreciate its value, and 
it therefore must by no means be neglected. 

Rain or spring-water may be used for this purpose, to which 
sufficient lye or washing-soda has been added to render it mucilagi¬ 
nous, or slightly caustic to the tongue. When the heat is very 
great, this may be applied over the whole surface. In general it is 
best to apply it tepid or moderately warm, but in some cases it 
proves more serviceable to apply it quite cold. The manner of using 
it should be as follows: Place the vessel containing the liquid by 
the side of the patient’s bed, then let an assistant or the nurse raise 
the clothes from the body with one hand, and with a piece of flannel 
or sponge, dipped in the liquid, thoroughly rub first one side of the 
surface, from the neck to the feet, with the other. The patient 
must then be turned upon the opposite side, and bathed in the same 
manner. This process is invariably attended with a salutary effect. 
It may be repeated as often as the heat of the system becomes very 
considerable, until a remission or partial remission takes place. 
This process removes the slimy, viscid and perspirable matter 
which is thrown upon the surface, and which assists in obstructing 
the pores of the skin. It removes the tension and spasm of the 


REMITTENT, OR BILIOUS FEVER. 


173 


capillaries by its relaxing properties. It likewise diminishes the 
preternatural heat by the evaporation which takes place. 

This effusion has been found productive of the most decided 
good effects in remittent fevers. This should be employed at the 
height of the paroxysm, when the sensations of heat are violent, 
the headache severe, and the skin dry. The effects to be observed 
from the effusion are, an alleviation of the violent symptoms, a ten¬ 
dency to quiet sleep is soon induced, the skin becomes moist, and a 
distinct remission, frequently a decided intermission follows. 

Various drinks may be given possessing diluent and diaphoretic 
properties, such as infusions of balm, slippery-elm bark, mint and 
catnip; but few articles in the whole materia medica are of more 
essential benefit than cold water. The parched lips, dry mouth, 
intolerable thirst and the great heat of the system, all call loudly 
for the use of this universal diluent liquid, ft may be taken freely 
at all times, except when chills are present. Should it, however, 
produce any uneasiness or fullness of the stomach it must be 
taken in smaller quantities, and repeated oftener. There are an 
infinite number of cases on record where the free use of water in¬ 
ternally and externally have cured fevers in their forming, and even 
advanced stages. 

Dr. A. Atkinson states that a physician, who had practiced 
medicine in Louisiana for forty years, informed him that he had 
found the mucilage or tea of slippery-elm bark a very superior 
remedy for the fevers peculiar to that country (such as bilious and 
others); that he had used little or nothing else for many years; and 
they generally recovered. He thought no person would die of fever 
who could procure slippery-elm. When we reflect that these 
diseases irritate, and often ulcerate, the mucous coat of the intes¬ 
tines, we must see the utility of administering this cooling and 
soothing drink. Nothing so soon reduces inflammation externally, 
and why not internally? 

Lemonade may also be freely drunk as a change, except when 
stimulating medicines are given to produce perspiration. In such 
cases it ought not to be taken, except when very warm. 

Tonics —I have often given tonics in fevers when there was 
some little remission, but have seen little or no effect from them. 
There is one article, however, that may be given with benefit, which 
combines tonic and diaphoretic properties: Take Virginia snake- 
root, and add boiling water; to be given occasionally through the 
day: an infusion of boneset may also be given. 

Having spoken of the general treatment of remittent fever, I 
shall now speak of particular symptoms. 

Headache —There is usually great pain in the head, to relieve 
which the feet must be frequently bathed in warm water, and the 
following plaster applied to them, and also to the nape of the neck: 
Take Indian meal and mustard, equal parts; add warm water suffi¬ 
cient to form a plaster or paste. 


174 


SCARLET FEVER. 


Sickness at the Stomach— This symptom is very common, 
and extremely distressing ; to allay which give an infusion of spear¬ 
mint. Sometimes peppermint given in the same manner proves 
even more serviceable. A mustard plaster, or the same articles 
bruised and mixed with a small quantity of vinegar, and applied 
over the pit or region of the stomach, have proved very effectual.. 

Should not this allay the vomiting, give the neutralizing mix¬ 
ture; or a little saleratus may be dissolved in cold water, and given. 

Local Pains and Congestion —When any particular 
part or organ is very much affected, apply a fomentation of bitter 
herbs. Should these not remove the irritation, a mustard plaster 
may be applied; a little Indian meal to be added, to prevent the 
flesh from becoming excoriated. 

Canker —If there are ulcerous spots in the mouth, or the 
throat is sore, let it be gargled with a decoction of sage and hyssop, 
sweetened with honey, to which add a little powdered borax. 

Cough —Should there be a cough, demulcent and mucilagin¬ 
ous medicines must be given, a decoction of hoarhound sweetened 
with honey, and such as are mentioned under the head of “ Coughs.” 


SCARLET FEVER. 

Children are far more liable to contract this complaint than 
adults, as very few of the latter will have the disease when exposed. 
The interval between the exposure and the attack varies from two 
or three days to three weeks. Patients may have the disease with¬ 
out exposure to those who are sick with it, especially when it is 
prevailing in the neighborhood. 

General Symptoms —Scarlet fever usually commences 
suddenly, with the ordinary forerunners of fever—chills and shiver- 
ings, succeeded by hot skin, nausea, sometimes vomiting, rapid 
pulse, thirst, frontal headache and sore throat. The last named symp¬ 
tom—sore throat—is generally the earliest complained of by the 
patient. In about forty-eight hours after the occurrence of these 
symptoms, the characteristic rash is perceptible, first on the breast, 
from whence it gradually extends to the neck, face, trunk, over the 
great joints and limbs, till the whole body is covered with it. The 
eruption is bright scarlet, and consists of innumerable red points 
or spots, which have been compared to a boiled lobster shell. These 
spots either run together, and diffuse themselves uniformly over the 
skin, or else appear in large, irregular patches in different parts of 
the body. The color of the skin disappears on pressure, but returns 
on its removal. The appearance of the tongue is characteristic; it is 
first coated, the tip and edges are red, the pimples are red and raised; 
afterwards the tongue becomes clean and raw-looking. A diffused 
redness sometimes of a dark claret-color, covers the mouth, etc., 
which disappears as the febrile symptoms and rash subside. On 




SCARLET FEVER. 


175 


about the fifth day the rash generally begins to decline, and entire¬ 
ly disappears by about the eighth or ninth day, leaving the patient 
in a weak condition. The subsequent process of peeling off of the 
cuticle is variable in its duration; it takes place in the form of scurf, 
from the face and trunk; but from the hands and feet large fiakes 
are separated, sometimes coming away entire like a glove or slip¬ 
per. 

Remedies — 1 . A very safe and remarkably sure remedy in 
scarlet fever , is the external use of uncooked old fat bacon , with 
low diet and cooling drink as hereafter given. Of the numerous 
cases in which this remedy has been used in this disease , I know 
of but a single case in winch it failed. It should be used as fol¬ 
lows: The whole surface of the body should be rubbed with the 
bacon twice a day. In severe cases, bind thin slices of it on the 
neck, breast and soles of the feet. Before the first application of the 
bacon is made, wash the whole surface of the body with tepid water. 

2. Dr. Stevens asserts, that he has used the “ cayenne gargle,” 
in about four hundred cases of scarlet fever, with almost uniform 
success. Now, if this were used in connection with the foregoing 
remedy, this dreaded disease would be effectually mastered. This 
gargle is prepared as follows: One teaspoonful of cayenne pepper, 
two teaspoonfuls of salt, and half a pint of boiling water; strain, and 
add half a pint of good vinegar. When cold, give a teaspoonful 
every hour to an adult, reducing the dose in proportion to age. 
Frequently gargle the throat with the same mixture. 

3. The following remedy is published by the Academy of 
Medicine of Paris, and pronounced a never-failing cure for this dis¬ 
ease This is the prescription: 

“ Take, of 

Sulphate of zinc.1 grain. 

Fox-glove (. Digitalis ). .1 grain. 

Sugar.i teaspoonful. 

Mix with two tablespoonfuls of water. When mixed, add four 
ounces (eight tablespoonfuls) of water, and take a tablespoonful 
every hour. The disease will abate in twelve hours. For a child, 
smaller doses, according to age.” (See “ Table of Doses for Chil¬ 
dren.”) With this treatment, we have known the disease to disap¬ 
pear in less than twenty-four hours, and have not known a single 
failure in effecting a speedy cure. It is likewise effective in small¬ 
pox. 

4. The following is from Dr. W. Field, of Wilmington, Dela¬ 
ware, who says that he has had much experience in the cure of 
scarlet fever,'of the most malignant type, and that it will cure a large 
majority of cases of this disease without calling a physician: For 
adults, give one tablespoonful of brewers’ yeast in three tablespoon¬ 
fuls of sweetened water, three times a day; and, if the throat is much 
swmllen, gargle with yeast and apply it to the throat as a poultice, 





176 


SCARLET FEVER. 


mixed with Indian meal. Use plenty of catnip tea, to keep the 
eruption out, for several days. 

5. Dr. Henry Pigeon, an eminent physician, writes to the 
London Lancet, a leading medical journal, as follows: “The mar¬ 
velous success which has attended my treatment of scarlet fever by 
sulphur induces me to let my brethren know of the plan that they 
may apply the same without delay. All the cases in which I used 
it were well marked, and the epidermis on the arms in each case 
came away like the skin of a snake. The following was the exact 
treatment in each case: Thoroughly annoint the patient twice daily 
with sulphur ointment, and give live to ten grains of sulphur in a 
little jam three times a day. Sufficient sulphur was burned twice a 
day (on coals of fire on a shovel) to fill the room with the fumes, 
and, of course, was thoroughly inhaled by the patient. Under this 
mode of treatment each case improved immediately, and none were 
over eight days in making a complete recovery.” 

At any time, during the treatment of scarlet fever, should the 
putrid symptoms continue (the throat remaining of a dark purple 
color), gargle it frequently with yeast. It must be mixed with milk 
and a little honey added. 

If suppression of urine occurs, give a strong tea or infusion of 
spearmint, with a little spirits of nitre or a watermelon seed 
tea and apply hops and vinegar, simmered together, over the region 
of the bladder. 

Mortification —The face and inside of the mouth sometimes 
mortify in scarlet fever. When this is the case, apply a yeast-poul¬ 
tice over the part, and let the mouth be gargled with it; or apply it 
to the parts in the best manner possible. 

Dr. Ludlam says, “ I find diluted acetic acid—one part of the 
acid to twelve parts of water—the best wash for the mouth and 
throat. It tends to remove the deposits which form on the mucous 
membrane, and is eminently antiseptic.” 

Accessory Treatment —The patient should be placed in a 
separate room which can be so ventilated as to secure a copious and 
continual supply of fresh air; for the one means above all others 
which mitigates the virulence and infectiveness of scarlet fever is 
ventilation. The room should be as free from furniture as possible. 
Curtains, carpets and woolen stuffs should be removed. A fire is 
necessary in cold weather. Condy’s fluid or carbolic acid should be 
freely used about the room. The door of the sick-chamber should 
• be open as little as possible. A fire in all seasons—as small as may 
be in summer—and an open window ensure the most efficient venti¬ 
lation. Two or three vessels with Condy’s fluid placed about the 
room, and a small sheet sprinkled freely with acetic acid, diluted 
with twelve parts of water, and hung upon a clothes-horse, are my 
favorite modes of disinfecting. Sponging the surface of the body 
with tepid water, piece by piece, moderates the great heat and 
allays restlessness, quiets delirium, lowers the pulse and 


SCARLET FEVER. 


177 


favors sleep. Sponging with diluted acetic acid—one part of 
the acid to six parts of hot water—is preferable, or equal 
parts of vinegar and water. I use it as warm as the patient can 
bear it three times a day, and wipe, but not quite dry, the skin with 
a soft towel after each application. When this operation is care¬ 
fully and persistently done from the moment the nature of the 
illness is recognized, and continued until convalescence is established, 
there is no desquamation or peeling off of the cuticle. 

The above baths are to be employed in the first stages, after 
which the bacon as before stated. 

A wet bandage to the throat, when it is affected, is a sovereign 
remedy, and seldom fails to relieve. It should be fastened both at 
the back of the neck and at the top of the head, so as to protect the 
glands near the angles of the jaws. Inhalation of steam from hot 
water is useful when the throat is sore and painful. The wet pack, 
especially at the commencement, is often most valuable, and it may 
be repeated several times, at a few hours’ interval, as long as severe 
febrile symptoms continue; but it requires to be administered by 
an experienced person. When the eruption is slow in coming out, 
or is suddenly suppressed, the child should have a hot bath, or be 
packed in a blanket wrung out of hot water. During convalescence, 
warm clothing, including flannel, is necessary; and subsequently a 
change of air, if possible to the seaside. The patient must not, 
however, go out too early, as secondary symptoms are of frequent 
occurrence from neglect of this precaution. 

Diet —During the whole course of the fever, milk, either alone 
or with plain or soda-water, thin gruel, sago, arrow-root, yolk of eggs 
beaten up with cold milk, grapes, oranges and cooked fruits, should 
be the staple diet. The drink may consist of cold water, gum- 
water, barley-water, weak lemonade, etc., in small quantities, as 
frequently as desired. As soon as the fever subsides, the patient 
may gradually and cautiously return to more substantial food. 
Stimulants are rarely necessary. Liebig’s extract of beef, beef-tea, 
found on another page, may be given regularly in frequent, small 
doses. 

The patient should invariably remain in bed; the room should 
be well ventilated, and at the same time the patient should be pro¬ 
tected from direct currents of air. If possible it should be an upper 
room, as the poison rises, but does not descend. The clothes of the 
patient, the sheets, blankets and personal linen, as well as the air of 
the room, should be frequently changed. The light of the apart¬ 
ment should be modified to prevent injury to the susceptible eyes. 

Beverages —Cold water, gum-water, barley-water, weak lemon¬ 
ade, etc., in small quantities, as frequently as desired. Drinking 
cold water, toast-water, or soda-water exerts a favorable influence on 
the kidneys, and tends to prevent subsequent diseases of those organs. 
To the saine end sucking and swallowing small pieces of ice are both 
useful and grateful. 

12 


178 


BRAIN FEVER. 


Roasted apples, grapes, strawberries, and other ripe fruits in 
season, toast, gruel, etc.; gradually returning, as the disease de¬ 
clines, to food of a more substantial kind. The fever being of short 
duration, extract of meat should be given freely. In scarlet fever, 
give all the milk the patient will take; it keeps up the strength, 
and does good in other ways. 

Preventive Measures— 1. To be adopted by the un¬ 
affected : During the prevalence of scarlatina, a dose of belladonna 
should be given, morning and night, to children who have not had 
the disease. To three tablespoonfuls of water, add five drops of the 
tincture, and of this give one teaspoonful at a dose. To small in¬ 
fants, half this quantity. Should the disease occur, notwithstanding 
this treatment, its severity will be much mitigated. The author has 
great faith in the virtue of belladonna thus used, both as the result 
of his own experiences, and from the testimonies of numerous cor¬ 
respondents. 

2. To be adopted by the attendants upon the invalid: The 
attendant should have as little intercourse with the other members 
of the household as possible. She should wear over her ordinary 
clothes a dress of calico, which she can readily take off before she 
leaves the sick-chamber. She should also dip her hands into a dis¬ 
infectant after touching the patient, and especially before quitting 
the room. Condy’s fluid or chloride of lime—one tablespoonful of 
either to about a gallon of water—is usually employed for this pur¬ 
pose. All execretions from the invalid should be disinfected with 
the chloride of lime solution, and disposed of at once. All wearing- 
apparel that has been used by the patient should, on its removal, be 
immediately placed in a vessel containing a sufficient quantity of 
either of the above disinfectants, and be put out of doors as soon as 
possible, and afterwards boiled in the disinfectant. Woolen clothes, 
bedding, etc., that do not admit of being boiled, should either be 
burnt or fumigated with sulphuric acid for two or three hours. 
The sick-chamber itself, when the patient is permitted to leave it, 
should be disinfected in a similar manner. The operation of fumi¬ 
gating with sulphuric acid is exceedingly simple. All that is re¬ 
quired is to sprinkle a small quantity of sulphur on a piece of 
burning wood, or a few live coals, in a room, all the apertures of 
which are closed up, till the room is filled with fumes. The next 
best thing is to burn a little coffee in the room every day. 


BRAIN-FEVER. 

Causes —This disease is often occasioned by night-watching, 
especially when joined with hard study. It may likewise proceed 
from hard drinking, anger, grief or anxiety. It is often occasioned 
by the stoppage of usual evacuations, as the bleeding piles in men, 
the customary discharges of women, etc. Such as imprudently 



BRAIN FEVER. 


179 


expose themselves to the heat of the sun, especially by sleeping 
without doors in. the hot season with their heads uncovered, are 
often suddenly seized with inflammation of the brain, so as to awake 
quite delirious. 

Symptoms —The symptoms which usually precede brain- 
fever are pain in the head, redness of the eyes, a violent flushing of 
the face, disturbed sleep or a total want of it, great dryness of the 
skin, costiveness., a retention of the urine, a small dropping of blood 
from the nose, singing in the ears and extreme sensibility of the 
nervous system. 

When the inflammation is formed, the symptoms in general 
are similar to those of the inflammatory fever. The pulse, indeed, 
is often weak, irregular and trembling, but sometimes it is hard and 
contracted. A remarkable quickness of hearing is a common 
symptom of this, disease, but that seldom continues long. Another 
usual symptom is a great throbbing or pulsation of the arteries in 
the neck and temples. 

A constant trembling and starting of the tendons is an 
unfavorable symptom, as are also a suppression of urine, a total 
want of sleep, a constant spitting, a grinding of the teeth, which 
last may be considered as a kind of convulsion.* 

The favorable symptoms are a free perspiration, or sweating, a 
copious discharge of blood from the nose, the bleeding piles, a 
plentiful discharge of urine which lets fall a copious sediment. 
Sometimes the disease is carried off by a looseness, and in women 
by an excessive flow of the menses. 

Remedies —In the early stages of this disease, when attended 
with a high fever and full pulse, the diet should be light; nothing 
more than gruel, rice, and at most toast, cracker and milk-and-water. 
If convulsions occur during the early stage when the fever is high, 
showering the head with a small stream of cold water, not continued 
too long, holding the head over a tub, and putting the lower 
extremities into warm water, will often relieve the symptoms. 
Renew the showering in a few minutes, until the extremities and 
head become somewhat cooler, unless the convulsions cease sooner; 
then omit it until there is a recurrence of heat in the head and 
extremities, when it may be repeated. It may require to be applied 
several times in the course of the first forty-eight hours; or what is 
better after the convulsions have ceased, and in cases where there 
are no convulsions, wring a towel from cold water, and envelop the 
entire head with it, excepting the face, and put over the whole three 
or four thicknesses of dry flannel, and pin so as to exclude the cold 
air; wet the towel every hour or two. This application often affords 
very great relief. If it fails, sponging the head with warm water 
generally has a beneficial effect. 

If the bowels are constipated, free injections of warm water 
once in twenty-four or forty-eight hours may be used. 

Efforts should be made to restore the blood to the extremities, 


180 


FEVER AND AGUE, OR CHILLS AND FEVER. 


and thus divert it from the brain. Bathe the feet in a warm 
alkaline bath, made by adding a little saleratus, or lye, or ashes, to 
warm water. A hot mustard foot bath will be equally efficient. 
This should be done two or three times a day; and have either hot 
bricks or drafts of the leaves of common cabbage, skunk-cabbage, 
or horse-radish, wilted by the fire, applied to them. 

The patient may be allowed to drink lemonade, water made 
acid with cream of tartar, and also spearmint-tea, with a little sweet 
spirits of nitre in it. The latter will act as a diuretic, which will 
prove of much advantage. 

The room must be cool, free from noise, and kept dark. Callers 
and visitors, no matter how kind their intentions and desires may 
be, must positively be kept out of the sick-room. Their presence 
always makes the disease worse. 

When convalescence takes place, it must be remembered that 
the patient is not out of danger for several weeks. Too full a meal, 
over-exercise, or even slight excitement of the mind, may cause a 
relapse. 

1. During the progress of the disease, the following remedy 
is often efficacious: 

Tincture of aconite.10 drops. 

Tincture of yellow jessamine.10 drops. 

Water . 1 teacupful. 

Mix. Dose, one teaspoonful every hour, until the acute symp¬ 
toms abate, when it should be given less frequently. 

2. Take of 

Castor oil.1 tablespoonful. 

Strong castile-soapsuds.£ pint. 

Poppy-leaves.1 handful. 

Water (warm). ± pint. 

Mix thoroughly, and strain. 

Use as an injection. When patients are in the most intense 
agonies, in this disease, this remedy will often afford the promptest 
relief. 

In extreme cases of this disease, applications of ice to the head 
have been made with great benefit. There have been instances in 
which its use, from forty-eight to sixty hours, have been followed 
by the recovery of the patient. But in such cases ice should be 
employed under the direction of a skillful physician, or by those only 
who are experienced in its use. 


FEVER AND AGUE, OR CHILLS AND FEVER. 

(Intermittent Fever). 

Causes —Marsh-miasma, or the effluvia arising from stagnant 
water or marshy ground, when acted upon by heat, are most 
frequently the exciting causes of this fever. In marshes the putre- 












FEVER AND AGUE, OR CHILLS AND FEVER. 


181 


faction of vegetable and animal matter is always going forward; and 
hence it has been generally conjectured that vegetable or animal 
putrefaction imparted a peculiar quality to the watery particles of 
the effluvia arising thence. It has been ascertained that marsh- 
miasma, when much diluted with watery exhalation, as in summers 
where an unusual quantity of rain has fallen, are nearly inert; but 
when arising from stagnant waters of a concentrated foulness, in 
consequence of great drought and heat in the latter end of summer 
and the early part of autumn, they act with great violence and 
malignity. 

This disease may also be occasioned by debility, however in¬ 
duced, by a poor, watery* diet, damp houses, evening dews, lying 
upon the damp ground, watching, fatigue, depressing passions of 
the mind, etc. 

When the inhabitants of a high country remove to a low one, 
they are generally seized with intermittent fevers, and to such 
the disease is sometimes apt to prove fatal. In a word, whatever 
relaxes the solids, diminishes the perspiration, or obstructs the cir¬ 
culation in the capillary or small vessels, disposes the body to 
ague. 

Symptoms —This disease may be divided into three stages, 
viz.: 1. The cold stage. 2. The hot stage. 3. The sweating 
stage. 

Cold Stage —An intermitting fever generally begins with 
pain in the head and loins, weariness of the limbs, coldness of the 
extremities, stretching, yawning, with sometimes great sickness 
and vomiting; to which succeed shivering and violent shaking; 
respiration is short, frequent and anxious. 

Hot Stage —After a longer or shorter continuance of shiver¬ 
ing, the heat of the body gradually returns; irregularly at first, and 
by transient flushes; soon, however, succeeded by a steady, dry and 
burning heat, considerably augmenting above the natural standard. 
The skin, which before was pale and constricted, becomes now swol¬ 
len, tense and red, and is remarkably sensible to the touch. The 
sensibility, diminished in the cold stages, is now preternaturally 
acute; pains attack the head, and flying pains are felt over various 
parts of the body. The pulse is quick, strong and hard; the tongue 
white, the thirst is great, and the urine is high-colored. 

Sweating* Stage —A moisture is at length observed to 
break out upon the face and neck, which soon becomes universal 
and uniform. The heat falls to its ordinary standard; the pulse 
diminishes in frequency, and becomes full and free; the urine de¬ 
posits a sediment; the bowels are no longer confined; respiration is 
free and full; all the functions are restored to their natural order. 

The title of intermittent, or chill and fever, is applied to that 
kind of fever which consists of a succession of paroxysms or periods 
of fever, between each of which there is a distinct and perfect in¬ 
termission from fever-symptoms; whereas, on the other hand, by 


182 


FEVER AND AGUE, OR CHILLS AND FEVER. 


remittent fever is understood, that form of fever that abates, but 
does not go off entirely before a fresh attack follows ; or, in other 
words, where one paroxysm succeeds the other so quickly that the 
patient is never without some degree of fever. It is probable, how¬ 
ever, that these two forms of fever are one and the same disease, 
differing only in degree or intensity of the symptoms. 

Remedies — 1. A tincture made from the gum-plant, or 
gum-weed ( Gvindelicb Squarrosa), is an efficient remedy in this 
disease, especially in chronic cases. Take, of the tincture four 
tablespoonfuls; glycerine, four tablespoonfuls. Mix. Dose, one 
teaspoonful, four times a day. This tincture can be obtained in 
almost any drug-store. 

2. In the states where the iron-wood grows, it is reputed by 
many to be an excellent cure. It is used in strong decoction or tea, 
made by chipping the heart of the tree and steeping it. Dose, one- 
half teacupful three or four times daily. 

3. Sometimes a simple remedy is very effective in curing 
chills and fever. Lemon-juice, for instance, will often cure without 
any other medicine; but its curative properties are greatly increased, 
it is said, when used with coffee. The juice of one lemon is to be 
added to a teacupful of coffee, and drunk at one draught, without 
milk or sugar. The dose should be taken twice a day. Another 
good mode of preparing this remedy is to cut a half dozen lemons 
into slices, boil for half an hour in half a pint of water. Strain, 
and give a teaspoonful every two hours through the day when the 
chill is on, other days give the same quantity every four hours. 

4. A decoction of the root of the iron-weed, taken in doses of 
one-half wineglassful or more, three times a day, is an excellent 
remedy. 

5. A strong tea made from the dog-wood, sometimes called 
box-wood ( Cornus Florida ), will, it is said, cure fever and ague, 
especially the chronic form. It is harmless and may be drunk 
freely, and should be continued for some time. 

6. Kerosene oil and milk is reputed to be a positive cure for 
this disease. Mr. S. Brown, of Los Angeles, California, cured him¬ 
self with one dose of it after he had been afflicted with chills and 

* fever for two years. He afterwards cured more than fifty others, 
with the same remedy. The usual dose of the remedy is one tea¬ 
spoonful of oil in a tumblerful of milk. One dose is usually suffi¬ 
cient to effect a cure. But if not, repeat daily; persons of a feeble 
constitution should take one half the quantity of oil only. 

7. Boneset is an old but a popular remedy for chills and 
fever. Dose of the infusion, from one-fourth to half a teacupful, 
three times a day; of the extract, two to four grains; in which form 
it is more pleasant to take. If taken warm, in large doses, it will 
produce vomiting. 

Intermittent fever, or ague and fever, is usually described as 
having three stages; the cold stage, the hot stage, and the stage of 


FEVER AND AGUE, OR CHILLS AND FEVER. 183 

perspiration or sweating. When it is desired to give quinine in 
this fever, it should be given only when the following symptoms 
are present: The three stages just mentioned, should be well 
marked and distinct; in other words, well separated from each 
other, and one following another in regular order. There should be 
a pale, jaundiced color of the face, the tongue coated yellow, ap¬ 
petite diminished or entirely destroyed. When this is the general 
condition of the patient, quinine will be of service to him. It 
should be administered during the interval between the paroxysms, 
and when he is entirely free from fever. 

If the fever comes on every other day, the quinine should be 
taken on the well day, or during the time the patient is feeling the 
best. If it comes on at stated times every day, this medicine 
should not be taken until the fever has entirely passed off, and the 
sweating stage has fairly commenced. When the proper time has 
arrived, and you desire to take the quinine, get it ready in the fol¬ 
lowing manner: Put ten grains of it into a tumbler containing 
five tablespoonfuls of water. To this add five drops of elixir vitriol 
(sulphuric acid); stir well together. You will now have a clear 
solution, looking almost like spring-water. If you know you are 
t< > be free from fever all day, commence in the morning early, and 
take one tablespoonful, and one every two to four hours, until the 
whole quantity is taken. If your chills come on at a certain time 
every day, say at six o’clock in the morning, and last two hours, or 
until eight, and then the fever sets in and lasts until twelve or one 
o’clock, in the afternoon, when it subsides, and a free perspiration 
or sweating breaks out—then begin to take your quinine. You are 
to have it prepared as above described. Take a tablespoonful every 
two hours, until you have taken four doses. You will have one 
tablespoonful left. Do not take this until four or five o’clock the 
next morning; thus taking the last of the quinine at least an hour 
before you expect your chills would come on again. Ordinarily 
this will be sufficient treatment to break any paroxysm of ague and 
fever. Usually it is best to take, for several days afterwards, a 
bitter drink of some kind, such as boneset tea, or a decoction of 
wild cherry-bark. Or, take a tablespoonful of Peruvian bark, and 
throw it into a pint of hot water. Cover the dish and let it stand 
near the fire. In two hours it will be ready for use. You can take 
a wineglassful of either of these preparations once or twice daily. 

Accessory Treatment —Removal to a healthy locality is 
one of the first and most essential points, and is often immediately 
attended by marked improvement. If compelled to live in an 
aguish district, patients should not go out of doors in the evening, 
or too early in the morning—at least, not before taking breakfast; 
they should sleep in the loftiest part of the house. Sunlight and 
air "should be freely admitted during the middle of the day, but 
night-air carefully excluded. Fatigue should be avoided; also sit¬ 
ting’ or standing in a current of air. 


184 


SPOTTED FEVER. 


Diet —On the days when the tits occur, the food should be 
light, taken in small quantities, and great dietetic precautions ob¬ 
served until the paroxysms entirely disappear Gruel, arrow-root, 
tapioca, sago, or corn flour; mutton or chicken-broth, or tender 
meat, may be taken in the intervals between the tits. Cold water, 
ad libitum. 

Prevention of Chills and Fever— In a section of 
country where people are subject to this disease, and where they 
are compelled to be out of doors early in the morning and late in 
the evening, a hot meal, or at least a cup of hot drink and a slice of 
bread, should be taken before leaving the house, and it will ward 
off this disease. See article in the first division of this book, on 
“ Malaria,” for an additional preventive. 

In these malarious sections of country, men should wear 
their beards. Immunity may also be secured to a great extent by 
keeping the mouth shut, and breathing only through the nostrils. 

Flannel worn next the skin will keep the body warm, and pro¬ 
tect it from the influences of sudden changes. 

Symptoms —There is a severe pain in one side of the head, 
or extending over the whole of it, and which is not only periodic in 
its attacks, but is frequently preceded by slight chills, or sensation 
of cold, with more or less depression of spirits. Sometimes the 
pain will be in the face, in one or more teeth, in the chest, or any 
other part of the body, and may be determined by its periodicity, 
slight chills, etc. 


SPOTTED FEVER (Typhus Petecliialis). 

Symptoms —Some patients are seized with violent pains in the 
stomach, head, joints and limbs; and frequently the pain is con¬ 
fined to a single point; often to a single toe or finger. Some have 
a violent ague and shaking, and yet are not sensible of cold; and 
some have no heat. Some are taken suddenly, totally blind or im¬ 
penetrably deaf; others are not affected at all in those organs. 
Paralysis of a member is not infrequent, and a strange numbness 
is felt in the nose and face of some, which leads them to be rubbing 
their face, and that for hours. Some have raving or furious deli¬ 
rium, others a playful or hysteric alienation of the mind, while 
others are more shrewd than when in health. Some are conscious of 
their sinking, yet seem not to mind it. Some fall into a snoring, 
lethargic sleep, from which nothing will rouse them. Some are so 
painfully sensitive as to complain of the slightest touch or motion, 
while others feel not the pricks of needles, nor even the contact of 
living coals. 

The pulse is commonly feeble, frequent, irregular, and often 
interrupted. In some cases it seems inflated, yet will disappear on 



YELLOW FEVER. 


1S.3 


the slightest pressure. Sometimes, when the pulse is gone in the 
wrist, the arteries of the neck will be seen beating with seemingly 
impatient and fretful motion. 

Bleedings are frequent from different parts of the body, and 
often fatal. Purple spots appear in some, from oozing of the blood 
from the relaxed vessels of the true skin, yet without sufficient 
force to penetrate or elevate the scarf-skin, and spreading to various 
sizes, from a point to that of a twenty-five cent piece, and assum¬ 
ing different hues, from scarlet to black. In this disease, however, 
there are often no spots or fever at all, and the patient is in many 
cases dead before fever could form. 

From the onset a clay-like coldness comes over the whole 
system, and all efforts to restore genial warmth are frequently un¬ 
availing. The tongue is in some cases clear and moist, in others 
dry, in others bloodless; in the progress of the disease it commonly 
turns brown or black. The swallowing is often difficult, from can¬ 
ker in the throat or from paralysis of the parts. Nausea and 
vomiting commonly harass the patient from the first to last; yet 
the contents of the stomach are not at all vitiated. The bowels 
seldom suffer at all. A horrid sensation of cold is felt in the stom¬ 
ach, as if ice was melting there; this symptom, as well as that of 
vomiting, is greatly aggravated by drinking cold water or any weak 
beverage. Patients who inquire for water cannot distinguish it from 
brandy. 

Remedies —We would advise that a good physician should 
be immediately sent for, though frequently it will not do to wait 
for his arrival. The treatment must be pursued vigorously, as, 
with such symptoms as we have described, no time is to be lost. 

Put a mustard-plaster over the back of the neck, lengthways 
downwards; rub the body well, rub the spine its entire length with 
spirits of turpentine, rapidly and persistently, or with red pepper 
and brandy, keep hot bottles to the feet if cold; do all that is pos¬ 
sible to keep the whole surface of the body soft and warm. 

It is always necessary, in this disease, to promote free perspir¬ 
ation. To accomplish this purpose, the following remedy, which 
acts most promptly and certainly, is highly recommended; it is the 
tincture of jaborandi. It may be given in doses of from fifteen to 
thirty drops, every two or four hours, according to the severity of 
the disease. 

When the disease runs slower, treat it as a typhus fever; after 
this, move the bowels with one ounce of castor oil and fifteen drops 
of spirits of turpentine, bathe the feet thoroughly in mustard and 
water, and give freely an infusion of pleurisy-root and boneset. 
Sponge frequently with vinegar and water. 


YELLOW FEVER. 

Symptoms —Premonitory symptoms, such as loss of appe- 



186 


YELLOW FEVER. 


tite, debility, aching in the back and limbs, etc., may or may not pre¬ 
cede the attack, but cannot be said to indicate it, as they precede many 
other diseases, and are often followed by no serious illness. An at¬ 
tack of yellow fever frequently comes on in the night, as often 
without as with chills or chilliness. Severe pains in the back and 
limbs do, however, usually characterize the early stage of this dis¬ 
ease. The skin becomes dry and hot, the pulse rapid, the breath¬ 
ing hurried, the face flushed, the eyes red and watery, and a white 
fur appears upon the tongue, which is usually moist at the begin¬ 
ning. There are, sometimes, sore throat, nausea and vomiting, 
from the commencement; but usually, these stomach symptoms 
are not fully developed till after a period of from twelve to twenty- 
four hours, when they become very prominent. There is soreness 
in the stomach, on pressure, and a feeling of weight and oppres¬ 
sion, with burning pain. The stomach becomes irritable, not only 
throwing up everything that is swallowed, but also, when undis¬ 
turbed by food or medicine, throwing up its own secretions, with 
great pain and distress, owing to the tenderness of that organ. The 
patient craves cold drinks, the bowels are costive, and the head and 
eyes ache; the mind is often disturbed, and, not uncommonly, even 
to the point of delirium, which is occasionally violent. On the 
other hand, in some instances, there appears a profound stupor. 
The feverous symptoms continue, with little or no change, for a 
period varying from a few hours to three days, and sometimes 
longer. As a general rule, the more severe the attack, the shorter 
will be the duration of the fever. 

In mild cases, when the fever abates, the patient may readily 
recover; but we may know that the great struggle is yet to come, 
when, during this apparent calm, there is increased tenderness in 
the stomach, on pressure, and the eyes and skin begin to turn of a 
yellow or orange color, generally extending over the body, and the 
urine has a yellowish tinge. In symptoms, the pulse may even be 
slower than natural, and, in the most cases, there may be heaviness 
or stupor. 

This period of seeming abatement may last only a short time, 
or may continue for twenty-four hours, and is followed by prostra¬ 
tion. The pulse again becomes quick, and, in severe cases, irregu¬ 
lar and feeble; the circulation returning slowly to any portion of 
the skin where a pressure has been made. The fingers and toes as¬ 
sume a dark, purplish hue. The skin appears like bronze. The 
tongue is either brown and dryish in the center, or smooth, red and 
chapped. The teeth are sometimes covered with offensive crusts of 
dried mucus. The stomach again becomes so irritable that every¬ 
thing swallowed is thrown up, and ultimately new matter is vomi¬ 
ted, consisting of brown or blackish particles, in a colorless fluid, 
which finally becomes black and opaque. This stage of the dis¬ 
ease is popularly known as that of the “ black vomit.” These 
symptoms have occurred, in bad cases, as early as the first day. The 


fELLOW FEVER. 


187 


urine is commonly more natural than in the febrile stage, but is 
sometimes retained, or not even secreted. There is often oozing of 
blood from the nose, gums, tongue and throat, and it is often dis¬ 
charged by the stomach or bowels, or by the urine, and dark spots 
appear on the surface of the body, caused by the clotting of the 
blood under the skin. The bowels often discharge large quantities 
of black matter, similar to that thrown from the stomach. The 
patient does not care whether he lives or dies; the pulse grows 
feebler, the breathing slow and sighing and broken by occasional 
hiccough; the skin grows cold and clammy; the body emits an of¬ 
fensive odor; a muttering delirium sets in; the eyes sink, the pulse 
ceases, and the face collapses. Death comes sometimes quietly, but 
often in convulsions. 

Instead of following the fatal course just described, the symp¬ 
toms may react after the period of abatement Then a secondary 
fever sets in, of different degrees of violence; but this may always 
be taken as a sign that the vital energies are not yet exhausted. 
This fever may end, more or less speedily, in health; or it 
may soon end in complete exhaustion, or it may take a 
typhoid form, and last two, three, or even four weeks. If the 
patient dies, it is usually on the fourth, fifth or sixth day; but 
death may come as early as the third, or not until the ninth or 
tenth day, and in typhoid cases even much later or not until the 
entire vital forces are exhausted. 

Such are the usual course and symptoms of this fever; but it 
is subject to great variations, as it is often complicated with typhus 
and remittent fevers. Although much speculation has been in¬ 
dulged, and many theories advanced, almost nothing is certainly 
known of its cause. It is epidemic, and, perhaps, to a limited ex¬ 
tent, contagious. 

Remedies —1. In an epidemic in Savannah,salicylic acid was 
used in a single dose of a drachm and a half in capsules, or rubbed 
up with sugar; if the stomach rejected it, twice the quantity 
(three drachms) was given by injections into the bowels. Out of 
one hundred and seventy-nine patients only four died. The disease 
during that epidemic was of intermittent and remittent type. 

2. A medical writer, in speaking of the treatment of yellow fever, 
observes, “ Having had opportunities of seeing much of this dis¬ 
ease in Havana and on the coast of Spain, as well as up the Medi¬ 
terranean, where it prevails extensively, I will give you the treat¬ 
ment generally adopted by the Spanish physicians. It consists in 
the use of mild and cooling laxatives, such as supertartrate of po- 
tassa, or cream of tartar, and drinks of tamarind-'water, lemonade 
and sub-acid drinks, with tea made from orange-flowers, and, in the 
cold stage, a mustard-bath.” 

3. A remedy for this disease, used with great success in Mexico, 
is given by a medical writer from that country, as follows: “ A 
tumblerful of olive-oil, well mixed with the juice of three limes 


188 


YELLOW FEVER. 


and a tablespoonful of fine salt. Give one-third of this quantity at 
the first dose; afterwards, give a tablespoonful every two hours. If 
this should act too violently or too frequently on the bowels, in¬ 
crease the interval between the doses, even to four or six hours. 

He further says, that he has seen it used in hundreds of cases, 
many of them the most desperate he ever saw, and seldom fail to 
effect a cure. It sometimes causes the patient to vomit; in such 
cases it should be repeated until the stomach will retain it. When 
the limes cannot be procured, use two lemons instead. 

4. During the epidemic of 1878, in the Southern States, where 
the following treatment was employed, excellent results were ob¬ 
tained: The bowels were kept open and the kidneys active, by the 
use of the hyposulphite of soda. An ounce of this salt was dis¬ 
solved in eight ounces of water and a tablespoonful given every 
four, hours. One of the best means now known for its continuous 
laxative effect is derived from a teaspoonful of elixir of cascara 
sagrada once to thrice a day as required. The patient was kept 
well covered with blankets, and a gentle sweating encouraged by 
the use of orange-leaf or horse-mint tea. Besides this, keeping the 
patient in bed during the stage of calm and giving liquid nourish¬ 
ment and stimulants and small doses of quinine, constitute the 
treatment. An almost universal fatality was reduced to a fatality 
of one in ten in whites, two in fifeeen in mulattoes, and one in 
thirty-six in negroes. Getting up, or eating solid food of any kind 
during the disease, which patients desire to do during the stage of 
calm, is almost always fatal. 

Accessory Treatment —The importance of cleanliness in 
so serious a contagious disease will be apparent. Discharges of the 
patient, and all soiled articles, should be quickly disinfected and 
removed, and the air of the apartment kept as fresh and untainted 
as possible. During the chill, a hot mustard foot-bath, repeated in 
a short time, if necessary, often gives ease. 

Some care must be employed in the use of a purgative, which 
is seldom indicated on account of the great irritability of the 
stomach and bowels, and which may be increased to an ungovernable 
extent by the imprudent administration of a purgative. Should, 
however, evident accumulations exist in the bowels, a copious 
injection of warm soapsuds is good to relieve the lower bowel. 

During the febrile stage, while the skin is hot and dry, the 
whole surface of the body should be thoroughly bathed every hour 
or two with warm, weak lye-water, to which a small portion of 
whisky has been added, using friction in drying. In many cases, 
especially when the skin is very hot, frequent bathing of the surface 
with cold water, or with the above weak lye, cold, will be found 
more grateful, and more beneficial in abating the fever, than when 
warm fluids are employed. These bathings should be suspended 
whenever the fever diminishes, and renewed as soon as it returns. 

An infusion of peach-tree bark may be employed to check 


189 


ENLARGED SPLEEN, OR AGUE-CAKE. 

irritation of the stomach, and warm diaphoretic teas to produce 
sweating. 

Those who live where yellow fever is prevalent should eat an 
orange every day, and drink freely of lemonade, and by all means 
get plenty of sleep. 

New Treatment —During recent visitations of yellow fever 
the following new remedy was used with almost uniform success, 
and is highly recommended: 

First give the patient an emetic of mustard and warm water. 
Then fill a wash-tub half-full of boiling water, throwing into it a 
pound of good ground mustard and a quart of good whisky or 
brandy. At the same time prepare a foot-tub in the same way, 
except that the water in it shall be only as hot as can be borne. 
Place over the large tub a chair, and just as the patient is seated in 
it give him a half-teacupful of castor oil. His feet, of course, are 
in the small tub and the body over the large one. Then cover him 
up, on every side, with blankets. Keep up the heat of the water in 
the large tub by throwing into it, occasionally, red-hot bricks or 
irons, and go on in this way for from fifteen minutes to half an 
hour. In the meantime, give all the pulverized ice the patient can 
swallow, as long as he is in the bath. The oil will generally operate 
while he is in the bath. Keep this up for half an hour, unless the 
pains cease or the patient is too weak. Then place him in bed with 
the bath-blankets wrapped around him, and give him melon-seed 
tea for the kidneys, and a little Dover’s powder to to induce sleep. 
He will sleep two or three hours, and on waking, should the pains 
re-appear, apply mustard-plasters. Continue the moderate sweating 
and melon-seed tea for a few hours, until the fever is completely 
broken up, and then change the bed and body linen. Then nurse 
him carefully for two or three days with light food, stimulants, keep¬ 
ing the pores and bowels open and the kidneys active, and you have 
a safe convalescent. 

We have necessarily been brief in the treatment of this disease, 
from the fact that professional aid is always called to patients 
afflicted with this malady. 


ENLARGED SPLEEN, OR AGUE-CAKE. 

Causes —This disease may be caused by great muscular exer¬ 
tion, by fever, and also by the malaria, or poison which causes 
ague. It is quite common in connection with chills and fever. 

Symptoms —This disease is characterized by a sharp or chill 
pain beneath the lower left ribs, with more or less tenderness on 
external pressure. In some instances there is very little pain, 
simply a feeling of weight or fullness, which is worse when the 
patient lies on the affected side. The attack is generally accom¬ 
panied with chills and fever, and sometimes there are nausea and 



190 


AGUE IN THE FACE. 


vomiting, cough, difficulty of breathing and hiccough. The spleen 
often becomes enlarged so as to be felt beneath the lower left ribs. 

Remedies —1 . The Indian cup-plant, called also ragged- 
cup and rosin-weed, is a remedy that seldom fails to cure this 
disease. Dose, a wineglassful two or three times a day. 

2. The following is an efficient remedy: Tincture of gum- 
plant (Grindelia Squarrosa) and glycerine, each, two ounces. Mix. 
Dose, a teaspoonful, four times a day. 

3. A good plaster for this disease is the yolk of two eggs 
thickened with salt, and applied. 

4. The Bear’s Foot (Polymnia Uvedalia) is a new remedy 
for removing enlarged spleen. A strong tincture is made, by 
adding eight ounces of the bear’s foot to one pint of alcohol. Dose, 
from ten to thirty drops. Massage over the region of the spleen, 
if thoroughly done, once or twice a day, is an effectual cure. Mas¬ 
sage is the German name for rubbing, squeezing, slapping, etc., 
lightly but rapidly performed. 

Accessory Treatment —Apply cayenne pepper ( Capsicum 
Annuum ), mixed and simmered with spirits, to the part. 

Should this not relieve the pain and mitigate the symptoms, a 
mustard-plaster may be applied to the side or over the region of the 
spleen. 

The diet of the patient must be nourishing but easy of 
digestion, avoiding tea, coffee, milk, alcoholic stimulants, acids and 
all fats. Bipe fruits and dried fruits, stewed, will be found 
serviceable. Moderate exercise; regularly taken in the open air, 
should always be had when the weather will permit; otherwise, it 
must be pursued within doors. Cold, damp, and sudden exposures, 
are causes of relapse, to be carefully avoided as much as possible. 

The body and limbs should be bathed every day or two with a 
warm, weak lye-water, and in drying, a coarse towel should be used 
with much friction; a spirit-vapor bath should also be taken every 
week or two. 


AGUE m THE FACE. 

This disease has a common origin with ague in general, though 
many causes, as cold, damp air, etc., may be sufficient to bring on 
an attack. The remedies that may be employed for its removal are 
the same as those used to cure any other form of ague. Hence, the 
reader is referred to the general remedies under fever and ague, for 
the proper treatment of ague in the face. 

It is confined mostly to weak, nervous persons, and those of 
weak and delicate constitutions. It usually affects some one locality 
or spot of the face or head—most frequently one side of the face— 
rendering the place extremely sore and sensitive to the touch. A 
very slight touch, even that of a handkerchief, will often be mo^ 



TO REMOVE FRECKLES-FELON. 


191 


painful than a hard pressure of the hand. The skin often becomes 
red and swollen. The eyes also become weak and watery, sometimes 
red, and usually very sensitive to light. The pain is also apt to be 
periodical. Defective teeth may occasion the whole trouble, and 
should be examined by the dentist. 

Remedies —A few local remedies, as the following, may be 
used: If the swelling of the face be very great, apply a lye-poultice. 
Or, dip a piece of cotton or lint in the tincture of red pepper 
(' Capsicum ), made warm, and place it between the cheek and the 
teeth. A free discharge of saliva follows, which usually affords 
immediate relief. 


TO REMOVE FRECKLES. 

1. Make a paste of English mustard and lemon juice, apply 
to the face four nights in succession, wash off in the morning. 
The freckles will generally disappear and likewise the redness. 

2. Another is to take one half teacupful of rain water and two 
teaspoonfuls of powdered borax, and with this wash the parts twice 
a day. This is a never-failing remedy for removing freckles of peo¬ 
ple possessing certain textures of skin. 

3. With others, the following is equally as effective: Two tea¬ 
spoonfuls of lemon-juice, one of powdered borax and one of sugar; 
mix, and let stand a day or two. Then apply once or twice a day. 

4. It is reported, by some medical authors, that the milky 
juice of the stem of the dandelion will remove freckles It should 
be applied twice a day. 


FELON, OR WHITLOW (Paronychia). 

A felon is an inflammation of the fingers, thumb or hand, ex¬ 
ceedingly painful and very much disposed to suppurate or form 
matter. The toes are also sometimes the seat of the disease. The 
pain commences deep, with pricking, throbbing and inflammation. 
It proceeds very slowly to suppuration, and often affects the bone 
and sinews. 

Remedies —1. As a preventive wrap the finger with woolen 
yarn or any other elastic cord, beginning at the end and continuing 
till past the point where the felon is coming. The string should be 
wound as tightly as can comfortably be borne. This should be done 
when the felon first appears. 

2. Take equal parts of brown soap and unslaked lime; mix 
with whisky until a salve is formed. Bind a large quantity on the 
felon, and in from eighteen to twenty-four hours it will draw the 
matter to the surface, when it can be removed. 

3. It is unnecessary for anyone to have a felon , if the white 





192 


FISTULA IN ANO. 


of an egg and salt be applied in time. They should be mixed and 
used in the form of a poultice, at the commencement, and they will 
disperse or “ scatter ” it. * 

4. Remove the shell from the end of a raw egg, and take out 
two tablespoonfuls of its contents; after which, fill the egg again 
with one teaspoonful of salt and one of burnt alum. Mix. Then 
place the afflicted finger in the egg, and keep it there until the con¬ 
tents harden, as if it were cooked. Repeat the process four or five 
times and the the felon is cured. 

5. A French army-surgeon, gives the following: “ The spinal 
cord of a beef, used in the form of a poultice, will rapidly cure a 
felon in almost any stage.” 

6. A mixture, composed of two parts of lard and one of gun¬ 
powder, applied to a felon, will disperse, or “scatter” it; or, if it is 
in the advanced stage, it will draw it to a head in twelve or fifteen 
hours. 

The following information is invaluable for all those afflicted 
with felons. A physician in Fort Worth, Texas, says he would not 
be deprived of the knowledge of this fact for hundreds of dollars, 
even were he not in the practice of medicine: Hold the hand in the 
smoke of burning wool until relieved of pain which will soon occur; 
repeat the treatment if the pain returns.. This has been found a 
sovereign relief in cases of excruciating pain. 

7. Take a pint of common wood-ashes, and over them pour one 
quart of boiling water. Stir it well, and let it stand on the stove 
for about ten minutes, and when well settled, pour off the clear 
liquor, and while hot as can be borne, immerse the affected part in 
it, and keep it there for half an hour or more, and repeat the pro¬ 
cess every hour until the soreness subsides. If applied in time it 
will “ scatter ” the felon. 

For ordinary drawing purposes, in place of a poultice, sliced 
lemon is a very superior article. 

8. Place the hand sufficiently deep in a bowl of kerosene oil 
to completely cover the affected part. It will often stop the pain, 
and a few applications will not unfrequently kill the felon. 


FISTULA IN ANO. 

A Fistula is a narrow, pipe-like track, lined by an im¬ 
perfect mucous membrane, secreting pus, having a narrow, callous 
opening, situated within a short distance of the verge of the anus. 

Causes —The causes of fistula are numerous; such as costive¬ 
ness and relaxation of the bowels, derangement of the liver and ali¬ 
mentary canal, sedentary habits, high living, plethora, bruises, piles, 
etc. It is often connected with, and probably produces, a pulmon¬ 
ary disease. 





FISTULA IN ANO. 


193 


Symptoms —The fistula usually commences with swell¬ 
ing near the rectum, attended with great pain, hardness and 
acute inflammation; the tumor advances slowly to suppuration, and 
matter is formed. 

In some cases, however, the disease proceeds till an opening is 
formed, with very little pain—so much so, that the patient is ignor¬ 
ant of the time when it formed; hut more generally the pain is very 
severe, swelling great, and suppuration very extensive; and in con¬ 
sequence of the pressure upon the neck of the bladder, or urethra, 
there is a suppression of urine. 

Remedies —The treatment of fistula depends upon the stage 
in which we are called to prescribe. A very different course is re¬ 
quired in a state of inflammation from that of suppuration or ab- 
cess. I shall first treat of the means to he employed in its incipient, 
forming, or inflammatory stage. First, moderate excessive inflam¬ 
mation; second, diminish painful or urgent symptoms; third, pro¬ 
mote suppuration, if the swelling cannot be discussed or “ scattered;” 
to accomplish which the following discutient ointment may he first 


applied to the swelling. 

Extract strammonium.1 drachm. 

u hamamelis.1 drachm. 

“ hydrastis. \ drachm. 

“ hyoscyamus. $ drachm. 


Mix with vaseline sufficient for a soft paste. Anoint the fun¬ 
gus thoroughly and get a small quantity above the sphincter ani. 
Immediately after application let it be steamed or -fomented with 
bitter herbs, tansy, wormwood, lioarhound, catnip and hops, a hand¬ 
ful of each; add water, and boil until the strength is extracted. Put 
the whole into a small or suitable-sized vessel, and add about half a 
pint of soft soap. Place a narrow piece of board over the vessel or 
tub, and let the patient sit over it fifteen or twenty minutes, with a 
blanket thrown around him to retain the steam. The process of 
steaming must be repeated morning and night, or as often as the 
pain becomes severe. 

This operation in almost every case immediately relieves the 
patient; even when the parts are so tender they cannot bear the 
weight of the bed-clothes, it so diminishes the irritability and sore¬ 
ness", that the patient can afterward bear considerable pressure upon 
the swelling. In a word, it usually affords relief in the most painful 
stage of the disease; it not only allays pain, but promotes either 
resolution or suppuration. 

As soon as the patient has been thus steamed, apply a poultice 
made of equal parts of powdered linseed and elm-bark, mixed to 
form a proper consistence; let this be applied tepid; about a table¬ 
spoonful of sweet-oil may be added, which is cooling, emollient, and 
prevents it from adhering to the skin. It will be necessary to renew 
this poultice morning and night. I have, in many cases, found a 
lye-poultice excellent, where the other did not agree with the patient. 

13 






194 


FISTULA IN ANO. 


Every time either poultice is applied, let the discutient ointment he 
rubbed on the swelling. 

It will be necessary, for the sake of convenience, as well as to 
secure the dressings, to use a bandage made by passing a piece of 
linen, of a suitable width, just above the hips, and fastened on the 
right or left side of the abdomen with tapes or buttons; a piece 
fastened to this behind, and brought between the legs, and secured 
to the bandage around the body, likewise in front, or before, in the 
same manner. This will effectually secure the poultice and the 
other dressings. 

With this treatment the inflammation will gradually subside, 
and matter or an abscess will form, which is usually very large and 
extensive. This may be known by a subsidence of the pain, red¬ 
ness, and the tumor becoming softer, yielding readily upon pressure. 
Where the patient is willing to wait, let the abscess burst spon¬ 
taneously or by the aid of the poultice, in which case there appears 
to be less callus or hardness remaining, and the sinus is not so liable 
to close. 

Having, then, arrived at a stage of the disease in which sup¬ 
puration has taken place, there must be a variation in the treatment. 
I mean after the matter has been well evacuated from the abscess, 
and the pain, swelling and inflammatory symptoms have subsided; 
for, until this has taken place, the same treatment must be continued, 
especially the poultice. 

It sometimes happens that even a real, fistulous abscess will 
heal up after a short time, but generally there remains an indurated 
tumor, in the center of which there is a small hole, orifice or sinus, 
from which the matter discharges, and which, extending a greater 
or less distance from the verge of the anus, communicates with it 
lower or higher up, or at a greater or less distance from the end of 
the bowel or anus. 

The act of keeping open the fistula may be accomplished by 
introducing a suitable-sized tent, made of the ravelings of linen or 
thread; or a piece of twine will answer. It should be made small 
or pointed at one end, similar to a probe, and drawn through bees¬ 
wax, or some plaster of a proper consistence, in order to stiffen it; 
and then it is to be introduced as far up the sinus as possible, and 
a very small portion of it left out; after which a little lint should be 
placed on the end of it, and a plaster of the black salve applied. 
The mode of preparing this salve is, as follows: Take of pitcli- 
tar, 3 ounces; extract of hyoscyamus, 2 drachms; vaseline^ 1 
ounce; extract of hamammellis, 1 ounce. Warm together stirring 
all the while until thoroughly mixed—cool and use. On this a 
compress should be placed, and secured by the bandage, as before- 
mentioned. The tent should be gradually enlarged, to fill the open¬ 
ing. Generally, when first introduced, they are required to be 
exceedingly small, and can be introduced only a very short distance; 
but the orifice becomes more open, and in a short time larger ones can 


FISTULA IN ANO. 


195 


be used, and they will penetrate to the whole depth of the ulcer; nor 
will they excite any pain, as many might suppose; for the matter soon 
renders them soft after their introduction. It is not sufficient to 
introduce these tents without any application upon them. It is 
necessary to make use of some stimulating agents; and for this 
purpose I employ, with decided benefit, an alkali, or preparation of 
potash. Let lye, made of hickory ashes, boiled down until it is 
perfectly dry, then be removed from the vessel, pulverized, and kept 
from the air. A few grains of this must be put upon the tent every 
time it is introduced, which should be morning and night. It soon 
alters the nature of the discharge, rendering it more healthy, the 
fistula less irritable, and also subdues the inflammatory state of the 
system. It excites sharp pain for a few minutes; but, instead of 
operating like common caustics, causing greater inflammation, it 
removes it. The carbonate of potash will answer the purpose, but 
I think does not act so kindly as the preparation just mentioned. 
In the next place, the syringe must be resorted to, to aid in curing 
the complaint; and we may commence by injecting into the sinus a 
solution of the article just named. About one drachm of the alkali 
may be dissolved in eight ounces of rain-water, and injected once a 
day, the strength of it gradually increased, as the patient can bear 
it. Weak lye answers very well, the strength of which may be 
gradually increased, as required; there is no danger in using it very 
concentrated, for the cure is expedited in proportion to its strength; 
but we must be governed by the feelings of the patient, which will 
not permit its being used too strong, as it might cause too much 
pain. This liquid should be injected once or twice a day. Soon 
after a fistulous abscess breaks,' the parts are too irritable to bear the 
use of the syringe; a little time should be allowed for the soreness 
to subside; commence with the use of injections, consisting of cas- 
tile-soap and water. The fistula may be washed twice a day with 
salt and water. 'This course must be pursued as long as the fistula 
continues to grow better; although such is the insidious nature of 
the complaint, that, after the painful symptoms have subsided, the 
patient is unable to decide whether he is improving or not, although 
the callous or hardened edges of the fistula are daily diminishing. 

The best and only sure criterion to ascertain whether the morbid 
or diseased organization has been removed, is the quantity of mat¬ 
ter discharged when no dressings are applied; and, therefore, when 
the fistula becomes pitted, or depressed around the edges, and the hard¬ 
ness in a measure gone, a trial may be made to heal it by omitting 
the use of the tents and the syringe. The plaster or salve should 
only be applied, which will enable the practitioner to decide 
whether the discharge arises from the fistula itself, or whether it 
arises from the stimulating properties of the agents or medicines 
made use of; for * it may be said in a word , that the principle of 
cure depends upon the act of making and keeping up a permanent 
issue or drain upon the fistula, until the morbid nature of it is 


196 


PROLAPSUS ANI. 


so destroyed that the edges of the sinus or opening may aggluti¬ 
nate and heal. In general, however, after these applications have 
been used a sufficient length of time, the discharge of matter will 
gradually diminish, and the fistula will close in spite of the stimulus 
arising from the dressings. 

It is always best to w T ait, before dressing the fistula, till there 
has been an evacuation from the bowels, provided this generally 
takes place daily, and in the morning, as the applications are some¬ 
times disturbed by the passages. 

The parts should first be well washed and cleansed with 
soap and water, to which a little spirits should be added. 

This mode of treating fistula, in particular, has excited 
much attention, and has induced some physicians who have had the 
most undubitable evidence of its efficacy and superiority to publish 
it to the world. 

As an alterative remedy for the blood, some practitioners re¬ 
commend very highly, during the treatment, the free use of century 
plant and burdock-seed, or either one of them, made into a strong 
decoction. 

Accessory Means —The early opening of any swelling which 
indicates the presence of an abscess in the vicinity of the anus. A 
poultice before and after the incision may be necessary. " Subse¬ 
quently, frequent washings with tepid water afford comfort to the 
patient, prevent the extension of the disease, and favor a radical 
cure. Nourishing, digestible diet, abundance of fresh air, and 
generally good hygienic conditions, are necessary to increase the 
reparative powers of the system. 

“ Fissure of the Anus is a very troublesome complaint, fre¬ 
quently being very obstinate in its character, and affecting the 
general health. It may be known by fissures or cracks around the 
anus, of various lengths, which are very irritable and painful, and 
discharge a thin fluid. The edges of these cracks gradually become 
hard. The treatment will be similar to that for fistula; apply 
fomentations to relieve the tenderness of the part, after which 
sprinkle the vegetable caustic along the cracks, and cover w r ith an 
ointment spread on lint, made of extract of belladonna one drachm, 
rubbed well with spermaceti, seven drachms.”— Prof. King. 


PROLAPSUS ANI—FALLING OF THE BOWEL. 

This is a protrusion of the mucous lining of the rectum through 
the anal orifice, after the action of the bowel, which goes back of 
itself, or is easily replaced. In severe cases, the protrusion takes 
place from walking, riding or even too long standing, and can only 
be replaced with difficulty. In complicated cases, a portion of the 
muscular structure of the rectum is protruded with the mucous 
membrane. 

Causes—Long-continued constipation or diarrhea; purga- 



PROLAPSUS ANI. 


197 


tives; straining excited by the irritation of worms, or of stone in 
the bladder; laxity and delicacy of constitution. Although not 
confined to them, it is most frequent in children. 

Treatment —To return the protruded portion of the mucous 
membrane, let the person lie on his face, with the hips elevated 
higher than the shoulders, oil a soft piece of muslin three or four 
inches square with sweet oil, cream or lard, place it over the pro¬ 
truded part, hold it lightly but smoothly over the tumor with the 
fingers of one hand, and pass the forefinger of the other hand 
directly into the center of the tumor, in the direction of the anus, 
carrying the muslin before the finger through the anus, until the 
entire protruded part has been returned; then hold the finger there 
for a minute or two. and afterward gently withdraw it, together 
with the muslin. Sometimes simply pressing the llesh on each side, 
over the tumor, with the hips elevated, will cause the bowel to 
return; this can be tried first. Patients who are much troubled 
with this difficulty, should be required to have their evacuations in 
a position half-way between sitting and standing, and should avoid 
straining. 

There are cases, when these protruded parts, or tumors, are too 
much swollen, or too tender to be handled for the purpose of return¬ 
ing them. In such cases, no further attempts must be made until 
means have been made use of to reduce inflammation. Astringent 
washes may first be tried, if the pain and swelling be not too great. 
Take white-oak bark, bruise and make a strong decoction, and to 
every pint add a teaspoonful of pulverized alum; let the part be fre¬ 
quently washed with this. 

After these have been applied, should it still continue irredu¬ 
cible, apply the slippery elm bark poultice, to be secured by a band¬ 
age. This will soon lessen the inflammation so that the intestine 
can be replaced. 

If it proceeds from a relaxed state of the bowels, medicines 
must be given for that complaint. The diet should be such as to 
keep the bowels in a soluble state, as rye or brown bread, mush or 
hasty pudding and molasses. 

In managing difficulties of this kind, be careful that some 
ignorant pretender does not—as has happened—apply the ligature 
or the knife, and cut off the tumor instead of returning it into the 

body. 

The treatment, in order to cure the difficulty, must consist 
mainly of astringent applications and injections. 

Therefore, after returning the bowel, inject into the rectum a 
strong decoction of oak-bark or geranium-root, and then &pply & 
compress, first wetting it also with the decoction, and have the in¬ 
jection retained as long as it can be borne. Powdered alum may be 
dissolved in the decoction, a tablespoonful to a pint of the liquid; 
and in case of much soreness or any ulceration, a teaspoonful of 


198 


ACHING AND SORENESS OF THE FEET. 


copperas. Cold water injections occasionally, will also be good, if 
there is inflammation. 

Care should be exercised to keep the bowels relaxed by proper 
food, fruit, etc., and by careful attention at the time of having an 
operation of the bowels. In severe cases, it becomes necessary to 
retain the bowel in place by a pad or compress, held on by a band¬ 
age. 


ACHING AND SORENESS OF THE FEET—EX¬ 
HAUSTION OF THE MUSCLES. 

Remedies —If the feet be swollen or blistered, or the ankles 
ache after walking, a warm foot-bath may be used, to which a tea¬ 
spoonful of the strong tincture of arnica has been added; the 
relief afforded is often immediate and permanent. If the hands or 
wrists ache from excessive or unaccustomed exertion, they may be 
bathed in about a pint of water to which twenty or thirty drops of 
arnica has been added. If necessary, in one or two hours the ap¬ 
plication may be repeated. In muscular fatigue from long-con¬ 
tinued or severe exertion, affecting the hips, thighs, etc., a liip-bath, 
to which a drachm of the strong tincture of arnica has been added, 
is an excellent remedy. Whatever kind of bath is used, and to 
whatever part applied, it should be warm if used in the evening or 
soon after exertion, but cold or tepid in the morning. 

If at any time the arnica cannot be had, use the water alone, 
for it is excellent. Salt and water are used with much advantage 
to the feet after long walking. 

When suffering from fatigue, a light repast only should be 
taken; a full heavy meal might occasion serious embarrassment to 
the digestive organs, as they equally suffer from the general weari¬ 
ness. 

Wet Feet —When the feet become casually wet, the shoes 
and stockings should be at once removed, the feet bathed in tepid 
water and thoroughly dried by considerable friction with a coarse 
towel. This will prevent colds, coughs, and often more serious 
diseases. 

Blistered Feet —Frequent application of warm water is 
excellent in these difficulties; and, as for medical applications, there 
is, perhaps, nothing better than the following: take of Burgundy 
pitch, two ounces; beeswax, half an ounce; olive oil or vaseline, a 
tablespoonful; melt together and strain. This, applied to the 
soles of the feet, affords prompt and permanent relief. 

To Prevent the Ill Effects of Fatigue —This is 
accomplished bv the simple application of very warm water. 



PERSPIRATION OF THE FEET-TENDER FEET. 


199 


PERSPIIIATION OF THE FEET. 

Remedies — 1 . Washing the feet, once a dav in alum-water 
will, in many cases, effectually cure their excessive perspiration, 
or repeated soaking in quite warm water. When they perspire pro¬ 
fusely during the day, the stockings or socks should be removed 
several times during the day, and dry ones put on. This practice 
will conduce more to health than might generally be anticipated. 

2. Add a teaspoonful of salicylic acid to a pint of water and 
bathe the feet in it every night. 

t/ O 


TENDER FEET AND OFFENSIVE ODOR. 

Remedies —Washing the feet in alum-water will harden 
them. It tends, also, to remove the offensive odor to which some 
feet are subject. Or, wash them in a strong decoction of oak-bark. 
It will have the effect to remove the cause that produces the bad 
odor, and also to harden the soles of the feet. Simply bathing the 
feet once a day in pure water is another admirable means for the 
same purpose, and should be done in such cases every day, for the 
promotion of health, if there should be no other inducement. 

Persons subject to fetid perspiration from the feet, will derive 
great relief from the use of a moderately strong solution of common 
soda, as a bath, frequently. Where a genial glow of warmth does 
not promptly follow the bath and friction in any case, a little bay- 
rum or whisky should be applied, and the friction continued until 
the effect is produced. 

Add a teaspoonful of salicylic acid, to a pint of water, and 
bathe the feet in it every night. 

Cold Feet —The majority of people pay little attention to the 
cleanliness of the feet, and yet any square inch of the sole of the foot 
demands cleanliness, perfect cleanliness, more than any square foot 
of surface of the body, as far as health is concerned, because the 
“ pores ” are much larger there than anywhere else; so large, indeed, 
that they may be called “sluices ” for carrying away the impurities 
of the system. Hence the bottom of the feet should be well washed 
and well rubbed every day.— Hall. 

For Aching Feet —Soak for ten minutes in very hot brine, 
and wipe dry, without washing off in clear water. This will afford 
speedy relief. 


GRAVEL—STONE IN THE BLADDER. 

Causes —The materials which form gravel and stone are 
undoubtedly contained in what we eat and drink. They contain 
sand enough, either in a native state or combined in other substances, 
to form those hard and gritty bodies which we call gravel or stone. 




200 


GRAVEL—STONE IN THE BLADDER. 


When the system is healthy, these ingredients are carried off by the 
proper secretions of the body, but when there is debility of any 
organ, more especially of the kidneys, they become incapable of 
expelling such sandy substances, and these consequently lodge in 
the kidneys, urinary passages or bladder. They generally pass off 
without occasioning much disturbance or disease; but when there is 
an excess of urine or other acid these particles unite chemically 
until they form a stone. This stone, if deposited in the kidneys or 
urinary passages, may give rise to inflammation of these organs; 
or, if lodged in the bladder, it may occasion all the symptoms of 
stone. 

Symptoms —A fine gravel is sometimes discharged with the 
urine, causing much pain and irritation, and earthy substances not 
unfrequently form in the kidneys from the urine, pass to the 
bladder, and are either discharged in the urine, or remain to become 
the nucleus of stone. Sometimes, before the stone leaves the 
kidneys, it becomes too large to pass easily to the bladder, and if it 
is rough, its passage causes great irritation and the most terrible 
spasmodic pains. The attack usually begins suddenly, and during 
apparent health. A severe pain is felt in the region of the kidney, 
shooting to the groin, testicle or thigh, and extending down the 
abdomen, from the kidney to the bladder, in the direction of the 
passage. Sometimes, the greatest pain is felt about the liip. It 
comes in severe paroxysms, is often accompanied by nausea and 
vomiting, and sometimes by a small and feeble pulse, pale com¬ 
plexion and profuse sweat. Frequent inclination to pass urine, is 
another symptom which is commonly present. The patient often 
changes his position, without obtaining the relief which he wishes. 
Finally, the stones passes into the bladder, and he feels immediate 
relief. The symptoms return, of course, as often as a stone passes 
from the kidneys to the bladder; or they may abate for some time, 
before the stone has passed, and return again. 

Remedies —1. The common garden-beet is a superior 
remedy in almost any form of this disease. It should be prepared 
as follows: Boil a quantity, as if preparing them for the table; then 
boil the juice to nearly a sirup. Of this, drink from onedialf to a 
teacupful, three times a day. Some of the worst cases have been 
cured by this remedy, when all other means had failed. It possesses 
the power of dissolving stone in the bladder. 

2. To one quart of soft water, add three teaspoonfuls of pow¬ 
dered borax, and six teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar; when dissolved, 
give from two to three tablespoonfuls, four or five times a day. 
This remedy has cured very grave cases of gravel in a few days , 
that had resisted medical treatment for years. 

3. Prepare and take, three times a day, an infusion of bird* 
knot grass, in doses of three or four tablespoonfuls. This was a 
favorite remedy with the celebrated Dr. Warren, who regarded it as 


GRAVEL-STONE IN THE BLADDER. 


201 


a specific for the different forms of this disease, and who states that 
he has cured a large number of cases with it. 

4. Goose-grass, or cleavers (Galium Aparine), is said to be a 
solvent of stone in the bladder. It should be prepared by infusing 
the leaves slowly for two or three hours, in hot (but not boiling) 
water. Dose, half a teacupful three times a day. 

5. The juice of red onions is said also to be a cure for this 
disease. Half a teacupful is to be drunk morning and evening, for 
four or five days. 

Accessory Treatment —For spasms, or severe paroxysms 
of pain, caused by the passage of stone or gravel from the kidneys 
to the bladder, if convenient, put the patient into a warm bath; if 
not, wring a sheet out of hot water and wrap it around the body, 
from below the arms to the hips, and put over the sheet dry flannel; 
wet the sheet often. If this does not afford relief, and the patient 
is an adult and the pains severe, give twenty-five drops of laudanum 
or one-sixth of a grain of morphine, and repeat at the end of an 
hour, if there is no relief. A third may be given, if necessary, at 
the end of two hours. Remedies may sometimes relieve, but not 
often; or the stone may pass, and relief follow. Keep watch of the 
urine for the stone, as it is important that it should pass as soon as 
possible after entering the bladder, or it may become a gathering 
point for stone. If it fails to pass, the patient should drink freely 
of slippery-elm tea or gum-Arabic water, retain the urine until the 
bladder is distended, and then pass it in a full stream, while stand¬ 
ing, with the legs apart and the body bending forward, which helps 
the passage. The pain is caused by the stoppage of the urine, while 
the stone is passing. 

Uric-Acid Gravel —This form of gravel is frequently char¬ 
acterized by uric acid being passed in the urine, in the shape of fine 
sand, and sometimes, even, in large crystals. The urine of the 
person is highly colored after it becomes cool; somewhat of the 
color of brown sherry. There will be found in it, red, yellow or 
dirty-white deposits, which adhere to the sides of the vessel. Take, 
of dwarf-elder bark, marshmallow root, trailing arbutus, and queen- 
of-the meadow root, each, one ounce. Put them in a quart of 
boiling water. Then add two pints of good Holland gin; steep 
them in a closely-covered vessel, for four hours, over a gentle fire; 
strain, and sweeten to the taste with honey. Dose, a wineglassful 
three times a day, until a complete cure is effected. This is doubt¬ 
less one of the best remedies yet offered to the public for the cure 
of this kind of gravel. 

In fits of gravel in the kidneys, in which there is no stone in 
the bladder, the following will generally be effective: Put one 
pound of quicklime in one and a half gallons of water; of this, 
drink from one and a half to two pints during the day. After using 
this water, nearly the same amount of water may be added a second 
time to the lime, without renewing it. 


202 GIDDINESS-DIZZINESS-GOITER, OR SWELLED NECK. 

GIDDINESS-DIZZINESS (Vertigo). 

Symptoms —The patient is suddenly seized with a sense of 
swimming in the head; everything appears to him to turn around; 
he staggers, and is in danger of falling down. This complaint is 
attended with very little danger where it arises from hysterics, or 
any nervous disorder; but when it arises from plethora, or an un¬ 
natural quantity of blood in the head, there is danger of apoplexy. 

This complaint often proceeds from difficult or obstructed 
menstruation. 

Treatment —It will be necessary, first, to ascertain the cause 
of the complaint. If it is symptomatic of some other disorder, 
that must first be removed, in order to cure it. If it comes from 
dyspepsia, eat lightly; if from costiveness, use coarse food and 
fruits. (See “ Costiveness.”) Avoid coffee, ardent spirits and late 
suppers, and take much exercise. Keep the feet warm, and the 
head cool, and the bowels regular. 


GOITER, OR SWELLED NECK. 

A tumor on the fore-part of the neck, formed by an enlarge¬ 
ment of the thyroid gland. The progress of the swelling is ex¬ 
tremely gradual, and, in general, the skin long retains its natural 
appearance. It is at first soft; but as it advances in size it acquires 
a great degree of hardness; the face is subject to frequent flushing; 
the patient complains of frequent headaches, and likewise of pains 
shooting through the body of the tumor. It is often accompanied 
with hvsteric affections. 

•j 

Causes —The inhabitants of Derbyshire, and other mountain¬ 
ous parts of England, and those of the Alps and adjacent mount¬ 
ains on the continent, are peculiarly subject to this disorder. Among 
the latter it is known by the name of goitre, and its origin is 
ascribed to the use of snow-water. It is considered a scrofulous 
affection of the gland. 

Remedies —1. The seeds of the common nettle are a sov¬ 
ereign remedy for the cure of goiter. Dose, from twelve to fifteen 
seeds, three times a day. 

2. There have recently been reported some cases of this disease 
cured by means of mechanical pressure. For this purpose an elastic 
band, or rubber, of from one and a half to two and a half inches in 
width, is passed around the neck and over the swelling, and gradu¬ 
ally tightened, but only to a degree that will neither render it un¬ 
comfortable nor cause any fullness of the head. 

3. u Collodion,” says a recent medical writer, “ is the best 
remedy ever used for ‘ big-neck,’ or goiter. It should be freely 
applied to the part, and the skin kept completely under its action. 
It cures mainly by the pressure it produces upon the tumor.” 



I 


GOUT. 203 

4. Poke-root roasted in ashes, mashed and applied to 
goiter will often remove it when nothing else will. This is an ad¬ 
mirable application also for any tumor. 

Formerly, burnt sponge was administered internally for the cure 
of big-neck. It has been satisfactorily ascertained, however, that 
the only virtue in the sponge consists in the iodine which it con¬ 
tains, and latterly this remedy has been mainly relied upon for 
removing goiter. It is used externally. It is best to begin with 
the ordinary tincture of iodine of the shops, which may be painted 
over all the enlarged surface with a small brush or sponge—ap¬ 
plied twice a day; continue until the surface becomes tender or 
blistered, when the tincture should be laid aside for an ointment of 
iodine, slightly weaker than such as is prepared in the shops; this 
may be prepared by adding one pint of sweet lard to two pints of 
ointment of iodine, full strength. The ointment in this strength 
should be rubbed in twice a day. In the meantime, a removal to a 
dry, bracing atmosphere, and the use of pure water, will contribute 
to the cure.— Dr . Howard. 


GOUT. 

Causes —Though idleness and intemperance are the principal 
causes of the gout, yet many other things may contribute to bring 
on the disorder in those who are not, and to induce a paroxysm in 
those who are subject to it, as intense study, a too free use of acid 
liquors, night-watching, grief or uneasiness of mind, an obstruc¬ 
tion or defect of any of the customary discharges, as the menses, 
sweating of the feet, perspiration, etc. 

Symptoms —A lit of the gout is generally preceded by in¬ 
digestion, drowsiness, wind, a slight headache, sickness, and some¬ 
times vomiting. The patient complains of weariness and dejection 
of spirits, and has often a pain in the limbs, with a sensation as if 
wind or cold water were passing down the thigh. The appetite is 
often remarkably keen a day or two before the fit, and there is a 
slight pain in passing urine, and sometimes an involuntary shed¬ 
ding of tears. 

The regular gout generally makes its attack in the spring or 
beginning of winter, in the following manner: About two or three 
in die morning, the patient is seized with a pain in his great toe, 
sometimes in the heel, and at other times in the ankle or calf of 
the leg. This pain is accompanied with a sensation as if cold water 
were poured upon the part, which is succeeded by a shivering,.with 
some degree of fever. Afterwards the pain increases, and fixing 
among the small bones of the foot, the patient feels all the differ¬ 
ent kinds of torture, as if the part were stretched, burnt, squeezed, 
gnawed, or torn in pieces, etc. The part at length becomes so ex¬ 
quisitely sensitive that the patient cannot bear to have it touched, 
or even suffer any person to walk across the room. 



204 


GOUT. 


The patient is generally in extreme torture for twenty-four 
hours from the time of the coming on of the tit; he then becomes 
easier, the part begins to swell, appears red, and is covered with a 
little moisture. Towards morning he drops asleep, and generally 
falls into a gentle, soothing sweat. This terminates the first parox¬ 
ysm, a series of which constitutes a fit of the gout; which is longer 
or shorter, according to the patient’s age, strength, physical condi¬ 
tions, previous habits, the season of the year, and the disposition of 
the body to this disease. 

The patient is always worse toward night and easier in the 
morning. The paroxysms, however, generally grow milder every 
day, till at length the disease is carried off by perspiration, by the 
urine and the other evacuations. In some patients, this happens in 
a few days; in others, it requires weeks; in some, months to finish 
the attack. 

Remedies —For temporary relief in an attack of gout, there 
is perhaps nothing better than bathing, or holding the part affected 
in cold water. Warm water, in which there is dissolved a quantity 
of saleratus, is also highly recommended. In some cases salt and 
water may be used, and they are very beneficial. When bathing does 
not effect the purpose and satisfy the patient, a poultice of jimson 
leaves, bruised and simmered awhile in weak lye and thickened with 
wheat-bran or powdered elm-bark, and applied warm, answers an 
excellent purpose. The principal thing to be done to effect a cure 
is to change the diet, take plenty of vigorous exercise and abstain 
from all spirituous liquors. 

Coffee has recently been recommended for gout. Dr. Deveran 
says he had gout for twenty-five years, and coffee cured him. 

Should the pain, swelling and heat be great, the foot or part 
affected may be steamed over bitter herbs. This generally affords 
the most sudden relief. 

Colcliicum —This remedy bears an antagonistic relation to 
gout, and is best administered in comparatively large and frequently 
repeated doses, as follows: Twenty drops of the strong tincture to a 
tumblerful of water, giving a dessertspoonful every twenty, thirty, 
or sixty minutes, according to the intensity of the pain, and until it 
subsides. Colchicum is a drug used both in the new and in the old 
school of medicine, with this difference: that all the good effects of 
the remedy are secured by the small doses of the former, without 
any of the injury the large doses of the latter entail. The following 
extracts from an author of each school will be read with interest: 
There is one drug which has an undoubted influence in controlling 
gouty inflammation, and its action in articular gout (gout of the 
joints) appears as marked as that of chinchona bark in the cure of 
ague; this remedy is colchicum. 

Colchicum, as before stated, has a direct, controlling power 
over the joint-disease, and I cannot call to mind a single instance in 
which its influence was not well marked. 


CHRONIC GOUT. 


205 


In adopting this as the remedy for the gouty paroxysms, 
Homoeopathy may do something towards removing those incon- 
vemences which beset its administration in the old school. Prob¬ 
ably all the bad effects which result from Allopathic doses may be 
avei ted by a reduction of the dose. Should the pain recur in the 
same, or attack other joints, colchicum should be resumed. 

Accessory Measures —During an attack of gout, the 
affected limb should be raised, so as to favor the free return of blood 
to the heart; the application of flannels wrung out of hot water, hot 
bread-and-water poultices, after immersion in hot water, often do 
good, or the acetic-acid lotion, (or vinegar) before recommended, 
may be used. . In acute attacks the patient should be restricted to 
farinaceous diet arrow-root, tapioca, sago, bread, etc., and milk; 
water, or toast-and-water, ad libitum. As the fever-symptoms de¬ 
cline, a more generous diet maybe gradually allowed;" at the same 
time the patient should resume daily, moderate, out-of-door exercise 
as early as he is able. 

Healthy action of the shin should be promoted by bathing, 
warm clothing, bath-brushes, etc., for much excrementitious matter 
is got rid of in this manner. Friction over the whole surface of the 
body is extremely useful when exercise cannot be taken. The 
patient should be well rubbed, with a flesh-brush or with the hands, 
twice a day. 


CHRONIC GOUT. 

This is a persistent constitutional affection, characterized by stiff¬ 
ness and swelling of various joints, with deposits of urate of soda. 

Symptoms —The deposits in the joints constitute the distin¬ 
guishing feature; chronic stiffness and swelling of various joints, 
with pain, are considered as cases of chronic rheumatism or gout. 

Treatment of Gouty Deposits —The following simple 
method Dr. Broadbent has found effectual: Wrap the hands in 
linen or flannel dripping with water, warm or cold, and inclose them 
in a water-proof bag all night. This very speedily removes inflam¬ 
matory stiffness, and little by little, the concretions of urate of soda 
soften, frequently disappearing entirely. Dr. Broadbent, has, in 
other cases, applied alkaline solutions, and water acidulated with 
nitric acid to one hand, wdiile water alone has been applied to the 
other, and has come to the conclusion that water is the agent in the 
process of removal. Urate of soda is soluble in a sufficient quantity 
of water. When once deposited around the joints it is extra-vas¬ 
cular, and not readily acted on through the blood, but water being 
absorbed by the skin effects its solution; when dissolved it is carried 
away. 



206 GANGLION- —GLEET, GONORRHEA. 

Tincture colcliicum..1 teaspoonful. 

Pearlash.1 teaspoonful. 

Dose, a teaspoonful every two hours. This is a perfect cure. 
You need not look further. 


GANGLION, OR WEEPING SINEW. 

A ganglion is a small swelling, composed of toughisli sacs, 
formed on one or more of the tendons of the back of the wrists, rare¬ 
ly larger than a child’s marble, generally smaller, attended with 
weakness, hut free from pain. 

Causes —Excessive action of the tendon, or of the extensor 
muscle leading to the tendon to which the ganglion is attached. 
Dr. Skey states that he has treated many cases in the persons of 
violin-players, in whom the malady has been confined to the left 
hand, the right, or bow-hand, being free; he states also that gang¬ 
lions are often seen in pianists who practice many hours daily. But 
they are not confined exclusively to this class of persons. 

Remedies —The best plan is to adapt and bind a piece of lead 
upon the tumor, so as to make a firm and continued compression. 
This may be aided bv stimulating liniments, being careful not to 
produce too much irritation in the tumor. Sometimes this difficulty 
has been cured by painting the tumor with tincture of iodine, twice 
a day, and covering it with oiled silk, and then firmly compressing 
it with a bandage. It usually requires several months to effect a 
cure. In those cases where the above means fail after having been 
perseveringly tried, it will need the aid of the surgeon to remove 
the swelling by the knife. 

2. An English author says that the method he recommends 
to be first adopted is the internal and external use of benzoic acid. 
Dissolve half a teacupful in a pint of water, and take a tablespoon¬ 
ful of this three times a day. For external use, take benzoic acid, 
five grains; glycerine-cerate, one ounce. This is to be well rubbed 
into the part, morning and night. 

3. Put a blister plaster as large as a quarter of a dollar on the 
affected part, and let it draw until a blister is raised; prick it and 
let out the water, then dress with any simple salve. 


GLEET, GONORRHEA (Clap). 

This is an inflammation of the urethra, or external urinary 
passage, and is generally occasioned by an impure connection; 
although a disease of a similar character may arise from having 
connection with a healthy woman during menstruation; and it is 
sometimes produced by leucorrhea in the female. Where the disease 
is contagious, the symptoms follow exposure in from two or three 






207 


GLEET, GONORRHEA. 

days, to as many weeks, though in most instances the time is about 
one week. 

Symptoms —The first sign is a tickling or itching sensation 
at the mouth of the urinary passage, soon followed by a frequent 
inclination to make water. In a short time, swelling and redness 
appear, and the passage of urine becomes painful. As the case 
progresses, a yellowish-white discharge appears, becomes sometimes 
greenish or bloody, and often quite copious. Severe scalding or 
burning pains attend the passage of the urine, which is scanty, and 
comes in a small stream. The inflammation ascends the urethra, 
and sometimes reaches the bladder. The passage is swollen and 
feels hard, and the patient is sometimes troubled, especially at night, 
with painful erections; the organ being prevented from becoming 
entirely erect by the inflammation. More or less headache, fever 
and restlessness generally attend the disease. 

Under careful and skillful treatment, the acute symptoms 
usually begin to abate in a few days; though they ma} r last a week 
or ten days, if proper care is not used. It is often cured in from a 
few days to six weeks; but in scrofulous constitutions, or where it 
has been improperly treated, the discharge becomes chronic, and is 
called gleet, which results from neglect and unskillful agencies, and 
is a tedious, dreaded disease. Sometimes the testicles become 
swollen and inflamed, and the passages closed; the case is then 
serious. 

Females do not suffer, as a rule, as severely as males, though, 
should the inflammation extend up the vagina to the uterus, or 
womb, it may be very severe. 

Preparatory Treatment —Sexual intercourse should never 
be indulged until the patient is entirely cured. He should use no 
animal food, alcoholic or fermented liquors, coffee, green tea, spices, 
or other stimulating condiments; and the stiller he keeps the more 
certain will be the cure, as exercise aggravates the disease. Lying 
down is a preferable position. 

In the beginning, wrap the parts in a cotton or linen cloth, 
wrung out of cold water, surrounding the wet cloth with several 
thicknesses of dry flannel; wet the cloth, at least, every five or six 
hours. If the symptoms do not improve at the end of five or six 
days, use warm instead of cold water, and change oftener—at least 
once every hour, and oftener is better. . 

. Remedies —1. Take a piece of saltpetre, of the size of an 
ordinary white bean (three or four grains), dissolve in two table¬ 
spoonfuls of water, and take at a dose, repeating it three times daily. 
Recent cases will be cured in a week; old cases, in two or three 
weeks. This simple but effective remedy was first introduced to 
the medical profession by Dr. Henry, of London, and has since been 
used with great success, in the cure of this disease. 

2. The following remedy will radically cure any case. of 
gonorrhea, not complicated with syphilis, or pox. It is the Indian 


( 


208 


GLEET, GONORRHEA. 


hemp (Cannabis Sativa). It can he procured at the drug-stores. 
Begin with live drops of the tincture, night and morning, and, in 
severe cases or in those that have been mismanaged, this dose may 
be gradually increased to fifteen drops, night and morning. 

3. The tincture of blue gum ( Eucalyptus ) will cure in six to 
eight days, if used in the first stages. Add thirty drops to a half¬ 
pint of water. Of this use two tablespoonfuls, as an injection, 
immediately after urinating; in chronic cases three times a day. 
For females, half a teacupful three times a day. But, before using 
it, warm water should be employed for cleansing purposes. 

Equal parts of the fluid extract of yerba reuma and water used 
as an injection, four times a day, make a remedy that has proven 
efficient. It is to be used in quantities as indicated in the previous 
remedy. The tinctures of yerba reuma and eucalyptus can be pro¬ 
cured in all drug-stores. 

4. Swamp milk-weed is a favorite remedy with many physicians, 
(.Asclepias Incarnata ). It is also known by the names of white 
Indian-hemp, swamp and silk-weed. Dose of the tincture, two 
teaspoonfuls, three times a day, before each meal. 

5. In the report of the medical statistics of the United States 
Army, Assistant Surgeon Hammond, in his report on the diseases 
of Socorro, Hew Mexico, mentions a new remedy for gonorrhea— 
the Exhedra Occidentalis—called by the natives popilote. Take 
two ounces of the branches, cut into small pieces, and simmer in a 
pint of hot water, in a closed vessel for two hours, and then strain. 
A pint of the infusion may be drunk during the day. It acts with 
surprising promptness, and is an efficient and valuable medicine. 
The shrub is an evergreen, and grows in great profusion throughout 
the country. 

Should any person be so situated at any time that he cannot 
readily obtain these remedies, the following are often very effective: 

6. Drink freely of a strong tea made of the tops and roots of 
the malva, or cheese-weed, three or four times a day. This is said 
to be a great remedy among the Spanish people for the cure of this 
disease. 

7. Take five-drop doses of a strong tincture of golden seal, 
three times a day. It is also used as an injection. Or a strong 
decoction of the root may be used in place of the tincture. This 
remedy is very effective in the first stages of this disease. 

8. The celebrated Dr. Peterson’s prescription is the following: 
Liquid chloride of zinc, from twenty-four to thirty-six drops; soft 
water, eight tablespoonfuls. Two injections a day will generally be 
sufficient to effect a radical cure of gonorrhea; the first injections 
are almost always followed by more or less swelling of the parts, but 
this should not prevent the patient from continuing their use. 

Cliordee and Scalding ot the Urine —These are often 
accompanying and very distressing affections. For their relief or 
mitigation, the patient should use, in connection with the above 



GLEET, GONORRHEA. 


209 


remedies, the tincture of Spanish flies ( Cantharides ) in doses of one 
drop in a teaspoonful of water, three or four times a day. At the 
same time the diseased parts should be frequently bathed in cold or 
warm water. Sometimes the one, and sometimes the other, will be 
most effective in affording relief. 

Half an ounce of camphor water at night, or thirty grains of 
bromide of potass in water, will entirely relieve chordee. 

In the treatment of gonorrhea with any remedies, it is to be 
particularly noted, and carefully remembered, that, unless the 
directions given under “ Preparatory Treatment,” mentioned above, 
are strictly complied with and diligently carried out, a cure is not 
and cannot be guaranteed. Cases have been known in which a cure 
had been almost effected, when a single cup of coffee, unwisely 
taken, brought on a return of the discharge, and the other symp¬ 
toms were as severe as at the first. 

Dr. Thomas Evans, of London, uses very frequent and very 
weak injections of the sulphate of zinc, one grain to the ounce (two 
tablespoonfuls) of water, to be still further reduced if pain is felt. 
They are simple, but efficacious. He repeats them every half hour 
during the day. Slight cases are cured in twenty-four hours; severe 
cases in three or four days. 

Alum injections are exclusively used by Dr. IT. Collis in all 
stages of gonorrhea. “ In the most acute form, the patient,” he 
says, “is directed to pour a small jug of cold water on the parts, 
and immediately inject a syringeful of alum-solution, one-half grain 
to an ounce of water (two tablespoonfuls). The first day the in¬ 
jection is to be repeated every half-hour; at night, as often as the 
patient wakes. In old cases, the injection may be increased to one 
drachm of alum in eight ounces (half a pint) of water, three or four 
times a day.” 

It will be a satisfaction to the unfortunate victims of this 
malady to know that there are simple remedies, such as the above, 
that will cure this disease; but the safer and better plan is to prac¬ 
tice prevention, by never exposing one’s self to the disease; though 
it has been known to have been contracted, unsuspectingly and in¬ 
cautiously, in water-closets. 

Many of the pernicious remedies that are administered in the 
treatment of this disease are worse than none; for they result in 
what is sometimes termed suppressed gonorrhea, and the patient is 
longer in getting well than if he had taken no medicine. During 
the treatment of the disease, the patient should exercise the greatest 
care possible in avoiding excesses of all.kinds. 

As a precaution against contagion, use a wash of equal parts 
of whisky and water immediately after exposure. Or, wash with 
strong alum-water and on the following morning take two or three 
drops of turpentine. 

When traveling, never sit on a privy-seat so as to allow it to 


210 


GUM-BOIL. 


come in contact with the skin. Spread a paper over it, by all 
means. 

Sometimes matter forms in the eyes, and a handkerchief is 
used; that handkerchief can impart the disease to the eyes of an¬ 
other, or to a chapped lip; sometimes the scalp is affected with 
ulcerous formations of the same kind; hence, never touch the hand¬ 
kerchief or comb or hairbrush of a stranger, under any circum¬ 
stances. 

Hence, also, the keepers of all good hotels never put a guest in 
a bed on sheets which have been used by another; for this, and 
other reasons, good housekeepers are very careful to have the 
sheets washed, even after a single night’s use by a guest; by some, 
however, it is not thought necessary to have sheets washed oftener 
than once a month, and a dozen persons in succession may sleep on 
them. 

It may not be inappropriate here to mention the fact, in the 
language of Dr. Hall, that, “ When husbands are driven, as they 
sometimes are, by trifling excuses on the part of the wife, to seek 
other associations, these abominations may be brought home to 
them, and are brought home to them in multitudes of instances, to 
be infected themselves, and to have those infected with the degrad¬ 
ing taint of blood who are born to them. A city physician has 
reason to believe that a large number of divorces, of this character, 
can be traced to the fault of the wife; she pleads her husband’s in¬ 
fidelity; the courts release her, for they look at the husband’s 
dereliction, and are not authorized to go farther back and inquire 
what led him to infidelity to the marriage-vow; if they did, they 
would find it in the conduct of a petted, spoiled, childish wife, 
taking her little revenges in interposing obstacles to accommoda¬ 
tions, in spite sometimes, in mere waywardness often. In other 
cases, where the husband* is too honorable, too high-minded to 
commit a wrong himself because one has been committed by an¬ 
other, he may hold fast his integrity, notwithstanding the dele¬ 
terious effects, but the charm is broken, the sun has gone behind a 
cloud, and happiness never dwells again in that household. These 
are suggestions not only for wives, but for mothers, to be made use 
of at a proper time, and thus enable their daughters to escape, and 
escape easily, the early stranding of the domestic ship.” 


GUM-BOIL (Abscessus Alveolaris). 

This is a small abscess commencing in the socket of a tooth, 
and bursting through the gum or even through the cheek. 

Causes —Usually, the irritation from a decayed tooth. A 
cold may excite inflammation of the covering of the teeth, the dis¬ 
eased products of which are thus discharged. 



HICCOUGH. 


211 


Symptoms —Pain in a tooth, spreading over a portion of the 
jaw, with heat, throbbing, swelling, and the formation of an abscess, 
which should be opened at once. It may heal by resolution; or it 
may burst into the mouth, or even penetrate the cheek. The suf¬ 
ferings are sometimes great, worse at night, and incessant till 
swelling has taken place, when they usually abate. There is fre¬ 
quently some fever. 

Accessory Treatment —The application of a roasted fig, 
as hot as can be borne, to the inflamed gum, will speedily give 
relief. If the swelling be very extensive, and there are signs of the 
abscess coming through the cheek, a poultice of linseed-meal should 
be applied till suppuration is established, and continued for a short 
time afterwards. In some cases prompt relief may be obtained by 
lancing the swelling as soon as its existence is ascertained. Ex¬ 
traction of the decayed tooth is often necessary. 


HICCOUGH (Singultus). 

The hiccough is a spasmodic or convulsive affection of the 
stomach and midriff, arising from any cause that irritates their 
nervous fibres. 

It may proceed from excess in eating or drinking; from a hurt 
of the stomach; poisons; inflammations or hard tumors of the 
stomach, intestines, bladder, midriff, or the rest of the viscera. In 
gangrenes, acute and malignant fevers, a hiccough is often the fore¬ 
runner of death. 

Remedies —1. A little sweetened spirits of camphor will 
generally remove this difficulty. Often a drink of cold water or a 
glass of cold soda-water, or ice-cream, will accomplish the same 
purpose. 

2. It may be relieved generally by a sudden fright or surprise, 
or any sudden application of cold; also by drinking cold water 
slowly, eating a small piece of ice, taking a pinch of snuff, or any¬ 
thing that excites coughing. Or, take one teaspoonful of common 
vinegar. 

3. When it is caused by a sour stomach, lime-water in wine- 
glassful doses, or soda, or magnesia, will control most cases. There 
are cases though, in which almost every means fail, and one trial 
after another will have to be made in order to suppress it. In low 
forms of fever, it is a bad symptom, and must be looked upon with 
dread. 

The simplest remedy for hiccoughs in infants is to apply the 
child to the breast for a few moments. If this does not stop them 
a little anise-seed tea will usually cure. 



212 


SICK HEADACHE. 


SICK HEADACHE. 

This has received its name from the constant nausea, or sickness 
of the stomach, which attends the pain in the head. 

Symptoms —This headache is apt to begin in the morning, 
on waking from a deep sleep, or after sleeping in a close room, and 
when some irregularity of diet has been committed on the several 
preceding days. At first there is an oppressive feeling in the head, 
which gradually increases into a severe, heavy pain in the temples, 
frequently attended by a sense of fullness and tenderness in one 
eye and extending across the forehead. There is apt to be an 
unpleasant taste in the mouth, offensive breath and the tongue 
covered with a yellowish white fur, accompanied with nausea and 
vomiting. Attacks of sick headache may occur every few days, or 
at much longer intervals. In the case of females, it frequently 
occurs at the menstrual period, and sometimes accompanies men¬ 
strual irregularities. 

Causes —This disease is frequently occasioned by deranged or 
unhealthy conditions of the stomach or liver, brought on by exces¬ 
sive eating, drinking, debaucheries, etc. Drinking hot tea is often 
the cause of violent headache. More than one-fourth of the female 
portion of mankind have experienced sick headache, in a greater or 
less degree, ever since saleratus was introduced and used as an 
ingredient in the making of bread and pastries. Therefore, the 
more nearly it is dispensed with, the less of this affection there will 
be, as well as some other maladies. 

Remedies —1. If the tongue be coated white, begin the 
treatment by adding one-half teaspoonful of cooking-soda to a 
tumbler of cold water, and when dissolved, drink one-fourth of it 
every hour until it is all taken, or dissolve one teaspoonful of 
powdered charcoal in a tumbler of milk, every two hours. This 
will answer the same purpose, and, in some cases, is preferable. 
The acidity of the stomach will be thus overcome and prepared for 
curative treatment. After two doses of either of the above have 
been taken, take one-half teaspoonful of powdered guarana, in a 
little water, every hour, until two or three doses have been taken. 
The first dose often stops the headache in thirty minutes, after which 
about one-fourth of a teaspoonful should be taken once, daily, for 
two or three weeks, to prevent a return; and if, during the time, 
the tongue becomes coated white, the soda or charcoal" should be 
taken once a day until it returns to its natural colqr. This is a new 
remedy and may be procured at almost any drug-store. The elixir 
of guarana is more pleasant to take than that in the form of a pow¬ 
der. Dose, half a teaspoonful or over every hour, until three or 
four doses are taken, after which take it once a day. 

This is a sure remedy for almost any ease of sick headache. 
This disease was formerly considered incurable in most instances , 
but now , with this new remedy , one may expect a cure. 


NERVOUS SICK HEADACHE. 


213 


2. When there are strong symptoms of sick headache, com¬ 
mence drinking lemon-water, prepared in the following manner: 
To two gills of tepid water, add one teaspoonful of the oil or juice 
of lemon, and drink this quantity every fifteen minutes, for one 
hour. Persons of strong constitution may add more of the acid, 
or drink half as much more water. This will produce a very sal¬ 
utary effect, and check the attack or relieve it very materially. 

3. When headache results from food taken, a draught of 
warm chamomile-tea, will generally afford relief. If the sickness 
continue, soda and water, with a little ginger, may do well, or a 
mustard poultice upon the stomach may be required. 

4. When there is acidity of the stomach, two teaspoonfuls of 
finely powdered charcoal, in one-half a teacupful of water, will 
generally relieve in a very short time. 

5. Some forms of headache are readily cured by the magnetic 
powers of another person, or by certain manipulations with which 
most people are familiar, namely, both of the hands are to be placed 
on the head of the patient, then bring them down to the shoulders, 
slanting them away from the body; then, on returning them to the 
top of the head, let them pass at a greater distance from the body 
than when they passed down, and successively repeat for a short 
time. 

6. Another very excellent means of relieving the head is to 
plunge the feet into a bath of hot water, into which a quantity of 
mustard or ashes has been stirred, and retain them there for twenty 
or thirty minutes, and apply a mustard plaster on the nape of the 
neck. 

7. Drink from one-third to one-half a teacupful of hot water, 
hot as can be borne, every twenty or twenty-five minutes. This 
is a favorite remedy for relieving sick headache, with some ladies. 

8. An efficient means for tlie cure of this distressing affection 
is the sulphate of nickel. For the use of this medicine the reader 
is referred to “Nervous Sick headache.” 

9. For headache arising from difficult or suppressed menstru¬ 
ation, bathe the feet in warm water and use a hip or warm bath. 
This will remove it without any other medicine. 

10. A teaspoonful of bromide of potash in a small glass of cold 
water will generally cure the worst cases. 

11. Saturate a cloth with the tincture of witch-hazel ( Kama - 
metis), and apply to the part of the head where the pain is located; 
renew when the cloth becomes dry. Headache that is produced by 
an excessive flow of blood to the head, or is attended with the same, 
is usually cured with this remedy. 


NERVOUS SICK HEADACHE. 

Predisposing' Causes —A peculiar nervous temperament, 
which is often hereditarv and runs in families. Hie excessive use 



214 


NERVOUS SICK HEADACHE. 


of tea or coffee is in some cases a predisposing cause; also un¬ 
healthy occupations, sewage-gases, malaria, the employment of arsenic 
in wall papers, or in articles of dress, a sedentary, monotonous life, 
wdtli the use of alcoholic beverages, and probably other varying 
causes. Whatever produces a powerful impression on the nervous 
system of a person thus predisposed may develop an attack; as 
fright, loud noises, exposure to a hot sun, a strong wind, or ex¬ 
tremes of temperature. Moreover, mental or bodily fatigue, worry, 
the pressure of business or family anxieties, deprivation of sleep or 
food, prolonged nursing, and other causes of nervous exhaustion, 
are invariably succeeded by nervous headache. True sick headache, 
then, may occur in the most abstemious persons, and is not at all 
necessarily connected with a disordered digestion. 

Symptoms —They usually commence on rising‘in the morn¬ 
ing, the patient being pale, dark around the eyes, with contracted 
pupils, and looking and feeling extremely ill. Giddiness, swim¬ 
ming in the head, throbbing of the temples, and stupefying, 
agonizing, or deeply seated headache, often limited to one spot on 
the side of the head, on the forehead, or over the eyes, and increased 
by movement, noise, strong light, and any kind of mental disturb¬ 
ance. The gastric symptoms—clammy mouth, nausea and vomit¬ 
ing, or more generally straining to vomit—are secondary rather 
than primary, having no necessary connection with any impropriety 
of diet. 

Remedies —1. A permanent cure of this disease has often 
been effected by abandoning the use of all exciting drinks, such as 
tea, coffee, and spirituous liquors, and substituting the lemon-water, 
which is prescribed on another page for sick headache. When the 
pain is severe, a compress of warm water, placed upon the stomach 
and abdomen, and frequently changed, will generally relieve it. 

2. When there are strong symptoms of an attack of nervous 
headache, drink freely, for three or four hours, of a strong decoc¬ 
tion of scull-cap. This will often effect a cure. 

3. The following is a new remedy, and one that is reported to 
be of superior efficacy in headache. In fact, it is regarded as a 
specific in the cure of this disease. It is the sulphate of nickel, 
and may be procured at the drug-stores. One grain of it is to be 
rubbed, or triturated, in a mortar with nine grains of the sugar of 
milk. If this cannot be obtained, use loaf-sugar. When these are 
well ground together, the medicine is ready for use. The dose is 
one or two grains. One dose is often sufficient to relieve the par¬ 
oxysm. if it does not, it may be repeated every one or two 
hours, until the pain ceases. Cases of frequently-recurring head¬ 
ache, or headache coming on after certain intervals, are reported, 
which were promptly and permanently cured by this medicine. 

4. A very excellent remedy for this affection, especially when 
occurring at the monthly period, is the tincture of black cohosh 
('Cimicifuga Racemosa). Add ten drops to half a tumbler of 


PALPITATION OF THE HEART. 


215 


water, and take a dessert-spoonful every half-hour, or hour, until 
relief is obtained. 

5. I frequently prescribe the milk-weed, in nervous headache, 
and find it the promptest remedy I ever administered. This plant 
is also known as bitter-root (.Apocynum AndroscBmifolium). The 
dose of the fluid extract, is ten to twenty drops (of the saturated 
tincture, fifteen to twenty-five drops) repeated every three or four 
hours.— Prof. Goss. 

6. Soak the feet thoroughly in hot mustard. Take fifteen 
grains of bromide of potash in one half glass of water, and relief 
is generally afforded. 

Accessory Treatment —The patient should lie down in a 
quiet room, with a subdued light, and be kept from every kind of 
disturbance, so that, if possible, sleep may afford relief. Rest and 
sleep are the most natural restorers. Hot tea or coffee, which acts 
on the nervous system, often gives immediate relief, though the 
excessive use of these beverages predisposes to subsequent attacks. 
If pressure relieve, the wet bandage should be tightly bound round 
the head. Dr. Wilks says, “ This is an admirable means of procur¬ 
ing temporary relief.” 

During an attack, unless it is prolonged, entire abstinence from 
food is necessary; at least, only the slightest nourishment, milk 
and lime-water, plain soup, etc., should be given; copious draughts 
of hot water taken early, often mitigate or shorten an attack. 

Preventive Treatment —The causes which predispose to 
or excite the paroxysm must be avoided and the tone of the general 
health improved. For this, the knowledge and tact of the physician 
are necessary. Tea and coffee, although they sometimes give re¬ 
lief during a paroxysm, render the nervous system increasingly 
susceptible to the attacks, and we have known several patients en¬ 
joy complete immunity from the attacks by abandoning these 
beverages. The general regulation of the diet, the adoption of out- 
of-door recreation, and the general hygienic measures will prevent, 
or very much relieve, this affection. In some, when attacks fre¬ 
quently recur, change of occupation, scene and climate, are neces¬ 
sary to break up the tendency. The climate selected should be dry 
and bracing, and walking or horseback exercise taken daily. 


PALPITATION OF THE HEART. 

This often arises from mental emotions, nervousness, indiges¬ 
tion or debility; though frequently produced by disease of the heart, 
or some other organ of the body. 

Treatment —When the palpitation is owing to disease of the 
heart, relief is all that can be expected, unless the disease be cured; 
and the same may be said, when it is owing to dyspepsia or other 
affections. 



216 


NETTLE RASH, OR HIVES. 


Remedies —1. A glass of soda-water will often give imme¬ 
diate relief. It is simple, yet is entirely effective. It should be pre¬ 
pared with a little soda and citric or tartaric acid, and drunk while 
“ foaming.” These articles should be dissolved in separate glasses. 
Sweeten the acid, if desired, then pour together. 

2. In a majority of cases, perhaps, a fit of palpitation may be 
arrested by the person lying down on a bed, on his back, and filling 
the lungs with air, so as to expand the chest as much as possible. 
A few full inhalations, allowing the breath to escape gradually, will 
generally be sufficient to quiet the palpitation. 

3. Some medical writers say, “ For the immediate relief of 
palpitation of the heart, there is nothing that will compare with the 
tincture of cactus grandiflorus, given in three drop doses, every 
three hours. Where the cactus cannot be obtained the following 
has always served a good purpose: Take a handful of peach leaves 
or twigs, bruise them well, and cover them well with cold water. 
Take this in tablespoonful doses, every two or three hours. The bark 
of the wild cherry, prepared in the same way, acts, in this affection, 
precisely like the peach, and may be used in its stead.” 

Accessory Treatment —The patient must avoid mental ex¬ 
citement, stimulants, coffee, sleeping-draughts, indigestible food, 
etc. Pure air; cold water used internally and externally; regular, 
moderate exercise in the open air, short of inducing fatigue; a con¬ 
tented and tranquil disposition, with light and nourishing diet, are 
excellent auxiliaries in the treatment of this affection. 

The excessive use of tea is one of the common causes of irregu¬ 
larities of the heart’s action, in weak or nervous women; in some 
persons, palpitation follows tobacco smoking, as it may also result 
from the administration of other injurious agents. In such cases, 
of course, a cure can only be expected after the discontinuance of 
the noxious substance. 


NETTLE RASH, OR HIVES. 

This is an eruption of little solid eminences, roundish or oblong, 
pale in the centre and red at the circumference, attended with 
smarting and itching, as though the parts had been stung by nettles 
—hence the popular name. 

Symptoms —Towards evening, or when getting warm in bed, 
the patient feels an intolerable itching on the neck, arms or body, 
and on scratching soon discovers large pustules (the eruption rapidly 
enlarging under the irritation of scratching), which burn, tingle or 
smart, and prove the source of great discomfort. 

Causes —The acute form, as seen in children, is generally due 
to indigestion or eating particular articles of food, as bitter almonds, 
shell-fish, oatmeal, etc. It may also be induced by a chill, or 
changes in the weather. 



HEART-DISEASE. 


217 


Remedies 1 . A tincture of the common nettle, taken in 
nve-diop doses four or five times a day, will cure any case of nettle- 
lash, a strong decoction of the herb is almost equal to the tincture. 
. -*■ the part with buckwheat-flour, and it will allay the 

itching, and the hives will generally disappear soon. Common 
wheat flour will often answer the same purpose. 

i f *. A s an Eternal remedy, sassafras-tea, drunk freely, is often 
penencial in promoting perspiration, and thus aids in quieting the 
irritation of the skin, and relieving the patient. Saffron tea is also 
employed for a similar purpose. In this, as well as in all other 
skm-diseases, the greatest caution should be exercised in employing, 
externally, anything moist, especially cold objects, as they are 
dangerous, tending to “ drive in ” the rash, and induce serious in¬ 
ternal disorders. If any other external applications than those 
mentioned above are used, bathe the part in hot mustard "water, or 
m hot vinegar and water. 

4. hathe the parts offected in vinegar , which , if very strong , 
may he diluted with a little water. This is usually a speedy cure. 


HEART-DISEASE (Angina Pectoris). 

Causes —Disease of the heart, or obstruction of the arteries of 
the heart, in consequence of which the muscular fibres of the heart 
become impaired. Under such conditions a paroxysm may be 
brought on by over exertion, flatulent distention of the stomach, 
mental excitement, or even a frightful dream. 

Life is too frequently one round of perpetual excitement, busi¬ 
ness haste or competition, and railway-speed pursuit of pleasure or 
gain. The demands thus made on the ever-active organ lessen its 
nutrition, impair its structure and imperil its action. 

Symptoms —The patient is seized with a sudden, dreadful 
pain, which centers in the heart, and extends over more or less of 
the anterior portion of the chest, up the shoulder and down the arm. 
There is an agonizing sense of anxiety, faintness, fear of instant 
death, palpitation and difficulty in breathing, so that if walking, he 
is compelled to stop and to fix upon the first object that offers sup¬ 
port, pale and covered with a clammy perspiration. The paroxysms 
may terminate in a few minutes, or last for hours, and are liable 
to recur with increased severity, till at length one proves fatal. 

Remedies —1. If the disease is symptomatic of some other, as 
dropsy of the chest or indigestion, then give medicines accordingly. 
If it be a primary affection, direct the treatment to the organs 
affected. Abstain from every exciting cause, as anger, over-exertion, 
going up or down stairs, everthing of a heating nature, etc. A 
rigid course of diet is necessary. Upon an attack of the disease, 
take half a teaspoonful of capsicum in a little sweetened water; this 



218 


HEART-DISEASE. 


will probably afford immediate relief. Two or four grains of ex¬ 
tract of henbane may be given, to relieve the paroxysms, and also a 
teaspoonful of salt and water. With a view of preventing the 
recurrence of the disorder, the patient should carefully guard 
against passion or other emotions of the mind; use a light diet, 
avoiding everything of a heating nature; and take care never to 
overload*the stomach, nor take any kind of exercise immediately 
after eating. Besides these precautions, he should endeavor to 
counteract obesity, which has been considered as a predisposing 
cause; and this is to be effected most safely by a vegetable diet and 
moderate exercise at proper times. 

2. A highly important remedy, in the treatment of this disease, 
is the cactus grandiflorus, which is regarded as a specific. In func¬ 
tional diseases of the heart it gives prompt relief, and regularly 
continued, in small doses, finally effects a complete cure. But it 
cannot be depended upon in organic affections of the heart. The 
dose of the strong tincture is one to five drops, every one, two or 
three hours, according to the urgency of the symptoms. In that 
state of nervous irritation called “ nervousness,” it exerts a very 
kindly influence, quieting nervous sensibility, lessening the pain and 
procuring rest. 

3. Prof. E. M. Hale says, “The garden nightshade 
(>Solarium Nigrum) often acts admirably.” The dose is from half 
a drop to a drop, every two or three hours. If a half-drop dose is 
desired, put one drop into two teaspoonfuls of water, and stir well 
together, and, of this mixture, give a teaspoonful for a dose. The 
tincture of foxglove ( Digitalis ) is a standard remedy in this dis¬ 
ease. Add five drops to ten teaspoonfuls of water; mix well, and 
give in teaspoonful doses, every two or four hours, according to the 
severity of the attack. Where there is severe pain and an intermit¬ 
tent pulse, the action of this remedy may be relied on, if its use be 
persisted in for several weeks. 

Accessory Measures —Organic affections of the heart may 
be greatly relieved, and life considerably prolonged, by judicious 
treatment. Professional judgment and experience are, however, 
specially necessary. For affections of the heart, consequent on 
over-exertion and insufficient rest, arnica is an excellent remedy 
given in two or three-drop doses on sugar, three times a day, and in 
severe cases, every one or two hours. 

Cold baths should never be taken by persons with this disease, 
nor by those suffering from active inflammation of any of the 
organs of the body. In skin diseases it is usually inadmissible, par¬ 
ticularly in those where a sudden driving-in of the irruption may 
cause internal affections. Persons very much debilitated, or those 
who do not possess sufficient powers of reaction, must employ it 
with great caution, if at all. In infancy and old age, it is of less 
benefit than in youth and middle life. 


INFLAMMATION OF THE HEART. 


219 


The patient must not use tobacco when troubled with this dis¬ 
ease, or any affection of the heart, if he wishes to recover. Nor 
should he use tea or coffee. The diet should be light, easily digested 
and nourishing, but plain. 


INFLAMMATION OF THE HEART (Pericarditis.) 

This is an inflammation of that membranous bag which sur¬ 
rounds the heart, the use of which is to secrete and contain the 
vapor of the pericardium, which lubricates the heart, and thus pre¬ 
serves it from becoming fast to the pericardium. 

Symptoms —Pain in the region of the heart, suffocating 
weight, violent palpitation, breathing by starts, difficulty of breath¬ 
ing, increased by motion or exercise. Pressure also aggravates the 
symptoms. Pulse frequent and bounding; the countenance has a 
peculiarly pale and haggard appearance. 

Remedies — 1 . in the treatment of this affection, aconite is 
a remedy of prime importance, as often, by the use of it alone, the 
disease is not only arrested but brought to a speedy and happy ter¬ 
mination. It should be administered as follows: Tincture of aconite 
root, five drops to a tumbler of water, and stir well. Dose, two tea¬ 
spoonfuls every half-hour, until the pain and heat abate and the 
skin is covered with more or less moisture, when the intervals should 
be extended to four or six hours; and to maintain its impression, 
these doses should be continued for three or four days, or until the 
inflammatory symptoms have subsided. If the pulse is irregular or 
intermittent, weak and rapid, making one hundred and thirty to one 
hundred and forty beats in a minute, the tincture of foxglove should 
be given in alternation with the aconite. The foxglove must be pre¬ 
pared for administration by putting ten drops of the tincture with 
ten teaspoonfuls of water, and giving a teaspoonful of the mixture 
for a dose, alternately with a teaspoonful of the aconite—first one, 
then the other—every two hours. This method, persistently kept 
up, with the other measures directed to promote the comfort of the 
patient, will, in most cases, be amply sufficient to relieve him, and 
cure the disease. 

2. The foxglove ( Digitalis ) and the American hellebore ( Vera- 
trum Viride ), are two most important medicines, and possess great 
power over the action of the heart, reducing the force and frequency 
of the pulse, abating inflammation of the heart and its membranes, 
calming nervous agitation and promoting rest. But these medicines 
should not be mixed together; neither is it necessary that they 
should be. Each should be taken separately, as it is only by this 
mesins that the power of the medicine can be determined, and its 
effects or curative influence judged'of. The tincture is perhaps the 
best preparation. Dose of the foxglove, five drops, three times 



220 


IIAY ASTHMA—IIAY FEVER. 


a day. Of the hellebore, three to six drops, every four hours, until 
the pulse-beats are seventy-live or eighty in a minute. 

Of these two medicines, the American hellebore is probably the 
more efficient, in a majority of cases. 

We have treated this disease very briefly, owing to the fact that 
the serious nature of the malady wisely induces people affected with 
it to put themselves under professional treatment. 

Accessory Treatment —At the commencement of an at¬ 
tack, apply over the heart a towel wrung from hot water, and over 
that four or five thicknesses of dry flannel; confine the whole to its 
place by a bandage around the body, and renew often. 

The patient should be kept quiet, not permitting him to be an¬ 
noyed by anything; the temperature of his room should be rather 
cool and comfortable; the diet should be simple and not stimulating, 
principally fluids and vegetable infusions. The period of convales- 
ence must be closely watched, both to avoid a relapse and to ascer¬ 
tain if any chronic difficulty is about to ensue. 


HAY ASTHMA—HAY FEVER—SUMMER CATARRH. 

Causes —This is a specific disease, affecting predisposed per¬ 
sons only, and affecting them in the same way, and at about the 
same period, every or nearly every year, and caused by the eman¬ 
ations from certain flowering plants, including the grasses. The 
term hay-fever is not sufficiently inclusive, for the odors from hay, 
although sufficient in many cases, less frequently produce the affect- 
tion than the various flowering plants. It partakes somewhat of 
the nature of ague, certain emanations and atmospheric conditions 
depressing the nervous system. 

Symptoms —They are those of an ordinary catarrh, to which 
those of asthma are superadded. There are itching of the fore¬ 
head, nose, eyes and ears; much general irritability and lassitude, 
sneezing, profuse discharge from the nose, tightness of the chest, 
difficult breathing and cough, pricking sensation in the throat, 
general depression, etc. Exposure to the emanations from powdered 
ipecacuanha give rise to similar symptoms in many persons. 

Inhalation —The remedy used internally should also be ad- 
ministed by inhalation, either by simple olfaction, or, still better, 
in the form of vapor; this is produced by means of an ordinary per¬ 
fume, or spray-producer. Inhalation should always be employed 
during an attack. 

Accessory Treatment —Removal to the coast, with a bar¬ 
ren surrounding country, or to any part where flowering plants and 
grass do not grow or hay is not stored, offers the surest protection. 
The symptoms are mitigated by protection from bright sunlight, 
and by such means as tend to promote the general circulation. Cold 
or tepid bathing and the cold shower-bath are also recommended 



ENLARGEMENT OF THE HEART. 


221 


under different, conditions. In one reported case, a two or three 
minutes’ swim in the sea removed the symptoms as if by magic. 

Remedies — 1 . Use a weak tea of red clover-blossoms and 
leaves. Drink a teacupful of it three times a day, from the com¬ 
mencement of. the attack to its close, or for several weeks, if neces- 
sary. This will often relieve, if it does not cut short the disease. 

2. Dissolve twenty grains quinine in a tablespoonful of water 
by the addition of two drops of oil of vitrol, then take a feather or 
camel’s hair brush and touch the inside of the nose. This often 
proves very efficacious. 

3.. Dr. H. IT. Bayes recommends sabadilla, one drop two or 
three times a day, in water, and the administration of the drug by 
olfaction, or smelling, several times daily; and he adds, u By this 
means I have cured many severe cases.” 


ENLARGEMENT OF THE HEART. 

Causes —Any over-stimulant which produces a diminution of 
its power and a softening of its structure, may occasion this dis¬ 
ease. Intoxicating liquors, violent and long-continued muscular 
exertion, mental depression or excitement, sexual excesses, mastur¬ 
bation, rheumatic and syphilitic affections, and intense mental ap¬ 
plication with no bodily exercise, are potent causes. 

Symptoms —Shortness of breath, palpitation of the heart, 
and a feeling of uneasiness in that region, are common. Fre¬ 
quently, headache, giddiness, ringing in the ears, flashes of light, 
flushed and swelled face, nose-bleeding and a very hard and strong 
pulse, are accompanying symptoms. Eventually the stomach, liver 
and lungs become implicated. The skin is dry, the urine deficient 
and high-colored, the skin and extremities purple and swollen. This 
is followed by cough, and the patient is forced to remain in an up¬ 
right or sitting posture, and leaning forward, because of the dif¬ 
ficulty of breathing. Death may occur suddenly, or the vital pow¬ 
ers gradually fail, insensibility come on, and the patient die in this 
way. 

Remedies —1. Sheep-laurel (Kalmia Angustifolia) is a 
remedy of great power and efficacy in the treatment of this disease, 
though, in large doses, it produces vertigo, dimness of sight, great 
depression of the action of the heart, cold extremities, and some¬ 
times fatal results. But if it is cautiously used, and discontinued 
for a few days when these symptoms occur, it is a valuable medi¬ 
cine, and will afford the patient great relief. The best form of ad¬ 
ministration is the strong tincture, given in doses of five to ten 
drops every three hours. If a decoction or tea, of the leaves, is 
used, the dose will be one or two teaspoonfuls, repeated as often as 
the tincture. 



222 


IIEART-BURN. 


2. Take, of the tincture of black cohosh and skullcap, each, 
four tablespooufuls. Mix. Dose, twenty drops. three times a day. 
A month’s use of this remedy will prove its efficiency. 

3. In simple palpitation, uncomplicated with organic disease, 
and existing only as a symptom of general nervous debility, there 
is no remedy that so certainly and promptly removes the palpita¬ 
tion, and gives tone and energy to the heart, as the Cactus Grand- 
ijlorus , ordinarily called the cactus plant. It is better to use it in 
the form of the tincture, one to live drops of which may be given 
every one to four hours, according to the severity of the symptoms. 

Accessory Measures —The diet must be light, and intoxi¬ 
cating or stimulating drinks must be avoided, and likewise all men¬ 
tal or bodily exertion, as well as excitements or depressions of the 
mind. Cheerful company is of great service; and whatever will 
produce moderate laughter and pleasantness of feeling should be 
encouraged. Sometimes, an electro-magnetic current passed 
through the heart, of moderate strength, will be found beneficial. 

It is not necessary to dwell at length on the treatment of this 
disease, as professional aid is usually called when this affection is 
known to exist. 


HEART-BURN. 

Causes —This complaint most commonly arises in conse¬ 
quence of dyspepsia, though it oftentimes occurs with individuals 
who are otherwise enjoying good health. 

It is evidently either a debility or inactivity of the stomach, 
or a vitiated secretion of the juices or fluids which are concerned 
in the digestive process. Hence, eating anything hard to digest, or 
that is inclined to ferment, will usually produce the heart-burn in 
those liable to it. 

Persons who are subject to the heart-burn should also be care¬ 
ful about their diet; rejecting such articles as they find are apt to 
become sour in the stomach. Animal food and shell-fish, when 
they can be procured, not being liable to ferment, ought to form a 
large proportion of the food of individuals who are afflicted with 
this troublesome complaint; whilst vegetables, as much as conven¬ 
ient, should be avoided; also tea and coffee; use milk or chocolate. 

Experiment has also proved the fact that the saliva swallowed 
along with our food greatly prevents its fermentation; wherefore 
persons liable to the heart-burn should be very careful in well chew¬ 
ing their food before swallowing it. 

Remedies —1. A teaspoonful of powdered willow charcoal, 
found at all drug-stores, taken two or three times a day, in milk or 
water, before meals, is good to remove this difficulty. It has also 
been known to cure dyspepsia. 

2. The juice of lemon diluted with a little water, will often 
give prompt relief, and likewise a pinch of salt will often answer 



HOARSENESS. 


223 


the same purpose. If not relieved repeat the dose in thirty minutes. • 

3. Prepared chalk, also found at drug stores, is likewise said 
to be a good remedy. Also, calcined magnesia , one-half tea¬ 
spoonful three times a day is used for the same purpose. 

4. Lime-water, or soda, or magnesia, is sometimes employed 
to correct this complaint. Their effects are, however, only 
temporary. But, if it is desired, one of them may be used for this 
purpose. Take a piece as large as a pea, of lime or soda, and 
put it into a tumbler half full of water, and take a small swallow 
several times a day. Of the magnesia, use a piece the size of a 
common hickory-nut, in the same amount of water. 

There are, frequently, persons who derive no benefit from tak¬ 
ing these alkalies, especially pregnant females. For such persons, 
acids, such as lemon juice or citric acid, will prove effective. For 
immediate relief, vinegar is a valuable remedy. It should be of 
the best quality. Take twenty to thirty drops, in a little water, 
every two or three hours, according to the necessity of the case. 


HOARSENESS. 

Remedies —1. Take a piece of borax, the size of two or 
three peas, in the mouth, and let it dissolve gradually. Repeat this 
once in three or four hours. It will generally be found to afford 
relief, in ordinary cases of hoarseness. 

2. Mix equal parts of grated horse-radish and sirup. Of the 
sirup thus formed, take a teaspoonful, together with a little of the 
horse-radish, live or six times a day. This will cure hoarseness 
occurring from cold. Chewing a piece, the size of the little finger, 
will be attended with the same results. 

3. Or, for a sudden hoarseness, mix one teaspoonful of sweet 
spirits of nitre in a wineglassful of water. This may be taken two 
or three times a day. 

4. Hoarhound candy is an excellent and pleasant remedy. A 
piece of saltpetre, the size of a bean, held in the mouth, is likewise 
effective. 


INFLAMMATION OF THE LINING MEMBRANE OF 

THE ABDOMEN (Peritonitis.) 

Causes —Mechanical violence, as a kick, operations, etc.; 
sudden and excessive changes of temperature; errors of diet; 
frequent intoxication, the disease termed gin-colic being really 
chronic peritonitis. Inflammation of the peritoneum is . often 
secondary to enteritis, hepatitis, perforation of the intestine or 
stomach, and obstruction of the bowel. 




224 


INFLAMMATION OF THE ABDOMEN. 


Symptoms —It is preceded by chills, with increased heat of 
surface, thirst, full, strong and frequent pulse, flushed face, red eyes, 
dry tongue with red edges, dry skin, restlessness, short, quick 
breathing, and sometimes, nausea and vomiting. The only endura¬ 
ble position of the patient, is to lie flat upon the back, with the feet 
drawn up. When the disease is advancing towards a fatal termin¬ 
ation, the abdomen becomes greatly swelled and hard, having a tight, 
drum-head feeling, to the hand; the pulse is rapid and feeble; the 
countenance is full of anxiety and is pinched and ghastly; and a 
cold sweat breaks out. 

Remedies —1. In the treatment of this very painful and 
inflammatory affection, there is, perhaps, no remedy of superior 
efficacy and value, in arresting the progress of the disease and 
effecting a final cure, than the tincture of the root of aconite. Ten 
drops of it, in ten tablespoonfuls of water, and well mixed, is the 
manner of preparing the medicine for use. Of this, give to an adult 
a tablespoonful every hour or half hour, until the acute symptoms 
abate. Then the medicine should be continued, at intervals of four 
or six hours. 

At the commencement of the treatment, a fomentation of equal 
parts of the tincture of aconite and brandy, heated as hot as can be 
borne, and cloths wrung out of it, and applied to the whole surface 
of the abdomen, being changed so as to keep it constantly hot, is an 
important measure, and should not be neglected, as it materially 
aids the internal use of the drug in effecting the resolution of the 
inflammation, by relieving the capillary engorgements of the vessels 
of the inflamed parts, equalizing the circulation, and producing 
copious perspiration. 

2. When the abdomen is distended, very painful to the touch, 
pulse full, hard and tense, from 100 to 110 beats in a minute; 
tongue coated white, bowels costive, face flushed and glowing, 
patient becomes absorbed in reveries, or is absent-minded, the tongue 
and lips look dry; or if a tendency to diarrhea or involuntary dis¬ 
charge from the bowels develop itself, belladonna (or morphia, one- 
eighth grain doses) should be employed. Put five drops of the 
tincture into twelve tablespoonfuls of water, and give the patient a 
teaspoonful at a time for a dose, every four hours; or, it may be 
given, in alternation with the aconite, every two hours; that is, first 
one, then the other, every two hours. 

3. The one great remedy above all, in inflammation of the 
lining membrane of the bowels, is opium, in any form. Do not 
fear to give it. One grain of the powdered extract, or twenty to 
thirty drops, of the tincture, every two or three hours. Persons 
suffering from this trouble, can take very large quantities of opium 
without harm. 

Accessory Measures —The daily bath is especially neces¬ 
sary, particularly the warm, alkaline sponge-bath, made by adding 
saleratus, soda or soap, to the water, with vigorous friction. In some 


INFLAMMATION OF THE LIVER. 


225 


cases, a wet towel, laid upon tlie bowels over night ,and well covered 
with flannels, will afford relief. 

.Diet —During an attack of acute inflammation of the bowels, 
nothing but rice-water, arrow-root, corn-starch, toast-water or weak 
gruel should be allowed. 


INFLAMMATION OF THE LIVEll—LIVER COM¬ 
PLAINT (Hepatitis.) 

Causes —The causes are all those producing inflammation, 
tumors in the liver, injuries from external violence, mercury, hot 
climate, obstructing the liver-ducts, anything that suddenly cools 
the liver after it has been much heated, drinking largely of wines 
and spirituous liquors, eating hot, spicy aliment, violent exercise, 
exposure of the heated body to the cold air, etc. Those who have 
exposed themselves to the destructive habit of drinking to excess, 
are particularly liable to diseases of the liver. 

Symptoms —The acute species of this complaint comes on 
with a pain in the right side, extending up to the shoulder, which 
is much increased by pressing upon the part, and is accompanied 
with a dry, short and frequent cough, oppression of breathing, and 
difficulty of lying on the left side; together with nausea and sick¬ 
ness, and often with a vomiting of bilious matter; tongue coated. 
The urine is of a deep saffron color, and small in quantity; there is 
loss of appetite, great thirst and costiveness, with a strong, hard and 
frequent pulse, and when the disease has continued for some days, 
the skin and eyes become tinged with a deep yellow. 

The chronic species is usually accompanied with a morbid com¬ 
plexion, loss of appetite and flesh, costiveness, indigestion, flatulency, 
pains in the stomach, a yellow tinge of the skin and eyes, clay- 
colored stools, high-colored urine depositing a red sediment and 
ropy mucus; an obtuse pain in the region of the liver, extending to 
the shoulder, and not unfrequently with a considerable degree of 
asthma. 

The symptoms are, a dull pain in the right side and top of the 
shoulder, the stomach sometimes disordered, yellow tinge of the 
skin, and often a swelling over the region of the liver. 

There is usually in this complaint dyspepsia, cough, with slight 
expectoration, headache, lowness of spirits or despondency, debility 
or weakness, flatulence, morbid sensibility, great irritability, 
jaundice, gall-stones, emaciations, stools clay-colored, tongue coated, 
costiveness and indigestion, urine pink-colored, countenance sallow. 

Remedies —1. Leptandrin is a popular remedy, in the 
treatment of this disease. It is prepared from the root of the herb 
called black root. It is administered in doses of one grain, once a 
day. When the root of the herb is used, as it may be when it can 

15 



226 


INFLAMMATION OF THE LIVER. 


be obtained, make it into a decoction or tea, and take two table- 
spoonfnls twice a day. 

2. The dandelion has been used very successfully in this com¬ 
plaint. A medical writer says, “ In my own practice, more than 
fifty cases have been cured either by the simple extract of the herb 
and root, or by taking a teacupful of a strong decoction of it twice a 
day. In almost every instance I have succeeded in restoring those 
who have used this plant.” 


3. The following is an excellent remedy in chronic liver com¬ 
plaint: A decoction, of equal parts of chittim bark (Cascara 
Sagrada) and Oregon grape-root (.Berberis Aquifolium ), used 
twice a day, in tablespoonful doses. The fluid extracts of these 
articles can lie obtained at drug-stores, and are equally as effective. 
Take two tablespoonfuls of each, and the same quantity of sirup. 
Mix. Dose, one teaspoonful, twice a day. This is a new remedy, 
but has already gained much celebrity, in the treatment of this com¬ 
plaint. 


Accessory Treatment —During an attack of this disease, 
the diet should consist of rice-water, gruel, toast-water, etc. Let 
fomentations be applied warm to the side, or over the region of the 
liver. Should they not take off the tension and afford relief, apply 
cayenne pepper and brandy, simmered a few minutes together. 
These may be applied often, and as warm as the person can bear. 
In this disease vomiting is a very common symptom; to allay which, 
give a little saleratus, in peppermint water or tea, as often as the 
vomiting returns. This will allay the irritability of the stomach. 
Should these applications not mitigate the symptoms, apply the 
following plaster to the side: Take mustard, red or cayenne pepper, 
equal parts; Indian meal, a tablespoonful; vinegar, suflicient to 
form a plaster or poultice of suitable consistence. Apply warm to 
the side, and over the region of the stomach, and continue it as 
long as the patient can bear. Blisters should be dispensed with, 
their affect always proving very troublesome and not unfrequently 
serious. In this disease the question is, in reality, not one of 
medicine, but of diet, regimen, and intelligent nursing. Medicine 
may certainly be required, but not by any means to the extent it is 
so often used. Those persons who are habitually liable to a dis¬ 
eased state of the liver ought most strictly to regulate their diet, 
avoiding coffee, strong tea and all stimulants. Take moderate 
exercise every day; use a good diet, but such as is easy of digestion, 
and not disposed to produce acid in the stomach or costiveness; 
bathe the surface of the body every day with a weak lye-water, and 
in drying, use suflicient friction to produce a gentle glow of heat 
over the entire surface of the abdomen. 

The reader should not fail to examine the article on “ Tea and 
Coffee.” 


INFLAMMATION OF THE STOMACH. 


227 


INFLAMMATION OF THE STOMACH (Gastritis). 


Acute inflammation of the stomach, except as a result 'of 
poisoning by some irritant, is a rare disease. 

Symptoms —Burning pain increased by pressure; persistent 
thirst for cold drinks, with inability to retain either food or drink; 
constant nausea, coated tongue and foul taste; difficult breathing, 
faintness, prostration, anxiety, etc. 

Chronic gastritis is indicated by dull pain and oppression soon 
after a meal, and sometimes vomiting of acid or mucus. The 
tongue is coated or red at the edges, and the patient often complains 
of heart-burn, flatulence, thirst, burning of the hands or feet, con¬ 
fined bowels, scanty and high-colored urine. It usually accom¬ 
panies affections of the liver, heart and kidneys, and is frequent in 
drunkards. 

Causes —Indigestion; cold draughts, dampness, etc.; cold 
drinks when over-heated, mechanical injuries, poisons—arsenic, 
vegetable acids, caustic alkalies, etc. 

Remedies —In this disease you must rely chiefly on external 
applications. 

1. Apply a large mustard plaster over the stomach, until the 
skin becomes very red; then remove it and apply to the stomach 
flannel cloths dipped in a hot infusion of hops, boiled in vinegar 
and water, or in hot water alone. This should be continued for 
hours. Bathe the feet and legs in hot lye-water, and apply hot 
bricks to the patient in bed. 

2. Give, in small quantities at a time, cold mucilaginous 
drinks, as gum-Arabic water, or an infusion of slippery elm, or 
marshmallow, and a little lemonade. If this treatment is promptly 
pursued, it will effectually arrest this disease in its earlier stages. 

3. Purchase at the drug-store or gather a large handful of stra¬ 
monium-leaves, and apply to the stomach as a fomentation, and 
about every half-hour take a swallow of as warm water as can be 
borne. This is one of the best and safest remedies Jcnoivn in this 
disease. 


4. If the above remedy cannot be readily procured, another 
valuable one is, to apply a fomentation of peach-leaves, alone or 
in combination with hops, steeped in vinegar and water, and, at the 
same time, take a tablespoonful every hour of an infusion of the 
peach-leaves, until the pain and heat subside, after which it may be 
taken less frequently. 

5. In this disease, the tincture of the root of aconite is a 
remedy of great value. Five drops should be added to a tumbler¬ 
ful of "water, and well mixed. Of this mixture, give two teaspoon¬ 
fuls for a dose, and repeat every half-hour or hour, until a decided 
impression is made on the disease, which will be manifested by a 
diminution of the pain, heat and tenderness, when it should be 
given once every three or four hours, until the inflammatory symp- 


228 


ITCH. 


toms have entirely subsided. No cathartics should be given in in¬ 
flammation of the stomach. 

6. An old practitioner says the following is his favorite 
remedy. ‘* Give twenty grains of sub-nitrate of bismuth in gum- 
Arabic water three times a day, using flax-seed tea for a drink.” 

Accessory Treatment —In acute cases, small pieces of ice 
may be swallowed, and during the severity of the symptoms the 
patient should be fed by nutritious injections. During convales¬ 
cence, the patient must return to solid kinds of food very gradually. 
On recovery, the stomach remains for some time feeble, and with¬ 
out due care it is liable to assume a chronic form, similar to dys¬ 
pepsia. 

At flrst, barley-water, toast-water, rice-water, etc., may be given; 
and when the inflammation is entirely overcome, arrow-root, milk, 
chicken-broth, beef-tea, soft-boiled egg, etc., slowly and gradually 
accustoming the stomach to its usual diet. 

Chronic Form —In the treatment of the chronic form of 
this disease, flrst regulate the patient’s diet. While the more urgent 
inflammatory symptoms are present, gum-Arabic water, rice-water, 
arrow-root, toast and tea, and other mild, easily-digested articles of 
food may be used. If there is no fever, and not much debility, a 
more nutritious diet may be used, as boiled rice, stale bread, 
crackers, mush and milk and gruels. Milk is an excellent thing, 
and cases have been cured by living on bread and milk alone. The 
addition of a little lime-water makes it still better. Alcoholic and 
stimulating drinks, coffee and the like, are to be avoided. 

The medical treatment of this form of the complaint should 
be mainly conducted by the use of the tincture of aconite. One or 
two drops, in a tumblerful of water, mixed well together, and a 
dessertspoonful taken every three, six or eight hours will, in most 
cases, be sufficient in the process of time to complete the cure. 
Should there be, however, much pain or tenderness, an irritating 
plaster may be worn on the sore part of the stomach. Bathe the 
whole surface of the body daily, and rub it well with a coarse 
towel. 

For an irritating plaster, the “ Poor Man’s Plaster,” or the 
“ Burgundy-Pitch Plaster,” may be employed, either of which may 
be procured at any drug-store. 


ITCH (Scabies Acari). 

■ The itch is evidently confined to the skin, and rarely affects 
the general system, however great its irritation. It arises usually 
from infection, communicated by coming in immediate contact 
with the body of a person already affected, or by wearing the same 
clothes, or lying in the same bed; but it is sometimes produced by 
unwholesome food, bad air and a neglect of cleanliness. 



SEMINAL EMISSIONS. 


229 


The itch shows itself in small pimples about the fingers, wrists, 
hams and waist, which, after a short time, become so many pustules, 
and are attended with such an itching as to occasion a constant 
desire to scratch. When they break, the acrid fluid which they 
contain falls on the neighboring parts, and thereby spreads the 
disease over almost the whole body, if proper remedies are not used 
to check its progress. 

Remedies — 1 . Two to four applications of petroleum will 
cure the itch. Also benzine, applied once or twice, and a warm 
bath taken an hour afterwards will, it is said, effect the same 
purpose. 

2. The following is a popular remedy for this affection: 
Gunpowder, half an ounce; strong vinegar, half a pint; grind the 
gunpowder fine and mix the two together. Apply thoroughly once 
a day. 

3. Sulphur made into an ointment with lard is an old but sure 
remedy. Blue ointment is likewise effective. 


SEMINAL EMISSIONS. 

Causes —The chief of these are self-pollution, exhaustion, 
natural weakness and sexual excesses. An excited state of the 
seminal vesicles is the effect of such habits, and they expel their 
contents during sleep, weakening and depressing the patient. If 
the discharge only occurs once in a week or two, it is of no special 
consequence; and if the mind is habitually engaged in congenial 
and healthful employments, nature will soon work a cure; but 
should it take place as often as every night, or even once in two or 
three nights, measures should at once be taken to effect a cure. 
This, it should be remembered, neither quacks nor their nostrums 
can accomplish. Their object is deception and gain, and all their 
advertising is framed to excite the fears of the patient and get his 
money. 

Remedies —If any one will observe the following directions, 
he will soon be cured: First, let him keep his thoughts pure and 
shun stimulants, of every kind, even tea and coffee; secondly, let 
him banish all fears concerning the result of his disease, as many 
pure, unmarried men are occasionally troubled in this way; thirdly, 
let his employments—especially those of the mind—be regular and 
absorbing; fourthly, let him spend his leisure in the society of 
virtuous women. Finally, the body should be bathed every few 
days with soap and water, and the surface afterwards rubbed into a 
glow. Pouring cold water on the back of the head and down the 
spine and washing the generic organs is good and may be practiced 
daily. The labor or exercise should be moderate, the bed hard and 
lightly covered, and the patient should lie always on his side—the 
right side is the best. 



230 


INFLAMMATION OF THE BOWELS. 


INFLAMMATION OF THE BOWELS (Enteritis). 

This is an inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the 
intestines. It is characterized by fever, fixed pains in the abdomen, 
costiveness and vomiting. 

Causes —An inflammation of the intestines is occasioned by 
long-continued costiveness, or hardened, feculent matter lodged in 
some part of the tube; by the strangulation of a protruded portion of 
the intestine in a rupture; by preceding colic; eating unripe fruits or 
great quantity of nuts, and by hard tumors of the intestines or 
strictures; but the most frequent cause is exposure to cold; partic¬ 
ularly when applied to the lower extremities or bowels, and oc¬ 
casionally by cold drink swallowed when the body is much heated 
by exercise. 

Symptoms —This dangerous and painful disease is character¬ 
ized by acute pain in the bowels, which is much increased by pres¬ 
sure, and shoots around the naval in a twisting manner; there are 
obstinate costiveness, tension of the abdomen, and the vomiting 
generally bilious, or dark and fetid; the urine is high-colored, the 
pulse quick, hard and contracted, with some degree of febrile heat, 
thirst and great depression or loss of strength. The patient is 
constantly belching up wind, and in protracted cases, he even 
discharges excrement by the mouth, the motion of the intestines 
becoming inverted from there being no passage downward. 

Remedies —1. Keep applied to the bowels, a warm fomen¬ 
tation of jimson leaves (Stramonium), prepared with equal parts of 
strong vinegar and water. This, with proper diet and nursing, is 
sufficient to cure the disease in all ordinary cases. In any case 
where the stramonium leaves cannot be had, hops and hoarhound 
are good, and should be used in their stead. 

2. In no case should cathartics be given in this complaint. 
On the contrary, the bowels should be kept from moving, and every 
means brought to bear that will relieve them of excitement and 
irritation. No alarm need be experienced, if there is no action of 
the bowels even for a week or more. Many times when patients 
affected with this disease have been doing well, they have, on very 
short notice, been killed by a cathartic in the hands of a maniac of 
a professional man, or otherwise, who is never satisfied unless the 
bowels of his patients are continually moving. 

3. The following has also been used with good success: To 
half a tumbler of water, add five drops of the tincture of the root 
of aconite. Mix. Give a dessert-spoonful every half-hour or hour 
until the most painful symptoms have subsided, when the intervals 
should be extended to three or four hours. This is a remedy of 
great value in the treatment of this disease, and, if its use be 
persevered in it will, in the majority of cases, arrest the progress of 
the affection, and cure the patient. The fomentation recommended 


INFLAMMATION OF THE BLADDER. 


231 


under peritonitis will also be of great value in this form of inflam¬ 
mation. 

4. If mortification should be apprehended, apply over the 
bowels a poultice made of a decoction of the wild indigo (Baptista 
Tinctoria) root or leaves, and give a little of the tea, or infusion of 
the same internally; say, two tablespoonfuls every four hours. Or, 
apply a yeast-and-charcoal poultice, and at the same time take a 
tablespoonful of it every three or four hours. These are among 
the best agents known to check the tendency to mortification. 

Accessory Treatment —During an acute attack, if the 
disease is attended with fever, soreness in the bowels and diarrhea, 
the patient should retain the horizontal position, and eat neither 
food in substance nor animal food, but simply use rice-water, arrow- 
root, barley-water, toast-water, and the top or thin part of oatmeal 
or corn-meal gruel. As the disease abates and the appetite returns, 
make the above drinks thicker, and very cautiously return to a 
more nutritious diet. In chronic cases, milk may be added to the 
above articles. A warm bath daily, especially in chronic cases, 
will be found of great service. 


INFLAMMATION OF THE BLADDER (Cystitis). 

Causes —It is occasioned by an improper use of acid medi¬ 
cines (such as Cantharides), inflammation extending along the 
urinary channel, permanent or spasmodic stricture, local irritation 
from the lodgment of a stone, hardened feces, or a diseased state of 
the prostate gland, and mechanical injury, as well as by all the 
usual causes of inflammation. 

Symptoms —Where the disease exists, an acute, burning 
pain, and some degree of tension at the bottom of the abdomen, 
with a constant desire to make water, a difficulty in voiding it, or 
total stoppage, a frequent inclination to go to stool, much uneasiness 
and heat, a general febrile disposition, a frequent and hard pulse, 
sickness and vomiting, not unfrequently attend. 

It sometimes become chronic, and is very afflicting. There is 
a frequent desire to urinate, and a discharge of mucous or 
blood. 

Remedies —1. In this disease it is seldom necessary that 
any remedy should be administered, except a tea made of the pods 
or hulls of the common bean. It is to be drunk freely three to six 
times a day, from which a speedy cure may be expected. This 
result is another demonstration of what has often been stated, that 
nature has provided us with simple remedies, in abundance, for all 
the diseases to which we are subject. 

2. A decoction of the marshmallow should be drunk con¬ 
stantly; it is a sovereign remedy in diseases of the urinary organs, 



232 


JAUNDICE. 


and maybe relied upon as a specific in this. It is not unfrequently 
as efficacious as the above remedy. 

3. Parsley tea, with a little sweet spirits of nitre, is also used 
with good effect. 

4. I am generally successful in treating this disease by having 
the patient drink freely of a tea of trailing arbutus. To each teacup¬ 
ful of the tea add six grains of chloride of potash.— Dr. Dickson. 

Accessory Treatment —For the relief of pain, hot fomen¬ 
tations of hops, and, in acute cases, rest in the horizontal posture. 
The warm hip-bath, the abdominal compress and mucilaginous 
drinks, favor recovery. Washing out the bladder is often useful; 
but only small quantities of tepid water—one to two ounces— 
should be introduced at a time; as far as possible, too, the water 
should be introduced like the continued percolation into it of the 
urine from the kidneys by the ureters, or the sensitive organs will 
be offended and injured. 


JAUNDICE (Morbus Regis). 

The above terms are used to express conditions in which many 
of the tissues and fluids of the body become yellow, especially the 
whites of the eyes and the connective tissues of the body. Jaun¬ 
dice is often a symptom of some acute or chronic affection of the 
liver, rather than a disease in itself. 

Causes —The immediate cause of the jaundice is an obstruc¬ 
tion of the bile. The remote or occasional causes are, the bites of 
poisonous animals, as the viper, mad dog, etc.; the bilious or hys¬ 
teric colic; violent passions, as grief, anger, etc. Strong purges or 
vomits will likewise occasion the jaundice. Sometimes it proceeds 
from an obstinate ague, or from that disease being prematurely 
stopped by astringent medicines. Pregnant women are very sub¬ 
ject to it. It is likewise a symptom in several kinds of fevers. 
Catching cold or the stoppage of customary evacuations, as the 
menses, the bleeding piles, issues, etc., will occasion the jaundice. 

Symptoms —Yellow tinge, first of the whites of the eyes, 
then of the roots of the nails, and next the face and neck, and 
finally the trunk and extremities. The urine becomes yellow-col¬ 
ored or deep-brown, and stains the linen; the stools whitish or 
drab-colored; there is constipation, lassitude, anxiety, pain in the 
stomach, bitter taste, and generally fever-symptoms. Sometimes, 
especially in children, the bowels are relaxed from the food not be¬ 
ing properly digested and occasioning irritation. There are also, 
usually, depression of spirits, prostration of strength and slowness 
of the pulse. 

Remedies —1. Take a small quantity of soot, tied in a bag, 
the size of a hen’s egg. Let it lie in a glass of water over night. 
In the morning remove the bag and add to the water one e^v-, well 

CJ o o ’ 



JAUNDICE. 


233 


beaten, and take at a dose. Repeat each morning, until a cure is 
effected, which will be accomplished in a short time. 

2. Prof. I. J. M. Goss says, in his Materia Medica , “ Some 
thirty-two years ago, I had been very badly salivated in an attack 
of simple bilious or intermittent fever, by my preceptor, and it re¬ 
sulted in an attack of jaundice, for which I was again salivated 
several times, with the result of an increase of the jaundice. I 
now gave up to die, for I had tried six or eight of the best physi¬ 
cians of Georgia. Their remedies were the same, mercurials, which 
only increased the disease. So I had, after trying mercury for four 
or live months, given up in despair. About this time I was in¬ 
duced by a fellow-student to try the ‘ old woman’s remedy,’ Cliio- 
nanthus (‘ Old Man’s Gray Beard,’ as they called it), which grew 
plentifully upon the sandy land near Augusta, Georgia, where I 
was then attending lectures; and as the faculty had utterly failed to 
cure, or even beneflt me, I concluded to try it. 

u I procured a small quantity, and made a tincture in gin, and 
took a tablespoonful before each meal. In a few days my appetite 
began to improve, and my skin very rapidly cleared, and in some 
ten days my jaundice was gone; my skin was clear of bilious hue, 
and I felt like another man. * * * * I subsequently met with 

many cases of jaundice, and found the remedy so prompt to remove 
it, that I published my experience in the Eclectic Medical Journal , 
of Philadelphia, since which time I have used it in a great many 
cases with success. I now use a saturated tincture, made bv adding 
eight ounces to one pint of alcohol (960). Dose, one drachm, three 
times a day.” 

This shrub is known by various names, as Old Man’s Beard, • 
Fringe-Tree, White Ash, and Chionanthus Virginica. 

3. Another good remedy is the following: Take, of the twigs 
of the peach tree, or the fresh leaves, a large handful, bruise them, 
and just cover with cold water. Of this drink, take a fourth of a 
teacupful three or four times a day. This has cured a great many 
cases of jaundice, and is easily obtained. Physicians, who have 
made use of this remedy, speak of it in the highest terms. 

Accessory Treatment —Flannel squeezed and applied, 
after immersion in hot water, or a hot liip-bath relieves pain. 
Jaundice from inactivity and chronic congestion of the liver re- 
quires change of air and scene, traveling, daily walking or horse¬ 
back exercise , and regular and temperate habits. 

Gall-Stones —A not uncommon impediment to the flow of 
bile is the impaction of a gall-stone in the natural channels of the 
bile. A gall-stone consists of bile in a crystalline form. The pain 
attending" the passage of gall-stones is very severe, commences sud- 
denlv, is constant for a time, and terminates suddenly, and is thus 
distinguished from colic, and by the pains being of a more local 
character, and in the region of the gall duct. 

The pain occurs in paroxysms and is felt a little to the right of 


234 


bkight’s disease of the kidneys. 


the stomach, beneath the lower ribs, and may shoot through to the 
back. There are sometimes nausea and vomiting, anxiety, great 
restlessness, faintness and great prostration, with pale skin, small 
and frequent pulse. Several paroxysms may occur in an hour, and 
the attack usually lasts from a few hours to several days, until the 
stone enters the intestine, when the sufferings are immediately re¬ 
lieved, and the stone passes off with the discharges. 

Remedies —1. Take one gill of pure, sweet oil before re¬ 
tiring at night, and on the following morning a dose of seidlitz 
powders, and another every hour until an action of the bowels is 
obtained. In three or four days, repeat the oil and powder in the 
same manner as before. Usually, a few doses will be sufficient. 
Two or three doses have been known to expel forty to sixty gall¬ 
stones. Night and morning , at the time of taking the medicine, 
the bowels , over the region of the liver , should be thoroughly 
rubbed for some length of time. 

Accessories —Persons liable to gall-stones should eat no 
wheat-bread, because there is so much lime in wheat, as also in the 
water, but should drink milk, rain or snow-water, or distilled water, 
and eat rice, sago, fruits, berries and lean meats and vegetables, for 
these have no lime in them. 


BRIGHT’S DISEASE OF THE KIDNEYS (Albumi¬ 
nuria.) 

Symptoms —Dropsy of the upper as well as lower parts of 
the body—the hands and feet, as well as the face, being puffy and 
swollen; febrile symptoms—a dry, harsh skin; quick, hard pulse; 
thirst, and often-sickness, from sympathy of the stomach with the 
kidneys. 

There is frequent desire to pass water, which is scanty, highly 
colored or smoky-looking, albuminous and of high specific gravity. 

Causes —The effects of fever, especially scarlet fever , expos¬ 
ure to wet and cold, the action of irritating drugs, alcohol, etc. 

In the chronic form there is debility, general impairment of 
the health and pallor of the surface, coming on insidiously, with 
pain in the loins and frequent desire to pass water, particularly at 
night, the urinary secretion being at first increased in quantity. The 
patient’s face becomes pallid, pasty and swollen, so that his features 
are flattened, and there is loss of appetite, acid eructations, nausea 
and frequent sickness, which nothing in his diet can account for. 

Remedies —1. In many instances unfermented cider, taken 
three times a day, has been very efficacious in this disease. The 
malic acid of the cider exerts a salutary influence on the diseased 
kidneys. 

2. An infusion of equal parts of peach leaves and queen of- 
the-meadow, taken freely, two or three times a day, is likewise a 



KIDNEY-DISEASE. 


235 


very valuable remedy. In this, as in other diseases, the less strong 
and powerful medicine the patient takes, the better. 

3. Dr. Schmidt says he has obtained the most brilliant result 
by an exclusive milk diet, when all other treatment had failed. 
This can be safely recommended in all cases. An adult will some¬ 
times take as much as a gallon in the twenty-four hours. It may 
be given cold or tepid, and from half a pint to a pint at a time. A 
preponderance of vegetable food, which makes less demand upon 
the secretory function of the kidneys than nitrogenous products, is 
likely to facilitate the success of remedial measures. 

4. A wineglassful of a decoction of hops, taken twice a day, 
has cured this disease in a few weeks, after it had resisted medical 
treatment for months in succession.— L. E. Sawyer , M. D. 

5. Many persons have been cured of this disease by eating a 
radish the size of the finger three times a day.— Dr. J. II. Sutfin , 
IV. M. 

Accessory Treatment —In the acute disease, warm baths 
or vapor baths should be used early, to promote the functions 
of the skin, lessen the dropsy, and to carry off from the blood 
deleterious matters, which may be retained* in it by inaction of 
the kidneys. Vapor baths are preferable to warm baths, because 
they can be used at a higher temperature. The action of the bath 
may be much prolonged, and the bath, in consequence, rendered 
more efficacious, in the following manner: The patient is enveloped 
to the neck in a sheet wrung out of warm water, and three or four 
dry blankets are closely folded over it. lie should be afterwards 
quickly dried, and wrapped up in blankets. If there be much 
debility, warm baths should be employed with discretion. Further, 
to favor the free action of the skin, warm clothing—flannel and 
woolen garments—should be added, and chills and draughts guarded 
against. In chronic or convalescent cases, a healthy residence is 
necessary, including a sandy soil and mild, dry air, so that out-of- 
door exercise may be taken. Patients with symptoms of Bright’s 
disease should be encouraged to take abundance of open-air exercise 
as long as strength permits, chills and fatigue being guarded against. 
Bathing or cold sponging, and friction with a sheet or bath towel, 
tend to arrest the disease and invigorate the health. By such means, 
patients suffering from chronic disease of the kidneys may live for 
years, enjoying the pleasures and fulfilling the duties of life. 


KIDNEY-DISEASE, OR INFLAMMATION OF THE 

KIDNEYS. 

Disease of the kidneys may be distinguished from colic and 
other similar affections, by the pain being seated far back, and by 
the urine being of a deep-red color, voided frequently, and in small 



236 


KIDNEY-DISEASE. 


quantity at a time; and it may be known from rheumatism by the 
pain not being much increased by motion. 

From the inflammation attending the gravel or stone, this com¬ 
plaint may be known by the fever which attends it from the first, 
and by the absence of some of the symptoms attending the gravel, 
such as numbness of the thigh, drawing up of the testicles, etc. 

The causes which give rise to disease of the kidneys are, 
external bruises, strains of the back, acrid substances conveyed to 
the kidneys in the blood, violent and severe exercise, either in riding 
or walking, and exposure to cold. 

This disease is attended with a sharp pain on the affected side, 
with much difficulty in passing urine; the bowels are costive, the 
skin is hot, the patient feels great uneasiness when he attempts to 
walk or sit upright, and he lies with most ease on the affected side. 

Remission of the pain and fever, followed by a copious dis 
charge of high-colored mucous urine, universal sweating, or a flow 
of blood from the hemorrhoidal veins, passed in the stools, are 
favorable symptoms. 

Remedies —1. Take half a teacupful, three times a day, of 
a tea made of sheep-sorrel. It may be relied on as prompt and 
effectual, when the accessory measures hereafter given are at the 
same time complied with. 

2. Another excellent means for the relief of this disease, is to 
take essence of peppermint, in half teaspoonful doses, with a little 
water, three times a day. This remedy alone has often cured 
inveterate cases of kidney-disease, that had baffled medical skill for 
months in succession. 

3. The following comes to us from the Pacific Coast, highly 
recommended: A tea made of sycamore-bark, given in doses of 
two or three tablespoonfuls, three times a day. 

4. Take, of 

Marshmallow.. 3 ounces. 

Queen of the meadow..3 ounces. 

Add four quarts of water, and boil to one; then add two ounces 
of gum-Arabic and half an ounce of pulverized nitre. Dose, a tea¬ 
cupful, four or five times a day. This is an excellent remedy in 
inflammation of the kidneys, it is also useful in the treatment of 
inflammation of the bladder, bloody urine and other urinary dis¬ 
eases. 

5. For this disease, give the tincture of sweet sumach (Rhus 
Aramatica ), in fifteen drop doses, three times a day. This is pro¬ 
nounced, by Dr. Yogi, to be a remedy of superior efficacy. 

Accessory Treatment— To relieve the pain, hot fomenta¬ 
tions of hops and stramonium leaves, or of hops and tansy, may be 
applied over the region of the kidney, and these should be renewed 
frequently. In very violent cases, cupping over the part has been 
found efficacious. Mustard may be applied along the lower half of 
the spinal column, previous to the use of the fomentations. The 




MORTIFICATION. 


237 


liot sitz-batli will be found very advantageous; or seat the patient in 
a tub of hot water, put bis feet in a bucket of hot mustard water, 
with a blanket drawn close around him, including bis feet. 

In addition to these measures, mucilaginous diuretic infusions 
must be freely drunk after the more active inflammation lias been 
subdued, as an infusion of marshmallow-root and peach leaves or 
flax seed, which will be found to have an excellent influence in 
lessening the inflammation. Other diuretics will be found of 
efficacy, as infusion of cleavers, or elder blows. 

The above treatment should be persevered in daily, until the 
inflammation is subdued, or begins to subside. 

The patient should be kept quiet and free from excitement; his 
diet, during the inflammatory stage, should consist only of mucilag¬ 
inous drinks, as infusion of flax seed, gum-Arabic water. And 
great care must be taken, during convalescence, not to allow at too 
early a period a more stimulating food. 

In the treatment of this disease, emetics and cathartics should 
not be employed; for in this, as well as many other diseases, patients 
are often vomited and purged into eternity. 


MORTIFICATION. 

Symptoms —If it supervene on inflammation, there will be 
acute and constant pain, great anxiety, often delirium, followed by a 
sudden cessation of all inflammatory symptoms. The part before 
tense now becomes flaccid, of a livid color, losing its heat and 
sensibility. Blisters are formed, under which appear brown spots. 
The parts soon become black and acquire a fetid smell. If the event 
proves favorable, the mortified portion is completely surrounded by 
a white line, about which pus (matter) is formed. The dead part 
now loosens and sloughs out, leaving a suppurating ulcer. If, on 
the contrary, the termination be fatal, the mortification rapidly 
extends; great constitutional irritation arises; the pulse becomes 
small, rapid and irregular; there is a fixed flush on the countenance, 
with great anxiety and prostration of strength; and death soon 
ensues. 

Mortification is sometimes produced without previous inflam¬ 
mation, by blood vessels choked by pressure, long continued cold, 
long-continued pressure, violent bruises, debility, etc. 

Treatment —When inflammation has been properly treated, 
it will seldom or never terminate in mortification. But, when called 
to treat it, our object should be to arrest and prevent any further 
extension of it by means both local and constitutional. If it be con¬ 
nected with or dependent on inflammation, means must be taken to 
subdue that inflammation. If debility of the system has been a 
predisposing cause, it must be remedied by a more wholesome 



238 


MORTIFICATION. 


regimen, and the strength of the patient be supported by stimulants 
and nutritious diet. Tonics also should be administered, and a glass 
of yeast and charcoal, three or four times during the day. 

Local Applications —When blisters or vesicles appear upon 
the part, showing a disposition to gangrene, or when sloughing 
actually takes place, the following poultice will separate the living 
from the dead parts, and put a speedy check to it: Take yeast, and 
pulverized charcoal, a teaspoonful to a cup of yeast; stir in slippery - 
elm bark to form a poultice of the proper consistence; apply tepid, 
and often renew. This will correct the fetor of the parts, and assist 
the powers of nature to separate the mortified from the living flesh. 
I have not known this application to fail in a single instance, 
except in one case of dry mortification, from which a person 
seldom recovers. 

The mortified limb must be bathed three times a day in warm, 
weak lye, one hour each time. The application of a lye-poultice 
has proved a sovereign remedy in mortification, as well as in lock¬ 
jaw. It is not only well calculated to prevent, but to cure it when 
it has taken place. After having been applied a short time, it has 
often separated and detached large portions of mortified flesh, and 
brought about a healthy action. The elm-bark should be mixed in 
leeched, warm lye, and applied tepid. 

Dr. Ferris, who was noted for a successful method of treating 
mortification, made use of the following poultice: Scraped carrots 
and spikenard-root, bruised; boil till soft; stir in a small quantity of 
Indian or oatmeal and charcoal, and apply warm. I have used this 
poultice but little, and, therefore, cannot speak with much certainty 
of its effects; but in one very difficult and critical case of inflamma¬ 
tion, bordering on gangrene, it changed the character of it, and was 
attended with a good effect. 

Remedies—1. A variety of articles are used as external 
applications in cases of mortification of wounded or ulcerated parts. 
A poultice of charcoal and yeast , or of the bark of sassafras pounded 
fine, or smart-weed bruised, boiled and thickened with corn-meal, 
with the addition of a small quantity of cayenne to either poultice, 
will be found very valuable remedies to prevent or check mortifica¬ 
tion. A poultice made of the bruised root of the wild indigo, 
boiled and thickened with corn-meal, has also been highly recom¬ 
mended as an application to mortified parts. The addition of a little 
capsicum, it is very probable, would increase the antiseptic power 
of this poultice as well as the others; though either would be highly 
valuable without it. 

2. Dr. Beach highly recommends the use of an alkali poultice, 
made by mixing the pulverized bark of slippery elm with weak lye, 
until of the proper consistence, and applying it moderately warm to 
the affected part. 

The poultices should be frequently renewed, and at each re¬ 
newal the ulcer ought to be washed with soap-suds, then with a tea 


MELANCHOLY, OR HYPO. 


239 


of witch-hazel leaves, white pond-lily, dewberry, or some other 
astringent article, and lastly, with the compound tincture of myrrh; 
when a fresh poultice must be immediately applied. 

3. A tea of the wild indigo, taken internally, is highly re¬ 
commended by Dr. Thacher, as being valuable in mortification, 
either internally or externally applied. He recommends the tea to 
be taken internally at the same time that the poultice is applied 
externally. 

4. The free use of pyroligneous acid to the part, and a poul¬ 
tice composed of pulverized alum, yeast and charcoal, will arrest 
nearly every case of gangrene and mortification. 


MELANCHOLY, OR HYPO (Hypochondriasis). 

This is a functional disorder of the nervous system, attended 
with exaggerated ideas or depressed feelings, but without actual dis¬ 
order of the intellect. 

Causes —Hereditary influences are potent and common; a 
taint of insanity, or other grave nervous disease, may be generally 
traced in near or remote ancestors. The development of the disease 
is usually in connection with the conditions of middle life, especially 
indolence and luxury; or, on the other hand, with anxiety and 
conscious failure in efforts to provide for relations and dependents. 
Severe shocks of a moral or emotional nature may give rise to the 
malady. The patient’s complaints may, however, be not merely 
fanciful, but due to actual disease. Organic diseases of the liver or 
stomach are especially likely to evoke the symptoms of this disease, 
or they may arise, or be excited into new action, by a concurrent 
morbid process. The statements and symptoms of a hypochondriac 
should therefore be carefully examined. 

Symptoms —The subject imagines himself, without sufficient 
ground, the subject of some serious disease, and is often haunted 
with the dread of insanity or of death. Frecpiently, at first, the 
patient considers himself dyspeptic, from the fact that he is troubled 
with flatulence, has a furred tongue, foul breath, irregular appetite 
and general obstinate constipation. After a time he complains of a 
gnawing or burning pain, of uneasiness at the pit of the stomach, 
or of more serious disease. He has great hope of getting rid of his 
malady, and strong faith, notwithstanding repeated failures, in 
treatment. Afterwards, from attention being directed to particular 
organs, functional disturbances arise—flushes, palpitation, suppres¬ 
sion of bile or bilious diarrhea; symptoms which tend to confirm 
the belief that organic disease exists. 

Treatment —Of all the remedies for this disease that which 
is most important is, active employment out of doors. The human 
body was made for motion. The open, fresh air is very important 
to restore the system to a sound condition. Temperance, both in 



240 


MILK-SICKNESS. 


eating and drinking, will do much for this class of patients. 
Amusements are very important. Lively company, cheerful and 
witty conversation, with mirth and laughter, are to be sought for; 
so are hunting, fishing, riding and traveling. Never allow these 
patients to be alone and to have time to brood over their misery. 
See that they go early to bed and rise betimes in the morning. 
The warm bath, the cold shower or sponge-batli, with brisk friction, 
are not, on any account, to be omitted. The diet should be light, 
nutritious and generous; but fats, acids, liquors and coffee must be 
forbidden. If there be costiveness, let the patient eat cracked 
wheat and plenty of good ripe fruit. A bowl of motherwort-tea, 
with half a teaspoonful of spirits of camphor in it, will do well in 
fits of fainting, when there is a sensation of dying. 


MILK SICKNESS. 

This complaint is supposed to arise from some poison eaten by 
the cows, which is communicated to the milk and butter. When 
this is taken into the stomach, these symptoms follow: Sometimes 
languor and lassitude are felt for some days previous to the attack 
of this disease, with putrid tongue and very offensive breath; at 
other times it comes on suddenly, with severe vomiting, thirst, 
burning at the pit of the stomach, obstinate costiveness, etc. The 
cattle that eat it quiver, stagger and sometimes die within a few 
hours. It often proves fatal to man and beast. 

Remedies —1. To check the obstinate vomiting, which is a 
common symptom of this complaint, give the patient one-tenth to 
one-fourth grain doses of ipecac, dry, on the tongue, repeating every 
half-hour or hour. This remedy will almost invariably relieve him 
of this distressing symptom, so that his stomach will be able to 
retain other remedies, which it may be necessary to adminis¬ 
ter. 

When ipecac is not at hand, or cannot be obtained, other 
measures must be adopted. 

2. Add bruised peach leaves to cold water, and take it as a 
drink, in small quantities. 

3. The following is another good preparation: Lime slaked 
or unslaked, one-lialf an ounce; water, half a pint. Mix, and let 
stand two hours. Pour off the clear liquor, and to this add two- 
thirds of a teacupful of milk. This will be kept on the stomach 
when everything else is rejected. Dose, a tablespoonful every 
twenty or thirty minutes. 

4. A mustard plaster may be applied to the stomach, and per¬ 
spiration promoted. Should vomiting continue, a teaspoonful of 
salt can be given every two hours, in equal parts of hot water and 
vinegar; toasted-bread water and mint tea are good. Dr. Jones 
highly recommends smart-weed tea. 



MILK-SICKNESS. 


241 


5. In this disease obstinate constipation prevails, which should 
be removed by injections of tea of the butternut bark or twigs, or 
of castor oil, or hogs’ lard and warm water, occasionally adding 
about the fourth of a teaspoonful of cayenne, and administering in 
large quantity, as by this means the hardened feces, contained in 
the rectum, will be more readily dissolved and carried out of the 
system. There will also be an advantage, on this account, in 
retaining the injections until several of them are adminis¬ 
tered. 

Charcoal has of late been highly extolled as a remedy in 
costiveness, and is said to open the bowels when other remedies 

fail. 

6. It is believed that the following mixture, given in two-tea- 
spoonful doses, every time the nausea and burning sensation is 
felt, is the most effectual remedy yet used: 

Take, of 

Rhubarb (pulverized).2 scruples. 

Saleratus do .2 “ 

Peppermint-plant do . 2 “ 

Add half a pint of boiling water, and sweeten with loaf or 
white sugar. 

Accessory Measures —The stomach should not be over¬ 
loaded with any food or drink whatever during the treatment. If 
diet be required, it should be of the mildest and least irritating 
nature, as thin Indian meal gruel, barley water, toast water, rice 
water, etc. 




16 





DIVISION FIFTH. 


General Diseases Continued-Nervous, Etc. 


NERVOUS DISEASES. 


Of all diseases incident to mankind, those of the nervous 
system are the most complicated and consequently difficult to 
cure. A volume would not be sufficient to point out their various 
symptoms in their infinity. They imitate almost every disease 
that falls to the lot of suffering humanity, and are seldom alike in 
two different persons, or even in the same person at different 
times. Proteus-like, they are continually changing shape, and 
upon every fresh attack the patient thinks he feels symptoms 
which he never experienced before. Nor do they only affect the 
body; the mind likewise suffers and is thereby rendered extremely 
weak and peevish. The low spirits, timorousness, melancholy and 
fickleness of temper which generally attend nervous disorders 
induce many people to believe that they are entirely diseases of the 
mind; but this change of temper is rather a consequence than the 
cause of nervous diseases. 

Causes —Everything that tends to relax or weaken the body 
disposes it to nervous diseases; as indolence, excessive venery, 
drinking too much tea or other weak, watery liquors, frequent 
bleeding, purging, vomiting, etc. Whatever injures the digestion, 
or prevents the proper assimilation of the aliment, has likewise 
this effect; as long fasting, excess in eating or drinking, the use of 
windy or gaseous, crude or unwholesome aliments, an unfavorable 
posture of the body, etc. 

Nervous disorders often proceed from affections of the mind; 
as grief, disappointments, anxiety, intense study, etc. Indeed, few 
studious persons are entirely free from them. Nor is this at all to 
be wondered at; intense thinking not only preys upon the spirits, 
but prevents the person from taking proper exercise, by which 
means the digestion is impaired, the nourishment prevented, the 
solids relaxed, and the whole mass of fluids vitiated. Grief and 
disappointment likewise produce the same effects. I have known 
more nervous patients who dated the commencement of their dis- 





NERVOUS DISEASES. 


243 


orders from the loss of a husband, a favorite child, or from some 
disappointment in life, than from any other cause. In a word, 
whatever weakens the body or depresses the spirits may occasion 
nervous disorders; as unwholesome air, want of sleep, great fatigue, 
disagreeable apprehensions, vexation, etc. 

Symptoms ^Ve shall only mention some of the most 
general symptoms of these disorders, as it would be both a useless 
and impiacti cable task to point out the whole. They generally begin 
with windy inflations or distensions of the stomach and intestines; 
the appetite and digestion are generally bad, yet sometimes there is 
an uncommon craving for food and an imperfect digestion. The 
food often turns sour on the stomach, and the patient is troubled 
with vomiting of clear water, tough phlegm, or a blackish-colored 
liquor resembling the grounds of cotfee. Excruciating pains are 
often felt about the navel, attended with a rumbling or murmuring 
noise in the bowels; the bowels are sometimes loose, but more 
commonly bound, which occasions a retention of wind and great 
uneasiness 

< The urine is sometimes small in quantity, at other times very 
copious and quite clear. There is a great straitness of the breast, 
with difflculty of breathing, violent palpitations of the heart, 
sudden flashings of heat in various parts of the body; at other 
times a sense of cold, as if water were poured on them, flying pains 
in the arms and limbs, pains in the back and abdomen, resembling 
those occasioned by gravel; the pulse very variable, sometimes 
uncommonly slow and at other times very quick; yawning, the 
hiccough, frequent sighings, and a sense of suffocation, as if from 
a ball or a lump in the throat; alternate fits of crying and convul¬ 
sive laughing; the sleep is unsound and seldom refreshing, and the 
patient is often troubled with the nightmare. 

As the disease increases, the patient is troubled with headaches, 
cramps, and fixed pains in various parts of the body; the eyes are 
clouded and often affected with pain and dryness; there is a noise 
in the ears and often a dullness of hearing; in short, the whole 
animal functions are impaired. The mind is disturbed on the most 
trivial occasions and is hurried into the most perverse commotions; 
inquietude, terror, sadness, anger, diffidence, every variety of 
mental disquiet prevails, every variety of bodily ailment is indi¬ 
cated. The patient is apt to entertain wild imaginations and 
extravagant fancies, the memory becomes weak, and the reason 
fails. 

Nothing is more characteristic of this disease than a constant 
dread of death. This renders those unhappy persons who labor 
under it peevish, fickle, impatient, and apt to run from one physi¬ 
cian to another, which is one reason why they seldom reap any 
benefit from medicine, as they have not sufficient resolution to 
persist in any one course till it has time to produce its proper 
effects. They are likewise apt to imagine that they labor under 


244 


NERVOUS DISEASES. 


diseases from which they are quite free, and are very angry if any 
one attempts to set them right or laugh them out of their ridicu¬ 
lous notions. 

Diet, Treatment, Etc. —Persons afflicted with nervous 
diseases ought never to fast long. Their food should be solid and 
nourishing," but of easy digestion. Fat meats and heavy sauces are 
hurtful, more especially is this the case if partaken in the evening. 
All excess should be carefully avoided. They ought never to eat 
more at a time than they can easily digest; but if they feel them¬ 
selves weak and faint between meals, they ought to eat a bit of 
bread and butter and drink a glass of milk. Heavy suppers are to 
be avoided. Everything that is gaseous or hard of digestion must 
be avoided. All liquors are hurtful, so also are strong tea, coffee, 
etc. People may find a temporary relief in the use of these, but 
they always increase the malady, as they weaken the stomach and 
impair digestion. Above all things, tippling is to be avoided. 
Whatever' immediate relief the patient may feel from the use of 
ardent spirits, they are sure to aggravate the malady and prove 
certain poisons at last. These cautions are the more necessary, as 
most nervous people are peculiarly fond of tea and ardent spirits; to 
the use of which many of them fall victims. 

Exercise in nervous disorders is superior to all medicines. 
Hiding on horseback is generally esteemed the best, as it gives 
motion to the whole body without fatiguing it. I have known some 
patients, however, with whom walking agreed better, and others 
who were most benefited by riding in a carriage. Every one ought 
to use that which he finds most beneficial. Long sea-voyages have 
an excellent effect ; and to those who can afford to take them, and 
have sufficient resolution, we would by all means recommend this 
course. Even change of place and the sight of new objects, by 
diverting the mind, have a great tendency to remove these com¬ 
plaints. For this reason, a long journey or a voyage is of much 
more advantage than short journeys near home. 

A cool and dry air is proper, as it braces and invigorates the 
whole body. Nothing tends more to relax and enervate than hot 
air, especially that which is rendered so by great fires or stoves in 
small apartments. But when the stomach or bowels are weak, the 
body ought to be well guarded against cold, especially in winter, 
by wearing a thin flannel-waistcoat next to the skin. This will 
keep up an equal perspiration, and defend the alimentary canal 
from impressions to which it would otherwise be subject upon 
every sudden charge from warm to cold weather. Rubbing the 
body frequently with a flesh-brush or a coarse linen cloth is like¬ 
wise beneficial, as it promotes the circulation, perspiration, etc. 
Persons who have weak nerves ought to rise early, drink a glass of 
warm water, and take exercise before breakfast, as lying too long 
in bed cannot fail to relax the solids. They ought likewise to be 
diverted, and to be kept as easy and cheerful as possible, as nothing 


NEURALGIA. 


245 


hurts the nervous system or weakens the digestive powers more 
than fear, grief or anxiety. 

Remedies —Though nervous diseases are seldom radically 
cured, yet their symptoms may he alleviated, and the patient’s life 
rendered, at least, more comfortable, by proper medicines. 

When the patient is costive, see article on “ Constipation.” All 
strong and violent purgatives are to be avoided, as aloes, jalap, etc. 

When digestion is bad or the stomach relaxed and weak, the 
tincture or an infusion of the Peruvian bark may be used with 
decided advantage. 

Another very valuable remedy for this difficulty is to make a 
tea of equal parts of chamomile flowers and lady’s slipper and 
drink it twice a day for a considerable length of time. 

Few things tend more to strengthen the nervous system than 
bathing. This practice, if duly persisted in, will produce very ex¬ 
traordinary effects. But when the liver or other viscera are 
obstructed, or otherwise unsound, the cold bath is improper. The 
best seasons for it are summer and autumn. It will be sufficient, 
especially for persons of a spare habit, to go into the cold bath three 
or four times a week. If the patient be weakened by it, or feels 
chilly for a long time after coming out, it is improper. 

In patients afflicted with flatulence or wind I have always 
observed the greatest benefit from the elixir of vitriol-. It may be 
taken in the quantity of fifteen, twenty or thirty drops, two or three 
times a day, in a teaspoonful of tincture of cinchona and one-half 
glass of water. This expels wind, strengthens the stomach and pro¬ 
motes digestion. 

Opiates are greatly extolled in these maladies; but as they 
only palliate the symptoms and generally afterwards increase the 
disease, we would advise people to be extremely sparing in the use 
of them, lest habit render them at last absolutely necessary. 

It would be an easy matter to enumerate many medicines 
which have been extolled for relieving nervous disorders; but 
whoever wishes for a thorough cure must expect it from regimen 
alone. We shall therefore omit mentioning more medicines, and 
again recommend the strictest attention to diet, air, exercise and 
amusements, combined with such tonics as tinctures of Peruvian 
bark, orange peel, gentian, wild cherry bark, willow bark, etc. 


NEURALGIA. 

Symptoms —This is a disease of the nervous system, and the 
symptoms consist of severe paroxysms of pain, of a purely nervous 
character. The pain is generally very severe, more or less darting, 
and sometimes burning, tearing, aching and beating. In some 
cases, it causes the patient to start suddenly, and spasmodic twitch¬ 
ing of the muscles are not uncommon. Sometimes there is tender¬ 
er 



246 


NEURALGIA. 


ness of the part, on pressure, especially on slight pressure, while 
hard pressure often affords partial relief; friction of the hand fre¬ 
quently relieves, when even strong pressure seems to increase the 
pain. The paroxysms may come and go suddenly or gradually, 
and may return several times a day, or only at long intervals, and 
may soon cease entirely, or continue to the end of life. The dis¬ 
ease is not confined to any particular part of the body. Perhaps it 
most frequently attacks the head and face, and may be confined to 
one small spot, or extend over half of either. When extending over 
half the face, for example, the line of division between the well and 
diseased parts is defined with wonderful accuracy. When it is in 
the nerves of the jaws and teeth, it causes one of the most distress¬ 
ing and unendurable forms of toothache. The eyes, temples, heart, 
spine and stomach are not unfrequently attacked, and it frequently 
shifts from one to another. 

Causes —Very little is known of the causes of neuralgia, but 
it would seem that it may be brought on by whatever tends to im¬ 
pair or lower the vitality of the system, such as exposure to cold or 
damp, excessive fatigue, intemperance in stimulants, excesses of 
every kind, especially sexual excesses and abuses, idleness and the 
want of pure air and sunlight. Among other assigned causes are, 
decay of teeth, malaria, sleeplessness, anxiety, insufficient nourish¬ 
ment, and it is also said to be hereditary. 

Remedies — 1 . Plaintain is a superior remedy for neu¬ 
ralgia. Take from two to five drops of the tincture in a little 
water every twenty minutes. Usually a few doses will give relief. 
It especially acts promptly in attacks originating from colds. 

2. Take, in a tablespoonful of sweetened water, a piece of the 
root of twin leaf, pulverized, the size of a pea. One dose will often 
afford effectual relief. If not, repeat in half an hour. It will like¬ 
wise cure neuralgic toothache. Dose, of the decoction, one to two 
wineglassfuls; of the tincture, two to four teaspoonfuls three times 
a day. 

3. Take half a teaspoonful of sal ammoniac and four table- 
spoonfuls of camphor water. Mix, and give - one teaspoonful for 
a dose. Repeat several times, at intervals of ten minutes, if the 
pain be not relieved at once, and very speedy relief will be afforded, 
as many neuralgic patients can attest. 

In one instance, the sufferer, a lady, had been subject to intense 
pain for nearly a fortnight, her physician not being able to afford 
her relief. When this remedy was administered, it cured her in a 
few minutes. Camphor water may be prepared by adding one tea¬ 
spoonful of the strong spirits of camphor to half a teacupful of 
water, and stirring well together. 

4. The following is a new remedy, and one that is reputed to 
be of superior efficacy in the cure of neuralgia. It is the sulphate 
of nickel. Have the druggist prepare it for you, rubbing one grain 
in a mortar, with nine grains of sugar of milk, or loaf-sugar. One 


NEURALGIA. 


247 


dose wiJl generally relieve the severest paroxysm of pain. If it 
should not, it may be repeated every one or two hours, until the 
pain ceases. The dose is one or two grains. Prof. Hale also reports, 
“ Many very grave cases of neuralgia cured by it. I have used it 
in several chronic cases of neuralgia, and have been utterly aston¬ 
ished to see how readily it relieves that most excruciating pain, 
especially if of a periodical character.” 

5. Apply a fomentation of the leaves of the blue gum 
(Eucalyptus). It will often give relief in the most distressing 
cases; and it is said on the Pacific Coast, where it grows abundantly, 
that the persevering use of it, together with a tablespoonful of the 
tea made of the same, and taken twice a day, will often result in a 
radical cure of this disease. 

6. Prof. J. H. Bundy says: 

Take one quart of water and half pint of salt. Add the salt to 
the water, while boiling. Apply warm constantly. u I cured a 
lady with this remedy,” says the doctor, “ of neuralgia of the hip, 
of seventeen years’ duration, after all other treatment had failed. I 
now use it more frequently and successfully than any other remedy, 
in this disease.” 

7. For neuralgia of the chest, stomach and bowels, soak the 
feet, before retiring to bed, in a foot bath of hot water, to which 
three handfuls of mustard have been added. This will often give 
prompt relief. Take no internal medicine while using this applica¬ 
tion. 

Sciatica —Sciatic neuralgia is, perhaps, the severest form of 
the disease, and often very stubborn to cure. Apply an electric 
current from the hip to the toes, for thirty minutes. With many 
persons it will afford prompt relief. The large nerve of the hip is 
the seat of this disease. 

Accessory Treatment —When the pain is excessive, and 
does not yield to internal remedies, an aconite-lotion is often suc¬ 
cessful. It is prepared by adding about a dozen drops of the strong 
tincture of aconite to four tablespoonfuls of water, and may be 
applied hot or cold, as found most agreeable to the patient, by means 
of two or three folds of linen. Or belladonna may be used in the 
same way. Painting the course of the nerve with the pure tincture 
of aconite or belladonna is often even prompter in its action. 

It is all-important that the patient change his manner of 
living, so as to conform strictly to the laws of health; otherwise 
remedies will do little more than palliate his sufferings. The great 
essentials for health and life are sunlight, pure air, regular, active 
exercise, and plain, wholesome food and drink, free from stimulants 
and stimulating condiments. Patients who persist in shunning the 
light of the sun and active exercise, and live in the confined air of 
over-heated rooms, and eat superfine Hour-bread, need not expect to 
be cured of neuralgia. Individuals afflicted with this disease should 
consult the article on “ Condiments,” and also that on “ Bread and 


248 


NIGHTMARE. 


its Preparation,” from which valuable information may be ob¬ 
tained. 

The following, in reference to diet, is given by a distinguished 
English author: 

“ The diet is an important part of the treatment, and should be 
as nutritive and abundant as the condition of the digestive organs 
will permit. It is especially necessary that animal fats should enter 
largely into the diet, and any aversion to them on the part of the 
patient, or inability to digest them, should be overcome; well- 
directed efforts of this nature are nearly always successful. The 
particular form of fat is not important, and that variety may be 
adopted which can be best tolerated. Cod-liver oil, butter, cream, 
or even olive oil, should be used in quantities as large as the 
digestive organs can bear. In some way or other, fat must un¬ 
doubtedly be applied to the nutrition of the nervous system if it is 
to be maintained in its organic integrity, since fat is one of the most 
important, if not the most important, of its organic ingredients. 
* * * To Dr. Badcliffe belongs the merit of having been 

chiefly instrumental in bringing forward this therapeutical fact in 
this country, and it is one whidi I have had repeated occasions to 
verify.” 


NIGHTMARE. 

In this disease the patient, in time of sleep, imagines he feels 
an uncommon oppression or weight about his breast or stomach, 
which he can by no means shake off. He groans, and sometimes 
cries out, though oftener he attempts to speak in vain. Sometimes 
he imagines himself engaged with an enemy, and, in danger of 
be ing killed, attempts to run away, but finds he cannot. Sometimes 
he fancies himself in a house that is on fire, or that he is in danger 
of being drowned . in a river. He often thinks he is falling over a 
precipice, and the dread of being dashed to pieces suddenly"awakes 
him. 

This disorder has been supposed to proceed from too much 
blood, or from a stagnation of blood in the brain, lungs, etc. But it 
is rather a nervous affection, and arises chiefly from indigestion. 
Hence we find that persons of weak nerves, who lead a sedentary 
life, and live full, are most commonly afflicted with the nightmare. 
Nothing tends more to produce it than heavy suppers, especially 
when eaten late, or the patient goes to bed soon after. Wind is 
likewise a very frequent cause of this disease; for which reason 
those who are afflicted with it ought to avoid all flatulent food. 
Deep thought, anxiety, or anything that oppresses the mind, ought 
also to be avoided. 

Treatment —Persons jnay free themselves from this difficulty 
by removing acidity of the stomach. They should not use food 



POLYPUS. 


249 


that is difficult of digestion, and should not eat late and heavy 
suppers; take regular exercise daily, keep lively company, and be 
temperate. These are important measures and should be attended 
to. They should not lie on the back, and should have some one 
remain near them, so that they can be immediately awakened on 
their moaning; for the sooner a person is roused from a paroxysm 
of nightmare, the better. Where persons are subject to nightmare 
from flatulency and acidity of the stomach, the following, taken 
before retiring at night, will usually prevent an attack: Essence of 
peppermint, five drops; baking soda, one-fourth teaspoonful; mix, 
and take at a draught. 


POLYPUS. 

Polypus is generally located either in the nose, ear, throat, 
womb or rectum. When located in the nose, there is a nasal sound 
in the voice; the patient acquires the habit of keeping his mouth 
open to facilitate breathing; there is difficulty of swallowing liquids; 
the nose is enlarged externally on the affected side, and on looking 
up the nostril the polypus may be seen. In consequence of the 
stuffy symptoms which a polypus occasions, it may at first be 
mistaken for a cold in the head. But on the nose being violently 
blown, the polypus descends and appears near the orifice, causing 
the obstruction to return, contrary to the usual result of such an 
operation. 

Remedies —1. Procure at the drug-store about two .tea¬ 
spoonfuls of powdered blood-root, and snuff a little up the nostril 
containing the polypus, several times a day. If taken in the early 
stages, when the growth is but small, polypus may be easily cured 
in this way, and with but little pain. If it cannot be sufficiently 
applied to the tumor by snuffing, it must be applied in some other 
way. The powder must be freely applied to the fungous growth in 
the nose. . It may be applied with a rag wrapped on a probe of any 
kind, by wetting the rag and then dipping it into the powder. 

Where the tumor is quite large, and this method does not prove 
effectual, it may be necessary to introduce a pair of forceps, seize 
the tumor as far up as possible, and compress so hard as to dis¬ 
organize it; or by turning the forceps to twist it off, and afterward 
apply the powder to prevent a re-growth. 

2. It is said that powdered poke-root has been used with 
similar results to that of blood-root. 

3. Another method of removing polypus is by tying a string, 
or ligature, around its neck, which will cause it to fall off in a short 
time. 

4. Bind a bit of cotton on a probe or on a stick, saturate it 
with pure nitric acid, press out all the superfluous acid and apply 



250 


NIGHT-SWEATS-PALSY OR PARALYSIS. 


thoroughly to the parts every day for three or four days. It cures, 
though it may be a little painful. 

The womb is sometimes affected with polypus, giving rise to 
frequent discharges of blood, and when large, occasioning bearing- 
down sensations, a fetid, vaginal discharge, and a gradual failure of 
the general health. In such cases, the female should at once apply 
for aid; and none but a medical man should treat the case. 


NIGHT-SWEATS. 

Remedies — 1 . When the herb called five-finger (.Potentilla 
Canadensis ), can be obtained it is seldom that any other remedy 
will be needed. It is to be taken freely, in decoction, either boiled 
in water or in milk. 

2. The elixir of vitriol is an excellent remedy for night-sweats. 
Fifteen drops, three times a day, should be taken in a little water. 

3. The juice of the lemon is another cure for this difficulty. 
Take the juice of two of ordinary size, in divided doses, during 
the day. 

4. Sage-tea is an old, yet a popular remedy for night-sweats. 
It should be taken cold, twice a day. The body should be sponged 
at the hour of retiring, with vinegar and water, alum dissolved in 
whisky, or some similar astringent wash. 

5. The night-sweats of consumption are often modified and 
sometimes removed by rubbing hog’s lard into the skin every night, 
if sleeping in the same woolen niglit-shirt, which becomes impreg¬ 
nated with the oil. 


PALSY OR PARALYSIS. 

Paralysis is a disease principally affecting the nervous system, 
characterized by a loss or diminution of motion or feeling, or of 
both, in one or more parts of the body. When one entire side of 
the body, from the head downward, is affected, it is distinguished 
among professional men by the name of Hemiplegia. If the 
lower half of the body be attacked by the disease, it is named Para¬ 
plegia; and, when confined to a particular limb or set of muscles, 
it is called paralysis. 

Causes —This complaint may arise in consequence of an 
attack of apoplexy, or by anything which prevents the passage of 
the nervous power or influence from the brain to the organs of 
motion; and also by pressure on the nerves, in consequence of dis¬ 
locations or fractures of the bones, wounds or other external 
injuries. It is also caused by the handling or using of white lead, 
as in painting; by the poisonous fumes of metals, and by whatever 




PALSY OR PARALYSIS. 


251 


has a tendency to relax, weaken or enervate the body; hence those 
who lead a sedentary, luxurious and irregular life, or such as are 
engaged in intense studies, or labor under great distress or anxiety 
of mind, are subject to paralysis. 

Symptoms —Paralysis usually comes on with a sudden and 
immediate loss of the motion and sensibility of the parts; but in 
a few instances it is preceded by a numbness, coldness and paleness, 
and sometimes by slight convulsive twitches. When the head is 
much affected, the eye and mouth are drawn on one side, the 
memory and judgment much impaired, and the speech is indistinct 
and incoherent. If the disease affects the extremities, and has 
been of long duration, it not only produces a loss of motion and 
sensibility, but likewise a considerable flaccidity and wasting away 
in the muscles of the parts affected. 

The attack of it is sometimes unexpected, but more commonly 
it is preceded for several days, or even weeks, by one or more of 
those symptoms formerly described as the forerunners of apoplexy; 
such as giddiness, drowsiness, numbness, dimness of sight, failure 
of the powers of mind, forgetfulness, transient delirium or indis¬ 
tinctness of articulation. For the most part, the paralytic seizure 
is sudden; but occasionally the approaches of the disease are made 
more slowly; a finger, a hand or an arm, the muscles of the tongue, 
of the mouth or of the eyelids, being first affected. 

Remedies —1. It will generally be necessary to make 
use of injections, for the bowels are usually much constipated, and 
sometimes the lower portion of the body is so paralyzed that purga¬ 
tives will not act upon them. Take a cup of meal or a tablespoon- 
ful of starch, a gill of lard or sweet oil, and a quart of boiling 
water. As soon as cool enough, use half of it, by means of a large 
syringe, and the balance after the first has passed away. This sel¬ 
dom fails to induce evacuation. In recent cases, keep the parts 
affected well covered with flannels, and use a great amount of 
friction with the hand; also rub them three times a day, with 
a stimulant made of salt and cayenne, infused in vinegar. 

2. The Indian hemp (Apocynum Gannabinum) is an excel¬ 
lent remedy in all paralytic affections. The best way to use it, is 
in the form of decoction. One ounce of the powdered or bruised 
(dry) root may be steeped for an hour in one pint of water, and the 
patient take two tablespoonfuls three times a day. It is also used 
in extract, the dose of which is three grains, once a day. 

3. Electricity is a remedy almost universally employed in the 
cure of palsy, and often with the happiest effect. It ought, how¬ 
ever, to be used with care, applying it only in slight shocks called 
Faradaism, and often repeated. It is also recommended not to 
apply it to the head, as it is supposed that danger might arise from 
its application to that part. Galvanism has likewise been employed 
and highly extolled in the treatment of this complaint. 

4. JSTux vomica is a medicine that often exerts great power, 


252 


FALLING OF THE PALATE. 


and lias a positive curative influence on many forms of paralysis, 
and often produces very prompt results in the more chronic forms 
of this disease. However, its use may have to be persevered 
in for some time, with such other auxiliary measures as may, from 
time to time, be necessary. It should be used in the form of the 
tincture, live drops of which should be added to an eight-ounce 
bottle of water. Shake the contents well together, and it is ready 
for use. Dose, two teaspoonfuls, morning and evening. When 
improvement begins to appear, the medicine should be limited to 
once a day; then to every other day, and thus gradually discon¬ 
tinued, until the patient has entirely recovered. 

5. Take common oats, pound in a mortar and put a coffee 
cupful in a pint of alcohol and water, half and half; let it stand 
fourteen days, then take a teaspoonful three times a day. This has 
often proven as effective as it is simple. 

Accessory Treatment —Electricity or Galvanism, as above 
stated, judiciously employed after the acute inflammatory symp¬ 
toms have subsided, is an agent of great value. The cold douche , 
bathing with salt-water, or, if the patient be capable of the effort, 
sea-bathing, tends to promote the nutrition of the spinal mar¬ 
row. 

If the paralysis has been of some standing, and all pain, dizzi¬ 
ness or irritation in the head has been removed, regular exercise of 
the part paralyzed becomes not less important than medicine. Let 
an assistant, two or three times a day, for a few moments, bend and 
extend the paralyzed limb or part, in every direction, and, if the 
muscles are contracted, gradually stretch them out; also, with the 
open hand, slap repeatedly the palsied part or limb, over its entire 
surface. After thus exercising the part for a few days, the patient, 
by an effort of his will, may try to assist in moving the weak part 
or limb, but he should never attempt to move it except when the 
assistant is moving it, until he feels that he has gained sufficient 
control over the part to be able to move it readily, without assist¬ 
ance. As soon as the patient is able to move the part without 
assistance, let him exercise it regularly himself, two or three times 
a day, but never to the extent of fatigue, or until there is increased 
feeling of weakness. His assistant may continue to rub and slap 
the part; and, as strength returns, he may offer a little resistance 
to the movements of the patient, and this may be cautiously 
increased until the part becomes strong. 


FALLING OF THE PALATE (Uvula). 

Remedies —1. In cases of falling of the palate, use freely 
a strong decoction of white-oak bark, as a gargle. A little alum 
may be dissolved in it, to make it still more astringent. Or use, 



PILES. 


253 


for the same purpose, a mixture of cayenne pepper and vinegar, as 
sharp as can well be borne. 

2.. In the first stages of this difficulty, the application of cold 
water is sometimes of great benefit. Envelop the throat with a 
napkin dampened with cold water, and envelop this again with 
twice the thickness of dry cloths. This often removes the trouble 
in a short space of time. 

3. Another means of relief, in this difficulty, is a strong tea 
made of crane’s bill, employed as a gargle several times a 
day. 

4. In many cases, a lengthened palate may be reduced to its 
natural size by means of astringent gargles and other things men¬ 
tioned above, but it will generally return again and again, upon 
the appearance of any fresh cold; and, therefore, the most certain 
cure is to cut it off. To do this, take hold of it with a pair of common 
forceps, and, having stretched it down a little, clip it off above the 
forceps with a pair of curved scissors; or straight scissors may 
answer the purpose. Nearly the whole of it should generally be 
removed. To take off only a part of it, leaves a stump, which is 
often more objectionable than the whole organ. Its removal never 
injures the speech in the least. 


PILES (Hemorrhoids). 

Causes —The predisposing causes are, sedentary and indolent 
habits; luxurious living, especially the use of highly seasoned food, 
wines and spirits; tight lacing; pregnancy; constipated bowels, and 
diseases of the liver. Residence in moist, warm and relaxing 
climate; soft, warm beds or cushions, and over-excitement of the 
sexual organs, may also be classed among predisposing causes. The 
exciting causes include anything which irritates the lower bowel, 
such as straining at stool, hard riding, and the use of strong pur¬ 
gatives, especially aloes and rhubarb. 

Symptoms —A sensation of fullness, heat, and perhaps itching 
is felt about the anus. The swelling increases until small tumors 
form, which are sore and painful. These may be external and visi¬ 
ble or internal, and are often of a bluish color, and when inflamed 
they are very sore and painful to the touch. There is frequently a 
discharge of blood, especially from internal piles, and such dis¬ 
charges often return repeatedly until a habit is established, and 
there is a feeling of fullness before and relief after such discharges. 
Piles that do not bleed are called blind; this variety is apt to 
take on inflammation, when they become full, appear ready to burst, 
and are so very sensitive that the patient can scarcely sit, walk or 
lie. 

Remedies —1. Make a thin paste of raw linseed oil and 
pure white lead, that shall be thin as cream in consistency. 



254 


PILES. 


Anoint the parts when protruding, twice a day. We have known 
obstinate cases cured after three applications. This is the king of 
remedies. 

2. In the early stages of this disease, the stone-root ( Collin - 
sonia Canadensis) is an effectual remedy, and will often cure even 
in the more advanced stages. Dose, of the fluid extract, from 
twenty to thirty drops; of the tincture, the same, three times a day. 
These preparations can be procured at all drug-stores, and may be 
taken in a little honey or sirup. 

3. Give the patient freely, three times a day, a decoction made 
in the winter from the root of the black-currant; in the summer 
from the twigs. This remedy was first published in Europe by an 
aged physician, after retiring from practice, as his most successful 
remedy for bleeding piles. 

4. Dr. D. W. Raymond, of Cincinnati, says, “ Equal parts, by 
weight, of tannin and glycerine, will cure the piles, and that very 
speedily, by anointing them with it once, and, in severe cases, twice 
a day.” 

5. The following is an old remedy, but a popular one with 
some medical authors: Give, morning and evening, eight to ten 
drops of the oil of Canada fleabane (.Erigeron Canadensis ), on a 
little sugar. When the piles are down, mix one part of this oil with 
four parts of castor-oil, and anoint them twice a day. This herb is 
known by the various names of Canada fleabane, horse-weed, butter- 
weed and pride-weed. 

6. Dr. Hammond, of California, gives the simple remedy of 
common table-salt, as one that is unsurpassed for bleeding piles. 
(See “ Medical Uses of Salt.”) 

T. Sometimes, when they have been neglected or improperly 
treated, they become so seated and enlarged that it is necessary to 
remove the tumors. Should this happen, or should not the above 
means be sufficient to remove the complaint, a piece of silk or thread 
may be passed round the largest tumor (after having been drawn 
down) and tied as tight as the patient can bear; and the knot may 
be occasionally drawn a little closer. This will stop the circulation 
in the tumor or tumors, and in about a week they will be separated 
and a cure effected. 

Pile-tumors have been removed by ligature, through the knife 
or caustic and the following treatment is found superior. 
Take a piece or roll of caustic potash and cover it w T ith paper 
or muslin, except the end, and carefully touch the tumor every 
day with it; keep the liquid, as it dissolves, from running down on 
the surrounding parts; after which apply an elm-poultice, with 
yeast. It usually bleeds some and leaves it black, and soon sloughs 
off. Some very obstinate cases have been cured in this manner. 

Accessory Treatment — Patients should avoid coffee, 
pepper, spices, stimulating, highly seasoned or indigestible food of 
every kind, and the habitual use of beer, wine and spirits. Light 


PILES. 


o 


animal food, a liberal quantity of well-cooked vegetables, ripe and 
wholesome fruits, and brown-bread form the most suitable diet. 
During an attack of piles, animal food should be sparingly used. 
Over-eating or drinking causes engorgement of the portal vein, and 
piles are the common result. The application of this remark is 
self-evident. 

If a patient expects a permanent cure of this disease, he must 
shun the causes which have produced it, or he can never obtain 
anything more than palliative relief from the best remedies. 

Sedentary habits and much standing, on the one hand, and 
extreme fatigue on the other, are prejudicial; as is also the use of 
cushions and feather-beds. The pain attending blind piles may be 
relieved by washing in cold or tepid water, whichever is found more 
agreeable. Bleeding piles may be relieved by drinking half a 
tumblerful of cold water, and then lying down for an hour. The 
horizontal position should be maintained as much as possible, that 
being most favorable to recovery. When piles protrude, the use of 
petroleum-soap is recommended. 

Great relief and permanent benefit will also follow an occasional 
injection of about a pint of quite warm water up the lower bowel. 
This acts beneficially, by constricting the blood-vessels, softening 
the feces before evacuation, and by giving tone to the relaxed struc¬ 
tures. Injections of water are also of service after each evacuation, 
when any feculent matter remains; at the same time the application 
of water exercises a very favorable influence on the blood-vessels 
and nerves of the bowels. As a rule, warm injections are most 
suitable for patients of a full habit of body, and cool ones for those 
of relaxed constitutions. 

When piles are excessively sensitive or painful, the patient 
should sit over the steam of hot water, keep his bed or recline 
during a great part of the day on a couch. Strict cleanliness is also 
essential. The parts should be frequently washed with soap and 
cold water; or, when the tumors are inflamed and painful, with warm 
water. A piece of sponge and tepid water should in such cases be 
substituted for paper. A warm or vapor-bath may be occasionally 
used at night, when the liver is inactive and the skin dry and harsh. 
It should be followed in the morning with a cold bath, or the body 
should be rapidly rubbed, first with a wet, cold towel, and then with 
a dry one. 

Lie with the face downward, and sustain the weight of the body 
by the elbows and toes, resting on a sofa or bed, for a few moments, 
and then slowly raise the hips and lower them five or six times; this 
tends to relieve the congestion of the veins about the anus, and if 
repeated two or three times a day, is an excellent form of exercise, 
not only for the piles, but also for falling of the bowels, as well as 
for falling of the womb. 

The patient should carefully examine the article on “ Condi¬ 
ments.” 


256 


PLEURISY. 


For Itching* Piles —Bismuth, 6 drams; Calomel, 4 drams; 
mix it with vaseline, and apply at night.— Dr. Madison , Troy, 
N. Y. 


PLEURISY (Pleuritis). 

The true pleurisy is an inflammation of that membrane called 
the pleura, which lines the inside of the chest. 

Causes —The pleurisy may be occasioned by whatever ob¬ 
structs the perspiration, as cold, drinking cold liquors when the 
body is hot, sleeping out of doors on the damp ground, wet 
clothes, plunging the body into cold water, or exposing it to the 
cold air when covered with sweat. It may likewise be occasioned 
by drinking strong liquors, by the stoppage of usual evacuations, as 
old ulcers, issues, sweating of the feet or hands, the sudden striking 
in of any eruption, as the itch, the measles or the small pox. Keep¬ 
ing the body too warm by means of fire, clothes, etc., renders one 
more liable to this disease. Pleurisy may likewise be occasioned by 
violent exercise. 

Symptoms —Pleurisy usually commences with chilly sensa¬ 
tions, followed by heat and thirst. After a few hours the patient is 
seized with a sharp, acute pain in one side, which gradually extends 
toward the shoulder blade, and toward the fore-part of the breast; 
the pain usually increases, and sometimes becomes very violent. It 
may or may not be attended with coughing and expectoration. The 
matter that is coughed up is generally more or less mixed with 
blood. 

Remedies —1. The pain can usually be relieved in a very short 
period of time, and the pleurisy entirely cured in twenty-four 
hours, by the following means: Take a piece of lime about the size 
of an orange, wrap a moistened cloth around it, and cover this with 
several thicknesses of dry muslin or cloth. Place one, thus pre¬ 
pared, on each side of the patient, and by both thighs; they will 
soon induce copious perspiration, which is the object sought. 

2. If the lime is not at hand, use the vapor-bath sweat, by 
placing a pan, half or two-thirds full of hot water, under a chair, 
with the patient on it, having a comfort around him; then put into 
it occasionally a hot stone or brick, and continue until a free perspi¬ 
ration is produced, and held for from fifteen to twenty minutes, ac¬ 
cording to the severity of the case. Afterwards, keep constantly on 
the affected side a fomentation of hops or catnip, as hot as can be 
borne, and renew it as fast as it becomes even tepid. With this, the 
treatment is complete. 

When it is convenient the spirit-vapor bath, as given in the 
“ Hydropathic Division,” is perhaps preferable to either of the 
above means of producing perspiration. 

3. Dr. Buchan, Professor in the Royal College of Physicians, 



PRICKLY HEAT-BLOTCHES AND PIMPLES. 


257 



of Edinburgh, Scotland, says that he regards the Seneca snake-root 
as an infallible remedy in the cure of pleurisy. Add one ounce of 
the root to one and a half pints of water. Boil to one pint. Dose, 
two tablespoonfuls, three times a day. If it should cause any sick¬ 
ness of the stomach, lessen the dose, or add one-half a tablespoon¬ 
ful of pulverized cinnamon to each dose. 

Tins is comparatively a new remedy to the public, hut one that 

can always be relied on. * 

* 

■f. The pleurisy-root is a very popular remedy in this disease, 
and is regarded as a specific. The warm tea is to he taken freely. 

5. A new remedy, known as the Jaborandi , is a prompt agent 
for the relief of pleurisy, It is one of the greatest sweating medi¬ 
cines known. Dose, of the fluid extract, half a teaspoonful every 
hour, until free perspiration is induced, which usually affords relief 
very soon. 

Accessory Treatment —Applications of heat, in the form 
of poultices, flannel wrung out of hot water, etc., applied to the 
painful part, will often afford immediate relief. Dr. Roberts, of 
University College, treats pleurisy by strapping the affected side 
firmly with broad pieces of common plaster, placed obliquely to the 
direction of the ribs, so as to secure rest. Many cases, it is said, 
have been cured very quickly by this means. 

Bleeding in every form should be avoided. Perfect quiet in a 
bolstered posture should be secured. The diet should be light, 
gruel, arrow-root, broth; frequent sips of cold water will allay 
thirst. 


PRICKLY HEAT. 

Prickly heat occurs chiefly in hot climates, attacking tne parts 
covered by the clothes, accompanied by a peculiar tingling and 
pricking; the pimples are of a vivid-red color, about the size of a 
pin-head, but there is no redness of the skin generally. 

A tepid bath may be employed daily for the relief of the itch¬ 
ing and burning, and after the skin has been well dried, the seat of 
the eruption should be rubbed with olive-oil or cold cream. In 
chronic cases, the surface of the eruption may be moistened with 
water, and then rubbed over lightly with glycerine once or twice a 
day. Patients affected with this disease should use very little salt. 

Mix equal parts sulphur and cream of tartar and take a tea¬ 
spoonful at night. 


BLOTCHES AND PIMPLES—FLESH-WORMS— 
ERUPTIONS ON THE FACE (Acne.) 

These are common names of very frequent eruptions, consist¬ 
ing of small pimples, often containing matter, occurring chiefly on 
the face. 


17 




258 


BLOTCHES AND PIMPLES. 


Causes —Intemperate use of spirituous liquors, excessive in¬ 
dulgence in eating, neglect of cleanliness, sexual abuse, cold, men¬ 
strual irregularities, physiological changes (as puberty), the use of 
cosmetics, and chronic inflammation of the stomach and bowels, are 
the chief causes of this difficulty. 

The Worm-Pimple, with Black Points —These are 
very unsightly, giving the skin an oily, greasy and dirty appear¬ 
ance. Their origin is to be traced to the obstruction of the glands 
placed immediately under the skin, from which a minute pipe car¬ 
ries off the perspiration. This moisture, not getting free egress, 
thickens and closes the pores; it then catches the dust and other 
impurities, and soon becomes black. If squeezed violently between 
the nails, this thickened matter will be driven out, in the form of a 
yellowish-white worm, with a black head, which is nothing more 
than the extraneous matter just mentioned. They should be thor¬ 
oughly pressed out of every pore, or there they will remain, and no 
cosmetic will dislodge them. 

Remedies —1. To one teacupful of warm water, add a 
tablespoonful of borax, and apply with a soft cloth or sponge, night 
and morning. This will often remove them and render the skin 
smooth. 

2. In cases where this fails, put a teaspoonful, each, of pow¬ 
dered borax and sugar, in the juice of a lemon, and apply this as 
above. 

8. Another simple means, which is often effective, is to wash 
with tepid water, using light friction with a soft towel; after which, 
apply a little cold cream, and repeat twice a day. 

There being different forms of these pimples, of a different 
origin, it will be necessary to resort to different means for their re¬ 
moval. Among which the following have been used with success: 

4. Take one ounce of bitter almonds and one ounce of barley- 
flour; mix them with honey until they form a smooth paste, and 
anoint the skin at night. Gentle friction, either with the hand or 
with a soft glove, is also good. 

5. When the eruptions are red, they are caused by a small in¬ 
sect working under the skin. A very excellent remedy in this case 
is to take sulphur, and after the usual washing in the morning, ap¬ 
ply it on the face dry, and rub it thoroughly with the fingers. Then 
wipe it off with a dry cloth. 

Accessory Treatment —Hygienic measures and the cor¬ 
rection of faulty habits are of the first importance in this difficulty, 
Indigestion, menstrual derangement, debility, or any other consti¬ 
tutional or local affection should be corrected. 

Daily out-of-door exercise is favorable to the cure. Soft-water 
baths are of great value in this affection, although on first com¬ 
mencing them they may appear to aggravate the disease. The parts 
should be frequently washed or douched with hot water. This 
difficulty, according to Dr. Ringer, is efficiently treated by washing 


PROUD FLESH—PNEUMONIA. 


259 


the face or other part affected with hot water and plenty of soap, 
several times a day. If by this treatment the skin becomes rough, 
red and painful, it should be well rubbed with glycerine and starch 
after each washing. All cosmetics, paints, etc., must be avoided. 
Vigorously brushing the nodules with a tooth-brush and soft-soap 
is said to be exceedingly efficacious. The patient should live tem¬ 
perately and abstemiously, avoiding all stimulants, tea, coffee and 
liquors, and using but very little animal food. The bowels should 
be kept regular, and the surface of the body should be bathed with 
a weak alkaline solution daily, composed of water and soda, or 
saleratus; or, in their absence, soap may be employed. As articles 
of diet, uncooked fruits and vegetables are recommended. 


PROUD FLESH. 

Remedies —1. Burnt alum is an old but good remedy. 
Sprinkle it on freely, twice daily. Many use sugar, in place of 
alum, and pronounce it unsurpassed for this difficulty. 

2. Boil half a pound of bitter-sweet root in a pint and a half 

of water, for an hour. Strain, and add two tablespoonfuls of lard. 

Then boil until the remainder of the water is evaporated, and you 

have an ointment that will remove proud flesh in twenty-four hours. 

It will also cleanse anv ulcer or sore of all foul matter that is offen- 

1/ 

sive. Besides, it is excellent for healing purposes. 

3. The clear carbolic acid is unsurpassed for removing proud 
flesh. It not only destroys it, but stimulates a healthy action of 
the part, and promotes granulation, through which process the 
wound is healed. It should be applied on cotton, saturating a por¬ 
tion large enough to cover the part, and leaving it on for an hour or 
two. Renew and apply it until the proud flesh is completely de¬ 
stroyed. Powdered blood-root is also very highly recommended for 
the same purpose. 


PNEUMONIA—INFLAMMATION OF THE LUNGS. 

This disease consists of inflammation of the air-cells and the 
substance of the lungs. There is almost always more or less in¬ 
flammation of the bronchial tubes, and sometimes of the pleura, or 
membrane encasing the lungs. 

Causes —Severe or long-continued exertion or over-fatigue, 
either alone or combined with cold. Brief exposure to cold, how¬ 
ever intense, is rarely sufficient to excite this inflammation; it is 
rather a prolonged arid deep-reaching cause of cold that can produce 
this effect. If a person gets thoroughly wet and remains long in 
wet clothes, or lies out on damp ground,, or is a sentinel standing 
or slowly pacing for hours in a cold wind, the chill goes to the 
heart, as it were, and paralyzes the deep circulation, and pneumonia 
is likely to be the result. 




260 


PNEUMONIA. 


Symptoms —Pneumonia generally comes on insidiously, with 
restlessness and feverish disturbance, and sometimes has made great 
progress before the true character of the disease has been discovered. 
There is deep-seated, dull pain beneath the breast-bone or shoulder- 
blade; a great feeling of illness; frequent, short cough, with ex¬ 
pectoration of viscid matter of a green, yellow or pale color, some¬ 
times as the disease progresses, tinged with blood, which forms such 
tenacious masses that inversion of the vessel containing them will 
not detach them. Profuse green expectoration is a serious symp¬ 
tom. The breathing is hurried and difficult; the skin hot, especially 
in the regions of the ribs and armpits; there is no moisture in the 
nostrils, which “flap,” and the eyes are tearless, there exists great 
thirst; interrupted, hesitating speech; the pulse is variable, being 
sometimes rapid and full, at other times hard and wiry, or quick 
and weak; the urine is scanty, red and sometimes scalding; and the 
patient lies either on the affected side or on his back. If the dis¬ 
ease is unchecked, the face often exhibits patches of redness and 
lividity; the blood-vessels of the neck become swollen and turgid; 
the pulse weak, irregular or thready; and the patient may sink, 
either from exhaustion or from obstruction of the lungs. 

Remedies —1. Commence by letting the patient sit for half 
an hour with his feet and legs in warm water, and drink some warm 
sweating teas, as pennyroyal or sage. It may be well, occasionally, 
to apply a fomentation of herbs over the chest and lungs, as warm 
as can be borne, such as hoarhound, catnip, tansy and the like. A 
large mustard-draft may be placed over the chest and region of the 
lungs, and kept on as long as the patient can bear it—an hour if 
possible, and at the same time apply others to the bottoms of the 
feet. 

2. In place of the above treatment, a musli-poultice is often 
substituted with excellent effect. This should be put in very thin 
muslin bags, and placed over the whole chest; and, for a child, the 
chest and back should be enveloped with it. Close attention should 
be given to the poultice and not allow it to become cool or dry. 
When it begins to be so, a fresh one should immediately be sub¬ 
stituted. 

3. In milder cases, the fever may often be reduced by bathing 
the whole surface of the body with a weak alkaline wash, which 
softens and relaxes the skin and promotes perspiration. This pro¬ 
cess may also be advantageously resorted to in worse cases. The 
alkaline wash always has a tendency to reduce the heat of fever, 
and is very grateful to the patient. 

4. For internal treatment, in the first or active stage of this 
complaint, the patient should take very small doses of the tincture 
of the root of aconite, as the following: Five drops are to be added 
to a tumblerful of water, and mixed well with a spoon. Then, while 
the fever is high, with severe pain in the chest, rapid breathing, 
with or without thirst, give the patient, if an adult, two teaspoon- 


PNEUMONIA. 


261 


fuls of this solution, every half-hour or hour, until there is an abate¬ 
ment of the symptoms, and he begins to sweat. The medicine 
should then be taken at intervals of four hours, and continued until 
all signs of fever, pain and difficult breathing have subsided. 

5. Another good remedy for this disease is the pleurisy-root 
{Asclepias Tuberosa). Use a strong tea, made of the root. It is 
harmless and may be drunk freely every two or three hours. If 
the bowels are costive, give an injection, occasionally, of tepid water 
or tepid milk and water. Should this fail to produce the desired 
effect, administer a mild physic. 

6. The Jaborandi is now used in the first stages of this 
affection. It is a new remedy, but is gaining much notoriety, on 
account of the signal cures it has performed. This herb is prepared 
in different forms, but the one most commonly employed is the 
fluid extract. Of this, give thirty drops, for the first dose. After¬ 
wards, fifteen to twenty drops, every four hours, until free perspira¬ 
tion is produced. If much pain and fever are present, on the fol¬ 
lowing day, repeat as before, and continue each preceding day, until 
complete relief is obtained. 

7. Use warm inhalations of steam, envelop the chest with hot 
poultices or cover with cotton batting, give brandy in tablespoonful 
doses four or five times a day. This is the latest and most success¬ 
ful treatment. x\s nourishment, such as milk punch or egg-nogg 
should be given.— Dr. L. B. Harris , London. 

Accessory Measures —The diet should be light, as barley- 
water, mucilage of elm, lemonade, orange-juice, Indian-meal gruel, 
roasted apples, panada, etc. The patient should be kept as still as 
possible during the disease, and not be permitted to speak more 
than is necessarv in order to make known his wants; and the sick 

i/ ' 

chamber should be kept well ventilated and at a proper temperature. 
Great care should be taken during convalescence to prevent a 
relapse, which is very apt to occur on very slight causes, and may 
lead to consumption. If, during convalescence or afterwards, a 
troublesome cough remains, the following should be given: One 
teacupful of good cider-vinegar, one-fourth of an ounce of balsam 
of tolu, the same quantity of gum-Arabic, and three tablespoonfuls 
of refined sugar. Dissolve them over a slow fire. Molasses or 
honey may be substituted for the sugar. The dose is a teaspoonful, 
three or four times a day, or whenever the cough is severe. 

The patient should be bathed or sponged with water, at such a 
temperature as is most agreeable to him, once a day; and when 
there is much fever, at least twice a day. At the same time, care 
should be exercised not to permit any chilly sensations to be ex¬ 
perienced, and to dry well with abundance of friction. 

In this disease "it is admitted by medical men that a majority 
of the more severe cases prove fatal; whereas, the reverse should be 
the rule— a majority should recover. They doubtless would, were 
it not for the excessive dosing and drugging which, in this disease, 


262 QUINSY-INFLAMMATION OF THE THROAT. 

as in many others, is yearly sweeping its thousands and tens of 
thousands to premature graves, who might otherwise have lived to 
a ripe old age. We therefore beseech you, when you summon 
medical aid, let it be a physician who knows how to administer 
medicine. 


QUINSY—INFLAMMATION OF THE THROAT. 

This is a disease of the tonsils and mucous membrane of the 
throat. It is most common among young persons. 

Causes —The most common causes are, a sudden cold, check¬ 
ing of the perspiration, wet feet, damp beds and moist, cold air. 

Symptoms —The more common symptoms are sore throat, 
with pain in swallowing, redness and swelling in one or both of the 
tonsils, dry throat, foul tongue, hoarseness, difficulty in breathing, 
and more or less fever. As the disease advances, the throat swells, 
and swallowing and breathing become more difficult; the dryness of 
the throat and the thirst increase, the tongue swells, and is covered 
with a dark, crusty coat; the pulse is full and hard and very 
frequent; hearing becomes impaired, and sometimes the throat 
swells to such an extent that swallowing is almost impossible and 
the patient is threatened with suffocation. The disease generally 
yields gradually and goes away, but sometimes it ends in suppura¬ 
tion; that is, gathers and breaks. 

Remedies —1. A good method of treatment is to boil, for 
twenty minutes, a handful of hops or sage in two pints of water and 
half a pint of vinegar. Inhale the vapor into the throat and lungs, 
as warm as it can be borne, by means of a teapot or an inhaler. If 
the throat is much swollen, simmer a small quantity of sage in a 
little lard, and give the patient from a teaspoonful to a table¬ 
spoonful, three or four times a day, taken warm. At the same 
time mix a small quantity of this with a large onion poultice, and 
apply to the throat, and frequently renew. If this is perseveringly 
used, it will give timely relief. 

2. The following is another mode of treatment, used by many, 
and highly recommended: In mild cases, a strong tea of witch- 
hazel leaves or golden seal, with a little cayenne in each dose, occa¬ 
sionally repeated, will generally remove it. In worse cases, the 
throat should be gargled with the same article, at the same time 
keeping the neck warm by the application of a flannel cloth or 
woolen cravat. The front part of the neck, or throat, may also be 
bathed with pepper and vinegar, and the patient should inhale the 
vapor of vinegar and water, which may be applied by an inhaler, or 
by putting the vinegar and water, hot, into a coffeepot, and then 
dropping a small red hot stone into it, closing the lid, and holding 
the spout near the face of the patient, who should inhale the steam 
as hot as he can bear it. This process should be often performed, 
particularly where there is much pain and difficulty of breathing. 



ACUTE RHEUMATISM. 


263 


Should the disease increase, and exhibit symptoms of suppuration, 
so as to threaten suffocation, the tongue must be pressed down with 
the finger or handle of a spoon, and the swelling punctured with a 
sum-lancet. 

3. M. Yelpau, of Par is, highly extols the use of alum for a 
gargle in quinsy and all kinds of sore throat. Take alum, one 
ounce; barley-water, four ounces; apply a little of the alum, fine, 
on the parts inflamed, with a little stick or brush, or the finger. 
Many cases have been successfully cured by this simple treatment. 

A gargle made of weak lye has been found remarkably effica¬ 
cious where other means have proved useless, particularly where 
persons have been subject to the quinsy, and when it assumes a 
chronic character. 

Accessory Treatment —During the course of the disease, 
the body should be bathed twice a day, and the feet frequently, in a 
tepid bath of weak lye w T ater. This is especially desirous, when 
there are high-fever symptoms. 

After the disease has been cured, a relapse must be guarded 
against, by avoiding exposure to cold, and bv wearing flannel about 
the neck for several days. Those who are subject to this disease may 
prevent it attacking them by daily sponging the throat and neck 
with cold water, using a light but nutritious diet. 

No animal food, or food in substance, should be allowed until 
the inflammation is subdued—simply rice-water, gruel, arrow-root, 
etc. 


ACUTE RHEUMATISM (Rlieumatismus Acutis). 

Symptoms —Acute rheumatism is usually ushered in with 
feverish disturbances, followed by a local attack of inflammation 
about one or more of the larger joints—the shoulder, elbow, knee, 
ankle or the covering of the valves of the heart, etc. Exposed joints 
appear to be more prone to attack than those that are covered, the 
larger more frequently than the smaller, and the joints of the hands 
more frequently than those of the feet. Sprained or otherwise 
injured joints are particularly liable to suffer. Fever often precedes 
the local inflammation one or two days; sometimes, they occur 
simultaneously, while in others, inflammation of the joints precedes 
the fever. 

The affected joints are swollen, tense, surrounded by a rose- 
colored blush and acutely painful; pain is a more constant symptom 
than swelling, and swelling than redness. The pain has many 
degrees of intensity, is generally intermittent, abates somewhat in 
the day, but is aggravated at night, and in all cases is increased by 
pressure, so that even the touch of the medical attendant 01 nuise, 
or the weight of the bed-clothes can scarcely be borne. Often the 
patient remains fixed, as it were, in one posture, from vhicli he 



264 


ACUTE RHEUMATISM. 


cannot or dare not move. The skin is hot, bnt covered with a sour, 
offensive sweat, and so highly acid as to redden litmus paper. The 
perspirations, although unattended hy immediate relief, is one of 
nature’s modes of elimination; for the pains are always aggravated, 
and the constitutional symptoms intensified, if they become sup¬ 
pressed. It is only when the perspirations lose their peculiarly 
sour character that they become useless. The urine, in acute rheu¬ 
matism, is scanty, often resembling porter in color, of high specific 
gravity, and deposits, on cooling, deep-colored sediments. The 
pulse is round and full, varying from 90° to 120°; the tongue loaded 
with a yellowish-white mucus; the head being but slightly affected. 
The usual absence of headache or delirium distinguishes acute 
rheumatism from the continued fevers. Intense thirst is a com¬ 
mon feature; the appetite is hard to please, and the digestive func¬ 
tions are seriously impaired. 

Rheumatism is usually erratic; it often suddenly quits one 
joint to appear in another, and then in another; afterwards traveling 
back, perhaps to its original seat; the development of inflammation 
in one joint being often accompanied by its rapid subsidence in 
another, this alternation occuring many times during an attack. 

Causes —The predisposing cause is some morbid product in 
the blood, a product probably of unhealthy assimilation. This 
morbid matter with which the blood is loaded constitutes that pre¬ 
disposing cause without which, it is probable, the disease would 
never occur. Hereditary predisposition exists undoubtedly in many 
persons. The suppression of an eruption or rash, as measles, or the 
the sudden stoppage of dysentery, may also act as a predisposing 
cause. 

The exciting causes are exposure to cold and wet, especially 
evaporation from wet or damp clothes, causing chill. This is no 
doubt an explanation why the disease is most common amon^ the 
poorer classes of society, who cannot protect themselves so effect¬ 
ually as their wealthier brethren. The cold probably excites an at¬ 
tack of acute rheumatism, by arresting the secretory functions of 
the skin, by means of which, in health, morbid substances in the 
blood are often removed; now, however, the functions of the skin 
being deranged, unhealthy principles accumulate in the blood, and 
rheumatism results. Mere cold, however, is not so much a cause of 
rheumatism as extreme atmospheric changes. Hence, it is found 
that it does not prevail most in the coldest regions of the globe, but 
rather in those climates, and during those seasons, which are damp 
and changeable. 

Remedies —1. The simple remedy of lemon-juice has pro¬ 
duced some surprising and unexpected cures of rheumatism. Take 
the juice of half a lemon before each meal, and before retiring 
each night. It may be diluted with water before taking, or used in 
the form of strong lemonade, and, at the same time, apply the 
juice twice a day externally. When this method disagrees, either 


ACUTE RHEUMATISM. 


265 


of the two following formulas may be substituted: Lemon-juice 
(strained or filtered) and molasses, equal parts; dose, a tablespoon¬ 
ful three or four times a day. A correspondent of the Medical 
Circular vouches for the relief he has experienced in the liberal use 
of lime or lemon-juice , while laboring under the paroxysms of 
rheumatism. By repeated indulgence in the above simple acid, for 
the space of three days, avoiding all stimulating liquids, the most 
confirmed rheumatism will, he says, relax, and the tone of the mus¬ 
cular and nervous system be restored to its usual character. As 
before stated, there is perhaps no article obtained from the vegeta¬ 
ble kingdom that is more valuable in medicine than the lemon. 

2. In the early stages of this disease, obtain the Jaborandi, 
the fluid-extract of which can be procured, usually, at the drug¬ 
stores. Of this give, to an adult, thirty drops for the first dose. 
After which, give fifteen drops every two hours, until free perspira¬ 
tion is induced. The first dose may be sufficient, but if it is not, 
repeat on each succeeding day, until relief is obtained. This is a 
new remedy, but its use has been attended with good results. 

3. The jimson-weed (> Stramonium ) is an article of great efficacy 
in all rheumatic affections. Prof. John King, of Cincinnati, says: 

u The best application that I have ever used, is the fresh leaves 
of stramonium, bruised, moistened with a little water, and applied 
over the parts, renewing it three or four times a day. In some 
very violent cases in which I have employed this agent, the pain 
has ceased in fifteen minutes from its application, but its use re¬ 
quires to be continued for a considerable time, else the pain will re¬ 
turn. In the absence of the recent leaves, an inspissated juice of 
them may be used.'’ 

4. A standard remedy of many physicians is tincture of 
black cohosh, two tablespoonfuls; tincture of the root of aconite, 
thirty drops. Put these into six tablespoonfuls of simple sirup. 
Pose, a teaspoonful, every three hours. 

5. Pr. J. II. Haley, of San Francisco, says: “Salicin, the ac¬ 
tive principle of the willow, is one of the most valuable remedies 
we have for rheumatism.” Pose, ten-grains three times a day. It 
may be obtained at all drug-stores. 

Accessory Measures — In _ inflammatory . rheumatism 
meat in any form, solid or fluid, is injurious; the patient must be 
put upon preparations of rice, potatoes, bread, arrow-root, gruel, 
vegetable or meatless soups and jellies. 

All fatty substances and stimulants, especially liquors, whether 
cider, malt or spirituous, must positively be avoided. The surface 
of the body should be rubbed once a day with a coarse towel, using 
sufficient friction to cause an agreeable glow of heat, and the patient 
should use moderate exercise without fatigue. 


% 


266 


CHRONIC RHEUMATISM. 


CHRONIC RHEUMATISM (Rheumatismus Longus). 


This sometimes follows the acute form of rheumatism ; at 
other times it is a separate constitutional affection, coming on quite 
independently of any previous attack. It is generally very obsti¬ 
nate, prone to recur and is often worse at night. In time 
the affected limbs lose their power of motion, and lameness 
results, the knee-joint being often affected; sometimes there is 
emaciation of the muscles ; sometimes permanent contraction of a 
limb, or bony stiffness of the joint. There is but little fever, no 
perspiration and less swelling than in acute rheumatism. It may 
be limited to one part of the body, or extend to several; it may be 
fixed, or shifting. 

Remedies —1. Take four tablespoonfuls of kerosene oil, and 
two of neat’s foot oil. Mix, and annoint freely twice a day. At 
each application, warm the parts thoroughly by the fire. As an 
external remedy this is gaining much notoriety, as many cases of 
diseased and swollen limbs have been cured with it in two or three 
weeks, where the patient had been unable to walk for months. 

2. The following remedy has been sent across the conti¬ 
nent several times, to those who were afflicted with rheumatism: 


Take, of 

Oil of cedar. 1 ounce. 

Hartshorn. 1 

Spirits of camphor. 1 “ 

Spirits of turpentine..1 “ 

Tincture of capsicum. 1 “ 

Alcohol. 1 pint. 


Mix. Apply twice a day. If the parts are tender, use a 
feather or camel’s-hair brush. The use of this remedy has been 
attended with almost uniform success in the treatment of chronic 
rheumatism. 

3. There has recently been published as an effectual cure for 
rheumatism the following, and we give it space here: “Take 
garden-celery, cut it into small pieces, and boil in water until soft. 
Of this liquid, let the patient drink freely, three or four times a 
day. It is recommended, at the same time, to use it as an article 
of diet, prepared as follows: Put new milk, with a little flour and 
nutmeg, into a saucepan with the boiled celery, serve it warm with 
pieces of toast, and the painful ailment will soon yield. Such is 
the declaration of a physician who has again and again tried the 
experiment, and with uniform success.” From the many cures per¬ 
formed by the use of celery, a preparation of it designated Celerina 
is made, and on sale at all first-class drug stores, being prescribed 
by the best physicians. 

4. A French author gives the following, as one of the best 
remedies used in the hospitals of Paris: “One ounce of powdered 
gum-guaiac; one ounce, each, of poke-root and black cohosh, and 








t 


CHRONIC RHEUMATISM. 267 

• 

one quart of old rye-whisky. Mix, and let stand two or three days. 
Dose, one tablespoonful three times a day.” The berries of the poke- 
root are likewise highly recommended in chronic rheumatism. 
They are to be steeped in whisky. Dose, one tablespoonful of the 
liquid, three times a day. 

Electricity ancl Magnetism —These are agencies of great 
value, in the treatment of this, as well as many other chronic dis- 
diseases. It is generally the best plan to begin with currents of the 
weakest power, and gradually increase their strength, so long as the 
applications cause no pain. 

• This treatment may likewise be used in connection with the 

tj 

above general plan of medication. 

Accessory Treatment —Patients who are much afflicted 
with this complaint should, if possible, reside in a warm, dry cli¬ 
mate. At any rate, such patients should wear flannel or other warm 
clothing, and guard against atmospheric changes. The feet should 
be protected from cold and damp. Wet compresses, covered with 
dry flannel, over the affected joints, are always useful. Sometimes 
warm baths, especially of salt-water, vapor or hot air, are most 
useful. 

Exercise should be taken daily, but never carried to fatigue, 
and the diet should be light and nutritious, avoiding acids, fats and 
liquors. 

Great advantage is to be derived from the local treatment of 
the joints. When they are swollen and painful, much ease may be 
given by wrapping them up in a quantity of soft, carded cotton or 
wool, over which wrap, if you can get it, a piece of oiled silk, so as 
to keep it air-tight. After keeping this covering on for twelve or 
twenty-four hours, you will find that it is saturated with moisture 
that is strongly acid. If this treatment is continued, it will give 
great relief. It is also serviceable in gout, which is a twin sister of 
rheumatism. 

Crick in the Neck, or Stiff Neck —This is one form of 
rheumatism and should be treated the same as that disease. 

Sciatica —When rheumatism attacks the sheath of the sciatic 
nerve, or great nerve of the hip, it is called Sciatica. 

Lumbago —When it attacks the sheaths of the fleshy mass 
of the lumbar muscles, on one or both sides of the loins, it is called 
Lumbago. 

The treatment for sciatica and lumbago is generally about the 
same as that for chronic rheumatism. 

Remedies —1. Iodide of potash in ten grain doses three 
times a day will cure bad cases of sciatica. 

2. Lumbago of a virulent form has been permanently cured 
by giving one drop of the spirit of Venice-turpentine, on a lump 
of loaf-sugar twice a day. 

3. Black cohosh is a very speedy and generally an effective 


268 


RUPTURE. 


• 4 , 

remedy for the cure of Lumbago. Dose, a teaspoonful of the in¬ 
fusion every four hours. 

Accessory Treatment —Liniments medicated with the 
same remedy as administered internally, or even simple olive oil, 
rubbed into the affected parts, are very useful. The friction should 
be performed in a warm room, and currents of air guarded against. 
A wet compress, simple or medicated, greatly assists the cure. In 
this and other varieties of muscular rheumatism, rest and warmth 
are of great importance. The application of the common flat-iron, 
as hot as can be borne, with flannel between the skin and iron, is 
very valuable. In lumbago, nothing is so instantaneously beneficial 
as strapping the back from the level of the “ seat ” upwards, «in 
layers that overlap each other, with strips of adhesive plaster, or 
warm plaster. A pad of flannel or of unbleached cotton 
wrapped across the loins, next the skin, is very comforting. Where 
persons are very liable to lumbago, from slight exposure to cold or 
damp, wearing a skein of silk around the waist is an excellent pre¬ 
ventive. Generous, nutritive diet is desirable. Lemon-juice is a 
grateful and remedial beverage. 

For Contracted Joints —1. A very peculiar remedy has 
been used with good success in this difficulty. It is the angle-worm 
or fish-worm oil, prepared in the following manner: A quantity of 
the worms should be placed in a bottle, closely corked, and hung in 
the sun. The heat will melt the worms and convert them into an oil. 
It is said to be very penetrating, powerful and effective, in causing 
the relaxation of contracted muscles. It may be applied once or 
twice a day. 

2. Another simple remedy for lameness, resulting in a con¬ 
traction of the muscles of any part, is thus described by a late En- 
glish surgeon: 

“ Take the yolk of a fresh egg, and let it be beaten with a 
spoon to its greatest thinness; then add water by spoonfuls, agitat¬ 
ing the mixture continually, that the egg and water may be well 
incorporated. The liquor may be applied cold, or only milk-warm, 
to the parts contracted, by a gentle friction for a few minutes, three 
or four times a day. This remedy has been repeatedly tried by 
different practitioners, and with good success.” 


RUPTURE. 

This is an unnatural protrusion of some portion of the contents 
of the abdomen, generally dependent upon a laxity of the parts. It 
is produced in children by crying, coughing, vomiting and other 
like causes; and in grown persons, by blows, violent exertions of 
strength, strains, etc. It has been observed that ruptures were most 
frequent among inhabitants of those countries where oil is much 
used as an article of diet. 



RUPTURE. 


269 


A rupture is a kind of sack or tumor, protruding from tlie 
abdomen, in various situations, but most usually in the groin, 
• scrotum, the upper and fore-part of the thigh, the navel, and at 
various points on the surface of the abdomen. 

Ruptures sometimes prove fatal before the cause of the diffi¬ 
culty .is known. Therefore, whenever sickness at the stomach, 
vomiting, obstinate pain and costiveness of the bowels give reason 
to suspect a rupture, all those places where they usually appear 
should be carefully examined; as, by neglecting this inquiry, the 
case may become incurable, or the individual may even die before 
the cause of the difficulty shall become known. 

When, through neglect of precaution, the bowel “conies 
down,” and will not return, the rupture is said to be “ strangulated.” 

Remedies —1. The patient may be put into a warm bath 
up to his neck, and kept there until he feels very faint; he may 
then attempt, according to his own usual method, to put the rupture 
up, by pressing it gently, if it be in the groin, or by lifting it up, if 
in the purse, and gently squeezing it toward the abdomen, but no 
violence must be used, or the intestine will burst. 

No time should be lost in trying to push the tumor back into 
the abdomen, gentle force being exerted chiefly upwards and out¬ 
wards, as the patient lies with the hips raised, and the thigh on the 
ruptured side flexed. A copious injection of tepid water, the 
author has known to be successful in cases .which assumed a serious 
aspect, the escape of water from the bowel being rapidly followed 
by return of the rupture. Rut if not successful, the patient should 
then be laid on a board, so placed as to form a steep, inclined plane, 
so that the patient’s feet and hips are very much higher than his 
head; he should be firmly held in this posture by an assistant, 
when, by pressure on the swelling, and often without any, the 
bowels will fall towards the chest, drawing with them the con¬ 
stricted portion. 

Some surgeons have of late strongly recommended attempting 
reduction of a rupture by reversing the position of the body; in 
other words, by holding the patient head downward or nearly so, 
and while in this position the intestine can easily be put back. A 
gurgling sound will be the signal of success. 

2. When the above means fail, a poultice of slippery elm is* 
frequently effectual in reducing the inflammation. It should be 
applied tepid, and frequently changed. 

3. Or, the following, which is considered preferable; a poul¬ 
tice, made of lobelia and stramonium-leaves, equal parts of each, 
or of either one of these, if the other cannot be obtained, may be 
applied to the inflamed rupture, and frequently changed, so that it 
shall be constantly warm. After this has been employed for a 
sufficient length of time, the attempt gnay again be .made to reduce 
the hernia, proceeding in the manner that has previously been ad¬ 
vised. 


270 


RICKETS-SPIN A L C U R V ATURE. 


4. Should all these endeavors -prove ineffectual, injections of 
the smoke of tobacco should he used. This has been often known 
to succeed where every other method failed. 

After returning the hernia, a truss should be employed, the 
pad of which should be of an oval shape, to exert a sufficient 
amount of pressure to prevent a subsequent protrusion. A truss 
should he worn constantly during the day-time, and applied before 
rising from bed. The skin of the part on which it presses should 
be washed daily, and for the first few weeks, bathed with cologne- 
water, or spirit-and-water, to prevent excoriation and the formation 
of boils. 

If the rupture resist the measures just recommended, the best 
surgeon within reach should be immediately sent for, as an opera¬ 
tion may be necessary to save the life of the patient. 

5. The constant application of a solution of alum in a strong 
decoction of oak-bark—two drachms to a pint—has been recom¬ 
mended by some surgeons for the radical cure of rupture in the 
groin. It is applied by means of soft linen, which should be wet¬ 
ted as soon as it becomes dry. The compress should, for some time, 
be kept on the part, by a bandage, or truss with easy springs. 

Accessory Measures —Persons who have a rupture ought 
carefully to avoid all violent exercise, carrying great weights, leap¬ 
ing, running and the like. They should likewise avoid windy 
aliment and strong liquors, and should carefully guard against 
catching cold. 

Those who can afford it, should have two trusses of the same 
size and strength, so that if one gets out of order the other may 
take its place while it is being repaired; for an hour’s absence of the 
truss might occasion a mischief which it would require months to 
repair. 

Persons having rupture must be very careful to keep them¬ 
selves free from costiveness; for straining at stool is highly in¬ 
jurious. 

Ruptured Navel of Infants —Should there be any signs 
of a protrusion, at birth or soon after, a circular piece of cork 
should be applied, somewhat convex on both sides, covered with 
soft leather, and secured by a moderately tight-fitting bandage 
.around the abdomen. A flat piece of sheet-lead or ivory, protected 
with soft leather, with the convex surface over the aperture, may 
be substituted for the cork. If the pad slips off the part, it should 
be secured by cross-pieces of adhesive plaster. If the pad is nicely 
applied, and continued for one or two months, a radical cure may 
be expected. 


RICKETS—SPINAL CURVATURE. 

Causes —These are to be found in the bad hygienic conditions 
productive of so many of the diseases of childhood; especially 



RICKETS-SPINAL CURVATURE. 


271 


close,^ old, damp rooms, overcrowding, want of cleanliness and 
insufficient supply of good food. The ill health of the mother 
during gestation, particularly if she suffered from leucorrhea, is a 
frequent cause. Prolonged nursing, when the milk becomes thin 
and watery, is another prominent cause of the malady. 

In the following passage, Dr. Jenner shows how improper food 
and physic produce rickets: 

“ For the first two or three days after birth, their tender 
stomachs are deranged by brown sugar and butter, castor-oil, gruel 
and starch-water; as soon as the mother’s milk flows, they are, 
when awake, kept constantly at the breast. And well for them if 
they are not again and again castor-oiled, and even treated with 
mercurials. 

“After the first month, bread and water, sweetened with brown 
sugar, are given several times a day, and during the night the child 
is, when not too soundly asleep, constantly at the breast. As soon 
as the little ill-used creature can sit erect on its mother’s arm, it has 
at parents’ meal-times ‘ a little of what they have ’—meat, potatoes, 
herring, fried liver, bacon, pork, and even cheese daily, cakes, raw 
fruits, and trash of the most unwholesome quality, as special treats, 
or provocatives to eat, when its stomach rejects its ordinary diet. 
Then instead of being weaned when from ten to twelve months old, 
the child is kept at the breast when the milk is worse than useless, 
to the injury of the mother’s health, and to the damage of its after 
brothers and sisters, in the hopes that thus keeping it at the breast 
may retard the next pregnancy. The children are sacrificed that 
the passions of the parents may not be restrained.” 

Symptoms —When a child reaches the tenth month without 
any appearance of a tooth, or if at eighteen months old he is unable 
to walk, rickets may be strongly suspected. The most noticeable 
symptom of this disease is profuse perspiration of the head, neck, 
and upper portion of the trunk immediately the child falls asleep, 
the perspiration standing upon the forehead in beads, or making 
the pillow w£t. The patient desires to lie cool, and kicks off the 
bed-clothes, both in summer and winter. The child is late in 
walking, the bones of the legs are curved, and the joint-ends 
enlarged, especially of the wrists and ankles. The head becomes 
flat and more square than natural, and the little patient desires to 
lie still and be undisturbed by playthings or company. The appe¬ 
tite is often voracious, and the food passes rapidly, and almost 
unchanged, through the intestinal track; there is much straining, 
and the stools are of variable consistency and extremely offensive. 
The flesh wastes away, and there is much muscular weakness; the 
child is drowsy in the day time, but restless and uneasy in the 
night. 

In severe cases, not merely the leg-bones, but also the spine 
becomes curved, and the pelvis loses its proper shape; the face is 
small and triangular, the chin being small, out of all proportion 


272 


RICKETS—SPINAL CURVATURES. 


with the forehead, the teeth project and fall out, or soon decay, and 
the first and second teeth are generally delayed. The chest also 
becomes narrow and prominent, and the abdomen large and disten¬ 
ded. 

Remedies —1. The herb called buck-horn brake ( Osmunda 
Regalis) is said to be almost a certain cure for the rickets, especially 
when employed in the beginning of the complaint. One root, 
infused in one and a half pints of hot water, for half an hour, will 
convert the whole into almost a thick jelly. The dose of this, is a 
wineglassful, to be repeated three times a day. It maybe sweeten¬ 
ed, and flavored with a little cinnamon or nutmeg. The root of 
this herb should be gathered in the latter part of the summer, 
though it can generally be found at the drug stores. 

2. Among the professional remedies employed in the treat¬ 
ment of this disease, perhaps there is none more effective and 
popular than the following: Take half a teaspoonful of sirup of 
the hypophosphites three times a day, for three weeks, then substi¬ 
tute for it the hypo phosphite of lime, in two-grain doses, in sweet¬ 
ened water, for two weeks, then omit this and return to the sirup, 
and so continue alternating. Both these articles can be procured 
at any drug-store. 

For ultimate success, in the cure of rickets, too much impor- 
ance cannot be attached to the measures given under the head of 
“ Accessory Treatment, ” for success will depend, to a great extent, 
upon a compliance with them. 

Accessory Treatment —Country air, dry and bracing; 
abundance of sunlight, and out-of-door exercise. These wonder¬ 
fully promote the cure, by imparting tone to the digestive organs, 
energy to the nervous system, and, in short, invigorating the whole 
constitution. Patients not able to walk should sit or recline in the 
open air, warmly clad, during portions of the day; this will aid 
recovery far more than passing the chief part of the day in the 
confined air of a sick-room. Well-ventilated rooms and strict 
cleanliness are also necessary. Further, tepid or cold bathing, 
every morning, especially in salt-water, followed by friction down 
the back for five or ten minutes. In the evening, the friction 
should be repeated. 

Diet —Nourishing food, which should be well masticated, is 
of great importance. It should include milk, meat, animal broths, 
brown bread, etc. Malt or barley-food is especially suitable for 
rickety children. If finely ground, the ’ sediment from the husk 
need not be removed from the prepared food, as it is very nutri¬ 
tious, and rich in bone-forming materials. Boil four tablespoon¬ 
fuls of ground malt in a pint of water for ten minutes. Pour off 
the liquid, and add an equal quantity of new milk. This food is 
very agreeable to children and highly nutritious. 

If mechanical support be necessary for curvatures of the 
lower limbs, simple, straight, wooden splints, kept in place by a 


RINGWORM—SHINGLES. 


273 


good bandage, are the best. But weakly children should be first 
treated by the administration of cod-liver oil, and other remedies 
we have prescribed, and splints applied when the child’s condition 
is improved, should they still appear necessary. As just stated, 
cod-liver oil is an important remedy, but it should only be given in 
small doses, ten to twenty drops at first, and the quantity gradually 
increased to a teaspoonful. Small pieces of ice put into each dose 
render the oil almost tasteless. During its administration the 
evacuations should be examined, for the appearance and odor of 
the oil in them are signs that the quantity should be reduced. In 
the employment of cod-liver oil, none but a pure article should be 
used. 


RINGWORM. 

When the disease exists on the head, the hair is dry, shriveled 
and brittle. But it is most easily detected by the presence of short, 
broken-off hairs, which appear as if they had been nibbled close to 
the scalp. In fact, these patches of stubble are the readiest sign by 
which to determine when the disease is cured. If the hair is 
growing naturally and free from scurf, where the disease existed, it 
may be presumed that there is no further danger of contagion; but 
so long as there are the short, broken-off hairs, there is room for 
doubt about the cure. Where the disease exists on the body, it has 
the appearance of red, scurfy, circular patches. 

Remedies —1. Oastor-oil seldom fails to effectually cure 
ringworm, when the parts are anointed with it twice a day. 

2. Take a small quantity of tobacco, and, after boiling it well, 
add to the liquor a small quantity of vinegar and strong lye, and 
wash the eruption with this, two or three times a day. It will 
never fail to cure. 

3. Other remedies that are efficacious are often employed; 
such as washing the head every morning with soap and water; 
make a solution of soda and vinegar, by adding a teaspoonful of 
the former to a teacupful of the latter, and apply every night. Or, 
use thoroughly applications of borax and water. 

Accessories —Strict cleanliness of person; friction; an 
occasional tepid bath; if the skin become irritable it may be 
occasionally washed in bran-water—a handful of bran in a quart of 
water. 

To prevent contagion, the affected person should be kept apart 
from all others; the towels, brushes, etc., should on no account be 
used by any one else. __ 

SHINGLES (Herpes Zoster). 

Symptoms. —Sickness and headache sometimes precede an 
attack; but, in most cases, the earliest symptoms are heat, itching 
and tingling on some parts of the body, and the person is found to 
.18 




274 


SLEEPLESSNESS. 


be covered with small red patches of irregular shape, near together, 
upon each of which are seen numerous pimples. These enlarge in 
the course of twenty-four hours to the size of small pearls, are per¬ 
fectly transparent, and tilled with a clear liquid. 

The clusters of pimples are of various sizes, from one to three 
inches in diameter, and surrounded by a narrow red ring. Other 
clusters come in three or four days, if the disease is not checked, and 
extend around the body or over the shoulder. 

As the patches subside, the blisters partially run together, and 
change to a blackish color, terminating in thin, dark scabs. These 
fall off in about twelve or fourteen days, the skin where they were 
appears red and tender, and the largest of the scabs leave pits 
behind. 

Remedies. —1. But little treatment is necessary in most 
cases. The patient should be bathed daily, and the foot-bath 
should be used when there are feverish symptoms. If the bow¬ 
els are costive, give an injection of warm water or a gentle ca¬ 
thartic. Should there be much irritation at the point of eruption 
or pimples, dust it with scorched flour or wet it with sweet cream. 
In ordinary cases no other remedy will be required. 

2. In severe or aggravated cases, the following treatment will 
be necessary, in order to effect a cure. Give freely, a tea of bur¬ 
dock and sassafras, or either when the other cannot be had. And 
for the external treatment, the crusts or scabs should first be re¬ 
moved by soaking with vaseline or cosmoline, and then washing 
with soap and warm water, or poulticing if this does not answer. 
"When they are all off, cover the part with a cloth wet with tar-water 
made by stewing a teacupful of tar in a quart of boiling water. 

3. The yerba reuma has recently been discovered to be 
an infallible remedy in this disease, the most obstinate cases readily 
yielding to its treatment. The fluid extract, or a strong decoction 
of the herb, is to be applied to the parts twice a day. 


SLEEPLESSNESS. 

Apart from disease sleeplessness may arise from an overloaded 
stomach, over-excitement or cold feet. 

Treatment. —How to sleep is to many persons a matter of 
high importance. Nervous persons, who are troubled with wake¬ 
fulness, usually have a strong tendency of blood to the brain, with 
cold extremities. Let such rise and chafe the body and extremi¬ 
ties with a brush or towel, or rub smartly with the hands to promote 
circulation and withdraw the excessive amount of blood from the 
brain, and they will sleep in a few moments. A shower-bath or a 
sponge-bath and rubbing, or a rapid walk in the open air, or, it is 
said, going up and down stairs a few times just before retiring, will 
aid in equalizing circulation and promoting sleep. 



SLEEPLESSNESS. 


275 


AYhere there is no disease, either of body or mind, to which the 
want of sleep can he imputed, the person should keep himself in as 
cheerful a mood as possible, and should, if his strength permits, rise 
early and exercise so as to fatigue himself moderately. Studious 
men ought to avoid late readings, and on going to bed endeavor to 
abstract the mind from all business. In some cases of restlessness, 
sleep may be procured by the person getting up and walking about 
the room for a few minutes. By such means sleep is sometimes 
induced when previously it has been solicited in vain. 

In protracted cases of wakefulness, the patient should be made 
to fully understand the danger he is in, and to lend his entire con¬ 
currence to the efforts for his relief. Mental labor should be given 
up; overwork of any kind must be abandoned; forget all cares, and 
borrow no annoyances; and all articles liable to keep up the trouble 
must be forbidden, such as tobacco, coffee and tea. 

Remedies. —An admirable remedy for this difficulty is to 
use a pillow stuffed with hops, or one containing a portion of them. 
Sleep with the head toward the north. Instances are common 
where the patient suffers from an empty stomach and a quantity of 
easily digested food will satisfy the craving and promote a sound, 
refreshing slumber. Even in the absence of an empty stomach, eat¬ 
ing a few mouthfuls of food or a cracker will produce sleep. Again, 
cold to the head or hot foot baths, with or without mustard, or a 
warm bath, will relieve the patient promptly. The patient should 
examine his surroundings, as to whether any cause exists, such as 
improper position in bed; the best is always where the head and 
shoulders are above the level. For the relief of this symptom 
except where it is the result of pain, medicines should be employed 
with caution and not continued any length of time. 

An easy mind, a good digestion and sufficient exercise are the 
grand conducives to sound sleep. Never sleep with the head cov¬ 
ered. Children should sleep alone as much as possible, if we 
would have them possess vigorous lungs, sound bodies and sound 
minds. Fat persons should sleep little and exercise much. Too 
much sleep in a warm bed weakens the nerves, disorders the brain, 
produces peevishness, leads to apoplexy, palsy, excites palpitations, 
and relaxes the system by over perspiration. Hearty suppers, 
strong tea and coffee also disturb the sleep. 

“The Harbinger of Health ” gives the following: Chronic 
wakefulness may be greatly controlled by eating plentifully of onion 
soup two or three times per week. All sedatives, anodynes and 
somnolent medicines should be taken only with extreme caution 
and discontinued as soon as possible. The loving and harmonious are 
invariably the sweetest sleepers; but the stoutest slumberers are 
they who work much and think little. 

How to go to Sleep. —When a fit of wakefulness comes 
on in the night, a medical journal gives the subjoined good ad¬ 
vice: “ Sit in an easy position, relaxing all the muscles of the body, 



276 


STAMMERING OR STUTTERING. 


and let the head drop forward upon the breast as low as it will fall 
without forcing it. Sit quietly this way for a few minutes and for¬ 
get to think, if possible, thus freeing ali the will-power of the body, 
when a restful, drowsy feeling will ensue, which will if not dis¬ 
turbed lead to a refreshing sleep. The writer suffered several years 
from sleeplessness caused by severe pain and nervousness, and was 
taught the above by a physician of great experience and ability, and 
found through it complete relief. Many persons similarly afflicted 
within the writer’s knowledge have tried it, and always with good 
results. 

Bad Dreams —Do not gratify your appetite with too many 
kinds of food, especially near bed time. When a child, you were 
injured by affectionate expressions from friends and family in the 
shape of candy, raisins, nuts and rich cake. These are germ-gen¬ 
erating “ evil spirits” that now beset you in your dreams. Sleep 
with your head toward the North Pole hereafter, and always go to 
sleep on your right side, and as a rule eat or drink nothing after 
seven o’clock p. m. 


STAMMERING OR STUTTERING. 

Many theories have been proposed regarding the nature of this 
impediment, and the fair inference seems to be that it may arise 
from a variety of causes. In many cases it is undoubtedly the re¬ 
sult of imitation; in others, again, there appears to be some defect 
from birth, often so obscure as to defy scrutiny. Whatever excites 
the emotions, as in anger, or other sudden passion, increases the 
difficulty. 

A very important remedial means, upon which too much stress 
cannot be laid, is to study carefully the mechanism of the articula¬ 
tion of the different letters, and to practice their pronunciation 
repeatedly, when alone, and cultivate the habit of talking or reading 
aloud to yourself, slowly and analytically. The patient should com¬ 
mence by practicing such sentences as contain but a few difficult sounds, 
and from these pass on progressively to such as are more and more 
difficult. It may be well in these exercises for the patient to have a 
judicious friend or guide, who should aim to so direct him that he 
will continually increase in confidence in his own power of articu¬ 
lation; and this is best done by gradually leading him from that 
which he finds and knows he can do to that which he fears he can¬ 
not. Mr. Jourdant, a French writer, gives the following directions: 
“ The chief difficulty experienced by the stammerer consists in de¬ 
taining the air in the chest, and in allowing it to escape only very 
slowly and gradually. To effect this object the following rules are 
to be carefully observed: First of all, to make a healthy inspira¬ 
tion, as in the healthy case; then to make a very slight pause; then 
to begin to talk, taking especial care to keep the chest and lungs 



SMALL POX. 


277 


continually somewhat dilated and the abdomen slightly protruded, 
giving out all the while as little air from the chest as possible; and, 
lastly, before re-commencing the same series of movements, to expel 
the air that remains behind by a powerful expiration. It requires 
some practice by the patient, and careful observance to their order, 
but if these simple rules are strictly attended to, it will be found 
that no stammering can take place, even if the person tries to do 
so.” 

The following are other excellent means of relieving imperfec¬ 
tions of speech: When there is no malformation of the organs of 
speech, let the person read aloud for one or two hours; and let him 
persevere in this course for at least three or four months, unless he 
iias overcome the defect in less time, or: 

Take a little piece of hard wood, just large enough to hold the 
teeth from a quarter to half an inch apart. Ilold it firmly between 
the teeth, and read or speak slowly, for a few minutes at a time. 
Do this several times a day, and continue the practice for some 
length of time Sometimes speak in a loud full voice, and again al¬ 
most or quite in a whisper. 

Another is simply to practice reading aloud a short time, each 
day, and at the same time, after the pronunciation of each word, to 
tap the book with the finger. 

The individual should not confine himself to any one of these 
methods, but practice the different ones, at different times, and by 
their use he will be able to overcome this embarrassing difficulty. 


SMALL POX (Variola). 

This disease is too well known to need a particular descrip¬ 
tion. It is always caused or communicated by contagion; that is, 
caught from others who have it. 

About twelve days usually intervene, between the exposure and 
the commencement of the disease. Sometimes the attack ma) be 
two or three days earlier or later. There are two forms of small 
pox: The confluent, where the pocks are so thick as to run together, 
and the distinct, where they are separate, then we have varioloid, or, 
small pox modified by vaccination or constitutional predisposition. 
Exposure to varioloid may give rise to either varioloid or small pox, 
and exposure to small pox may cause either confluent or distinct 
small pox, or varioloid; all depending on the susceptibility of the in¬ 
dividual exposed. 

Symptoms —As in most other fevers, the following symp¬ 
toms appear in the first stage: Chilliness, heat, headache, some¬ 
times delirium; a thickly furred, white tongue; a deep flush upon 
the face; a hard, frequent pulse; a feeling of bruised pain all over 
the body, but especially in the back and loins; more or less pain or 



278 


SMALL POX. 


tenderness at the pit of the stomach, and vomiting. The pain in 
the back and loins and the vomiting are the most characteristic of 
the premonitory symptoms, and are seldom absent. \V hen these 
are excessive and continuous, they are the forerunners of a severe 
form of the disease. On the third or fourth day the eruption, often 
so minute as to escape observation, appear in the form of red spots, 
or small hard pimples, which feel like shot in the skin. It appears 
first on the face, neck and wrists, then on the body, and finally on 
the lower extremities. If examined early, the eruption may be seen 
upon the palate, and is often formed on the lining membrane of the 
wind-pipe, giving rise to sore throat, salivation, cough, painful expec¬ 
toration and hoarseness. The pimples gradually increase in size until 
about the eighth day from the commencement of the fever; the con¬ 
tents, at first watery and transparent, change to yellowish matter as 
the pimples become ripened into pustules. The pustules are then 
depressed in the center, and surrounded for a short distance by a 
rose-red appearance. During the time the pustules are filling up 
there is swelling of the eyelids and face, sometimes' to such a degree 
as to obliterate the features. A peculiar, disagreeable odor now be¬ 
gins to emanate from the patient, which is so characteristic that the 
disease at this stage might be known by this alone. On the first 
appearance of the eruption the fever subsides; but in the confluent 
form, when it is at its height, a fresh attack sets in, which, to distin¬ 
guish it from the precursory fever, is called the secondary fever. 

Before the eruption, as we have no positive means of 
determining that it is small pox, only inferentially if it is 
prevailing as an epidemic, we should treat it the same as any other 
fever. The patient should not be kept too warm, neither should 
heating remedies be employed to cause determination to the skin. 
If there is much restlessness, sleeplessness and delirium, which al¬ 
ways occurs, during which period a nurse should be constantly in 
immediate attendance to guard the patient against imprudence and 
harm, the head may be sponged and feet bathed in hot water. 

If such course is pursued, few severe confluent cases will be met 
with. All heating and irritant applications to the skin, and internal 
remedies calculated to produce determination to the surface, will in¬ 
crease the eruption and aggravate the disease. 

If there is sickness at the stomach, there is nothing better to 
allay it, perhaps, than frequent sips of warm spearmint or pepper¬ 
mint tea, with a little saleratus dissolved in it. 

When the eruption makes its appearance, continue the same 
treatment. The sponge-bath, twice daily, should be used, and con¬ 
tinued until maturation is complete; castile soap and warm water 
are the best that can be used. Those who have never adopted this 
plan would be surprised to see the influence that is exerted upon 
the system by keeping the skin thoroughly cleansed. To prevent 
the eyes from becoming injured by the disease, they should be fre¬ 
quently washed with rose water, or mucilage of slipperv-elm, more 


SMALL POX. 


279 


especially when the fluid from the pustules flows into them. And 
the nostrils may be kept free by passing a well-oiled camel’s hair 
pencil into them several times a day not forgetting to keep the room 
somewhat darkened. 

Remedies —The following is published by the Academy of 
Medicine, of Paris, and is pronounced a never-failing cure for 
this disease. Hundreds of cases have already been successfully 
treated with it, and no failures yet reported. It is so prompt that 
within twelve hours after its use has been commenced the disease 
will have abated, and the patient be convalescent: 


Take, of 

Sulphate of zinc.1 grain. 

Fox-glo ve (Digit a Us) .1 ‘ ‘ 

Sugar.i teaspoonful. 


Mix with two tablespoonfuls of water, after which add four ounces 
(eight tablespoonfuls) of w T ater, and take a tablespoonful every hour. 
For a child, smaller doses, according to age. See “Table of Doses 
for Children.” 

2. A remedy that is reputed to have been used with great suc¬ 
cess during a London epidemic, and also has the merit of simplicity, 
is as follows: Dissolve one ounce of cream of tartar in a pint of 
boiling water. Of this, when cold give half a gill, for the first dose, 
to an adult. After this is taken, divide the remaining quantity into 
such doses as, taken three times a day, the whole will last three 
days. It has restored hundreds of cases, leaving no pit-marks and 
no blindness, as is sometimes the case when otherwise treated. It 
can be taken at any time, being preventive as well as curative. 

3. A remedy, now in use in some parts of Europe, and also 
in China, and said to be the most successful one employed in those 
countries and perfectly effectual, is to apply to the chest an oint¬ 
ment made by combining tartar-emetic and croton-oil with lard. 
This application should be made when the fever is at its height and 
just before the eruption appears. This causes the whole of the 
eruption to appear on this part of the body, and thus relieves the 
internal organs and the face, on which there will be no pitting. 

4. A few years since, the herb called the Indian cup or 
pitcher-plant (Sarracenia Purpura ), was much praised for its sup¬ 
posed remarkable powers in small pox. But its subsequent use is 
said not to have met with the great success that had been claimed 
by its sanguine advocates. 

The root of the plant is the part employed. The dose, when 
reduced to powder, is about a dessertspoonful, simmered in a pint of 
water down to half a pint; this is usually divided into two doses, to 
be taken during the day. Sugar should not he used with it. 

Accessory Treatment —The patient should be kept cool 
and the sheets and linen frequently changed, ample provision being 
made both for the uninterrupted admission of fresh air and the free 
escape of tainted air. The had ventilation of a small room, too high 





280 


SMALL POX. 


a temperature and hot cordials interrupt the tendency to recovery. 
In cold weather a tire should be kept burning in the apartment and 
the patient have an extra blanket, but the windows kept open. If 
the weather is mild, the patient is better treated entirely in the open 
air. If, at any time, the eruption should recede or “strike in,” put 
the patient in a warm, bath. 

Dr. A. Collie, Resident Medical Officer of the Homerton Hos¬ 
pital writes: “Nothing is of so much importance as pure air, and 
that in unlimited quantities. In this hospital we have kept our 
windows open constantly, by night and by day, throughout the 
months of February, March, April, etc.; and this has been attended 
with the very best results; for our mortality is the lowest of all the 
small-pox hospitals in London, and we were receiving our patients 
from the same sources, and some time before this epidemic reached 
its height.” 

During the entire course of the disease, especially when the 
skin becomes hot, painful or irritable, the whole surface may be 
sponged with warm water, to which a spoonful of perfumed 
carbolic acid has been added, and well dried with a soft towel. This 
generally affords great relief. The use of perfumed carbolic acid, 
in the above manner, and the infusion of its vapor in the air of the 
apartment tend to mitigate small-pox and to deprive it of its con¬ 
tagious character. Frequently changing the posture of the patient 
in bed, so as to avoid constant pressure on the back, prevents bed¬ 
sores. After the pustules burst, powdered starch or flour should be 
freely applied, to absorb the matter. Cleanliness, frequent 
tepid washings, and an occasional warm bath, are especially neces¬ 
sary during the last stage of the disease. , 

To prevent pitting, the pustules should be frequently anointed 
with olive-oil, cold cream, or a mixture of one-third of glycerine 
with two-thirds of water. A still better mixture is one of cream 
and flour, in such proportions as will make a thick paste. This 
should be freely smeared over the face and neck, and renewed when 
necessary. By this means the action of light on the pustules or 
blisters which, so to speak, photographs them on the skin, may be 
jDrevented as well as the consequent pitting; at the same time we 
allay the irritation which accompanies the state of maturation. The 
hands of children should be muffled and lightly secured, to prevent 
scratching, which might lead to ulceration. Adults may wear loose 
gloves. This precaution is especially necessary while the patient is 
asleep, and acts unconsciously. 

Diet —Tea and dry toast, raw eggs beaten up with cold milk, 
beef-tea, etc.; grapes, roasted apples and wholesome ripe fruits in 
season. For drink, cold water is generally preferred, and any objec¬ 
tion to it by nurses or friends should be firmly resisted; in addition, 
milk diluted with about one-third or one-half soda-water, lemonade, 
raspberry-vinegar water, currant jelly water, and barley-water. 

Disinfection —The only absolutely safe method to adopt with 


SIMPLE SORE THROAT. 


281 


infected clothing and bedding is to burn them. If this be objected 
to, they should be either baked or boiled at a temperature of 212°. 
Rooms should be disinfected by fumigating with burning sulphur, 
with all apertures closed, and remaining closed one day and night;it is 
even safe to repeat once. The walls should then be divested of their 
paper or color or white-wash; the floor thoroughly scrubbed and 
washed over with a solution of lime or zinc; walls and ceilings well 
limewashed; and afterwards, the doors and windows kept open for 
several days. 

Varioloid —This is a form of small pox, modified by the 
vaccination. It is to be treated the same as a case of genuine small¬ 
pox, only that the treatment should be graduated according to the 
mildness or severity of the symptoms. Sometimes the disease is 
very mild, requiring scarcely any treatment; at other times it ap¬ 
proaches very nearly to a genuine case of small pox, and requires a 
full course of treatment. If the bowels are constipated the best 
relief is obtained by dissolving a teaspoonful of cream of tartar in 
a glass of water, and giving it occasionally. 


SIMPLE SORE THROAT (Dolor Faucium). 

This is a soreness of the throat alone, uncomplicated by ulcer¬ 
ation, quinsy or syphilis. 

Cause —Catarrh; the sore throat being a simple extension 
of the catarrhal affection. This disease should not be neglected, as 
it is apt, in some persons, to degenerate into a troublesome form. 

Remedies —1. To a small handful of the leaves of the com¬ 
mon sage, pour a pint of boiling water; let the infusion stand half 
an hour. Add vinegar enough to make it moderately acid, and 
honey to the taste. Use it as a gargle several times a day. This seldom 
fails to cure the disease. 

2. In some forms of sore throat, a gargle of strong soda-water 
is a certain cure. It is to be used freely. In others, there is no 
better remedy than lemon-juice. At the time of gargling the 
throat, swallow a small portion. 

3. Powdered borax or sage, mixed with honey, is an excellent 
remedy for inside sores of the mouths of children. If a little of the 
mixture be dissolved in warm water, it will form when cold an ef¬ 
ficacious gargle for an ulcerated sore throat. 

4. As an external remedy for curing sore throat, camphor- 
gum, combined with kerosene-oil, is a famous one. The gum is to 
be dissolved in the oil, and then applied several times during the 
day. 

o. The inhalation of steam, by placing the head over a vessel 
of boiling water, gives great relief. When the swelling is great, 
apply a poultice of hops or flax seed. 



282 


SPINAL DISEASE. 


6. In case of an ordinary sore throat, when no other remedy 
is at hand, use a gargle of salt and water, with a little vinegar, and 
it will be found to produce a very salutary effect. When the palate 
is relaxed and the throat ulcerated, gargle with strong alum-water. 

7. In children that cannot be made to gargle, a good plan is 
to blow finely pulverized alum or borax into the throat, through a 
quill or a folded paper or a tube of any kind. 

8. Loss of voice may require the application of electricity, or 
blistering of the back of the neck. Singers and others find great 
relief by allowing a piece of borax to dissolve slowly in the mouth, 
swallowing the solution as it forms. 

9. Common table tea, gargled frequently and as hot as pos¬ 
sible, is a very successful remedy in mild cases. 

10. A gargle of cayenne pepper tea can be relied upon to 
cure any case of recent sore throat. 

Accessory Treatment —Frequent draughts of cold water, 
and the application of the throat compress. Steaming the throat 
as directed in the 5th remedy above is soothing, and often curative, 
but it should be done at bed-time, when the patient has not again 
to be exposed to external air. 


SPINAL DISEASE. 

Causes —The most powerful and frequent predisposing cause 
is hereditary tendency, especially when hysteria, epilepsy or insanity 
exists in the family. What is termed a nervous constitution under¬ 
lies nearly every case of spinal disease. Impoverished blood, sex¬ 
ual derangements, sterility and absence or non-exercise of the ma¬ 
ternal instincts are also predisposing causes. Neglect of physical 
exercises, sexual excesses, self abuse, are powerful and prominent 
factors of this affection. In short, everything that tends to exhaust 
vital power, and consequently produces a nervous condition, must be 
accounted a cause. The exciting causes are, shock or grief; injury 
to the spine, as by railway accidents, blow T s, falls, etc. To the lat¬ 
ter, men are, of course, equally liable; but the nervous system of 
women is more impressible, so that the immediate shock is more 
severely felt, and its consequences are more likely to be deep and 
lasting. For a like reason, various kinds of rough exercise that 
keep the spinal muscles on the stretch—jumping, traveling over 
rough roads, horseback exercise, bicycle riding, etc., may act as 
powerful exciting causes. 

Symptoms —The initiatory are, generally, headache, limited 
to one spot or to one side, or to the brow or cheek, with sleepless¬ 
ness, distressing dreams or nightmare, nausea or vomiting, cold 
hands and feet, and alternate chills and flushes. All the symptoms 
are intensified by exertion, bodily or mental, and the patient evinces 



SPINAL DISEASE. 


283 


an almost constant desire to lie down. The symptoms differ ac¬ 
cording to the part affected, the most characteristic one being loca- 
tenderness. 

Spinal Irritation and Other Diseases —Spinal ierita- 
tion may simulate or co-exist with hysteria; but to the skilled ob¬ 
server there are distinguishing features. In hysteria the soles of 
the feet and the skin generally are commonly insensible to tick¬ 
ling; in spinal disease, on the contrary, irritability is intensified. 
Patients do not complain of such extreme depression of 
strength as in hysteria, but are chiefly weak when in pain. This 
affection may be distinguished from actual disease of the spine by 
observing that the tenderness, though excessive, is superficial, and 
the patient complains more when Sie skin is touched than when 
the vertebrae are pressed. There is also the absence of impaired 
nutrition, wasting, and other signs of constitutional disturbance. 

Further, in diseases of the spinal cord, as a rule, the spine is 
not tender to pressure; whereas, in spinal irritation such tenderness 
is perhaps the most marked symptom. The personal and family 
history, and the cause of the derangement, will aid in distinguish¬ 
ing the disease. 

Preparatory Treatment. —The patient should give up 
sewing, writing, or any other occupation which has caused this 
trouble; also avoid sitting, except in a strictly erect position so that 
the weight of the head may be sustained by the bones of the spine, 
and not by the ligaments and muscles. Traveling, walking in the 
open air, as far as the strength will admit, or some active, useful 
employment which shall invigorate the general system, is indispen- 
sible. The patient had better spend most of the time in reclining 
or lying down, so as to relax the spine when he is not taking active 
exercise. 

If already confined to the bed, he must be exercised in the hor¬ 
izontal position until able to take active exercise. An attendant 
should repeatedly bend and extend the fingers, then the wrists, arms 
and shoulders in every possible direction. The feet and legs should 
be exercised in a similar way, allowing the patient to rest at inter¬ 
vals, if he become fatigued. Then place one hand on each side of 
the body, a few inches below the arms, and shake it gently from 
side to side. Next, turn the head in every possible direction so as 
to exercise the muscles of the neck; and finally strike gently with 
the open hand over the chest, abdomen and back, but very lightly, 
if at all over the tender part. Go over the entire body in this way 
at least once in twenty-four hours, continuing the exercise a little 
longer every day, and as soon as the patient feels able, let him resist 
slightly at first the various motions given him by the assistant. He 
will soon be able to ride out, and at last to walk out and take exer¬ 
cise for himself. Remove all blinds and curtains from the windows 
during the day, and have the room if possible on the south side of 
the house, so that the sun can shine into it freely. The more sun- 


284 


SALT RHEUM, OR TETTER. 


light and fresh air, the earlier will be the recovery. He should have 
nourishing diet, but no tea, coffee or stimulants. 

Remedies —1. A measure which is of incalculable import¬ 
ance in spinal deformity, is to carry a weight on the head for half 
an hour at a time and several times a day. The weight compels the 
person instinctively to assume a position as nearly perpendicular as 
possible. 

2. The electro-magnetic battery is often highly successful, 
when applied in connection with the other measures here given. 

3. When the disease is the result of an injury, add five drops 
of the tincture of arnica to a tumbler full of water, well mixed, and 
of this give two teaspoonfuls morning and evening. At the same 
time put twenty drops of the tincture into half a pint of water, and 
use it as an external application three times a day, over the tender 
parts of the spine. 

4. The whole surface may be bathed daily with salt and water; 
especially should the entire length of the spine be thoroughly and 
repeatedly rubbed, and indeed, in all other cases where the bones are 
affected. 

5. A wet compress over the tender spot will also afford relief. 
Sometimes a belladonna-plaster gives much comfort. 

For unmarried females, after the severe symptoms have been 
modified by treatment, it is of supreme importance that some agree¬ 
able and light occupation, undertaken in a business-like way, should 
be provided. 


SALT-RHEUM, OR TETTER. 

This is a troublesome inveterate eruption, appearing on differ¬ 
ent parts of the body, usually the hands. Yery small eruptions or 
vesicles appear, which break and discharge a thin, corrosive fluid, 
that causes a very great degree of irritation, or itching; afterward 
scabs often form upon the part affected, which, though they be 
rubbed off or dry away, will reappear after a while. 

It is attended with more or less inflammation and swelling, and 
such is the degree of itching sometimes attending it that the pa¬ 
tient is obliged to scratch continually to obtain the least relief. The 
whole hands or parts occasionally become excoriated, stiff and al¬ 
most immovable. It seems to be located principally underneath 
the skin; although from its disappearing in one part and then ap¬ 
pearing in another, it is evident that the disease is located in the 
blood. 

Remedies — 1 . This is a disease of which many suffer for 
years, notwithstanding there are simple remedies that will effect¬ 
ually and speedily cure it One of these is petroleum. This is the 
crude substance from which kerosene-oil is manufactured. Apply 



STY ON THE EYELID. 


285 


it three times a day, and at the same time take a decoction, of equal 
parts of burdock and sarsaparilla. Dose, a wineglassful twice a day. 

2. Green walnuts is another remedy which is said to be an 
almost certain cure, when perseveringly used. They are prepared 
for use by slicing them and then adding sufficient of equal parts of 
alcohol and water to cover them. After standing for a w r eek or ten 
days, apply to the affected parts twice a day. 

3. Take twenty drops of the fluid extract of Oregon grape- 
root (Berberis aquifolium ), three times a day. At the same time 
a PP^ externally the following preparation: Two teaspoonfuls of 
finely powdered gunpowder, and four tablespoonfuls of vinegar. 
Mix. Apply twice daily. This extract can now be obtained in al¬ 
most any drug-store. This is a new remedy, and has not, as yet, 
been known to fail in the cure of this disease. 

3. Chop down a white-oak tree, hollowing out a basin in the 
stump and filling it with soft water. Washing in this every c. , 
will cure obstinate cases. 

5. Equal parts of castor-oil and lime-water mixed, are among 
the best external applications. 

6. Cosmoline will also be found to be a good remedy. 

7. An old but excellent remedy is to anoint the diseased 
surface with worn grease taken from the shaft of an iron lathe. 

Accessory Treatment —Warm baths; preparations of 
glycerine, if the skin be much cracked, or occasional poultices if it 
be very hard. The application of equal parts of carbolic acid and 
oil often proves most useful. It should be preceded by a warm 
bath. Nourishing diet, frequently including small quantities of 
unboiled vegetables; for growing persons, cod-liver oil, absolutely 
pure. Patients who have been overtaxed in mind or body should 
have rest and change. The daily habit of bathing or sponging 
should be adopted, and will, to a large extent, prevent relapses. 
Warm or tepid soft-water baths, with the use of pure soap, at bed¬ 
time, softens the scales, and promotes the healthy functions of the 
skin. Free out-of-door exercise is also most useful. Frequent 
washing in tar-water is a valuable addition to any of the foregoing 
rules. 


STY ON THE EYELID. 

This is a small boil, situated on the eyelid. 

Remedies —1. On the first appearance of it, put two tea¬ 
spoonfuls of black tea in a small sack, moisten with hot water, bind 
it on the eye while warm, and retain it there over night. If ap¬ 
plied in time, one application is sufficient to remove the sty. Some¬ 
times the second or third application may be necessary. If the tea 
is moistened with warm water two or three times during the night, 
it will have better effect. 



286 


SALIVATION AND MERCURIAL DISEASE. 


2. A very good method, and often very effective in the be¬ 
ginning of a sty, is to moisten it in the morning, on awaking, with 
a little spittle, and repeat it several times during the day. If the 
above is found insufficient, use the tincture of belladonna ; ten drops 
in two tablespoonfuls of soft-water. Mix well, and apply to the 
sty, with lint or a piece of soft linen cloth. 

3. The following is also highly recommended for this affec¬ 
tion : Put about two teaspoonfuls of common baking soda into a 
small sack; moisten it slightly, and apply it during the night. 

4. If styes should follow one another in succession, make a 
strong tea of burdock-seeds or ground century-plant and take a 
tablespoonful three or four times a day. 

Accessory Treatment —Fomentations with hot water, and 
if there is much inflammation, a bread-and-water poultice, applied 
over it at night. If the sty is tedious in breaking, it may be 
opened with a lancet or punctured with a needle, and the matter 
gently pressed out. If dependent on general debility, a strict 
observance of the laws of health is necessary to restore the consti¬ 
tutional vigor. 


SALIVATION AND MERCURIAL DISEASE. 

The symptoms of this disease are too well known to need 
description. I may remark, however, that among many others, 
there are soreness of the gums and mouth, looseness of the teeth, 
swelling and sometimes protrusion and inflammation of the tongue, 
constant and profuse discharge of saliva or spittle, wasting, etc. If 
those who give this poison and create this disease are not woful 
quacks, then we do not understand the meaning of the term 
“ quackery.” 

Remedies —1. Two parts of sulphur to one part of cream 
of tartar, mixed in a little molasses, so as to form it into a paste. 
Half a teaspoonful of this should be taken two or three times a day, 
or sufficient to operate slightly on the bowels. Sulphur should be 
used freely in the mouth, so that it may come in contact with the 
parts affected. In addition to this, if there is ulceration of the 
gums or mouth, sprinkle occasionally a little powdered red chalk 
on and into the sores. 

2. Take, of 

Alum. 1 teaspoonful. 

Brandy. 4 tablespoonfuls. 

Water. 1 teacupful. 

Mix, and wash the mouth with this every three or four hours. This 

is a valuable cooling and healing gargle. 

3. A strong decoction of golden seal is a remedy that is 
hi Mil v recom men d ed. 

O */ 






SALIVATION AND MERCURIAL DISEASE. 


287 


4. Sage-tea sweetened with honey is also very useful, and 
should be employed for the same purpose, when the others are not 
at hand. 

5. The greatest suffering is experienced in taking cold after 
its use; when this happens, let perspiration be promoted. When 
mercurial rheumatism is produced, and the joints are stiff, an in¬ 
fusion of burdock seed is very good. A little sulphur may be mixed 
with Venice-turpentine, spread upon linen, and laid upon the parts 
affected; after which, let a strengthening plaster be applied; but it 
is exceedingly difficult to remove the consequences attending such 
lamentable mal-practice. 

6. The following course of treatment is recommended by Dr. 
H. Howard: “When w T e have reason to suspect that an individual 
is suffering from the evil effects of mercury retained in the system, 
we should resort to steaming in the most thorough manner. Noth- 
ing but the highest heat which can be borne will be sufficient to 
drive this dangerous substance from the body. In general, the 
same taste will be experienced in the mouth while undergoing a 
process for expelling mercury, that occurred when the system was 
first under its influence; and in some instances salivation has 
ensued, and even purging. The face often becomes swelled whilst 
in the vapor-bath, to relieve which, the patient should cover his head 
so as to admit the hot steam to his face, and keep it exposed to the 
vapor as long as he can bear it; which process must be repeated 
until the swelling is gone. Or, after the steaming, when the patient 
is in bed, take a hot stone or brick, not hot enough to burn, then 
wrap it up in a cloth wet with vinegar and water, with a dry one 
outside, and place it near the face, covering the head and inhaling 
the steam as hot as it can be borne. The steaming should he often 
repeated, the patient at the same time taking freely of cayenne, and 
a bitter tonic, made very warm, with it. Take frequently during 
the day. If costiveness prevail, the bitter-root or yellow sarsa¬ 
parilla-root must be added to the bitter tonic. Sarsaparilla may 
also be used as a common drink.” 

A good means of taking a vapor-bath may be found under the 
head of “ Spirit-Yapor Bath.” 

7. An infusion of the bark of sumach-root is said, by Dr. 
Fahnestock, to be almost a specific for mercurial salivation. 

8. The following are each good washes for this affection: A 
strong infusion of golden seal, common green tea, or wash the 
mouth with sulphur-water. 

Accessory Treatment —The patient, under any of these 
treatments, should live on a good, nourishing diet, and take gentle 
exercise in the open air when the weather is dry; but, by all means, 
avoid any sudden and violent exertions of strength, as fatal conse¬ 
quences have been known to result from such causes. 


288 


SCURVY. 


SCURVY (Stomacace). 

This disease prevails chiefly in cold, northern countries; 
especially in low, damp situations, near large marshes or great 
quantities of stagnant water. Sedentary people of a dull, melan¬ 
choly disposition, are most subject to it. It proves often fatal to 
sailors on long voyages, particularly in ships that are not properly 
ventilated, and have many people on board, or where cleanliness is 
neglected. 

Causes —The scurvy is occasioned by cold, moist air; by the 
long continued use of salted or smoke-dried provisions, or of any 
kind of food that is hard of digestion and affords little nourish¬ 
ment. It may also proceed from the suppression of customary 
evacuations, as the menses, the hemorrhoidal flux, etc. It is some¬ 
times owing to a hereditary taint, in w T hich case a very small cause 
will excite the latent disorder. Grief, fear and other depressing 
passions, have a great tendency both to excite and aggravate this 
disease. It may likewise proceed from neglect of cleanliness, bad 
clothing, the want of proper exercise, confined air and unwhole¬ 
some food. 

Symjytoms —It may be known by unusual weariness, heavi¬ 
ness and difficulty of breathing, especially after motion; rottenness 
of the gums, which are apt to bleed on the slightest touch; a dis¬ 
agreeable breath; frequent bleeding at the nose; cracking of the 
joints; difficulty in walking; sometimes a swelling and sometimes 
a falling away of the flesh of the legs, on which there are livid, yellow 
or violet-colored spots; the face is generally of a pale or leaden color. 
As the disease advances, other symptoms come; as decayed teeth, foul, 
obstinate ulcers, pains in various parts, especially about the breast, 
dry, scaly eruptions all over the body, etc. At last, a wasting or 
hectic fever comes on and the miserable patient is often carried off 
by dysentery, diarrhea, dropsy, palsy or mortification of the 
bowels. 

In the treatment of scurvy very little medicine is required, 
except for overcoming the urgent symptoms. A proper change of 
diet is the best curative measure that can be adopted. 

Remedies — 1 . Should there be obstinate constipation, some 
cream of tartar may be taken; or a dose of castor-oil may be given 
in some lemon-juice or a w T eak solution of citric acid. If diarrhea 
be present, an infusion of blackberry-root, or geranium should be 
given. 

2. In cases of land scurvy, a milk diet has often been used 
with good effect. This preparation of nature being a mixture of 
animal and vegetable properties, is of all others the most 
fit for restoring a decayed constitution. The most proper drink in 
the scurvy is whey or buttermilk; when these cannot be had, good 
cider or spruce-beer may be used. A decoction of the tops of the 
spruce-fir is likewise good; it may be drunk in the quantity of a 


SCURVY. 


289 


j.int twice a day; tar-water may be used for tlie same purpose, or a 
decoction of any of the mild, mucilaginous vegetables, as sarsapar¬ 
illa, marshmallow-roots, etc. Infusion of the hitter plants, as tansy 
or century, is likewise beneficial. 

. . °* Obstinate and foul ulcers should he washed with lemon- 
juice, and dressed with a poultice of yeast, or yeast and elm-bark. 
A poultice of cranberries will be found excellent. 

4. If the skin become affected with Spots, scabs or scales, 
wash the whole surface once a day with a water made acid with 
vinegar or a little muriatic acid. 

5. For spongy gums, apply a solution of alum. 

6.. The plant called the narrow dock is excellent for scurvy. 
There is no doubt that this article possesses, in a high degree, the 
power of curing this disease. If the fresh roots can be procured, 
a small handful of them may be sliced up and steeped in a quart of 
water, of which the patient may drink from a fourth to a half 
teacupful four times a day; and if the dried root is used, one 
teaspoonful of the powder may be steeped in half a teacupful of 
hot water, and taken as a dose four times a day. 

i . The common burdock has also been advantageously used in 
cases of scurvy, and if the narrow dock cannot be procured, this 
might be substituted for it. The medicinal powers of the smooth 
or broad-leaf dock, which so nearly resembles the narrow kind, is 
said by some to be fully equal to the latter, in the cure of diseases 
of the skin, for which it is so celebrated; and in the absence of the 
narrow’, the broad-leaved dock may be used instead. 

8. Perhaps the best curative agent, in this disease, is the juice of 
the lemon. Take a tablespoonful, three times a day. When the 
lemons cannot be obtained, the oil or the sirup of lemons may be 
substituted in their place. 

Accessory Treatment - If there is reason to believe that 
the disease proceeds from a sedentary life or depressing passions, as 
grief, fear, etc., the patient must daily take as much exercise in the 
open air as he can bear. When the scurvy has been brought on by 
a long use of salted provisions, the proper medicine is a diet consis¬ 
ting chiefly of fresh vegetables of all kinds. Over and above all, 
experience classes onions in any form as the most salutary; the use 
of these, with milk, herbs, fresh bread and fresh beer or .cider, wall 
seldom fail to remove scurvy of this kind, if taken before it is too 
far advanced; but, to have this effect, they must be persisted in for 
a considerable time. When fresh vegetables* cannot be obtained, 
pickled or preserved ones may be used; and where these are want¬ 
ing, recourse must be had to vegetable acids. All the patient’s 
food and drink, in this case, should be sharpened with cream 
of tartar, vinegar or muriatic acid. These things, however, will 
more certainly prevent than cure the scurvy, for w T hich reason sea¬ 
faring people* especially on long voyages, ought to lay in plenty of 
them. 


39 


290 


ST. VITUS’S DANCE. 

The patient should be cautioned against any sudden movement 
or exertion, as these have frequently been followed by immediate 
death; but as strength returns, moderate exercise will prove of 
advantage. 


ST. VITUS’S DAXCE (Chorea.) 

This disease is characterized by convulsive movements of the 
limbs, occasioning ludicruous gesticulations, and arising from invol¬ 
untary action of the muscles. It has been wittily termed “ In¬ 
sanity of the voluntary muscles .” 

Causes —Fright, irritation from teething or worms, self-pol- 
lution, deranged uterine functions, hysteria and descent from 
nervous, hysterical women. A frequent cause is “ contagion of the 
eye ”—that is, patients seeing others suffering from the disease are 
liable to contract it. Thus stammering and stuttering, local mani¬ 
festations of St. Vitus’s Dance, are frequently the result of seeing 
or imitating others having the same defect. 

General Measures —The most important part of the treat¬ 
ment consists in the use of moral influences, especially when the 
disease does not occur from any appreciable cause. There must be 
removal from too sympathizing friends; the patient being placed 
under the care of a kind but firm guardian. He must be encour¬ 
aged to exercise his will in the control of the muscles; if the hands 
be affected, he should be required to carry crockery or other fragile 
articles; or if the lower limbs, to walk on short stilts, etc.; if the 
muscles of speech be implicated, inducing stammering or stuttering, 
the best way is for a person to humble himself to the infant state, 
and be taught anew the use of language from those ingenious 
instructors who teach the deaf and dumb, and systematically learn 
to shape slowly and deliberately his mouth into the form requisite 
for definite enunciation. By practicing thus at leisure, and before 
a looking-glass, he may gain great control over the articulating 
muscles. Nor must he be allowed to associate with others simi¬ 
larly affected, nor should his disease be enlarged upon in his 
presence; his attention should rather be diverted from it as much 
as possible. 

Dr. Benedict declares that out of twenty cases treated by him 
with the constant galvanic current, not one has failed to recover. 

When the constitution is feeble, the best hygienic measures 
must be adopted. Forcible control of the muscles only aggravates 
the disease. 

Remedies —1 . The following infusion is a specific in this 
disease: Take of scullcap (>Scutellaria Lateriflora ), one ounce; 
boiling water, one quart; strain, and sweeten with loaf-sugar. Let 
the patient drink freely of this through the day; alternately with a 
tea made of lady’s slipper, when it can be obtained. 



PUTRID SORE THROAT. 


291 


2. If the foregoing remedy cannot be readily got, then obtain 
at the drug-stores or gather a quantity of the herb known as the 
Fever-Few ( Pyrethrum Parthenium ), and make a strong infusion 
of it. Take a teacupful, twice a day, and you will find it effec¬ 
tive. 

3. Tincture of black cohosh is reputed to cure without fail. 
Dose, twenty drops three times a day. 

4:. Another good remedy is to take fifteen or twenty drops of 
spirits of turpentine on a lump of sugar night and morning. A 
light dose of castor oil should be taken after this. 

Accessory Treatment —All causes of irritation must be 
carefully avoided, and the patient should take suitable out-door ex- 
exercise, be furnished with pleasant company and something to 
occupy the mind. In some cases the disease results from sexual 
excitation and onanism. This should be looked into, and if reason¬ 
able evidence exists, means should be employed to stop it. 

The body must be bathed every day, with friction in drying. 
The diet must be nourishing and of easy digestion, avoiding all fats 
and sour things. If a child, it should be taken from school and 
not excited in any other way. When worms are suspected to be 
the cause of the disease, they must be removed; or any other cause, 
when known, must first be cured before attempting any other treat¬ 
ment. 


PUTRID SORE THROAT (Cynanche Maligna). 

This disease generally affects the glands of the throat, while 
the common quinsy affects the mucous membrane. In the putrid 
sore throat there are also cankers, sores and idcers in the throat, to¬ 
gether with great debility of the system. In the inflammatory sore 
throat, there is always great difficulty of swallowing; whereas, in 
the other, these symptoms are not present. 

Causes —The cause of this disease is specific contagion; it is 
often communicated by infection; when it is not, it most generally 
arises from cold, in habits predisposed to the disease. Whatever 
tends to produce putrid or malignant fevers may occasion the pu¬ 
trid, ulcerous sore throat; as neglect of cleanliness, unwholesome air, 
damaged provisions, etc. 

Symptoms —Some consider this disease the same as 
scarlet fever; but, although very similar, there is in some respects 
a marked difference. The symptoms of this complaint are chills, 
fever, stiffness of the neck, soreness and inflammation of the throat. 
Ash-colored spots appear upon the inflamed parts, which produce 
deep ulcerations. The breathing and speaking are attended with a 
peculiar noise and hoarseness. It is ushered in with sickness, vom¬ 
iting, looseness and great anxiety. The pulse in general is small, 
quick and fluttering. The countenance is often full and bloated, 



292 


PUTRID SORE THROAT. 


sometimes pale and sunk, and the breath is intolerably offensive. 
The ulcers become livid or black, and sometimes gangrene to a con¬ 
siderable degree takes place. Putrid symptoms now appear, under 
which the patient sometimes sinks in a few days. At the close of 
the disease, hemorrhage from the mouth, nose and other parts takes 
place. 

Remedies —1. Take one half pint of good vinegar and as 
much water, one tablespoonful of salt and one teaspoonful of cay¬ 
enne pepper. Simmer them together for ten minutes, strain and 
give one teaspoonful every hour until favorable symptoms appear; 
after which repeat the dose every two or three hours. When this 
remedy is employed in the first stages of the disease, frequently no 
other will be required. 

2. A plaster, made by melting rosin and adding to it equal 
parts, each, of honey and powdered camphor, spread upon flannel 
and worn around the throat for several days is effective. 

3. Take sumach-berries, or the bark of the root, white-oak 
bark and blackberry-root, of each a handful; make a strong decoc¬ 
tion; add to a pint a lump of alum nearly as large as a walnut, and 
when cool strain and use it as a gargle, and apply it to the ulcers 
frequently. It is an infallible remedy. 

4. When there are putrid symptoms, such as offensive breath, 
pale countenance, livid lips, cold extremities, and sinking of the vital 
energies, give the patient, if an adult, a tablespoonful of yeast, fre¬ 
quently repeated. 

5. Lime-water makes a very efficacious gargle in this difficulty. 
It should be used every one or two hours, prepared as follows: Pour 
upon a quarter of a pound of fresh unslaked lime, two quarts of 
hot water. After standing several hours, carefully pour off the 
clear liquid, without shaking up the lime. 

6. A gargle of wild indigo (.Baptisia tinctoria) is usually 
very prompt in arresting putrid sore throat. It is an herb that 
grows very plentifully in almost all parts of the United States, and 
it may be had at all drug-stores. 

7. A flannel cloth, saturated liberally with kerosene, and worn 
about the throat is an excellent remedy, and often cures on the first 
application. The following is likewise a good remedy: One teaspoon¬ 
ful of saltpetre and one of sugar in a glass of cold water used as a 
gargle every twenty minutes until relief is had, then every hour 
until all symptoms disappear. 

Accessory Treatment —A light and airy room is very im¬ 
portant in this disease. The patient may wash the mouth and gar¬ 
gle the throat with a tea made by pouring boiling water on dried 
apples. 

The diet in all cases of inflamnriation of the throat, must be 
light, consisting of rice-water, arrow-root, thin gruel, soft boiled 
rice or soft toast, if the patient can swallow it without difficulty; to 
which may be added in malignant cases, especially when there is 


SEA-SICKNESS. 


293 


great prostration of strength, milk, thin custard and beef tea; as 
the patient recovers, mutton-broth, and even beef or mutton, if the 
patient can chew and swallow them. The diet must very gradually 
be made more nutritious. 


SEA-SICKNESS (Nausea Marina). 

This affection, though very distressing, is not serious; it is caus¬ 
ed by the motion of the vessel. The seat of the affection is in the 
brain, and the sickness probably arises from a deficient amount of 
blood supplied to that organ. The retching or heaving, and vomit¬ 
ing frequently occur, with intervals of extreme physical prostration; 
a sinking sensation at the pit of the stomach, vertigo or dizziness, 
headache, etc. The symptoms, especially the vertigo, are most se¬ 
vere in the upright posture, and are at once relieved by a strictly 
horizontal one. A full stomach when about to sail is apt to aggra¬ 
vate or cause the sickness. 

Prevention —For several days before embarking, indigesti¬ 
ble food or any irregularity in diet should be avoided. At the same 
time take of bromide of potash ten grain doses three times a day for 
two or three days before sailing. Those medicines are also most effica¬ 
cious which, taken a day or two before going on board, improve the 
digestion. During the early part of the passage, unless the weather 
be very fine, the patient should remain in his berth in a horizontal 
posture, and take chiefly liquid food, beef tea, chicken broth, etc. 
Good draughts of warm water oftener relieve than anything else. 
Warmth to the stomach and feet tends very much to prevent sea¬ 
sickness. Anything to amuse and divert the attention from the 
waving posture is useful. 

The following simple means of preventing sea-sickness seems 
rather incredible, though it comes so well vouched for; we there¬ 
fore give it for what it is worth. The writer says: “A sheet 
of ordinary note paper worn over the stomach, next to the skin will 
prevent sea-sickness. A lady residing in New York, suffering 
from sea-sickness in going down the harbor only, was relieved by 
the above; and ever after, with this little safeguard, found the sail 
pleasurable.” 

Another measure of prevention is to pass a broad belt around 
the body and place within, it,- on the region of the stomach, a pad 
stuffed with wool or horse hair; this, when tightly braced,restrains 
the involuntary motion of the stomach, occasioned by the lurching 
of the vessel. ' During sickness, very weak, cold brandy and water 
will be found the best means of allaying the heat and irritation. 

The following remedies have been used and in most cases pro¬ 
nounced successful, although we rather give preference to the first. 

Remedies —1- The essence of peppermint, particularly after 



294 


SCROFULA, OR KING’S EVIL. 


free vomiting lias occurred. To one teacupful of hot water add a 
teaspoonful of the essence; sweeten, and take a swallow occasion¬ 
ally. If made warm each time, it will probably be more effective. 

2. One or two drops of petroleum on a small lump of sugar, 
repeated every two or three hours. 

3. Champagne or any form of carbonated water is a pleasant 
remedy. 

4. Chloral hydrate in doses of twenty grains is considered 
efficacious. 

5. Fifteen grains of bromide of potash in a half glass of water, 
warm if possible. 

A medical writer gives the following experience and mode of 
treatment, while on board a vessel at sea: “A lady and two daugh¬ 
ters, very ill indeed, attracted my attention. I approached them 
with a suggestion to give relief. It was accepted. Ladies, I said, 
if you will each drink a tumbler full of tepid fresh water, I promise 
you rapid relief. The water was drunk. The stomach very shortly 
responded by ejecting the liquid. No more vomiting occurred. 
A young married couple were victims of sea sickness also. I pro¬ 
posed the same treatment with the same results. I went a little 
further with the gentleman. Shortly after relieving the stomach 
with the warm water, I requested him to take a glass of cold water. 
The effect was maonc. Though we had five hours’ steaming still to 
get through before arriving at Southampton, I had the satisfaction 
of seeing my patients relieved permanently.” 


SCROFULA, OR KING’S EVIL. 

Causes —There can be no doubt that hereditary predisposition 
goes before all others. Want of pure air, unhealthy occupations 
and deficient supply or improper quality of food, may serve as 
causes of this disease. 

Two other potent causes of scrofula have been pointed out by 
Dr. Piddock; they are hereditary predispositions, occasioned by to¬ 
bacco-smoking on the part of the father, and the existence of leucor- 
rheai discharge on that of the mother. To both of these we would 
draw special attention. 

Indulgence in tobacco-smoking, more especially when the habit 
becomes frequent and inveterate, or where it has been acquired 
early in life, is a fruitful cause. The pale, sallow complexion, the 
frequently disordered digestive functions, and the debilitated or 
consumptive frames of many young fathers, in the present day, at¬ 
test the pernicious tendency of the habit in question. 

Symptoms —This disease affects the glands chiefly, and con¬ 
sists of small kernels under the skin of the neck and under the jaw, 
where they remain for a long time, often gathering and breaking. 
The eyelids are often attacked, when they thicken and become in- 



SCROFULA, OR KING’S EVIL. 


295 


flamed, discharging a thick mucus. In children, the glands of the 
neck and chest are the most usual seat of scrofulous disease, though 
it sometimes settles in one of the joints of the hip, producing what 
is known as coxalgia, or hip-disease. In adults the lungs generally 
suffer, and this local affection is called tuberculous consumption. 

Remedies — 1 . The. Oregon grape-root (Berberis Aquifol- 
iuin) is a new, yet a sovereign remedy for this disease. Use the 
fluid extract, which is now kept in almost every drug store, and 
is manufactured by Parke, Davis & Co., at Detroit. Dose, twenty 
drops, twice a day. 

2. Take a handful of walnut-leaves, bruise and steep in a pint 
of water. Strain and sweeten. A grown person should take about 
one-third of this quantity during each day. No visible effect may 
be noticed for two or three weeks, but afterwards the curative ef¬ 
fects will rapidly follow. “ When this remedy is persevered in,” 
says Dr. Negrier, a distinguished French physician, “ it will cer¬ 
tainly effect a cure.” 

3. A preparation obtained from the action of aquafortis on 
copper coin, is exceedingly efficacious in this disease, or a prepara¬ 
tion of acetate of copper. In reference to this remedy, Dr. Ilall 
says: “ A few years ago, a distinguished western millionaire wrote 
of a favorite remedy for scrofulous ulcers, ‘ I have never heard of a 
case where it did not effect a speedy cure, and it can in no case do 
any injury. In several instances where it has been applied to old 
sores, it has also speedily effected perfect cures.’ Put one ounce of 
aquafortis in a bowl or saucer; drop in it two copper cents—it will 
effervesce—leave the cents in; when the effervescence ceases, add 
two ounces of strong vinegar. The fluid will be of a dark-green 
color. It should and will smart. If too severe, put in a little rain¬ 
water. Apply to the sore morning and evening, with a soft brush or 
rag. Before "applying it, wash the sore with water. Its first appli¬ 
cation known to me was a poor girl sent to our city from Memphis 
to have her leg amputated, as it was feared she might not live long 
enough to have it cut off in that hot climate. She was refused ad¬ 
mittance to the poor-house, and was lying on the sidewalk, as she 
could not even stand up. From her knee to her foot one-third of 
the flesh was gone, and all the skin except a strip about two inches 
wide. She was laid on a bed, and the remedy placed on a chair by 
it. She could rise up and apply it. In a few days she declared it 
was getting well. It was supposed it was a relief from the pain 
only, but when examined, fresh flesh was found growing, and skin 
over it. She was soon running about and insisted on working, 
which delayed the entire cure, leaving a small sore, which was, how¬ 
ever, in a few months entirely healed. A young girl with scrofula 
on her neck having a large open hole, and deemed incurable, came 
and in one month after was entirely cured. I have never known a 

case where it did not effect a cure. ’ 

4. When scrofulous tumors have not yet discharged any mat- 


290 


SCROFULA, OR KING S EVIL. 


ter, they should he dispersed, or “ scattered ” by the following 
means: A poultice of yellow dock or burdock-leaves, pounded and 
made into a plaster, with some corn meal and vinegar. Or, a poul¬ 
tice of stramonium, or jimson-leaves and poke leaves, equal parts, 
may be pounded together, and applied over the tumors, changing 
them twice a day. 

5. After ulcers have formed, it is best to heal them as soon as 
possible. For this purpose, wash them two or three times a day 
with castile soapsuds, to which a small quantity of whisky, or two 
or three drops of carbolic acid, has been added, and then apply one 
of the following ointments: 

Take sweet cream, scrape some fresh carrots in it, and beat 
them together; strain off the cream by squeezing it in a coarse 
cloth. 

Take, of sweet-oil and linseed oil, each one ounce, boil them in a 
tin vessel until they will scorch a feather, then gradually sprinkle in 
an ounce of red lead, stirring it all the time. As soon as the mixture 
is black, or dark, remove from the tire, set the vessel in some cold 
water, stirring all the time. When it is nearly cold, add gradually 
half an ounce of finely powdered camphor, stirring the whole to¬ 
gether thoroughly. Apply twice a day. 

6. If the tumors are much inflamed, apply a poultice of bran 
and slippery-elm bark. Linseed-meal and slippery-elm are very good. 
Apply cold, and renew when dry. The poultice is almost sovereign 
when the tumors burst, if it is mixed with the pulverized bark of 
the root of bayberry and a little sweet-oil. First cleanse the tumor 
well with the wash previously mentioned; then apply the poultice. 
The extract of red clover is very good for this purpose. It is made 
by boiling the flowers in water, then strain and reduce it to an ex¬ 
tract by boiling. 

Accessory Treatment —Moderate exercise in the open air is 
essential ; and to carry out this suggestion, the patient should en¬ 
deavor to take exercise with the mind agreeably occupied, rather 
than follow it as an irksome task. Moderate gymnastic exercises 
are beneficial; but profuse perspiration should be avoided. 

The food of scrofulous patients should always be of the most 
nutritious character, light and digestible. Beef, mutton, venison 
and fowls, are the best kinds of animal food; to these should be 
added preparations of eggs and milk, a due quantity of bread, mealy 
potatoes, rice and other farinaceous principles, as more suited to 
this class of patients than succulent and watery vegetables. 

Cod-liver oil as a supplemental article of diet, is an agent pos¬ 
sessing such remarkable and well-known properties for arresting 
general or local emaciation as not to require further recommenda¬ 
tion here. It may be given in almost any case in which a patient 
is losing flesh, in tablespoonful doses, two or three times a day, 
commencing even with a half a tablespoonful, if it be found at first 
to disagree. 


SORE THROAT OF PUBLIC SPEAKERS. 


297 * 


Bathing, both in fresh and salt water, is invaluable, as a 
means of promoting a healthy action of the skin, and of imparting 
tone to the whole system. 

Clothing should be adapted to the season, and should be warm 
without being oppressive. The extremities especially should be 
kept warm. As a general rule, flannel should be worn, but only 
during the day; in winter it affords direct warmth, and in summer 
it tends to neutralize the effects of sudden changes of temperature. 
The linen should be frequently changed, always observing that it is 
put on perfectly dry. 

The patient should constantly bear in mind that in order to ef¬ 
fect a cure, he should take daily exercise in the open air. 


SOKE THROAT OF PUBLIC SPEAKERS—CLERGY¬ 
MEN’S SORE THROAT (Laryngitis). 

Causes —This condition is probably oftenest induced by the 
exercise of the organ of voice (vocal chords) when in an inflamed state. 
An extension of the affection is almost certain to result from exercising 
the voice during an attack of sore throat or hoarseness, as the 
muscles of the wind-pipe lose their nutrition through extension of 
the morbid materials from the inflamed mucous membrane. The 
disease may also result from an immoderate or irregular exercise of 
the voice, or it may follow inflammatory disease of the bronchial 
tubes or lungs, by much exercise of the voice before recovery has 
taken place. It is also occasioned by an unnatural style or tone of 
reading or speaking, as with preachers and military officers. 

The affections designated by the above names, - being of a 
similar nature, and requiring similar treatment, are included in this 
caption. 

Symptoms —The patient first complains of an uneasy sensa¬ 
tion in the upper part of the throat, with a frequent disposition to 
swallow, as if something existed there which could thus be re¬ 
moved. If proper treatment be not adopted, the voice soon under¬ 
goes a change; it becomes feeble and hoarse, and sometimes, espe¬ 
cially towards the evening, there is complete loss of voice. The pa¬ 
tient complains of pain in the upper part of the wind-pipe, and 
makes frequent efforts to clear the throat of phlegm by coughing 
and spitting. On looking into the throat, the parts are found to 
have an unhealthy appearance, being raw and granular, and the mu¬ 
cous glands filled with a yellowish substance; a viscid mucous se¬ 
cretion may also be seen adhering to the palate and adjacent parts. 

Remedies —1. In the milder forms of this disease, the in¬ 
halation of the vapor of vinegar, and frequently gargling the throat 
with a mixture of vinegar, rain water and salt, together with an 
absolute rest of the voice, will be found sufficient to remove all 



298 


SORE THROAT OF PUBLIC SPEAKERS. 


symptoms of the disease. In the winter season, the feet should be 
well warmed, for half an hour or an hour, previous to retiring, and 
this should be repeated every night through cold and changeable 
weather. 

2. In severe cases, take equal parts of oil of turpentine and 
olive-oil. Mix, and apply twice a day. 

3. The active principle of the stone-root {C ollinsonia Cana¬ 
densis)^ called Collinsonin , prepared by druggists, is an efficacious 
agent in this affection. Dose, one or two grains, three times a day. 
This acts very promptly, and is, perhaps, the best in use for this 
difficulty. 

4. The mullein is also a very excellent remedy. The Medi¬ 
cal and Surgical Reporter says: “In that form of disease in 
which there is dryness of the wind-pipe, with a constant desire to 
clear the throat, attended with little expectoration, and considerable 
pain in the part affected, the mullein smoked through a pipe acts 
like a charm and affords instant relief. It seems to act as an ano¬ 
dyne in allaying irritation, while it promotes expectoration, and 
removes that gelatinous mucus which gathers in the wind-pipe, and, 
at the same time, by some unknown power, completely changes the 
nature of the disease, and if persevered in, will produce a radical 
cure.” 

5. When the palate is found elongated, a portion of it may be 
cut off by a surgeon, without any danger, and this should always be 
done to lessen the irritation caused bv it; and should the tonsils be 
enlarged, they should likewise be properly excised by a surgeon. 

Accessory Treatment —The most important is to exercise 
a sore or inflamed or<mn as little as possible. The treatment of an 
inflamed wind-pipe, like that of an inflamed joint, should include 
a state of almost complete rest. As a preventive remedy in the 
case of clergymen, we would strongly urge the general adoption of 
Monday as a day of out-door recreation and cessation from all 
work, and thus compensate for the great mental and physical expen¬ 
diture involved in the discharge of the duties of the earnest minister 
of the gospel on Sunday. 

A throat compress should be applied when the patient retires, 
and he will generally have the satisfaction of finding his throat- 
difficulty much relieved in the morning. In more obstinate cases, 
the compress should be worn in the day-time, re-wetting it as often 
as necessary. When discontinued, the throat and chest should be 
bathed with cold water, followed by drying and friction. However 
often repeated, the compress never relaxes the throat. 

The beard and moustache should be permitted to grow, as they 
afford an excellent protection to the throat, especially in the case 
of barristers, clergymen, public singers and others subjected to the 
undue or irregular exercise of the organ of voice. 


SYPHILIS, OR POX. 


299 


SYPHILIS, OR POX. 

Causes —This disease is most frequently caused by impure 
sexual intercourse; though should either of the parents be affected 
with the disease, the child may inherit it. If a child has syphilitic 
disease of the face, it may communicate it to the nurse. Or, should 
the nurse have syphilitic disease of the nipples, breast or face, the 
child may contract it. It may also be communicated by contact 
with the syphilitic virus in water-closets. 

Symptoms —These are of three kinds or orders. Physicians 
term them primary, secondary and tertiary. The first appears 
within a few days after one has been exposed—say, from two to 
ten—in the form of sores on the sexual organs; and sometimes there 
appears, at the same period or a little later, a swelling in the groin. 
This may form matter, break and discharge, and make a sore, like 
the others very hard to heal. Or, it may pass away without 
breaking, or even heal quickly and kindly, following a gathering 
and discharge. In the female, these sores may be on the outside 
parts, or within the vagina and water-passage, or on the womb. 
These sores are sometimes light and transient; but where they 
indicate the coming on of the secondary stage of the disease, they 
are hard, deep, red, angry and malignant. In people of bad health or 
habits, the sore sloughs and spreads rapidly, and looks dark and 
livid. 

The second stage is indicated by the appearance, on various 
parts of the person, such as the tongue, lips, throat and wind¬ 
pipe, of ulcerous sores, mattering about the roots of the finger¬ 
nails and inflammation of the colored part of the eye. Sometimes 
there are pains, like those of rheumatism. Syphilitic sores are of 
various kinds, and are generally long-continued, of a brassy or 
copperisli color, often scaly, and very likely to poison the surround¬ 
ing flesh, producing tubercles of a brown color surrounded by a 
dark-red circle and likely to pass into offensive ulcers. These 
external appearances are sometimes, however, simulated by other 
diseases. • 

The third stage is simply a more advanced period of the disease, 
attested by the general aggravation of the symptoms. The skin- 
affections seem deeper seated, and the portions of the bones become 
enlarged. They become inflamed, decay and die; especially those 
of the nose, palate and shins. It is generally several years before 
these symptoms appear. When deep-seated pains in the bones 
follow the earlier symptoms we may conclude them syphilitic, and 
that the disease is still going on. 

Primary syphilis is certainly contagious. As to the later stages, 
the authorities differ on this point; though we are inclined to the 
opinion that it is not. But we ought to say that, in order to 
communicate syphilis, it is in general necessary that actual contact 
should take place. During the continuance of the primary symp- 


300 


SYPHILIS, OR POX. 


torus, the disease is liable to. be transmitted to offspring and 
in many cases, the secondary form also. 

Remedies —1. The plant called stillingia , or yaw-root, is 
generally a successful remedy for the cure of this disease. Dose 
of the decoction, from a half to a wineglassful, three times a day; 
of the tincture, one teaspoonful. The compound sirup is a good 
preparation to take, and may be had at any drug-store; the dose of 
this is a teaspoonful, three times a day. 

2. “ For many years past, when an ulcer remains unbroken 
and in pustular form, in which condition it is not acted upon by the 
oxygen of the atmosphere, I have been in the habit of rupturing the 
pimple with a needle, and then at once applying a few drops of 
nitric or muriatic acid. I do not believe that absorption of the 
syphilitic virus, to any dangerous extent, takes place until after the 
exposure of the open ulcer to the atmosphere. In some few cases 
the acid causes pain for a short time, but in most instances the 
pain is slight. I have treated some hundreds of cases in the above 
manner, and have not }^et heard of any return of the disease in 
constitutional form.”— Prof. King. 

3. Ricord, the great French authority on this subject, has 
introduced a new treatment for syphilis with iron. One part of the 
potassio-tartrate of iron is dissolved in six parts of water, and two 

* teaspoonfuls are given three times a day. The same solution is 
applied to the external sore or chancre. This author says that no 
secondary symptoms have been known to occur after this treat¬ 
ment. 

4. Take, of compound sirup of stillingia, two fluid ounces; 
a strong tincture of sheep-laurel, two fluid ounces; strong tincture 
of poke-root, two ounces. Mix. Dose, one teaspoonful, three times 
a day. This remedy has cured many bad cases in from four to six 
weeks, and is the favorite treatment of some eminent physicians. 

5. The black oxide of mercurius will cure recent, uncompli¬ 
cated cases- of this disease when employed in the manner specified 
below. The second decimal attenuation of this medicine is that 
which is employed, and will usually have to be procured at a 
Homoeopathic drug-store. Of this, take one-half a grain, morning 
and evening, either dry, on the tongue, or in a little water. Frequently, 
the first signs of cure are manifest at the end of twenty-four hours, 
and often a radical and permanent cure is effected in seven days, 
and always in from seven to twenty-one days. 

6. The third potency of sulphate of Arsenicum is likewise 
an effective remedy for this disease. Dose, two grains, in acute 
cases, every three hours, in the chronic form, four times a day. In 
the latter case, it should be taken from four to six months. "To be 
had at homoeopathic drug-stores. 

7. A new and highly praised remedy, in the third stage, is 
Succus Alterans. It can be had at most any drug-store. 

In old or chronic forms of syphilis no physician can, or should 


SECOND A IiY SYPHILIS. 


301 


promise a cure in any specified time. In such cases, it may require 
months to eradicate the poison from the system. Persons affected 
with this form of the disease cannot and ought not to expect that 
a speedy cure can be made. On the contrary, much time and pa¬ 
tience of their own, together with proper attention to diet and due 
diligence to avoid exposures—as extremes of heat and cold, damp¬ 
ness, fatigue, etc.—will be necessary. All sexual indulgences are 
strictly to be prohibited, and a rigid temperance in all other things 
absolutely maintained. 

External Treatment for Chancre —The best agents 
for its destruction are the following: 1STitric acid, carbolic acid and 
the tincture of iron. The chancre should be carefully wiped out, 
with dry lint or cotton, until it is well cleaned of the discharge that 
accompanies it. When this is done, take a small piece of wood, 
like a match, and dip it into the remedy to be used (I always prefer 
the nitric acid), and with this carefully but thoroughly touch every 
portion of the chancre, re-dipping the stick several times at each 
treatment, and wiping dry after the application. Now, moisten a 
little cotton or lint with glycerine, and lay it over the chancre as a 
dressing. It should be treated in this way only once a day, for 
four or five days, or until the chancre is destroyed; but the glycer¬ 
ine-dressing should be applied, or changed, two or three times daily. 
If the patient should use the carbolic acid or the tincture of iron, he 
should apply it in precisely the same manner. In case he should 
use the nitric acid, he should always remember to immediately 
wash the ulcer with equal parts of vinegar and water, in order to 
neutralize the acid. 

Bilbo —As soon as a chancre makes its appearance, the groins 
should be carefully watched. If any soreness or swelling takes 
place in that locality, a bubo should at once be suspected. Use, 
immediately,*the following, over the sore or tender spot: Tincture 
of iodine, one ounce; glycerine, half an ounce. Apply twice a day, 
with a camel’s hair brush, or some other convenient implement. 
After this, apply a poke-root poultice, made by roasting the fresh 
root in hot ashes until it becomes soft, then mashing it. If this 
root cannot be had, use a poulti ce of elm-bark and stramonium - 
leaves. Should the bubo continue to increase in size, and pass on 
to suppuration, or, in other words, to form matter, it should be 
opened with the knife, with a free incision, and injected, once a 
day, with castile-soapsuds and spirits, followed by an injection of 
the tincture of the muriate of iron. 


SECONDARY SYPHILIS. 

Remedies —1. In this disease, a remedy has recently been 
introduced to the medical profession, the use of which has been 
attended with excellent success. It is the Oregon grape-root (Ber- 



302 


SPERMATORRHEA. 


beris Aqutfolium). Tlie fluid extract of this root can be procured 
at the drug stores. Take, of this, one tablespoonful; four of simple 
sirup; and as much water. Mix. The dose is one tablespoonful, 
morning and evening. Some practitioners consider it advisable to 
combine iodide of potash with this remedy. In this case, four 
grains may be added to the whole of the above preparation, and 
taken as before. 

2. The plant, called the turkey or squirrel-corn (Corydalis 
Formosa ), is regarded by Eclectic physicians as very nearly a 
specific for the cure of syphilis. Asa blood purifier, in this dis¬ 
ease, it is unsurpassed. Dose of the tincture, one teaspoonful; of the 
extract, which is a fine powder, from one-half to a grain, three 
times a day, until cured. 

3. Take one pint of the sirup of sarsaparilla, two fluid ounces 
of the strong tincture of poke-root, and one drachm of iodide of 
potash. Mix. Of this, take one teaspoonful, three times a day. 
This is popular with the “ New-School” physicians; yet it may re¬ 
quire weeks, and even months, to effect a cure, as it usually does in 
this form of the disease. 

4. In secondary syphilis, Prof. E. M. Hale, author of “ New 
Remedies,” has used the pleurisy-root (Asclepias Tuberosa ) suc¬ 
cessfully. Dose of the tincture, thirty drops to a teaspoonful, three 
times a day. It is a harmless drug. 

Syphilitic Rheumatism —This is rheumatism of the long 
and flat bones, between the joints. The remedy for this is ten or 
fifteen grains of the iodide of potassium, three times a day, until 
the symptoms have disappeared, and to be taken again should they 
return. It is believed that this will cure where cure is possible. 

Strict compliance with the rules given in the following para¬ 
graph, should be followed in all cases of syphilis: 

Accessory Treatment —The diet of the patient should 
be nutritious and easy of digestion, avoiding acids, all greasy food, 
alcoholic drinks and much exercise. Exposures to cold must be 
carefully avoided. Persons free from syphilis should not sleep in 
the same bed with those who have it; and, both in gonorrhea and 
syphilis, patients should be particular not to get any matter upon 
the fingers or towels, lest it come in contact with the eyes and oc¬ 
casion loss of sight. 


SPERMATORRHEA. 

Spermatorrhea is a disease characterized by involuntary dis¬ 
charges of seminal fluid. This may occur either with or without 
pleasurable sensations. Impotency is an accompaniment, or more 
perfectly speaking the sequence of spermatorrhea. These discharges 
may occur in the day time or only at night. 

Causes —The causes of spermatorrhea are masturbation, sex- 



IMPOTENCE. 


303 


ual excess, mental emotion, nervous prostration, or diseases of the 
sexual organs. 

Symptoms —The symptoms are very plain; the seminal 
fluid is passed in an involuntary emission at night, more fre¬ 
quently than it should be. After this is continued for a certain 
length of time the emission may come in the daytime or upon any 
emotional excitement of the genital organs; later the semen often 
comes away while water is being made, and while at stool, although 
this is not uncommon when straining at stool, even in perfect 
health. Impotency, as has been before said, is an accompaniment 
of spermatorrhea although not always. 

Treatment —The milder cases will often, when the cause is 
removed, recover themselves. Proper attention to diet and the state 
of the bowels should be given, and a system of cold sponge baths 
in the region of the loins will do a great deal to assist nature. An 
injection of cold water will stimulate the parts and bring them 
back to their normal state. Sleep in a hard bed, and in exercising do 
not ride horseback or a bicycle. The use of electricity is often of 
great benefit. Internally, an ounce three times a day, of a decoc¬ 
tion of black cohosh, in which there has been added twenty grains 
of bromide of potash, will usually cure this affection. We again 
repeat the caution heretofore given. Be especially prudent in re¬ 
gard to diet, eat common, easily digested food, but little meat; no 
condiments, pastries, pies, cakes, or highly seasoned food; arise 
early in the morning, keep the bowels free, eat fruit in the forenoon 
freely, sleep regularly, avoid excitement and everything in its 
nature calculated to arouse or awaken sexual thoughts or desires. 


IMPOTENCE. 

By sexual impotency is understood an impossibility or diffi¬ 
culty in the accomplishment of the act of copulation. Impotency 
indicates the existence of some malformation, disease, or derange¬ 
ment of the sexual organs. A man may be impotent without being 
sterile and sterile without being impotent. The common cause of 
impotence is a lack of power in the erectile organ. This may arise 
from several causes. Sexual abuse, excessive venery, nervousness, 
or disease of the nervous system and debility of nerve force; it 
may be general or local. Malformation of the parts can only be 
remedied by the surgeon, therefore we deal simply with the lack of 
power. When this arises as a result of sexual or mental excite¬ 
ment which may be only of a temporary nature, it may be left 
entirely alone, be capable of recovery, but it strikes the note of 
alarm that the organism is too weak to bear exhaustive strains, and 
he who cares for his future will heed the warning and restrain his 
indulgences within prudent bounds. 



304 


CEREBRO SPINAL MENINGITIS. 


-Remedies —1. A successful one is the application of elec¬ 
tricity directly to the part; and a most scrupulous prudence 
against excesses of whatsoever kind; no tobacco, no stimulants; 
plain food, fresh air, and wholesome exercise. If the cause is 
excessive sexual abuse, or mental anxiety, and the use of a battery 
cannot be obtained, the first thing to be done is to tone the organs, 
the nervous and the muscular system, and remove the cause of ex¬ 
citement. Salt water sponge baths of the weakened organs is 
among and one of the best methods of procedure. Put a handful 
of salt into a quart of cold water and sponge the hips and loins at 
night and morning, then rub dry with a very rough towel. This 
must be continued for at least a month and longer if necessary. 
Nutritious food like eggs, oysters and raw meats must be eaten. 

2. Take one-half a teacupful of the infusion of unicorn root 
(Helonias Farinosa ), two or three times a day. If the powder be 
used take twenty or thirty grains. This will soon relieve the inac¬ 
tivity, and give the usual tone, vigor and healthy action. When 
the organs are healthy, and it is desired to arouse their activity at 
any time, use vanilla, the same that is employed to flavor sirups, ice¬ 
cream, etc. It is thought, by some, that the infusion is the prefer¬ 
able preparation. It is prepared by taking one-half ounce of the 
powdered bean to one pint of boiling water, in doses of two or 
three tablespoonfuls, three times a day. 

3. The concrete, resinous juice of hemp, called churrus, which 
is found in drug-stores, it is said, will increase the sexual pas¬ 
sions. But it is so weak as generally to require ten to twenty 
grains to affect the system. The dose, of the good article, is half a 
grain to a grain. In large doses, it produces delirium. It is nar¬ 
cotic, and may be used in place of opium. 

4. The following is a new remedy: It is the damiana ( Turn - 
evict, Afrodisiaca). Dose, of the fluid extract, one-half to one tea¬ 
spoonful. Of the solid extract, from three to six grains. Of the 
sugar-coated pills, one to two pills. Many cases of total or partial 
impotence have been cured by the use of this drug, where the usual 
remedies have given no relief. 

Thoroughly bathe the private parts in very cold water, at night 
on retiring, and also in the morning on rising. The bathing should 
be repeated in this manner until the impotency is removed and the 
natural use of the organ can be secured. Sometimes this will be 
accomplished within forty-eight hours. But if necessary it should 
be persevered in for weeks or months. 


CEREBRO SPINAL MENINGITIS (Spotted Fever). 

Epidemics of cerebro spinal meningitis occur at all seasons, 
but by far the greatest number in cold weather. All classes and 



CEREBRO SPINAL MENINGITIS. 


305 


ages are subject to it, but it is most likely to attack those between 
ten and eighteen years of age. Its strongest predisposing cause is 
malaria, overcrowding, bad ventilation, insufficient, or improper 
food, sudden severe colds, dampness, or other bad hygienic condi¬ 
tions, mental excitement, excessive brain work, or bodily fatigue; 
exposure to excessive cold or heat, or constitutional tendency, are 
all predisposing causes. It is not a contagious disease. 

Symptoms —The symptoms vary in different epidemics. 
In some, the invasion is abrupt; the patient apparently in perfect 
health is suddenly seized with a chill, directly followed by a loss of 
consciousness, becoming comatose, and dying in a few hours. In 
others, a feeling of lassitude, dull headache, pain in the joints and 
muscles, and sometimes nausea and vomiting precede its develop¬ 
ment. Again, the patients complain of pain in the back of the 
head and neck, extending down the back; they have no chills, but 
after twenty-four hours a febrile excitement is developed;, from 
this they pass rapidly into the acute symptoms of the disease. The 
advent of this is marked by a distinct chill, intense headache, pain 
in the back and upper part of the spine, nausea, vomiting, a rise in 
temperature and rapid pulse. The chill may last an hour or more, 
but usually is of short duration. The skin is cool and dry in the 
early stage. Headache in most cases is a prominent and agoniz¬ 
ing symptom and the pain even in a condition of coma causes the 
patient to groan. Vertigo is a frequent attendant upon this trouble, 
and the patient may stagger and fall. Fain in the back part of the 
spine is also a characteristic symptom. Attempts to flex the head 
on the chest increase the pain, during the first twenty-four hours, 
and pressure on the back part of the head causes excruciating pain. 
Soon the muscles in the back part of the neck become stiff, then 
rigid, making it difficult for the patient to swallow on account of 
the bending back of the neck, the body becoming arched. The 
temperature is not always high, but may suddenly become so. The 
pulse twenty-four hours after the attack may range from 120 to 
150; it is feeble and easily compressed. The pupils of the eyes are 
contracted and shun the light, the face is pale and there is great rest¬ 
lessness. About the second or third day of the disease delirium 
comes on. It may be mild and muttering, or wild and uncontroll¬ 
able. The body seems filled with pain, and the skin is extremely 
sensitive when touched. An eruption now may appear, usually on 
the face and neck, or on the lips; sometimes the eruption is mottled 
like typhus, and covers the body. Purple spots caused by extrava¬ 
sations of blood under the skin, now appear, that give it in some 
localities, the name of “Spotted Fever.” The respiration is jerky, 
and out of proportion to the frequency of the pulse. The tongue 
at first moist becomes brown and dry. In a short time exhaustion, 
paralysis, and stupor appear; and soon the scene closes in death. 
Convalescence in case of recovery, is slow and tedious; the muscles 
of the head and neck remaining stiff for a long time. If the patient 
20 


306 


INGROWING TOE-NAIL. 


lives for ten days after the initial fever, recovery is the rule, 
although painful and gradual. 

Treatment —The following treatment is recommended by 
Dr. Gross, of Edinburg: “Keep the bowels open, and the body 
warm; immersion in a hot bath, made strong with salt and mustard 
is good to bring the blood to the surface. Another way is to wrap 
the body in a woolen blanket wrung out of hot water, and place 
outside of the blanket bottles tilled with hot water, and cover over 
close; this will induce a copious perspiration and afford relief. 
Warm ginger tea is useful to generate internal heat, and tincture of 
pepper for outward application, with friction on the skin. If the 
pulse is high, give two or three drops of extract of (American 
Hellebore) Yeratrum viride every hour, diluted by adding one 
teaspoonful of water to each drop of the extract. Guard against 
constipation, retention of urine, convulsions, etc., and if the head 
is severely pained, relieve by dry cupping over the neck and spine. 
It has recently been discovered that the yellow jessamine ( Gelsemi- 
num sempervirens) is a sovereign remedy for the cure of this 
disease. Many well authenticated cases have been cured by it. 
The dose for an adult is from five to ten drops every three 
hours.” 

The proper measures to be observed during an attack of cerebro 
spinal meningitis, may be summed up in careful attention to sur¬ 
roundings, remove all disturbing influences, and isolate the sick. 
Place the patient in a cool well-ventilated room. The thirst which 
is so tormenting may be relieved with ice or carbonic acid waters. 
If constipation exists, give a good cathartic, say, a tablespoonful or 
two of epsom salts, or a compound cathartic pill. See that the 
patient urinates freely. Give fifteen drops of spirits of turpentine 
for this purpose. Iodide of potash in doses of five grains, gradually 
increased to ten or even twenty grains for an adult, at intervals of 
six to eight hours, is recommended as calculated to diminish the 
congestion: to maintain nutrition and allow the system to tolerate 
and overcome the disease is of prime importance. 

A blister should be placed on the back of the neck in the com¬ 
mencement of the disease and allot mustard foot bath given. When 
the active symptoms are passed, give as a tonic, iron in tincture, five 
drops three times a day. The diet should be simple and nourish¬ 
ing at this period. Milk is the best food, but light puddings may 
be given with broth and soup. 

We have been brief in the treatment of this disease for the 
reason that persons afflicted with it are almost invariably placed 
under the care of a physician. 


INGROWING TOE-NAIL. 

This is a very troublesome, and often painful affection. The 
edges or sides of the nail are disposed to turn down and grow into 



INGROWING TOE-NAIL. 


307 


the flesh, giving rise to inflammation, ulceration, and often great 
pain and suffering. 

We give several modes of treatment for this difficulty, all of 
which are effective. The patient may select from them that which 
is most suitable to his condition. 

Treatment —It may be remedied by softening it in warm 
water, then scraping it thin on the upper surface, and cutting it 
down as far as can be at the middle part of the extremity; avoiding 
cutting the parts which tend to grow in. Ey these means the growth 
is diverted from the sides, since the nail will grow most where it is 
cut most. 

Another method is to bathe the foot well in warm lye-water, 
at least once a day and a slippery-elm bark poultice applied imme¬ 
diately afterward; this will diminish excessive inflammation and 
render the patient more comfortable. But in order to effect a rad¬ 
ical cure, it will be necessary immediately after the foot has been 
immersed in the lye-water for twenty or thirty minutes, to press 
down as far as possible, without exciting too much pain, pledgets of 
lint between the nail and the flesh, until the nail is brought upon a 
level with the contiguous parts; and after this has been done, if the 
inflammation has measurably subsided, let a narrow bandage be 
bound over it in order to secure the dressings. The elm-bark poul¬ 
tice should be changed twice a day. At each subsecpient dressing 
cut off as much of the nail as is raised out of the tender flesh, with 
the point of a knife. Continue to do this until the whole of the of¬ 
fending portion is cut away. 

The following is a good treatment, and regarded by some as 
superior to any other: Wash the toe in warm water, and dry the 
parts with cotton. Then gently press carbolized cotton between 
the toe-nail and the flesh, and extend it between the skin and the 
nail. Next, wet a piece of nitrate of silver and rub it hard upon 
the nail, close to the cotton, not allowing it to touch the tender 
flesh; putting on a thin layer of cotton and in two or thiee hours 
after a poultice around the toe. In two days that part of the nail 
which has been touched by the nitrate will be black, and where it 
was well applied will be separated from the parts underneath, and 
may be taken off without pain. If the nail is very thick, scrape off 
the black and deadened part after two days, and apply the nitrate 
again. This treatment is a vast improvement on the old and cruel 
practice of tearing off the live nail. 

Dr. Finch says: “Neither of the cutting operations is at all 
necessary for the complete and rapid cure of ingrowing toe-nails. 
If a small, thin, flat piece of silver-plate be bent at one edge into a 
slight deep groove, and after the toe has been poulticed twenty-four 
hours, slipped beneath the edge of the nail, so as to protect the flesh 
from its pressure, and the rest of the plate bent round the side and 
front of the toe, being kept in position with a small portion of resin 
plaster passed around the toe, a speedy and almost painless cure 


308 


TOOTHACHE. 


will take place; and the patient after the first day, has the addi¬ 
tional advantage of being able to walk. I have followed this method 
in numerous cases with uniform success.” 


TOOTHACHE (Odontalgia). 

Causes —Decay is the most common predisposing cause; sudden 
changes of temperature, derangements of the digestive organs, preg¬ 
nancy and general bad health, are the most frequent exciting causes. 
When the cavity of a tooth has been exposed by decay, the pulp is 
extremely liable to pain from contact with food, liquids or atmo¬ 
spheric air; and if the health be much impaired or the central pulp 
greatly irritated, acute inflammation, with extreme pain may result. 
Neuralgic toothache occurs in paroxysms which come and go sud¬ 
denly. 

Remedies —1. Apply strong alum-water and salt to the 
tooth by means of a lock of cotton. One or two applications 
seldom fail to cure. 

2. Bathing the gums with oil of sassafras, at the same time 
moistening a piece of cotton with it and plugging the tooth, will 
speedily cure some forms of toothache. 

3. Others will be relieved by putting two or three drops of the 
oil of cloves on cotton or lint, and placing it in the hollow of the 
tooth. This remedy will not destroy the tooth or injure the gums. 

4. Pains of the face and jaw, when not the consequence of 
decayed teeth, may be relieved by holding hot water, brandy or the 
diluted tincture of cayenne-pepper in the mouth. 

5. Toothache, as it originates from different causes, requires, 
as a matter of necessity, the application of different remedies. In 
addition to the above, the following may often be used with success: 
Place something warm to the part, as a hot brick or stone, wrapped 
in a wet cloth; or hold the head covered with a thick blanket over 
steam; bathing the face or jaw with pepper and vinegar, or apply 
to the face a paper wet with vinegar and sprinkled with cayenne; 
heating substances held in the mouth, or chewing a small piece of 
the bark of logwood, will be found of great benefit. The same 
plan may be pursued in cases of ague, or pain in the face and jaw. 

6. Electricity frequently gives speedy relief. Using a con¬ 
stant current of eight or ten elements; the negative pole is applied 
to the cheek near the aching tooth and the positive pole to the back 
of the neck 

T. A bit of cotton dipped in creosote, then the excess of creo¬ 
sote pressed out on a newspaper, and the cavity filled with the 
cotton will give speedy relief. 

Spongy Gums and Tartar on the Teeth —Take, of 

Borax.1 drachm. 




TOOTHACHE. 


309 


Strong tincture of camphor.1 teaspoonful. 

Soft water.8 tablespoonfuls. 

Mix. Wash the teeth and gums with it twice a week, using a soft 
tooth brush. This is a tine remedy for spongy gums, and also in 
cases where there is a tendency to their wasting away from the 
teeth. It will clean the teeth of all tartar, give health and renewed 
vigor to the gums and sweeten the breath. 

Filling’ Decayed Teeth —If the decayed portion be recent 
and slight it should be removed, and the cavity tilled with a suit¬ 
able material by a skillful dentist. If the patient be suffering from 
toothache, the pain should be relieved before tilling. When it is 
not practicable to have a tooth tilled by a professional dentist, its 
cavity should be cleaned and tilled with white wax which, by exclud¬ 
ing the atmospheric air and the irritation of food, retards the 
progress of decay. But a better and more durable tilling for non¬ 
professionals is the prepared gutta-percha, which if carefully intro¬ 
duced, after thoroughly cleaning out the affected tooth, may preserve 
it for years. Dr. Binger recommends a jelly, made of equal parts 
of collodion and carbolic acid, to be used as a filling for hollow 
teeth. 

Extraction of Teeth —In a few cases the only remedy for 
toothache is extraction; this is especially the case if the decay has 
proceeded so far as to blacken the tooth, rendering it loose and 
useless for mastication, injurious to neighboring teeth and a cause 
of offensive breath. On the other hand, probably in ninety-five 
cases out of a hundred, considerable experience justifies us in stating 
that the most distressing cases of toothache are promptly cured. 
Our advice therefore is—never extract a tooth merely because it 
aches, or has begun to decay. Skillful treatment is usually suffi¬ 
cient to remove the pain; and, subsequently, local and general 
measures may prevent a recurrence of the trouble. 

Means of Preservation —The function of the teeth is so 
important that their preservation is a matter of the highest mo¬ 
ment. The first teeth determine the nature of the second set, and 
persons suffer lamentably from early neglect. Proximate decay 
might be prevented, in five cases out of ten, by simply passing a 
thread between an infant’s teeth, twice a week, from the time of 
their eruption. Professional inspection should also be sought be¬ 
fore symptoms of decay present themselves, and while there is still 
hope that the dentist may fulfil what should be regarded as his 
mission, that of saving the teeth. Cleanliness, with respect to the 
teeth, is all-important for infants and children, as well as adults. 
The teeth should be kept clean by rinsing the mouth with pure cold 
water, and brushing the teeth with a moderately soft brush every 
morning and, if possible, after every meal, especially when animal 
food has been taken; and contact with all disorganizing agents 
avoided. The idea that frequent brushing the teeth is liable to 
lacerate the gums and separate them from the teeth is erroneous, 




310 


ENLARGEMENT OF THE TONSILS. 


for it is one of the best methods of restoring them to a healthy con¬ 
dition when they are spongy and liable to bleed. But when 
a tendency to decay of the teeth or inflammatory action of the 
gums exists, a diluted solution of carbolic acid, myrrh or other 
dentifrice, should be regularly and continuously used. The habit 
of taking very hot substances into the mouth should be avoided, 
as the expansive power of heat may rupture the enamel, which in 
turn becomes the nucleus of decay. On the other hand, the habit 
of subjecting the teeth to the opposite extreme of temperature, as 
by eating ices, etc., is also to be avoided. Chewing or smoking 
tobacco, and the habitual use of strong drinks, tend to destroy the 
teeth. 

To Kill the Nerve of a Tooth —Clean the cavity of the 
tooth, then applj 7 , by means of cotton, carbolic acid; then cover 
this, or rather plug the tooth, with beeswax; after thirty or forty 
minutes remove, and the nerve will be effectually destroyed. Be 
careful not to let the carbolic acid touch the mouth or gums. 

__ ) 

ENLARGEMENT OF THE TONSILS (Hypertrophy 

Tonsillaris). 

Enlargement of the tonsils may be of two kinds: 

1st. The common abscess, occurring in inflammatory sore 
throat. 

2d. A chronic swelling, generally the consequence of previous 
inflammation of the gland in a scrofulous person. They often be¬ 
come so large as to impede both respiration and swallowing. 

Remedies —1. Take two tablespoonfuls of molasses and 
four of water, and two teaspoonfuls of “ No. six.” Mix. Sip a 
little in the throat, and, at the same time, swallow a small portion. 
This tends to keep up a flow of saliva from the parts and thus re¬ 
lieve their swollen condition and stimulates to renewed, healthy 
action. If practicable, they should be frequently touched with 
common lye, by means of a piece of sponge or muslin fastened to 
a probe or stick. The feet must be frequently bathed, and exposure 
to wet and cold avoided. 

2. In chronic enlargement of the tonsils, the application of 
diluted tincture of iodine, as a paint, is very useful. 

3. The surest and most effectual mode of cure is, after the in¬ 
flammation has subsided, to remove a portion of the tonsils. This 
will put an end to the attacks at once. The operation is neither 
painful nor dangerous. Any physician can do it in a few moments. 

4. “ In the first stage scarification or a free bleeding by a few 
slight incisions gives immediate relief and speedy cure results.”— 

Dr . Wallace. 



TUMORS. 


311 


TUMORS. 

Tumors are swellings of various kinds, may be developed on 
any part of the body, and owe their origin to some unhealthy action. 

There are several varieties of tumor, as scrofulous, cancerous, 
polypus, etc., some of which have been treated upon under the heads 
of scrofula, cancer and polypus. At this place we shall coniine 
ourselves to fatty tumors, which are more commonly met with in 
the region of the head. 

The fatty tumor, also known as the adipose, usually presents a 
soft, inelastic appearance, without any pain or discoloration of the 
skin. It commences very small, but slowly attains to a very large 
size, its bulk being the only inconvenience to the patient. 

Remedies —1. These tumors may often be removed by the 
application of caustic potash. Care should be exercised when ap¬ 
plied over the tumor to prevent it from running over the surround¬ 
ing parts. Afterwards apply a slippery-elm bark and yeast-poul¬ 
tice, to promote suppuration. After a few days sloughing will 
commence and the contents of the tumor will be discharged. 

2. But the best plan, in most cases, is to remove the tumors 
by the knife, because the operation is less painful and tedious, and 
more certain. 

3. Tumors may be removed, when they are pendulous, by the 
passing a silk or linen thread around the base, and then fastening 
it to a short piece of metal or wood, and daily drawing it tight 
enough to stop the circulation. Tumors of great magnitude may 
be taken off in this manner; and there is an advantage in remov¬ 
ing them in this way, in consequence of no hemorrhage attending 
the operation. Besides, the patient has less dread of it than excision 
by the knife. For tumors called wens, see “Wens.” 


HARDENED SWELLING OF THE ABDOMEN 

(Tympanites). 

Causes —It is sometimes occasioned by dropsy and morbid 
affections of the liver; at other times by stone in the bladder; 
frequently by worms; and in one most curious case, reported by Van 
Swieten, it arose from hemorrhagic effort after suppression of the 
menses and the hemorrhoidal flux. 

It may likewise be induced by poisons, when they occasion 
flatulence and spasmodic constriction of the bowels. 

There is evidently a preternatural distension of the intestines 
by air, producing loss of tone in the muscular fibres of the part dis 
tended; and, from what has been suggested on the process of 
digestion, it must appear that the accumulation of this air or gas in 
the stomach or the bowels is to be attributed to some defect either 



312 


SWELLING OF THE ABDOMEN-ULCERS. 


in quantity or quality of tlie several fluids, the saliva, pancreatic 
juice and bile, which are mixed with the aliment to assist in the re¬ 
duction of it into chyle, and to restrain the progress of fermenta¬ 
tion in the feces while they are passing the intestines. But this 
alone cannot be the proximate cause of the tympanites, for with 
this must be united spasmodic stricture in some part of the intes¬ 
tines which prevents the escape of wind, and this spasmodic strict¬ 
ure must be occasioned by some irritation in the system. 

Symjjtoms —The symptoms are, elastic distension of the 
abdomen, not readily yielding to pressure and sounding like a drum, 
with costiveness and emaciation, but no fluctuation. 

In the beginning we observe difficulty of breathing and hollow 
rumbling of the bowels. Thirst and loss of appetite, pain in the 
loins and frequency of pulse succeed and wasting follows. 

The persons most liable to this disease are chiefly those of re¬ 
laxed and irritable habits, such as have been debilitated by profuse 
evacuations, intermittent or typhus fever; patients who have re¬ 
cently suffered by spasmodic and inflammatory affections of the 
bowels, and particularly women after child-birth. 

Treatment —To a pint of strong infusion of spearmint or 
peppermint, add one-half teaspoonful of ginger. Inject as much of 
this liquid into the bowels each time as possible, and repeat it two 
or three times a day, according to the symptoms; the patient should 
endeavor to retain it for some time, unless it produces an immedi¬ 
ate discharge of gas. In connection with this, the abdomen of the 
patient should be slowly rubbed downward with the hand of an at¬ 
tendant, for several hours in succession, or until the swelling has 
disappeared, making as much pressure as can be borne, at the same 
time apply hot fomentations of bran or hops or flaxseed, covering 
the entire abdomen. 

To allay the thirst, give either spearmint, liorsemint or ginger. 
Sometimes the wind may be drawn off by inserting in the rectum a 
long, gum-elastic tube. 

During the disease, the diet should be light, digestible and of a 
nutritious character; all food which will cause acidity or flatulence 
should be avoided. 


ULCERS. 

An ulcer is an injury done to flesh from various causes and 
from which issues matter, with more or less pain and inflammation. 
It may arise from any source that occasions inflammation or cor¬ 
rupts the fluids; as fever, scrofula, venereal disease, retention of ac¬ 
rid humors, cold, injuries, etc. It is divided into many different 
kinds; but this is unnecessary for practical purposes. 

Confine with a strong bandage a compress of cloth so 
that it shall press firmly upon that portion of the cavity from which 



ULCERS. 


313 


tlie pus or matter comes farthest from the external opening, so as to 
bring the two sides of the cavity in contact and allow them to heal; 
leave the opening free for exit of discharging pus. 

If ulcers are irritable and painful, apply soft rags or cotton wet 
in warm water. If they are indolent or inactive, apply cloths wet 
in cold water, and several folds of dry flannel over them, changing 
once in six hours. If the ulcers seem to be doing well and the mat¬ 
ter is thick and healthy, apply a soft cloth with mutton-tallow 
spread upon the surface; do not remove it more frequently than 
once in twenty-four hours, unless the discharge is very great, and 
then do not wash off the matter from the surface of the sore, as it is 
nature’s dressing. 

If the ulcer is foul and the discharge from it smells badly, use 
carbolic acid and water—six drops of the acid to a pint of soft warm 
water. Wash the ulcer with it once or twice a day. Should it be 
on one of the lower extremities, the cure will be expedited by keep¬ 
ing the limb in a horizontal position. When in a healthy condi¬ 
tion, the healing process can often be hastened by drawing the edges 
toward each other by means of straps of adhesive plaster, so as 
to lessen the extent of surface to be healed over. 

In addition to the above treatment, bandages are more or less 
necessary in all ulcers on the legs, unless absolute rest, with the 
elevation of the foot above the level of the hips, can be enforced. 
Laced stockings or elastic stockings are convenient substitutes for 
the bandage and are more easily applied. In the treatment of ulcers 
on the leg, as, indeed, on every other part, undeviating cleanliness 
is essential. The uncleanly habits of many persons, who allow 
their feet and legs to remain unwashed for weeks together, induce an 
imperfect vitality of the skin, which favors the formation of ulcers 
and renders them disagreeable and obstinate in their results. 
Washing the lower extremities daily is one of the most potent 
means of preventing and curing the disease and restoring the lost 
vitality of the parts. 

As much open-air exercise should be taken daily as is consist¬ 
ent with the patient’s strength; but he should not stand much, or 
sit with his legs hanging down. 

Remedies —1. To ulcers which are irritable, tender and 
painful, apply a carrot-poultice, prepared as follows: Scrape the 
root tine and cover with boiling water; thicken with a little corn- 
meal; renew once a day, or oftener where there is much discharge. 

2. The bitter-sweet, as prepared under the title of “ Proud 
Flesh,” is an excellent remedy for ulcers. 

3. When neither of the above can readily be procured, the 
parsnip should be used. In many cases it is not excelled. It is 
prepared by first boiling and then making it into a poultice. 

4. Walnut leaves are very good, where they can be had, and 
are very highly recommended by all who have employed them. A 
quantity of them is to be boiled, with a small portion of sugar 


• 314 


FEVER-SORES. 


added. Cloths are then to be dipped into the liquid and applied to 
the ulcer, and changed as often as they become dry. 

5. One of the best applications to ulcers is Beach’s Black 
Salve. 

Olive oil.1 quart, 

Beeswax...1 ounce. 

Melt together; raise mixture nearly to boiling, then add of pulver¬ 
ized red lead twelve ounces; stir constantly. When the oil takes up 
the lead, the mixture becomes brown or black, then remove from 
the lire and add eighty grains (four scruples) of camphor. 

6. Add one teaspoonful of the tincture of eucalyptus to half a 
pint of water; apply by means of saturated cloths. 

Accessory Treatment —The diet should be nutritious and 
easy of digestion; fats, acids and liquors must be avoided. 

Healthy ulcers secrete pus or matter, of the color and consis - 
tency of cream; these should not be molested with frequent washings. 

When ulcers are foul and emit a disagreeable smell, mix a 
small portion of yeast with the poultices which are employed. 

Fomentations of hops and poppy-leaves are excellent. Some¬ 
times dry applications will be found to have a better effect than 
moist, such as sprinkling on common flour or pulverized chalk. 
These may be used for a few days, in alternation with poultices and 
fomentations. Do not bandage tightly. 

Indolent ulcers, which are almost insensible to the touch, hard, 
and the discharge thick and of yellowish color, should be treated 
differently from those of an irritable character. They should first 
be stimulated, in order to excite a healthy granulation. For this 
purpose wash, at each time of dressing, with castile-soapsuds, in 
which a little brandy or other spirits has been added, and carefully 
dry. Then sprinkle over its surface finely powdered blood-root. 

One of the best preparations for these ulcers is wild-indigo root. 
It is prepared by making a strong decoction and thickening it with 
powdered elm-bark, or, in the absence of the bark, use corn-meal or 
starch. If there should be a tendency to mortification, sprinkle the 
preparation with powdered charcoal and add a portion of yeast. If 
any fungus or proud flesh appear, sprinkle on the part burnt alum 
or powdered blood-root. 

In addition to these local measures, it will frequently be nec¬ 
essary to use some internal treatment, in ulcers of an inveterate 
character. For this purpose, the compound sirup of stillingia is 
very good. It can be procured at all drug stores. Also, burdock, 
yellow dock or sarsaparilla are useful for the same purpose. Dose, 
two teaspoonfuls, in a little water, twice a day. 


FEVER-SORES. 

Remedies — 1 . The so-called fever-sores are usually treated 
as other ulcers. A good remedy for their cure is the leaves of the 





HIGH-COLORED URINE—RETENTION OF URINE. 315 

chickweed (SteJlaria medlia). Their application should be re¬ 
newed twice a day. 

2. Another very excellent preparation, for the cure of the 
same, as well as for healing other sores, is red clover blossoms. 
They are to be made into a decoction, and then reduced by boiling to 
a thick paste, and applied to the ulcer on a cloth. 

3. Apply fresh scraped turnip to the sore, twice a day. It 
should be renewed oftener in cases where it becomes very offensive. 
I his simple remedy has cured cases of ten and fifteen years’ stand¬ 
ing. 

Fever-Blisters —Touch the blister with a piece of saltpetre, 
three or four times a day. This will prevent the formation of a 
sore. One day’s use will ordinarily suffice. 


HIGH-COLORED AND SCALDING URINE. 

Causes —It may arise from various causes; from inflamma¬ 
tion of the kidneys, or womb, alcoholic drinks, luxurious diet, 
excessive venery, etc. 

Remedies —This may be readily relieved by drinking 
freely, every one or two hours, of a tea of goose-grass ( Cleavers ); 
or of a tea made of marsh-mallow root. A tea made of pumpkin- 
seed or watermelon-seed is often a speedy cure. Any of these teas 
may be sweetened with sugar or honey. 

In some cases, the pain may become so severe that, in order to 
relieve it, sitz-baths should be resorted to. In such cases, the bath 
should be taken as hot as the patient can bear, and he should remain 
in it for twenty or thirty minutes. 

All the drinks employed should be flax-seed or slippery elm 
water. 


RETENTION OF URINE (Retentio Urinse.) 

This is an obstruction to the discharge of the urine. Retention 
is liable to be confounded with suppression of urine; but in the 
latter condition the kidneys are the seat of the disease, and do not 
secrete the urine; in retention, the urine is secreted, but the fault is 
in the bladder, its sphincter, or in the course of the urethra, in which 
there may be some cause of obstruction, as stricture, diseased 
prostate, etc. Suppressions may be easily distinguished from 
retention, for in the latter disease the bladder is distended with urine, 
and may be felt at the bottom of the abdomen; while, in suppres¬ 
sion, the bladder is empty and can scarcely be felt. If it be deemed 
necessary to introduce the catheter, the diagnosis will be confirmed; 
in retention the bladder will be found full, but in suppression 
empty. 




316 


RETENTION OF URINE. 


Causes —Retention of the urine may be owing to a paralysis 
of the bladder; mechanical obstruction at the neck of the bladder, 
or in the urethral canal; inflammation of the neck of the bladder; 
injuries to the bladder; irritation of the parts from gravel, or from 
cantharides taken internally or absorbed from a blister; tumors or 
enlarged prostate glands. 

Remedies —1. In all ordinary cases of this disease, egg¬ 
shells are a potent remedy and may be relied on. They are to be 
parched and pulverized, then given in teaspoonful-doses every 
hour. 

2. Marslimallow-root is a popular remedy for retention of 
urine. When it cannot be had, use parsley. A tea of these plants 
is to be drunk freely every hour or two. Relief is usually obtained 
in a few hours. 

3. In some cases of this disease, warm water, injected into the 
urethra with a syringe, acts like a charm. A copious flow of urine 
is produced, with subsequent natural discharges at their usual 
intervals. 

4. The old remedy of our grandmothers, a tea of watermelon 
or pumpkin-seeds should have a place with the others, in the treat¬ 
ment of this disease; for many times it is at hand when no other is, 
and is often prompt and effective. 

5. There may occur sometimes inveterate cases, or those that 
have been neglected, that will require the use of the instrument 
called the catheter, to draw off the water from the bladder until a 
cure can be effected. This will necessitate the attendance of a 
physician for its accomplishment. In no case should a patient be 
allowed to go longer than twenty- four hours without a passage of 
urine, and if he takes much drinks or fluids and perspires but little, 
twelve or eighteen hours is as long as it is safe to allow him to go 
without drawing off his urine by means of a catheter. Any phy¬ 
sician can perform this operation. 

6. A warm hip bath is often of great efficacy in starting the 
flow of urine, or the sound of falling water poured from a consider¬ 
able height. The power of the last method is in its suggestive¬ 
ness. 

Accessory Treatment —Warm baths, sitz baths, hot fomen¬ 
tations, bland drinks and injections by the rectum greatly aid the 
medicines in restoring the functions of the parts, if there be not 
incurable organic disease. The diet should be sparing, and, in 
some severe cases, restricted to barley-water, gum-w T ater or other 
diluents. 

Not infrequently the administration of a warm bath, or hot 
sacks of hops and vinegar, placed over the region of the bladder and 
changed every few minutes, is attended with speedy relief. This is 
especially the case with children. 


SUPPRESSION OF URINE. 


31T 


SUPPRESSION OF URINE. 


From different causes the urine is liable to be suppressed, 
either partially or wholly, causing great distress. It may proceed 
from gravel, inflammation of the bladder, prostate glands, urethra, 
cold, etc. There is swelling, pain and inflammation of the bladder^ 
with great ditflculty of voiding urine, or a complete suppression’ 

The patient becomes dull and torpid, at length sleepy and 
perhaps delirious, and at the end of four or five days, in cases of 
entire suppression, stupor, and perhaps convulsions and death 
occur, if the disease is not relieved. If a small quantity of urine is 
secreted, the patient may live for weeks, and either recover or die 
from coma, as in the cases of complete suppression. 

When there is suppression of urine there is generally little or 
no inclination to urinate, and no sensation of fullness near the region 
of the bladder, nor is there any fullness in the lower part of the 
abdomen; and if the catheter is introduced, as it always should be, 
no urine is obtained. 


Remedies —1. Spirits of turpentine will cure this disease, 
when administered in its early stages. Dose, three or four drops, 
every two hours, on sugar. 

2. A common remedy among many practitioners is a tea of 
marshmallow-root. It is to be drank freely, every half-hour or 
hour. 


3. Another, which is relied on with much confidence in more 
aggravated cases, is the following: Take a wineglassful of the best 
Holland gin; add to it a tumbler of spearmint-tea and two teaspoon¬ 
fuls of spirits of nitre; sweeten with honey and drink the whole 
during the space of two hours. The same potion should be re¬ 
peated every two hours until relief is afforded. 

4. Light attacks of this disease readily yield to large draughts 
of warm lemonade. 

5. Apply a poultice of raw onions over the region of the 
kidneys and lower parts of the bowels. One poultice will afford 
relief and produce the desired result. 

6. Strong teas made from the common parsley-root; water¬ 
melon or pumpkin-seeds, are each good remedies for this disease. 

7. A tea made from the buds and bark of the sycamore tree 
generally acts promptly in this disease. 

Accessory Treatment —Place hot fomentations, as hops 
and vinegar, tansy or hoarhound, on the loins; or instead of these, 
in some cases, the warm sitz-bath. 

Injecting sweet oil, or even warm milk and water, frequently 
up the urethra, will often afford relief, especially if the suppression 
has been occasioned by a small piece of gravel which has stuck in 
the canal. Injecting tepid water into the bladder itself, in similar 


318 


VACCINATION-COW-POX. 


cases by a syringe, will also afford great relief. If there is fever, or 
pain and uneasiness in the small of the back, consult “ Inflammation 
of the Kidneys.” 


VACCINATION—COW-POX. 

This disease is not natural to man, but to the cow. It is simi¬ 
lar to small pox; and when artificially introduced into the human 
system is as nearly as possible, without being absolutely, protective 
against small pox. 

In vaccinating, it is generally a bad practice to use matter 
passed from arm to arm, as serious consequences are apt, sometimes, 
to follow. Other diseases, besides the vaccine disease, can pass by 
inoculation into the system. Of the diseases which may be thus 
communicated, we may mention certain forms of skin-affections; as 
the itch, scrofula and syphilis. It is, therefore, highly important that 
the matter employed should be perfectly pure. For this purpose, it 
should be obtained from the cow. The matter is first to be inoc¬ 
ulated into the bag of the cow. This forms a pustule or scab, 
and is free from all taint or impurities whatsoever, and should be 
used in all cases where it is desired to vaccinate a person for the 
prevention of small pox. The matter thus obtained, can be found in 
the principal drug-stores and at the offices of some physicians, or 
can now be had from any one of a number of vaccine farms at a 
very trifling expense. 

Vaccine should be administered by a careful and skillful practi¬ 
tioner, who should exercise his judgment so as to determine when 
the constitution of the child is in the strongest and healthiest 
state for this purpose. 

Care should be taken to protect the arms from friction, that 
the sores may not be irritated and the scabs torn off. Occasionally, 
a poultice is necessary if inflammation or suppuration is excessive; 
or the application of finely powdered starch or corn-meal. 

The resident surgeon of a hospital states that in the course of 
his large experience he found that, when small-pox attacked persons 
who had not been vaccinated, it killed 33 per cent, of them—that 
is, one in every three died; but that when vaccination had been 
performed, the death-rate of those attacked by the disease fell to 
one in fifteen. He also found that the protective power of. vaccina¬ 
tion was in proportion to the manner in which it had been per¬ 
formed; thus, one permanent cicatrix, or scar, after the operation, 
gives a mortality from the disease of nearly eight in the hundred; 
two scars, of rather more than four per cent.; three scars, less than 
two per cent.; and if four scars, not one in a hundred dies when 
attacked by the disease. This is a most important practical point 
to remember; if only one indifferent cicatrix remain after the 


i 



WATER-BRASH-WARTS. 


319 


operation, such persons, taking small-pox in after life, die at the 
rate of twelve in the one hundred; but if four or more cicatrices 
remain, only one in two hundred will die of small-pox. 

Re-vaccination should take place at the age of puberty; the 
great systematic changes which occur at this time of life rendering 
it generally necessary. Persons at this period, especially if they 
are about to change their place of abode, should be examined, and 
if they have only one scar, or if that is imperfect, or if there is no 
scar at all, they should be re-vaccinated. 


WATER-BRASH (Pyrosis). 

Symptoms —Eructations of an acid or tasteless watery fluid, 
sometimes in considerable quantities. It seems to arise from closure 
of the esophagus by muscular spasm, so that the trickling saliva 
is prevented from passing into the stomach, and ascends into the 
mouth without any effort. It is often accompanied with pain, and 
is sometimes a symptom of organic disease of the stomach or liver, 
but is commonly due to chronic gastric catarrh. When arising 
from indigestion it is generally due to the too exclusive use of a 
vegetable diet, or to indigestible food; it is of common occurrence 
among the poorly fed. 

Remedies —1. Common table-salt is a valuable remedy in 
this difficulty. Less than one-half a teaspoonful should be dissolved 
in water, and the dose repeated twice a day. 

2. Ten drops of the water of ammonia will cpiiet the distress 
and check the discharge. 

3. For the purpose of breaking up the discharge, give one 
grain of sub-nitrate of bismuth, one hour before each meal, and on 
retiring at night. 

4. When water-brash is caused by indigestible food, add five 
drops of the tincture of nux vomica to a tumblerful of water. Mix 
well. Dose, two teaspoonfuls three times a day, on an empty 
stomach. 

5. In obstinate cases of this disease Dr. Krukenburg’s pre¬ 
scription, is “ When the patient is hungry, let him eat buttermilk; 
and when he is thirsty, let him drink buttermilk.” Fresh milk is 
not so well borne, as it curdles in the stomach. 

Accessory Treatment —The diet should consist of easily 
digested, nutritious food, soups, broths, lean meat, potatoes and 
graham-bread, if it agrees with the patient. Pork, or any fat meat, 
should not be used. 


WARTS. 

Remedies —1. Dissolve a small quantity of washing-soda 
in as much water as it will hold in solution, wash the warts with 




320 


WORMS. 


this for a minute or two, and let them dry without wiping. Keep 
the water in a bottle, and repeat the washing often. It will remove 
the largest warts. 

2. Caustic is an effectual though troublesome application. 
The juice of the common annual spurge-plant is an efficacious 
remedy; as is the bark of the willow tree, burnt to ashes, mixed 
with vinegar and applied. The juice of the marigold is also another 
excellent means. 

3. Steep in vinegar the inner rind of a lemon for twenty-four 
hours, and apply it to the wart. The lemon must not remain on 
more than three hours, and should be applied fresh every day. To 
apply acetic acid with a camel’s hair brush is still better. Either 
is regarded as a certain cure for warts. 


WORMS (Entozoa). 

The three most common varieties of worms are, the thread¬ 
worm (pin-worm or maw-worm), the round-worm and the tape¬ 
worm. The first two are more common, the tape-worm being very 
rare in children under three years of age. 

Thread-worms are from half to three-quarters of an inch in 
length, white and thread-like, moving rapidly. They inhabit the 
rectum chiefly, and cause great irritation. 

The term “ maw-worm ” is sometimes applied to them, from 
the irritation caused in the stomach by a reflex action. They do 
not exist in infants fed at the breast, unless other food, especially 
starch-food, is also given, but are often met with in older children, 
and occasionally in adults. The symptoms to which this variety 
give rise are itching or irritation about the anus, especially troub¬ 
lesome in the evening, depraved or irregular appetite, offensive 
breath, picking of the nose, straining at stool, disturbed sleep and 
more or less general restlessness. The local irritation excited may 
be very considerable, extend to contiguous parts and occasion a 
mucous or bloody discharge from the vagina, and even operate as 
a cause of masturbation. The same result may occur from direct 
migration of the worms from the anal to the vaginal or urethral 
oriflce. The frequent but ineffectual desire to go to stool may oc¬ 
casion straining and falling of the bowels, effects which may con¬ 
tinue after the expulsion of the worms. When the presence of 
thread-worms is suspected, they may often be found on examination 
of the stools, or crawling about the radiating folds of the anus after 
the patient gets warm in bed. 

The round-worm is very similar to the common earth-worm, 
but a paler color, sometimes almost white. It is of variable length, 
from six to fifteen inches, inhabits chiefly the small intestines, 
where it feeds on the chyle, but not infrequently passes into the 



WORMS. 


321 


stomach and is vomited, or downwards into the great bowel and is 
ejected with the evacuations. It has been seen in the gall-bladder 
duct; has visited the wind-pipe; and been found in the air-passages, 
causing death by strangulation. When existing in large numbers, 
the worms cause much irritation, and are occasionally passed in 
bunches or balls rolled together. It seldom exists alone, and is said 
to be most common in ill-fed children between the ages of three 
and ten years. The chief symptoms are, pains and swelling of the 
abdomen, depraved appetite, fetid breath, slimy stools, straining, 
itching of the anus, and sometimes chronic diarrhea, most trouble¬ 
some at night, with offensive, scanty, thin stools, much straining, 
and often falling out of the bowel. Nervous symptoms are also 
common; pallid countenance, dilated pupils, dizziness, disturbed 
sleep with grinding of teeth, convulsions, faintness, etc. These 
symptoms may, however, be due, in part at least, to the general 
functional derangement which favors the production of the worm 
and not alone to direct irritation. 

The tape-worm is white, jointed, flattened, varies in length 
from a few feet to many yards, has its abiding-place in the small 
intestines, and usually exists alone. It has been said that if a 
joint of it be left in the bowel, it will become a perfect worm. The 
symptoms produced by the tape-worm are not often well marked, 
and it is usually unsuspected till joints are passed in the evacua¬ 
tions; frequently, however, there are sensations of weight or gnaw¬ 
ing in the abdomen, often with enlargement about the navel. The 
appetite is usually excessive, but at the same time the nutritive 
functions are so imperfect that there is considerable and progressive 
wasting. There is often itching of the nose and anus, lassitude, 
and sometimes cramps in the extremities. 

Causes —Our knowledge of the means by which these worms 
get access to the intestinal canal is as yet imperfect. The thread¬ 
worm effects an entrance into the human body, with vegetable food 
or water, whilst in an immature condition. Unfiltered, impure 
water is no doubt the medium by which the round-worm is intro¬ 
duced. The revelations of the microscope prove that water often 
contains animalcules or their eggs which, though extremely minute, 
may give rise in the human intestine to a thing of life. They may 
also come from eating imperfectly washed vegetables, raw or un¬ 
der-cooked meat, etc. Flesh infested with the cysticercus or the 
trichina is the ordinary source from which the tape-worm is de¬ 
rived. Pigs are very liable to be so infested, and in rabbits it is 
exceedingly common, very few of these animals being found alto¬ 
gether free from this parasite. 

The theory of the spontaneous generation of intestinal worms 
is opposed to the investigations of the most scientific naturalists of 
the present day. Food in a semi-assimilated condition, with the 
presence of mucus in the intestines, forms a nest favorable to the 
development of these parasites; but there has been no evidence of 
21 


322 


WORMS. 


a single example of spontaneous development even of the simplest 
form of living beings, except through the instrumentality of a pre¬ 
viously existing principle. 

The unhealthy condition of the lining of the digestive tube 
that prevails in this disease is highly favorable to their develop¬ 
ment. 

General Symptoms —The existence of worms is usually 
preceded and accompanied by an unhealthy condition of the mu¬ 
cous lining of the intestines, in which a large quantity of tenacious, 
slimy mucus is secreted, that interferes witli the various processes 
concerned in digestion, and at the same time forms a suitable nest 
for intestinal worms, in which they develop rapidly in proportion to 
the quantity of mucus secreted. Intestinal worms require thick 
mucus both for their bed and nourishment. The clear recognition 
of this fact is of great importance; for when the alimentary canal 
is brought into a healthy condition there is no home for worms, 
and they soon cease to infest the patient. 

This condition of the bowels is associated with a coated 
tongue, varying in degree according to the extent of the mucus 
secreted, with remarkable distinctness of pimples at the sides of 
the tongue. These pimples are seen as large, round or more com¬ 
monly oval spots, seldom elevated, and varying in color from pale- 
red to deep crimson; the depth of color being in proportion to the 
degree of irritability of the digestive organs. If vomiting and 
diarrhea supervene, their color becomes bright-red, and they then 
project slightly above the surface, peering through the thick coating 
of yellow fur with which the tongue, in such cases, is usually 
covered. Although the appearance of the tongue thus described is 
not diagnostic of worms, yet it indicates a condition of the digest¬ 
ive organs in which worms are very likely to be found, and when it 
is noticed, worms should always be inquired for. When the tongue 
is seen to have a slightly slimy look, especially about the center, to 
be covered with a thin coating of greyish, transparent fur, and to 
have the pimples at the sides large, oval, not elevated, but pink¬ 
ish red and usually distinct, worms are seldom absent. 

As a result of this condition of the intestines, the function of 
nutrition becomes impaired and the patient loses flesh, while the 
abdomen becomes hard and swollen. The face is puffy and pale, 
the skin greyish, with a lead-colored semicircle under the evelids; 
the pupils are dilated; there is itching of the nose and anus and 
occasional straining; the bowels may be confined, with constant, 
ineffectual efforts, or there may be attacks of diarrhea, with great 
straining, the stools being dark, slimy and offensive; the breath is 
disagreeable, especially in the morning, and there is sometimes 
dribbling of saliva during sleep. The appetite is varied, often 
ravenous, and sometimes the child refuses food altogether. Dis¬ 
charges of mucus are not infrequent from the rectum, and in girls 



WORMS. 


323 


from the vagina. Sometimes the urine is passed with difficulty or 
pain, it being usually whitish or milky. 

Other disordered conditions of a nervous character are restless¬ 
ness, starting during sleep, grinding of the teeth, a dry, short, irri¬ 
tative or spasmodic cough, sighing, hiccough, and in children of a 
refined, nervous temperament, convulsions. 

The only certain proof of the presence of worms is the detec¬ 
tion of the creatures themselves, or their eggs, in the stools or mat¬ 
ters vomited. 

Thread Worms —Thread-worms often migrate from the 
rectum into the vagina of little girls, preferring the night for this 
purpose; they may even migrate from the child affected to others 
sleeping in the same bed. In this manner worms are infectious, 
and an entire family, where parents and children occupy the same 
bed, as they too often do, become infested with thread-worms. 

Remedies —Injections are useful as means for expelling thread¬ 
worms, as they inhabit the rectum and lower bowel; half a pint of 
water, in which a teaspoonful of common salt has been dissolved, 
repeated two or three times will generally suffice. The injection 
should be copious, administered in the evening at bed-time, and 
when the bowel is empty, so that the salt-water may find ready 
access to the various ramifications of the bowel where the parasites 
hide. Afterwards, a simple cold or tepid injection should be used 
regularly two or three times a week for one or two months, to wash 
away the slime and mucus in which the eggs exist. 

An old Italian remedy, and one regarded by the people of that 
country as infallible is: To half a gill of whisky or brandy, 
bruise and add a piece of the root of garlic the size of a hulled 
walnut. Let it stand twenty-four hours before using. Dose, for a 
child, one teaspoonful, and repeat for three mornings in succession. 

An injection of one tablespoonful of sweet-oil once a day will 
generally expel these worms. 

Long, Round-Worm —1. Inject a teaspoonful of linseed-oil 


with a little warm water, and repeat every other day. Ten days are 
sufficient to rid the child of these worms. 

2. Spearmint is a very powerful vermifuge. It is pre¬ 
pared as follows: 

Take, of 

Spearmint. i ounce. 

Hot water .1 pint. 


Infuse fifteen minutes and strain. Dose, for an adult, two 
tablespoonfuls; for a child one year old, one teaspoonful, three 
times a day. 

3. Among various other remedies employed for expelling 
worms, the following are good: Give a child four to ten drops, 
according to age, of the oil of worm-seed (.Jerusalem Oak), in 
sirup or on sugar, twice a day, for three or four days, followed 
by a brisk purgative. If the seeds of the herb are used, pulverize 




324 


WORMS. 


them. Mix with honey or sirup, equal parts, and give a teaspoon- 
ful three times a day. 

4. Take of pink-root, one ounce; senna and manna, of each, 
half an ounce. Steep in a quart of boiling water. Dose, from a 
teaspoonful to two tablespoonfuls, according to age, once a day; 
and, if the case seems to be urgent, twice a day. Dose, of the 
powdered root of the pink, for an adult, one or two teaspoonfuls; 
for children, five to twenty grains, according to age. See u Table 
of Doses for Children.” 

5. Santonine (the active principle of worm-seed) is now 
regarded as an efficient preparation for the expulsion of worms. 
Dose, one half grain, for three nights in succession, followed, on 
the fourth morning, with a teaspoonful of castor-oil for a child, and 
a tablespoonful for an adult. This medicine can be procured at all 
drug-stores. 

6. Giving, twice a day, injections of a decoction of cabbage- 
leaves, has recently been recommended as efficacious in both the 
round and tape-worm. 

Tape-Worm —1. Take, of the bark of the pomegranate 
root, two ounces; water, two pints; boil to one and a half pints. 
Dose, half a gill, every hour. Four or five doses are generally 
sufficient to expel the worm. 

2. Take half a pint of pumpkin seeds to a pint and a half of 
water; steep to a pint. Drink during the day, and repeat two or 
three days in succession, then follow with a cathartic, and the ex¬ 
pulsion of the worm will often follow. 

3. Give fifteen or twenty drops of the oil of male fern at 
night, and the same in the morning. Two or three hours after the 
second dose, give an active cathartic. Castor-oil and turpentine 
will answer; two tablespoonfuls of the former and one teaspoonful 
of the latter. If the worm is dead, it will pass away without any 
unpleasant symptoms. Should the medicine fail in expelling the 
worm, the doses, somewhat increased, are to be repeated. If the 
powdered root is given, the dose is two teaspoonfuls, in the same 
way as the oil. 

4. The sweet fern is said to be equally as effective in expelling 
these worms as the male fern. Drink a pint of the decoction each 
day, or take one or two tablespoon ful s of the powder, to be followed 
on the fifth day with a purge. 

5. Ten to fifteen drops of spirits of turpentine, two or three 
times a day, followed by a dose of castor-oil has frequently been 
used with success. 

It should be remembered that all remedies for this species of 
worm should be taken in the morning, and on an empty stomach, 
and that but little food should be taken until the medicine operates 
on the bowels. 

Accessory Treatment —The propagation of the most com¬ 
mon varieties of worms, the round and thread, worm, may be pre- 


WORMS. 


325 


vented by the simple application of lard or oil around the anus of 
the patient. It has been observed that light and air are necessary 
to the propagation of some varieties of intestinal worms in horses 
and other animals, and Mr. Haserick states that the female holds 
on or grasps the mucous membrane within the sphincter ani, and 
then discharges its eggs around the anus; in a few hours these are 
hatched and make their way into the rectum. He has found the 
application of lard around the anus destroys the eggs, and that by 
renewing the application two or three times a day for a week, the 
surface is completely protected, and the egg has no nest for devel- 
opment; consequently, as the worm is short-lived, in the space of 
eight days the animal is free from these parasites. Encouraged by his 
success with animals, this gentleman recommends similar measures 
in the case of children, and with the prospect of equal success. Dr. 
Wood vine, of Boston, confirms Mr. Haserick’s theory. “ After 
many attempts,” he states, “ I succeeded, on the 15th, 16th and 
17th of January, 1869, in satisfying myself that the method by 
which the thread-worm propagates its species is by depositing the 
egg outside of the sphincter ani and around the edge of the anus, 
where, in the space of a few hours, the worms are hatched, and 
make their way into the rectum. In order to ascertain if the eggs 
are thus deposited, I directed the parents of the child afflicted with 
the worms, a few minutes after a paroxysm of itching and pricking 
pain in the rectum had subsided, to take a piece of damp, black 
silk, and, wiping the anus of the child with it, fold it, and send 
it to me. To the naked eye nothing appeared on the silk more 
than a little mucus. This 1 placed in a microscopic cell, and under 
a one-fifth objective found that, on several occasions, I had suc¬ 
ceeded in obtaining large numbers of the eggs, thus confirming the 
observation of Mr. Haserick.” Dr. Hills and Dr. Grosvenor have 
advised this treatment in many cases, with the best result in every 
instance. 

Diet, etc. —To correct the excessive and morbid intestinal 
secretion, considerable changes of diet are generally necessary. 
The food should be taken only at regular hours, and be selected 
with special reference to its digestibility; it may include properly 
cooked animal food, mutton, beef, fowl, also white fish. Cakes, 
pastry, sweetmeats, sweet-made dishes, potatoes, butter, veal and 
pork in any form, should be forbidden. Salt, as a condiment, may 
be taken with the food. 

For feeble children troubled with worms, the following scale 
of diet is recommended by Dr. Eustice Smith, of London, to be 
given in four separate meals in the course of the day: 

First Meal —Fresh milk diluted with a third part of lime- 
water; a small slice of toast, or of dry, stale bread. 

Second Meal —A small mutton-chop, or a slice of roast-beef or 
mutton, without fat; dry toast or stale bread. 


326 


WOKMS. 


Third Meal —A cup of beef-tea or mutton-broth, free from 
grease; the yolk of a lightly boiled egg; dry toast. 

Fourth Meal {if necessary )—The same as the first. It is not 
always easy to persuade children to submit readily to the depriva¬ 
tion of starchy food, for which, and especially for potatoes, there is 
often in these cases a great craving. So long, however, as the 
slimy appearance of the tongue, before described, continues to be 
observed, the above diet should, if possible, be adhered to. When 
potatoes are once more allowed, they must be well boiled, and 
should be afterwards carefully mashed. Steaming is generally the 
best method of cooking potatoes. Gravy may be poured over them 
before they are eaten. In cases where the appetite is lost, and 
there is disgust for food, children often show an especial reluctance 
to take meat. A small bird, as a lark or a snipe, will, however, 
often tempt them, when all others fail. In general, three meals are 
better than four; but whichever arrangement is adopted, no food 
should be allowed between meals. 

General Measures —The general hygienic management of 
children should be conformed to the best principles; children 
should be bathed in the morning, and afterwards rubbed with a 
large towel or sheet till the whole skin is in a glow. An occasional 
warm bath at night is advantageous by aiding the healthy action of 
the skin. Open-air exercise should be taken daily, and when im¬ 
provement has taken place, change of air to the coast or to a brac- 
. ing country is desirable, if only for a short time. Change of air 
tends to perfect and render permanent the treatment recommended. 

Prevention of Worms —Open waters should be avoided 
either for drink or for use in the preparation of food, into 
which the carcases of animals are liable to have been thrown, or 
into which worm-eggs may be washed by rain or other agencies, or 
to which even dogs or other animals have access. All suspected 
water should be previously boiled, distilled or well filtered. 
Decomposing pieces of meat should be destroyed by fire; if thrown 
to dogs or allowed to accumulate on the ground, or even buried, 
worms are propagated and human health and life endangered. 
Eaw or underdone meat, of all kinds, should be carefully avoided. 

Constipation must not exist. With it, a cure of worms will in 
many instances be impossible. 

When a child is troubled with worms, the food may contain an 
extra quantity of salt, but this excess is to be discontinued when it 
is rid of the worms. 

Worm-troubles are not so common as generally supposed. 
Almost every irritation or abnormal condition of a child is attrib¬ 
uted by the parents and others to the presence of worms, and the 
little sufferer is often made worse by the use of medicines. 

In no case, however, ought the child to be purged and medi¬ 
cated for worms unless it is quite positive that such are present. 


WEN-WHITE SWELLING—HIP DISEASE. 


327 


Rarely do they exist without some evidence being shown by dis¬ 
charges; hence these should be carefully examined. 

Large sums of money are annually spent in the way of doctors’ 
bills and for patent worm-medicines, which are usually worse than 
thrown away. 

Worms, in young children, are frequently owing to the gen¬ 
eral deficiency of salt in their food. Abundance of sugar will 
always be found there, but frequently no salt, or a mere tribe. 
Experience has fully demonstrated that, when food is sweetened 
with salt, and only a little sugar is added, to give it taste, the best 
of results are affected, preventing worms as well as many other dis¬ 
orders of children. 


WEN, OR SEBACEOUS TUMOR. 

This is a tumor composed of fatty matter, and inclosed in a 
sac beneath the skin, occurring from obstruction of the secretory 
ducts. 

These tumors occur on various parts of the surface of the body, 
are smooth, non-elastic, pendulous and movable; they slowly increase 
without pain, often to a very great size. 

Remedies —1. Take the yolk of eggs; beat up, and add as 
much fine salt as the number you have will dissolve, and apply it, as 
a plaster to the w T en, every twelve hours. It cures, without much 
pain or any inconvenience. 

2. Prick or cut the wen with a needle or sharp knife, just 
sufficient to cause it to bleed, then wet it thoroughly with a strong 
solution of copperas water, once a day. “ This, followed for four 
weeks, cured a man who had six or eight of them, some of them on 
the head as large as a hen’s egg.”— Dr. Chase. 

The usual method, however, of disposing of wens, is to have 
them cut out by a surgeon. 

Kernels, or Small Glandular Swelling's —Mix a little 
turpentine with cayenne, and place it upon any hard tumor or 
kernel. This will u scatter,” or disperse it. Tincture of camphor 
will also effect the same purpose. A cloth is to be applied and kept 
saturated with it. 


WHITE SWELLING—HIP-DISEASE. 

This is a very inveterate and painful disease, and is usually 
seated on some of the joints of the body; principally the hip, knee, 
ankle and elbow. As the name implies, the skin remains white, 
even in great indammation. Sometimes it is rather mild in its 
character, at other times exceedingly painful; and the seat of the 
pain is in the periosteum or covering of the bone, which in most 




328 


WHITE SWELLING-HIP DISEASE. 


cases becomes diseased and scales off. It is peculiar to children and 
those of scrofulous habits. 

Causes —A taint of the blood, cold, injuries, etc. 

Symptoms —In the commencement, there is a very severe 
pain felt deep in the joint, and when the child or person moves the 
pain becomes intolerable. As it progresses there is swelling, but no 
redness; a shining whiteness, with hardness or callus. It slowly 
increases till the swelling is very considerable and the distress great, 
and suppuration ensues. There is a discharge of matter from a 
number of openings. The limb wastes, becomes bent, and when in 
the hip, osseous matter fills up the joint and slowly dislocates the 
head of the bone, either causing permanent dislocation or stiffness; 
fleshy excrescences shoot out from the ulcers, showing that the bone 
is affected, and in the process of time there are generally small pieces 
of bone detached. The patient is very thin and pale, with much 
constitutional disturbance, hectic fever, etc. 

Kemeclies — 1 . Dr. Howard, of Philadelphia, says that the 
root of bear’s foot, is a sure cure for white swelling. The following 
is his mode of preparing it: Boil the root in any kind of oil or lard, 
and make it into an ointment. Apply it to the swollen parts three 
times a day; after each bathing, place a flannel cloth over the 
swelling, when, having a flat-iron heated to a suitable temperature, 
it should be ironed by passing the iron quickly over the flannel for 
a short time. The ironing not only facilitates the absorption of the 
ointment, but also relaxes the parts and stimulates the languid 
vessels to more vigorous action, thus assisting in the removal of the 
disease. 

This method of removing white swelling was kept a secret and 
employed with uniform success by a woman for several years. It 
has effected cures in many instances, after all other means had been 
tried in vain. One case is related of a very severe character, in 
which the swelling had extended from the hip to the ankle, that was 
cured with this remedy in one month. 

2. A valuable remedy for this disease to be used internally, is 
the compound sirup of stillingia, which can be had at all drug 
stores, to which should be added ten grains of iodide of potash to the 
pint; after which give one tablespoonful three times a day. 

If the disease progresses, gathers and breaks, poultices of elm- 
bark and others of an emollient nature are to be used. It may be 
dressed as other ulcers. See “ Ulcers,” treated on another page. 

Accessory Treatment —Pain arising from this disease may 
be instantly eased thus: Take the white of an egg and beat it up 
with two tablespoonfuls of water; rub the part affected frequently, 
but gently, with the finger. 

For stiff joints and contracted sinews, put a handful of chamo¬ 
mile flowers in a bottle, add sufficient sweet oil to cover them, and 
place in the sun three or four days. Apply this to the affected part 
three or four times a day, and dry it in by means of a hot iron. 


YAWS. 


329 


YAWS (Framboesia). 

1 aws is a disease peculiar to tlie negroes, and is said to be 
imported from Africa. It is propagated by contagion. It occa¬ 
sionally attacks white people, but they are not so liable to it as the 
blacks. Like the small pox, it only affects the person once during 
life. 

Symptoms —This disease appears first in the form of small 
pimples on different parts of the body, generally on the face, neck 
and arms. These pustules gradually enlarge, ancl terminate in small 
blisters, sometimes half an inch in diameter, and discharge a thin, 
whitish fluid, which gradually forms into a scab. 

Accompanying the appearance of the eruption, there are always 
more or less headache, pains in the limbs, general debility, loss of 
appetite, and sometimes chills alternating with fever. The period 
during which the eruption lasts may vary from a few weeks to 
several months, new crops of pustules appearing often as fast as the 
previous ones have disappeared. Sometimes, from some of the 
larger pustules, red fungous excrescences will appear, resembling red 
raspberries. 

Remedies —During the first, or the eruptive stage of this 
disease, bathe the surface of the body with warm saleratus or lye- 
water, once a day, and give freely of catnip, sage or pennyroyal-tea. 
If the patient is costive, give a teaspoonful, three times a day, of 
cascara cordial, or injections of warm water. It will also be well to 
put the patient in a warm bath about every other day, for half an 
hour at a time. He should also take exercise every day, but avoid 
exposure to cold. The diet should be light and purely vegetable. 

When the scabs begin to form, give a half teacupful of strong 
tea, made of equal parts of burdock-root and sassafras, three times a 
day; or, if these cannot be had, give a tea of yellow parilla and yaw 
( Stillingia ), or any two of them. The dandelion-root makes a good 
tea for this purpose. 

If ulcers remain, wash them, once or twice a day, and dress 
with some good healing salve. 

If there is much inflammation and soreness, apply at night an 
elm-bark poultice. Should ulcers form on the bottoms of the feet, 
bathe them often in warm water, and treat them as common ulcers. 

This treatment will usually be sufficient to cure this disease. 

Prof. King gives the following course of treatment in the second 
stage: “ In the second stage, when the eruptions begin to dry off, 
give the compound sirup of sarsaparilla or the compound sirup of 
stillingia, in doses of two teaspoonfuls three times a day; and this 
should be continued until all the scabs fall off. Should a foul ulcer 
remain, it may frequently be washed with the tincture of muriate of 
iron. The soles of the feet are apt to confine the discharge, when the 
yaws attack this part, thereby producing extensive ulceration of the 
feet. The best application in such cases is a dressing of the red- 


330 


YAWS. 


oxide-of-lead plaster, with a poultice of elm and poppy leaves. Any 
hard swellings which remain on the feet may be removed by bathing 
the feet in warm water until the swellings become soft, and then 
touching them with caustic potash, to produce a sore, and then 
dressing it with an elm-poultice, to which yeast may be added.” 


DIVISION SIXTH. 


WOMAN IN HEALTH AND DISEASE. 


DEVELOPMENT OF WOMANHOOD. 


When a girl has reached that condition when she is capable of 
child-bearing, we saj she has reached the age of puberty; we cease 
to speak of her thereafter as a girl, and begin to designate her as a 
young woman. The changes that take place are constitutional, and 
their approach is indicated by most interesting and important de¬ 
velopments. These appear in every aspect, both mental and physi¬ 
cal; there is fuller development of the form, more roundness, sym¬ 
metry and grace of motion, while new life animates the countenance. 
Specifically is noticed the enlargement of the pelvis, which now 
takes on more and more its distinctive sexual character; the breasts 
develop and add charm to the general contour of form; their rela¬ 
tions and sympathy with the womb are recognized; the voice 
acquires greater fullness and softness; the hair has a stronger and 
more luxuriant growth; the neck, chest and arms sympathize in the 
general awakening of the whole being, and more fullness of outline 
and freshness of complexion, with distinctive feminine ways, mark 
the budding into young womanhood. 

This combination of attractions which marks the epoch of 
puberty is, no doubt, designed to subserve the purpose of alluring 
the opposite sex, and so securing the great object for which the 
female was created—the reproduction of the species. 

Corresponding with the external changes coincident with pub¬ 
erty are internal ones, occurring especially in the ovaries and womb, 
which now become fully developed, both as to size and activity. In 
short, the woman has now, as a rule, acquired the power to con- 
• ceive. 

The mind, too, at this period grows rapidly; the mental 
capacity enlarges, the imagination becomes more vivid, and the 
nervous system exhibits a heightened sensibility. 

Maternal Instruction —As puberty advances, no mother 
should neglect to teach her daughter to expect the change which is 
about to take place, so that the first appearance of the menstrual 
flow may neither be arrested by the alarm naturally felt at some¬ 
thing hitherto inexperienced or unknown, nor by the dangerous ap¬ 
plications to which in her ignorance she may otherwise secretly 





332 


MENSTRUATION. 


resort. Some young women view the development of this function 
with such disgust that they expose themselves carelessly or pur¬ 
posely during the period to cold and wet, or use cold baths or other 
means of suppression, and thus finally bring on disordered men¬ 
struation and permanent ill health; contracting diseases which are 
constant reminders of a mother’s neglect, and which the innocent, 
ignorant girl bears through all her future life of suffering and 
useless regrets. The mistakes here committed are rarely, if ever, 
remedied. Consumption or some other form of disease equally 
fatal, claims the unfortunate victim. 


MENSTRUATION. 

The menstrual function, which is variously termed menses, 
periods, catamenia or courses, is one of the most important func¬ 
tions of the female organization, and constitutes a real monthly 
crisis. It consists of the exudation of a sanguineous fluid, chiefly 
from the body of the womb, the average quantity being from four 
to six ounces at each period, and is attended by a congested state of 
the womb, ovaries and contiguous organs. The course of the menses 
recurs, in the majority of instances, when regular, every twenty- 
eighth day, the very day on which it had appeared four weeks pre¬ 
viously. This occurring every lunar month, from which fact the 
ancients called it the Moon’s disease. The duration of a menstrual 
period varies in different persons, the most common and normal 
being about four days. 

The menstrual fluid is eliminated from the uterine vessels, and 
is considered by some as a true secretion, and by others as a dis¬ 
charge of pure blood. The latter opinion is the correct one, for it 
is blood, and not a mere secretion, although prevented from coagu¬ 
lating by being blended with the acid secretion of the womb and 
vagina. 

Uses of Menstruation —Two ends seem to be especially 
secured by this function: 1st, the relief of the general system, by 
the discharge of the superabundant blood which, during pregnancy, 
is appropriated to the formation and growth of the fetus; 2nd, a 
vicarious satisfaction of the sexual instinct, thus shielding female 
chastity. The modern doctrine, however, is that menstruation takes 
place when the ovum, not having been impregnated, undergoes de¬ 
generation, and is cast off with an escape of blood from the con¬ 
gested womb in sufficient quantity to relieve the congestion. 

First Menstruation —In this country the most common 
time for the occurrence of the first menstruation is from the four¬ 
teenth to the sixteenth year, although the age is liable to consider¬ 
able variations. In hot climates it commences at an earlier, and in 
cold climates at a more advanced age. The occurrence of menstrua- 



MENSTRUATION. 


333 


tion in this country one or two, or even three years earlier than the 
fourteenth year, or as much later than the sixteenth, is not suffi¬ 
ciently uncommon to justify any medical interference when the 
health is otherwise good. This variation as to time or age is at¬ 
tributed to physical development, which is also dependent upon 
surrounding circumstances, such as heredity, exercise, atmosphere, 
habits of life, etc., etc. Menstruation commences earlier in cities 
and large towns than in the country. It also occurs in the daughters 
of the rich, who have every comfort and luxury, everything which 
enervates and relaxes, or excites, at least nine months before it does 
in those of the industrious classes of the community in the most 
comfortable circumstances, and full fourteen months, on the 
average, before it appears in the poorest classes. 

It is satisfactorily established that in every country and climate 
the period of the first menstruation may be retarded, in very many 
cases, much beyond the average age, often without producing ill- 
health or other inconvenience. Probably the most successful mode 
of managing young ladies is to bring them as far toward the per¬ 
fection of womanhood as possible before the appearance of the 
menses, at least until the fourteenth or fifteenth year. With this 
object in view, the following suggestions are offered: 

Preventing too Early Menstruation —The use of hot 
baths, especially with the addition of mustard, should be avoided; 
also indulgence in the use of hot, spiced and stimulating food and 
drinks; living in overheated or badly ventilated rooms; excessive 
dancing, novel-reading, too much sitting and late hours: such habits 
and indulgences tend to occasion precocious, frequent, copious or 
irregular menstruation. The education, including the general habits 
of our present social condition, the insane ambition and desire of 
parents to force children prematurely into ladies and gentlemen when 
they should be playing with dolls or marbles and enjoying the pure 
invigorating air of field and wood, and drinking in at every breath 
present health and the foundation of future happiness, too fre¬ 
quently give such a pressure of training that the successive stages 
of life are hurried through, and the tastes and peculiarities of one 
period are anticipated in that which should precede it. Thus, mere 
boys in age and physical development become young men and girls 
young ladies before they leave school. Such is the precocity which 
the habits and fashions of the present generation engender. 

On the other hand, regular, healthy occupation of both the 
body and the mind; the daily use of baths, or sponging over the 
entire surface of the body; free exercise in the open air; cool, well 
ventilated rooms; plain, digestible diet, and abstinence from hot tea, 
coffee and alcoholic stimulants, tend to the healthy and highest de¬ 
velopment of the female form and constitution. 

Sudden Menstruation —It is not always, however, that 
this function advances gradually and in harmony with the changes 
described. Menstruation may occur for the first time prematurely, 


334 


MENSTRUATION. 


and be caused by a severe fall, violent jumping, great mental emo¬ 
tion, etc. In such cases there may be a considerable flow, amount¬ 
ing in some instances to absolute flooding, and lasting for several 
days. It is important that these facts should be known by mothers, 
so that in sudden and extreme instances they may maintain their 
own composure and inspire it in others. 

Remedies —If this should result from mental emotion, add 
three drops of the tincture of aconite-root to half a tumblerful of 
water, and give a teaspoonful every two hours. If occasioned by 
injury or severe physical exertion, arnica in the same quantity, and 
in the same doses, together with rest in the lying posture, light 
covering, a cool and well ventilated apartment and cool drinks, will 
often be sufficient to modify the discharge; but if they do not, they 
will at least suitably precede the application of the more detailed 
treatment suggested under “ Excessive Menstruation.” 

In other cases, the occurrence of the menses may be long de¬ 
layed, and the delay attended with excessive languor, drowsiness, 
periodic sickness, fretfulness, irritability or frequent change of tem¬ 
per, violent pain in the head or along the spine and in the region of 
the bowels, a feeling of weight or fullness in the pelvic region, 
with bearing-down or dragging sensation, tenderness or heat: these 
may alternate with feverish reaction, with nervous symptoms, or 
even with spasms. The local symptoms and their periodicity are 
the most characteristic. 

In some females, the establishment of menstruation may be 
accompanied by derangements of the venous, digestive or lymphatic 
systems; and unless successfully treated at this period, these dis¬ 
turbances may be present, in a greater or less degree, during every 
subsequent recurrence of the menstrual discharge during the 
entire period of subsequent life. 

If the menstrual function, as it is also termed, be well and 
healthily established, new and vigorous impulses will be given to 
every nerve and organ, and the entire system will acquire superior 
forces for resisting influences adverse to health. But carelessness 
or mock modesty may render this period extremely dangerous in 
the propagation of new forms of disease, or in the development of 
any latent germs of disorder which have existed from birth, as an 
inheritance from a mother suffering from some violation of nature’s 
laws. Hence, the first appearance of the menses should be looked 
for with some care and anxiety on the part of the mother or guar¬ 
dian, and when it is long retarded, the general health disturbed, and 
the remedies suggested in this work appear inoperative in aiding 
the desired change, professional advice should be sought without 
delay. False delicacy and improper treatment have needlessly 
undermined the health of thousands. 


DELAY OF THE FIRST MENSTRUATION. 


335 


DELAY AND SUPPRESSION OF THE MENSES, 

(Am enorrhea). 

The term Amenorrhea is used to describe absence of the 
menstrual discharge, and is usually considered under three divi- 
sions, namely: 1st., Emansio mensium , a delay of the menses, 
although the person has attained the proper age; 2nd, Suppressio 
mensium, in which they have appeared, but as the consequence of a 
cold or some other cause are arrested; and, 3d, Retentio mensium , in 
which they accumulate in the uterus and vagina, frcm what is techni¬ 
cally termed imperforate hymen ; or more frequently, from occlusion 
of the vagina by the healing of ulcers, the consequence of sloughing 
after difficult labors. This condition usually requires surgical meas¬ 
ures for its relief. 

Delay of the menses, where the age is reached when they should 
be expected, need give no uneasiness. The delay involves neither 
danger nor suffering, and should be left to nature to deal with. 
The only danger is that the imperfectly developed organs may be 
permanently injured by the improper use of forcing medicines. 
Suppressed menses, on the other hand, are of frequent occurrence 
and require prompt and careful treatment. 

Causes —Suppression may arise from a physiological cause, 
such as pregnancy; frequently, however, it is the consequence of 
weakness from sedentary, in-door occupations, combined with want 
of fresh air and sufficient rest; excessive loss of blood; chronic and 
acute diseases; sexual excesses and mechanical obstructions; or it 
may occur suddenly during the flow, from the exposure to cold and 
damp, such as getting the feet wet, sitting on the ground, eating 
ices, violent emotions—anger, terror, fright, etc.,—or from any other 
cause which abruptly shocks the system. Suppression, for two or 
three periods, without pregnancy, sometimes occurs after marriage, 
simply as the consequence of excessive excitement. Wearing thin- 
soled shoes is a fruitful source of the decay of female beauty and 
the decline of female health. 

Another prolific cause of this difficulty, as well as many other 
diseases of females, is tight wearing apparel, which is scarcely sec¬ 
ond, in its injurious effects, to that arch-enemy of health, intem¬ 
perance.' This is the one cause of the insignificantly small and 
compressed waists, which the perverted tastes of this wicked and 
unregenerate age regard as the beau ideal of female beauty, the 
personification of grace and the perfection of feminine loveliness. 
What an exhibition of human folly and idiotic blindness. What a 
marvel of inconsistency and presumption is the vain attempt of 
woman to render more beautiful and attractive that ‘‘form divine,” 
the conception of which received its immaculate impress when the 
“ morninof stars sarm together, and all the sons of God shouted for 

O O O 1 

joy.” 

Symptoms —When all the external signs of womanhood have 


336 


DELAY OF THE FIRST MENSTRUATION. 


appeared and menstruation does not occur, but there is aching, 
fullness and heaviness of the head, bleeding from the nose, palpita¬ 
tion of the heart, shortness of breath on slight exertion, weariness of 
the limbs, loss of color in the cheeks, general languor, pains in the 
small of the back, in the lower part of the bowels and down the 
inside of the thighs—these may be regarded as so many indications 
that nature is seeking to establish this important function. 

Remedies —1. For this difficulty, there are three remedies, 
either of which is readily obtained, and will usually give prompt 
relief. They are the vervain-root, the garden-beet and the black 
cohosh. The first, the vervain, is found growing plentifully almost 
everywhere, or may be procured at any drug-store. Half a teacupful 
of the decoction of it is to be drunk, three or four times a day. 
When the patient is subject to this difficulty, she should commence 
its use a few days before the time the menses are expected to 
return. When a decoction of the root of the cohosh is used, it is 
employed in a like manner as to dose, etc., as the vervain. The 
tincture is given in doses of a teaspoonful, three times a day. The 
beet is used in tincture, the dose of which is a teaspoonful, three 
times a day. Either of the above remedies is efficacious, and patients 
can use the one which is the most convenient for them to obtain. 

2. Almost every lady is familiar with the ordinary means em¬ 
ployed in relieving suppression of the menses; namely, bathing the 
feet in hot water, and drinking freely of tea made of pennyroyal, 
tansy, etc. 

3. Take, of 

Grated horse-radish.-J teacupful. 

Good gin.1 pint. 

Mix, and give for a dose, from one-lialf to a tablespoonful, twice a 
day, and this difficulty will soon be relieved. 

4. Borax is now used in the treatment of this complaint. It is 
a new remedy and a successful one. Italso facilitates labor in child¬ 
birth. The dose is from one-fourth to half a teaspoonful, three 
times a day. 

5. When this difficulty originates from cold, “ there is nothing,” 
says Dr. Bundy, “that I have ever used that equals the hair-capped 
moss, known also as birds’ wheat. A strong infusion of it is to be 
freely and frequently taken. In some cases the continuation of this 
and smart-weed, in equal parts, answers a better purpose than if 
given alone. These infusions should be drunk as warm as possible, 
and the feet placed in warm water for thirty minutes, at bed-time.” 

Accessory Treatment —The cause of the suppression and 
the co-existing impairment of the general health should be carefully 
inquired into, and, if possible, removed. All physical or mental 
depression, undue excitement, night-air, late hours," highly seasoned 
and stimulating food and drink, should be avoided" The meals 
should be taken with regularity, and under pleasant and cheerful 
influences, the stomach never overloaded, the food simple, nourish- 




PAINFUL MENSTRUATION. 


337 


ing, not too great a variety at one meal, and only such as lias been 
uniformly found easy of digestion. The drink should be milk and 
water, cocoa, black tea in moderation and pure water. Green tea, 
coffee and other stimulating drinks should be omitted, unless pre¬ 
scribed by competent authority. Out-of-door exercise, useful employ¬ 
ment and agreeable company or books—in short, every means should 
be adopted that is calculated to give constitutional vigor. While 
hoping for a return of the menstrual discharge, the exercise of 
patience is sometimes necessary, as the general health is often 
greatly improved before this crowning evidence of cure is obtained. 


PAINFUL MENSTRUATION (Dysmenorrhea). 

Causes —These are chiefly as follows: A congested condition 
of the secretory vessels of the uterus, disease of the ovaries, invet¬ 
erate constipation, and a contracted canal of the neck of the womb. 
In obstinate constipation, the rectum may become so distended with 
impacted fecal matter as by its pressure on the neck of the womb 
to render the escape of the menstrual fluid difficult and painful. 
Ovarian irritation, sometimes induced by self-abuse, is not an in¬ 
frequent cause. Persons of a neuralgic, hysteric or rheumatic ten¬ 
dency generally suffer much pain at the menstrual period. 

Symptoms —Severe bearing-down pains in the uterine region, 
resembling the pains of labor and occurring in paroxysms; aching 
in the small of the back, loins, pelvis, and sometimes extending to 
the limbs; headache, flushed cheeks, hurried breathing, palpitation; 
cutting and pressing pains in the abdomen. The pain sometimes 
precedes the flow several hours, or even days, and continues for a 
longer or shorter period, and may cease or continue when the dis¬ 
charge is established. At other times the pain continues till a 
membranous substance is expelled, when a healthy discharge may 
take place, or it may entirely cease. In some cases the breasts, the 
counterparts of the female generative organs, become extremely 
sensitive and painful. Patients subject to this affection are gener¬ 
ally troubled with confined bowels, frequent headaches, from con¬ 
gestion in the inter-monthly period, and are often sterile from abor¬ 
tion which occurs at the menstrual cycle. 

Remedies —1. In many cases of this difficulty a spirit- 
vapor bath affords immediate relief. Directions for preparing 
and using this bath will be found under the head of “ Vapor Bath.” 
In mild cases the warm hip-bath will be found equally effective. 

2. Another efficacious means is, when the menstrual pains are 
severe, or the patient is more than usually weak, put across the 
small of the back, over the kidneys and reaching to the loins, a 
girdle of flax-seed poultice, well sprinkled with pulverized cam¬ 
phor. 


22 



338 


PAINFUL MENSTRUATION. 


3. A new remedy for this difficulty is the high cranberry 
(Viburnum opulus), which comes to us very highly recommended, 
and we apprehend that it will accomplish all that is claimed for it. 
A tincture of the bark is to be taken, in three or four-drop doses, 
twice a day, commencing a week previously to the expected period. 
When the pain sets in give it every two hours. It is equally use¬ 
ful for the severe false pains which sometimes precede labor. It is 
of great value for after-pains, and a dose should be given after 
every pain. For the mode of preparing tinctures, see Tinctures.” 
A tea of the bark may be as effective as the tincture, but it has not 
been so thoroughly tested. 

4. Take, of 

Grated horse-radish. -2 teacupful. 

Good gin. 1 pint. 

Mix. Dose, from one-half to a tablespoonful, three times a 
day. Ladies who have used this remedy assert that they have never 
found anything equal to it. It is also valuable for suppressed men¬ 
struation. 

Accessory Treatment —Attention must be directed to those 
general rules for the recovery of health which are prominently 
dwelt upon in this book, and form the basis of the correct treat¬ 
ment of disease of every nature. Daily, active exercise in the open 
air; regular and early hours; plain, wholesome diet; abstinence 
from wine, coffee and green tea; and the avoidance of influences 
that disturb the mind and temper, are important accessories in the 
treatment. 

During the intervals between menstruation, the cold or warm 
bath should be used, the one the patient finds to be best adapted to 
her. During the periods, the bath should be tepid, and, in any 
case, vigorous friction should follow. 

All sexual intercourse must be positively avoided for two 
or three days, at least, preceding the appearance of each menstrual 
period, and every unnatural habit that may have been insidiously 
acquired must be utterly abandoned. As palliatives, during the 
period, hot bottles or flannels wrung out of hot water, and applied 
to the lower part of the abdomen, or warm hip-baths in which the 
patient may remain for twenty or thirty minutes, or an enema of as 
hot water as the patient can comfortably bear, generally give effec¬ 
tual relief to the distressing aching and weariness that at times ac¬ 
company this monthly function. Rest, both just before and during 
the period, is also an important addition to the successful treatment 
of this complaint. Attention must be given to the dress. No 
other cause is so powerful in the production of this difficulty as the 
pressure of corsets and skirt-strings and the dragging weight of 
the skirts on the abdomen. By these means the womb is displaced 
and the spine is weakened. Tight clothing is destroying the health , 
and carrying to premature graves thousands and tens of thousands 
annually. 




EXCESSIVE MENSTRUATION. 


339 


The following directions, in this affection, are highly recom¬ 
mended by a medical author: “ For painful menstruation and low 
circulation, we prescribe magnetic manipulations. If you cannot 
avail yourself of this treatment, then, as a substitute, wear a fur or 
nice soft wool garment below your waist, enveloping the entire ab¬ 
domen and the hips, which should be put on and worn constantly 
about three days before the flow commences, and taken off two or 
three days subsequent to the cessation. If your feet and body are 
painfully cold after retiring for the night, your best remedy is very 
ong, fur stockings, and mittens of the same, with neatly fitting 
wristlets. Wear these only at night. Fur soles within your shoes 
during the day, or moccasins. Lamb-skins, with wool next to your 
body, will answer in place of certain kinds of fur. The fur should 
always be worn with the flesli-side inward.” 

When the painful menstruation is caused by a wrong position 
of the womb, this must first be cured before it can be removed. 
When it is owing to a narrowing of the neck of the womb, this 
must be overcome by the careful employment of bougies. They 
can be procured at all drug stores. Or, instead of bougies, tents of 
various sizes may be made of twine, or silk cord, etc., and, after 
dipping them in the following preparation, be introduced into the 
canal of the neck of the womb, and be retained there by plugging 
up the vagina with soft pieces of old muslin, etc. 

Take of extract of belladonna ten grains, powdered borax forty 
grains, wax half an ounce ; melt the wax, rub in the extract and 
borax, and when cool dip in the tent; when cold, but soft so as not to 
stick to the fingers, smooth it by passing the fingers over it. 

In the introduction of these tents great care must be observed, 
and if they cause any unpleasant symptoms they must be removed, 
and not be introduced again until all such symptoms have passed 
away. An intelligent female is just as capable of introducing these 
tents as a physician. They should vary in size from that of a knit¬ 
ting-needle to that of a goose quill, and about an inch and a half 
in length, always beginning with the smallest first, and in every five 
or ten days increasing the size. A piece of soft wood may be 
whittled down to the size of the little finger, and a hole be made in 
one end in which to fit the tent. Pass one or two fingers of the left 
hand up to the mouth of the womb, and then with the other hand, 
by means of the stick, and using the fingers of the left hand as a 
guide, carry the tent to the mouth of the womb, and slowly pass it 
in. A piece of thread may be previously fastened to the lower end 
of the tent, by which to remove it, when necessary, from the womb. 


EXCESSIVE MEXSTRUATIOX (Mennorrhagia). 

Causes—Whatever produces too great determination of blood 
to the womb may cause this disease; as too much exercise, strains, 




340 


EXCESSIVE MENSTRUATION. 


injuries, violent passions of the mind, check of perspiration, abor¬ 
tion, difficult or tedious labors, and debility arising from any cause, 
such as drinking freely of warm, enervating drinks, tea and coffee, 
want of exercise and too frequent sexual indulgence. 

Symptoms —An immoderate flow of the menses is often pre¬ 
ceded by headache, giddiness, shortness of breath, and is afterward 
attended with pains in the back and loins, some degree of thirst, 
universal heat, and a frequent, strong, hard pulse; other times, pale¬ 
ness of visage, chilliness, unusual fatigue in exercise, a hurried res¬ 
piration on the slightest effort, pains in the back on remaining any 
length of time in an erect posture, and coldness of the extremities, 
together with loss of appetite, indigestion, and a long train of ner¬ 
vous complaints. 

It is difficult to determine, except approximately, the quantity 
of discharge that should occur at each monthly period; but it varies 
considerably according to constitution, temperament, habits and 
climate. Robust, plethoric females, who eat abundantly and drink 
wine, can bear a comparatively large discharge without inconven¬ 
ience; whilst delicate patients, of relaxed constitution, would quickly 
suffer seriously from excessive discharges. The monthly loss, how¬ 
ever, should never be such as to occasion debility and general ill- 
health. There is a deep-rooted and most dangerous notion current 
that, however great the. discharge may be, if it occur regularly, it is 
in perfect accordance with the economy of nature. When a medi¬ 
cal man directs the parent’s attention to the debility and ill-health 
following an habitually too copious flow, he frequently receives the 
answer, “ She is always so.” The fact of a girl being always so is 
the very reason for adopting such measures as may, if possible, 
prevent her ever being so. 

Remedies —1. The prince’s feather, or amaranth, cultivated 
in gardens for its beautiful red color, is a celebrated remedy for 
this difficulty, and has often cured when all others had failed. A 
decoction is made from the leaves and drunk freely. 

2. Another good preparation for this purpose is to take equal 
parts of alum and nitre, say a teaspoonful of each, divided into 
six equal parts and taken every two to four hours. A decoction of 
blackberry-root is likewise good. 

3. In very mild cases the tincture of cinnamon, given in tea- 
spoonful-doses every hour or two, in a wineglassful of sweetened 
w r ater, will give relief. 

4. A strong infusion of sumach-berries, taken in doses of two 
or three tablespoonfuls, every three hours, is probably not surpassed 
for this difficulty. 

5. Take one part of charcoal, well powdered, and six parts of 
powdered white sugar; that is, in the proportion of one teaspoonful 
of charcoal to six of sugar, and rub them thoroughly together. In 
the absence of a druggist’s mortar in which to prepare or rub them, 
spend twenty or thirty minutes in grinding and mixing them 


CHANGE OF LIFE—CRITICAL AGE. 


341 


together, with a case knife, on a table or smooth surface. Then, of 
this, divide one teaspoonful into four equal parts, and give one of 
these parts for a dose, and repeat every hour. In reference to this 
and the following remedy, Dr. Frost says, u I have used them both 
in my practice and can highly recommend them.” 

6. A powder called bebeerine, which can be procured at drug 
stores. Dose, one-half a grain every three hours. 

Accessory Treatment —The patient should spare herself, 
and maintain a recumbent posture a great deal for a few days be¬ 
fore and especially during the discharge; household duties, particular¬ 
ly lifting or reaching anything high, should he avoided; also warm bev¬ 
erages, even of black tea, and excessive eating and the use of stimu¬ 
lating food and beverages. Cold water is the most suitable drink; 
injections of cold, or even iced water up the bowel are useful, 
especially if the patient is costive or troubled with piles; cool 
vaginal injections, with a female syringe, or the application of hot- 
water spinal bags to the small of the back for half an hour at a 
time, tend to relieve a congested state of the womb. In very 
severe cases, cold, wet cloths suddenly applied over the abdomen so 
as to produce a shock, light covering and the horizontal posture, are 
absolutely necessary; the hips should be as high or higher than the 
shoulders, so as to relieve the uterus of the column of blood, and 
the patient be kept cool, quiet and free from excitement. So long 
as the tendency to this disease continues, every kind of excitement 
should be restricted or avoided altogether. 

There are cases sometimes when it may be necessary to plug the 
vagina. A sponge or handkerchief will do; but common cotton 
wadding, with the backing on it, makes the best plug. Whatever 
is used should be freely smeared with glycerine, and have attached 
to it a piece of tape or twine to facilitate removal. Care should be 
taken to till up and distend the vagina with the plug, otherwise the 
object of using it will be defeated by the oozing out of the blood 
at the sides. The plug should not remain more than twenty-four 
hours; if necessary it may be replaced by another. 


CHANGE OF LIFE—CRITICAL AGE. 

The cessation of the menses commonly occurs in this country 
between the fortieth and fiftieth years, generally about the forty- 
fifth; but, like the first appearance, its termination varies in dif¬ 
ferent women, and is in subordination to the temperament, con¬ 
stitution, climate and habits of the individual There is usually 
some relation between the periods of the first and last menstruation, 
for the cessation occurs at a late period when the first appearance 
was wanting in precociousness. 

Symptoms —Whilst the change is in progres, there is com¬ 
monly* more or less functional disturbance of the general health, 



342 


CHANGE OF LIFE—CRITICAL AGE. 


the nervous system especially manifesting various changes, such 
as vertigo, syncope, headache, Hushes of heat, urinary difficulties, 
pains in the back, extending down the thighs, with creeping sensa¬ 
tions, heat in the lower part of the abdomen, occasional swelling of 
the extremities, itching of the private parts, mental irritability, 
restlessness, culminating sometimes, especially in patients of a 
decidedly nervous temperament, in more profound nervous dis¬ 
orders. 

Sometimes menstruation ceases abruptly. The monthly period 
may be arrested by cold, fright or some illness. Earlier in life the 
suppression would have been followed by a return of menstruation 
after the removal of the cause; but now nature adopts this oppor¬ 
tunity to terminate the function. 

Gradual termination is, however, the more frequent, and is 
attended with the least disturbance of health. In gradual extinc¬ 
tion, one period is missed, and then there is a return; a longer time 
elapses, and there is, perhaps, an excessive flow; afterwards some 
months may pass away without any re-appearance; then there may 
be a scanty discharge, followed, perhaps, by flooding, and at last 
the discharge becomes so scanty and so slightly colored as scarcely 
to attract notice, and then finally disappears. The reproductive 
powers cease with the termination of the function. 

At this critical period there is not infrequently enlargement of 
the abdomen, which, though it may occur at earlier periods of life, 
is due to causes peculiar to this. It may arise from a highly sensi¬ 
tive and enfeebled state of the stomach consequent on sympathy 
with the deranged functions of the womb. Hence there is indiges¬ 
tion, which does not prove amenable to ordinary remedies, but must 
be treated in view of the primary cause. Food and wind accumu¬ 
late, causing painful distention of the abdomen, and attended with 
loss of appetite, depression of spirits, constipation, drowsiness and 
general weakness. Scanty or excessive discharge is also an accom¬ 
paniment. Fibrous tumors of the womb are not uncommon, and by 
their mechanical pressure may cause painful defecation, constipation, 
piles, diarrhea, frequent and painful urination and varicose veins. 

The general opinion that the change of life is a perilous period 
for patients who enter it in a state of disease is, we believe, correct; 
more especially if any womb or constitutional affection exists, for 
this is generally aggravated, the change prolonged, and the cessation 
retarded. 

Causes of Disordered Function —Previous disease of 
the womb; exhausting labors; anxieties arising from the rearing of 
a family, etc.; these trials tend to depress the forces, so that when 
the final efforts which close the sexual life have to be made, the 
nervous system gives way in one shape or another, and various 
aberrations ensue. 

The old notion that menstruation acts as a purifying process is 
no doubt, to some extent, correct; lienee when this function ceases 


REPRODUCTION. 


343 


the blood is liable to become charged with deleterious products. 
This is further liable to be aggravated by the fact that at the 
u change ” the nervous distribution is reversed, and indigestion 
results from disordered or obstructed secretion or excretion. Too 
little open-air exercise increases the evil by favoring torpor of the 
lungs, the bowels, the liver, the kidneys; and the skin acting 
imperfectly, permits the products of waste tissues and of mal- 
• assimilated food to accumulate in the blood. 

Remedies —To control excessive flooding, give the fluid ex¬ 
tract of the New England hemlock (.Pinus Canadensis), in twenty- 
drop doses, every half hour or hour, until the hemorrhage ceases. 
This remedy can be had at all drug stores. Bromide of potash in 
thirty "rain doses, combined with five drop doses of tincture of 
Indian hemp, is exceedingly useful. 

Accessory Treatment —A light and nourishing, but not 
an extra diet should be allowed; wine and malt liquors are generally 
unsuitable, for an accustomed discharge is about to cease or has 
already ceased, and the system is liable to oppression and the patient 
to complaints of weakness; but this weakness is generally sensational 
rather than real. If, to remove the languor and inactivity present, 
stimulants and generous diet be allowed, some important organs will 
most likely suffer. Small quantities of spirits are sometimes pre¬ 
scribed to remove the distressing sensations commonly felt in this 
period, and are generally taken by the patient with great satisfaction; 
but their good effects are only temporary, while their continued use 
is often most mischievous. Veal, pork, salt-meat, pastry and made 
dishes should be avoided; vegetables in season, well cooked, with 
beef, mutton, whitefish or fresh game may be taken in moderation 
once a day. Cocoa or cold water forms the best drink for breakfast, 
and one small cup of tea for the evening meal. The sleeping-room 
should be cool and well ventilated, and the patient should sleep on a 
mattress. The changes of the weather should be guarded against 
by appropriate dress, and exercise taken daily in the open air. 


REPRODUCTION. 

Marriage —The question of the marriage of unsuitable per¬ 
sons, or of marriage at an unsuitable age, is often either disregarded 
or viewed from too narrow a stand-point, as if it only concerned the 
individuals forming the alliance. Our responsibility, however, 
imposes on us the duty of enforcing the truth that the health, happi¬ 
ness and material greatness of future generations are involved in 
such marriages. No one but the physiologist, the profound student 
of nature, and the physician, the ones who see human nature in 
all, even in its darkest aspects, can fully appreciate the subject, or 
accurately trace its workings in society. The several points here 




344 


REPRODUCTION. 


only briefly alluded to are of pressing importance and should be 
seriously pondered in their bearings, by persons contemplating 
marriage and by parents and guardians. 

Marriageable Age —From twenty to twenty-five years of 
age, when nature has perfected and completed the organic structures, 
and all stand forth as a harmonious healthy whole, may be stated as 
the most suitable time of life for contracting marriage on the part of 
women. Although the function of menstruation commences from 
the fourteenth to the sixteenth year, yet the female constitution is 
not sufficiently formed and matured till twenty or twenty-one years 
of age to permit of marriage without risk of injury to health and 
comfort. Climate has much to do in perfecting the human frame. 
In the tropics, women mature quite early in life, much earlier than 
in the temperate zone, where some exceptions may exist to this in 
persons who have acquired at about nineteen that physical and 
mental perfection which the majority of persons in this country only 
attain some years later. On the other hand, too late marriages fre¬ 
quently entail much discomfort, and the children of such parents are 
very sickly and die prematurely. But these points are more fully 
and separately considered further on. 

Precocious Marriage — Physiology clearly teaches that 
both animals and plants must acquire full development before they 
are capable of reproducing their species in the highest and most 
vigorous condition. Too early marriage often results in arrest of 
development, a shattered constitution, and generally impaired health 
in the mother; such marriages are also generally less fertile, and the 
children who are the product of them are weak, puny and have an 
increased rate of mortality. Further, premature marriage, by 
anticipating the demands of nature, increases the sufferings and 
dangers of child-birth. Anatomical facts may also be briefly cited 
to confirm the correctness of our conclusions. The perfect ossifica¬ 
tion of the pelvic bones and their complete union to one another do 
not usually take place till after twenty years of age; nor is it till 
about this period that the pelvis has fully assumed the form and 
shape and distinctive sexual features so admirably suited for the 
functions of child-bearing. It is well known that the pelvis of the 
two sexes differ but little till puberty; but at that period the female 
pelvis begins to assume its striking characteristics; its cavity be¬ 
comes capacious and broad in both its diameters, and the inlet and 
outlet also enlarge. These and other characters, so necessary for 
maternity, are not fully developed till after that maturity of growth, 
the process of years, which only commences about the time of 
puberty. “ When I am consulted,” writes the celebrated M. Joulin, 
“ as to the propriety of a marriage for subjects who are too young, 
I am accustomed to respond to the parents that they should not 
marry their daughter until for a year at least after her stature had 
ceased to increase. This is the epoch I fix for the full physiological 
maturity.” The early exercise of the sexual functions of the lower 


REPRODUCTION. 


345 


animals does not disprove our argument. The life of the sheep, for 
example, is much briefer, its office much more material, and 
its sexual propensities are therefore manifested at a much earlier 
age. 

Marriage, moreover, if suitable and happy, lengthens life. The 
relative influence of marriage and celibacy on the duration of life 
has been ascertained; and the result is that the mortality is con¬ 
siderably less, both among men and women, in the married state, 
than among the unmarried and widowed. This opinion has been 
frequently controverted; and it has been affirmed that longevity, 
instead of being a consequence of marriage, is simply a co-relation 
of it; that they are concomitant results of the same cause, viz.: con¬ 
stitutional vigor. Where the reproductive instincts are strong the 
surplus vital energy is great, and the organization is likely to last. 
This may be true, but we nevertheless think that well-assorted mar¬ 
riage lengthens life. 

In thus recording our matured opinion on this subject, we may 
be excused detailing, in a domestic work, the varied kinds of evi¬ 
dence on which it is based. Let the inquiring mind look around 
and somewhat beneath the surface of society, carefully examine 
what will thus come to view, and proof will be ample and varied 
that deferment of marriage many years beyond the period indicated 
is not always consistent with physical and moral well-being. We 
may be permitted to say,in this age of literature much speculation 
has been indulged in by pretentious writers who have no claim and 
are entirely unfitted to pronounce opinions on so vital a subject. 
Marriage is a holy estate and the most important epoch in the 
history of two of God’s creatures, and such being the fact, it should 
never be entered upon unless after mature reflection and thorough 
acquaintance. The entire round of life should be one of perfect con¬ 
geniality, a thorough reciprocity of thought, sentiment and idea with 
also a similarity in physical organism. All things being equal, the 
marriage relation may be entered upon when the physical organism 
has arrived at maturity, nor is it prudent before that period. When 
once that state is entered, then arises those physiological questions 
relating to the good of the race—its living present and its great 
future, for it is one of God’s truths “ we live not for ourselves alone.” 
We live in the next generation through our children; therefore, the 
theory of reproduction is one of more than passing thought, and to 
bring this great subject properly and comprehensively before the 
minds of the present generation, the greatest writers of the world 
have enlisted the aid of science and scientific labor and research to 
advance knowledge by the establishment of facts, and make them so 
plain that “lie who runs may read.” 

Disproportionate Ages — A considerable disproportion 
between the ages of the husband and wife is to be avoided. When 
circumstances are favorable to such an arrangement, there should 
not be more than five to eight years difference between the ages of 


346 


REPRODUCTION. 


the man and the woman, though there are exceptions to this rule, 
the husband being the senior. 

Ill Health a Contra-Indication— A little reflection will 
convince any one of the disastrous consequences likely to spring 
from the marriage of unhealthy persons. The fact cannot be dis¬ 
puted, though appreciable with difficulty, that the natural and 
special dispositions of the individual descend to him in a certain 
measure from his origin, and that parents transmit to their children 
such and such moral propensities, just as they do such and such 
physical temperament or such and such features. Hereditary 
transmission enters into the moral as well as into the physical order 
of the world. Disease, then, as well as peculiarity of character, may 
be transmitted from parents to children. This is no mere theoret¬ 
ical statement, but a truth based on practical observations a hun¬ 
dred times verified, and it should convey a most impressive lesson. 
If, for example, the consumptive young woman marries, she be¬ 
comes a mother—for the consumptives are generally prolific—and 
indelibly imprints her infirmity on her offspring, while she exposes 
herself to perils of childbirth a hundred-fold heightened in such a 
disease. The observant medical practitioner only, can trace effects 
to their causes, can gauge the suffering and bitter disappointment 
which result from such marriages, and should be consulted before 
marriages are arranged. It will be obvious that unless the foun¬ 
tain whence much physical evil flows—hereditary taint—be itself 
purified, nothing can effectually check common maladies which 
destroy happiness, health and life. So long as a reproducing agent 
is constantly at work, imprinting at the time of impregnation the 
elements of disease on countless numbers of children, nothing can 
prevent the multiplication of diseases and premature death. 

Conception —Impregnation depends on the union of certain 
elements furnished during sexual intercourse, which are alike 
indispensable. And it needs but a superficial acquaintance with 
human history to know the future being, in its physical and intel¬ 
lectual powers, during the whole of life, is to a great extent 
determined by the actual condition of the sperm-cell and the germ¬ 
cell furnished by the parents. Education and proper care and 
training may, it is true, improve an imperfectly organized embryo; 
but the fact remains, and its general recognition is of great im¬ 
portance, that the qualities of the germ furnished at impregnation 
will cling to the individual during life. The practical lesson to be 
gathered from this fact is, that sexual connection, at least whenever 
conception is a possible result, should only be had under favorable 
conditions. There should be at the time the most perfect health, 
freedom from bodily fatigue, from depression due to mental 
exertion, and from the disturbing influence of active digestion, 
which often follows a full meal. The essential condition, therefore, 
necessary for the production of healthy and beautiful children are, 
good health on both the paternal and maternal sides, and the 


\ 


REPRODUCTION. 347 

observance of correct rules, a few of which only are referred to in 
this work. Dr. Hufeland, an eminent German writer, says: “ In 
my opinion, it is of the utmost importance that this moment (the 
moment of sexual union) should be confined to a period when the 
sensation of collected powers, ardent passion and a mind cheerful 
and free from care, invite to it on both sides.” 

It is held that the time most favorable to conception is that 
following the cessation of the menstrual discharge. Women then 
have a much greater aptitude to conceive. Everything seems ad¬ 
mirably prepared at this period for the reproduction of the species. 
The explanation of this may be here briefly summarized. At every 
menstrual period an ovum or egg is matured and expelled from its 
Graafian vesicle, and a woman is only liable to impregnation on its 
meeting and blending with the necessary fecundating principle of 
the man. The time occupied by the passage of the ovum from the 
ovary to the uterus or womb is not accurately known, but varies 
from five or six to eight or more days, differing, probably, in 
different persons and in different conditions of health. When the 
passage of the ovum or egg is completed, the liability to pregnancy 
is supposed to cease till after the next menstruation. An entirely 
different doctrine, however, to that above enunciated is now begin¬ 
ning to gain ground, and we will briefly state this new theory: 
Modern research tends to prove that a developing ovum or growing 
embryo does not belong to a menstrual period just past, but rather 
to one immediately prevented by fecundation. In short, menstrua¬ 
tion is now considered to be a degenerative process, a kind of fatty 
metamorphosis or change of form similar to that which takes place 
at the end of pregnancy, and its occurrence proves that the ovum 
has already perished. Hence, according to this doctrine, the time 
most favorable to conception is the few days preceding the monthly 
period. 

Birth Marks —Some doubt has been expressed as to whether 
impressions made upon the mother, by fright or otherwise, affect 
the unborn child. Arguments have been employed to show, on 
physiological grounds, that the fetus cannot be influenced. But 
facts are stronger than arguments. # We might quote numerous 
instances, some occurring within our own observation, in which 
most unquestionably congenital deformity could be accounted for 
only by impressions received by the mother during pregnancy. 
Any strong, striking impressions, not necessarily the result of 
fright or terror, may affect the child. We therefore counsel women 
who are pregnant to so fortify their constitutions by good habits 
that they may escape the nervous condition which is susceptible to 
impressions; to avoid the risk of being struck with what is disa¬ 
greeable and repulsive, and to surround themselves with pleasant 
associations and objects of grace and beauty. If a child unborn is 
affected by what is repulsive, it may also be susceptible to what is 
attractive." All persons cannot choose their circumstances and 


348 


HOW TO RECOGNIZE PREGNANCY. 


associations, nor can all avoid the risk of meeting with what is 
disagreeable; “no caution guards us from surprise.” But it is 
possible to all to avoid what is enervating and to adopt that which 
is strengthening to the constitution. 

Many believe that a great desire for any special article of food 
during pregnancy will have the effect, if not procured, of causing a 
mark on the child. The best plan is to have all reasonable desires 
gratified as soon as possible. The husband should do all that is in 
his power to meet his wife’s wishes and make her as comfortable as 
possible. If this require sacrifice of time and means, let it be 
made promptly and cheerfully. 

Any shock, mental or physical, experienced by the expectant 
mother, may leave an impression, physical, mental or moral, on the 
unborn babe; hence reasonable precautions should be taken to pre¬ 
vent them; to avoid places, times and circumstances which might 
be calculated to occasion them, and instead, secure surroundings 
which are in every way encouraging, pleasurable, elevating and 
delightful. 


HOW TO RECOGNIZE PREGNANCY. 

The signs of pregnancy vary considerably in different women, 
both as to their nature and the time of occurrence. The inquiry as 
to the existence of pregnancy is often one of great importance and 
anxiety, and we therefore place before the reader the most character¬ 
istic signs and symptoms to which this condition gives rise. In 
estimating the c'onclusiveness of these signs reference must be had 
to their number and importance, the previous condition of the wo¬ 
man, and any accidental causes which might tend to produce them. 
Only four of the following signs can be considered as certain, and 
these only when clearly made out: they are—the sounds of the fetal 
heart, the movements of the child felt by another, fluctuation and 
ballottement. The other signs .are probable ones; probability, how¬ 
ever, almost rising into certainty in some cases and at certain 
periods of gestations. 

1. Absence of Menstruation —One of the first circum¬ 
stances which leads a lady to think herself pregnant is the arrest of 
the usual monthly discharge. If the suppression of the menses 
occur in a healthy female, who had before been regular, and has not 
been exposed to cold or wet, or any other accidental cause likely to 
influence the menses, and especially if at the second and third 
period the menses are still absent, pregnancy may be suspected. 
This sign will be much more conclusive if there are added to it 
other symptoms indicative of pregnancy, such as those described 
further on. 

But although this is one of the earliest signs of pregnancy, still 
no certain conclusion can be arrived at from it, inasmuch as the 



HOW TO RECOGNIZE PREGNANCY. 


349 


menstrual functions may be suppressed from causes altogether 
distinct from pregnancy, such as mountain-air, a change of habits, 
a sea-voyage, etc.; or conception may occur before menstruation 
had begun, or immediately after ceasing to nurse and before the 
function has had time to recur. 

It therefore follows that, though the absence of menstruation 
is of considerable value as evidence of pregnancy, it cannot, in 
itself, be regarded as an absolute sign, 

2 , Morning-Sickness —Generally, in from two to six 
weeks, sometimes immediately after conception, ladies suffer more 
or less from nausea, sometimes vomiting, on first rising, probably 
from the uterine vessels being then more congested, and hence the 
disorder termed morning-sickness. Occasionally these symptoms 
are so severe and persistent as to impair very seriously Idle health of 
the patient; on the other hand, some patients do not experience 
sickness at all. 

In consequence of its intimate nervous connection with all parts 
of the body, the stomach often acts sympathetically in compara¬ 
tively trifling derangements. Cerebral excitement, nervous irrita¬ 
tion, affections of the bowels, kidneys, liver, diet, dress, exercise, 
sexual indulgence, etc., are all capable of exciting abnormal action 
in the stomach resembling that which attends pregnancy. As an 
isolated sign of pregnancy, therefore, this is one of but limited im¬ 
portance. It may be absent altogether, occur at unusual times, or 
take unusual forms, but when it is combined with other symptoms 
described in this chapter, occurs at the usual time, and there is no 
apparent cause for it, such as indigestion, the tongue being clean 
and the appetite and general health continue good in spite of the 
nausea, it furnishes an important link in that chain of evidence 
. which indicates the pregnant condition. The treatment of this 
condition is described further on. 

3. Enlargement of the Breasts —The examination of 
the breasts furnishes an experienced observer, acquainted with the 
general anatomy of the glands, with valuable data on which to 
found an opinion touching the existence of pregnancy. Generally, 
in about six or eight weeks after conception, often earlier, there oc¬ 
curs a sensation of fullness, with throbbing and tingling pain in 
the breasts, accompanied by their enlargement. They become 
larger, firmer, and feel knotty, and after a time a milky fluid may 
be secreted. But these symptoms cannot alone be relied upon as 
evidence of pregnancy, since irritation of the utero-genital appara¬ 
tus, suppressed menstruation, uterine tumors, or even, in some fe¬ 
males, the monthly discharge, may give rise to them. A tempor¬ 
ary enlargement, simply consequent on marriage, is sometimes ob¬ 
servable, without conception. Enlargement of the breasts may 
also be due to fatty deposit; but in this case other parts of the 
body will show a proportionate increase of the fatty material. The 
true character of the enlargement is easily recognized by the 


350 


HOW TO RECOGNIZE PREGNANCY. 


touch of the experienced finger; that from fatty enlargement is 
soft and uniform, hut that from pregnancy is hard and knotty, and 
the lobules of the gland may be felt beneath the skin, arranged in 
a regular manner around the nipple. Enlargement from chronic 
disease is perhaps less likely to lead to an erroneous conclusion, as 
one breast only is involved, and that but partially. 

4. Darkening of the Areola Around the Nipple— 
In the virgin state the color of the nipple and areola is usually hut 
a shade deeper than that of the skin generally; but in about six or 
eight weeks after conception the delicate, pink-colored circle around 
the nipples becomes several shades darker, the circle increasing in 
extent and in depth of color as pregnancy progresses. This change 
is so strongly marked in primiparse, or in pregnancy with the first 
child, as to afford a good sign of gestation. It is, however, ren¬ 
dered of less general value from the fact that with the first preg¬ 
nancy the dark color becomes permanent, and is, therefore, but lit¬ 
tle changed. With the darkening of the color of the areola, the 
nipples and surrounding integuments become swollen, puffy and 
moist, secreting a fluid which stains the linen; and the veins 
beneath the skin become more visible. Prominent points, or glan¬ 
dular follicles, varying in number from twelve to twenty, project 
from the sixteenth to the eighth of an inch, immediately around 
the base of the nipple. These changes are often well marked, but 
not always. The darkening of the areola is less marked in women 
of light complexion; and something resembling it, as also enlarge¬ 
ment of the mammary gland, is said to be present when the uterus, 
or womb, is distended from other causes than pregnancy. 

Alterations in the size and appearance of the breasts, the two 
signs just referred to, afford to the educated hand and eye of the 
practitioner valuable evidence. It should also be noted that an ex¬ 
amination of them is easily made, and for various reasons more 
readily conceded than one involving the vagina and abdomen. 

5. Milk iii tlie Breasts —This sign, considered very 
conclusive of pregnancy, is often unreliable. Women who have 
borne children sometimes continue to secrete milk for a long time, 
even for years. In such cases this sign is of little value. Milk in 
the breasts also occurs in other conditions of the system besides 
pregnancy, and even with females who have never borne children. 

6. Enlargement of the Abdomen— After impregnation 
there is an increased afflux of blood towards the womb, the tissues 
of which gradually expand, imparting a feeling of weight, fullness 
and sensitiveness in the utero-genital organs. 

The gradual enlargement of the womb furnishes a tolerably 
accurate guide to the period of pregnancy, by the height which it 
attains in the abdomen. In about two months the intestines are 
somewhat elevated, and by the end of the third month the enlarge¬ 
ment may be perceived. At the fourth month the womb rises out 
of the pelvis in the form of a hard, round tumor, and then gradu- 


HOW TO RECOGNIZE PREGNANCY. 


351 


ally enlarges the whole abdomen. It reaches the umbilicus (navel) 
at the sixth month, and is highest at the ninth, when it reaches the 
ensiform cartilage, and impedes the descent of the diaphragm. 
During the last month it sinks a little, probably from some diminu¬ 
tion of liquor amnii. 

The sensation conveyed to the hand by the pregnant uterus is 
very different from that of the abdomen distended by fluid or flatus. 
In the former case it is firm, elastic and well defined, and the move¬ 
ments of the fetus may be felt by the practiced hand; but in the 
latter there is an absence of firmness and elasticity, and the tumor 
is not defined. On reaching the umbilicus, the uterus pushes it for¬ 
ward, so that at about the sixth month it is more prominent than is 
natural, and afterwards it protrudes somewhat beyond the surround¬ 
ing skin. 

Enlargement of the abdomen, as a sign of pregnancy, is liable 
to variation; the parts may be distended by tympanitis or fecal ac¬ 
cumulations in the intestines, or by ovarian dropsy, or the uterus 
may be enlarged by air, fluid or worms. In many cases the abdo¬ 
men even becomes flatter at first, from the sinking of the impreg¬ 
nated uterus in the pelvis, attended, perhaps, with a slight retrac¬ 
tion of the navel. 

7. Quickening' —In popular language this term is applied 
to the mother’s perception of the first movements of the fetus, on 
the incorrect assumption that it was not alive from the very mo¬ 
ment of conception. Quickening may he briefly explained thus: 
As soon as the uterus has become too large to remain in the pelvis, 
it rises into the abdomen, sometimes suddenly, causing faintness 
and sickness. After this the movements of the child, pressing di¬ 
rectly upon the sensitive walls of the abdomen, are felt. If any 
doubt exist as to the date of conception, four months and a half 
from the date of quickening may be reckoned as a tolerably safe 
guide to the time of labor. 

This sign of pregnancy is by no means a reliable one, unless 
the movements are certainly felt by another person, as the woman 
herself may be deceived by wind in the intestines, or by her own 
imagination; for women who think themselves pregnant often as¬ 
sert" that they plainly feel the motion of the child, persisting in 
such statement until the lapse of time convinces them of their er¬ 
ror. On the other hand, cases occasionally occur in which no mo¬ 
tion of the child is perceived by the mother from the beginning to 
the close of pregnancy. 

8. Fluctuation —As early as the second or third month 
pregnancy, can often be detected with certainty by this test. The 
practiced" touch of the physician alone can be trusted to make the 
test valuable. Holding the uterus steady with the left hand, an ex¬ 
amination with two lingers of the right discovers the os uteri , or 
mouth of the womb, closed, the womb more or less enlarged, and 
by pressure or percussion a sense of fluctuation or perceptible 


352 


HOW TO RECOGNIZE PREGNANCY. 


movement of fluid is communicated. The fluctuation is a most 
important sign, giving reliable evidence in a majority of cases. 
After the second month the fluctuation is more perceptible, but it 
may be recognized by the sixth or seventh week by a careful exam¬ 
ination. 

9. Ballottement —After a few weeks the uterus or womb 
will be found lower than usual, heavier, and its mouth more circu¬ 
lar and nearer closed; but afterwards it becomes higher, harder to 
reach, and its neck is shortened. If the woman be placed on her 
knees and a push given with the finger, ballottement, or the floating 
of the child, may be felt, for it rises a moment in the fluid in which 
the fetus floats, and then sinks again on the finger. The most 
favorable time for this test is between the fifth and sixth months. 
Before the fifth month the fetus is too light, and after the sixth it 
is too closely packed to move readily and admit of this test. Bal¬ 
lottement is very conclusive of pregnancy, and especially when cor¬ 
roborated by other signs, but determines nothing as to the life of 
the fetus. 

10. Kiesteine in the Urine —By keeping the urine of 
a pregnant woman a few days a whitish scum, of a fatty or curdy 
appearance, forms on the surface, and then gradually breaks up 
again from decomposition, emitting a strong odor as of decaying 
cheese. Kiesteine is a mucilaginous principle, and probably exists 
in the urine from the first month of pregnancy until delivery, and 
arises from the excess of nutriment formed in the blood of the 
mother for the child. 

11. Sounds of the Fetal Heart —By applying the 
stethoscope to the lower portion of the abdomen of either side, 
usually on the left, about midway between the umbilicus and the 
anterior superior spinous process of the ilium, the fetal heart may 
be heard at twice the rate of the mother’s. The sound has been 
compared to the muffled ticking of a watch, and the earliest time 
it can be heard is the beginning of the fifth month. When the 
pulsations of the fetal heart are'heard they are the most positive of 
all the signs of pregnancy. At the same time the pulsations may 
be inaudible, and yet the woman be pregnant, as the fetus may 
have died, or the pulsations may be rendered inaudible only for a 
time. 

12 . Other Signs of Pregnancy —We can here only 
enumerate a few. Sharpness of the features, irritability of temper, 
and frecpiently toothache and other nervous complaints. Lastly, a 
frequent desire to pass water, especially in the night, is an early and 
valuable sign. 

From the foregoing statements the reader will perceive that 
the diagnosis of pregnancy, especially in the early months, is far 
from being certain; the evidence is cumulative, no one sign being 
alone trustworthy, the probability rising in proportion to the ac¬ 
cumulation of the signs. Errors in the diagnosis of pregnancy 



HOW TO RECOUNIZE PREGNANCY. 


353 


usually arise from the attention of the observer being restricted to 
one or two signs only, and omitting to inquire for corroborative 
ones. 

How to Determine Sex Before Birth —The interest¬ 
ing fact that the sex of the child can in a large proportion of cases 
be ascertained during gestation has recently been made known. 
When the fetal pulsations reach one hundred and forty-four per 
minute the child is probably a female, but when they are one hun¬ 
dred and twenty-four per minute probably a male Any little varia¬ 
tion from one hundred and twenty-four upwards, and from one • 
hundred and forty-four downwards, -will not alter the diagnosis, 
provided auscultation be practiced towards the end of pregnancy. 
Steinbach was correct in forty-live out of flfty-seven cases which 
he examined, while Frankenhauser was right in all the fifty cases 
which he examined to determine the sex of the fetus in utero. 

Course to Pursue during Pregnancy —1. Diet. The 
diet should be simple, nutritious and easy of digestion; it should 
be thoroughly masticated, and but little fluid drunk at meal-times, 
especially cold, since cold retards digestion. It is an error to sup¬ 
pose that women require more nourishment in pregnancy than at 
other times, and large quantities of rich food, taken in the belief 
that it will contribute to the sustenance of the child, can but do 
harm. Spices, spiced meat, sausage and all highly seasoned food 
and late suppers must be refrained from. Plainly cooked animal 
food once a day, well boiled vegetables, ripe fruits, and such 
articles as rice, tapioca, arrow-root, will, if taken in moderation, 
rarely disagree with the stomach. Pie-crusts, smoked hams, salted 
meats generally, rich sauces and every article that has been known 
to occasion indigestion, must be rejected. All substances that have 
a tendency to produce costiveness of the bowels should be especially 
avoided, and unless some reason exists to the contrary, brown bread 
eaten in preference to white. Stimulating drinks—wines, ardent 
spirits, ale, porter, strong tea and coffee—are generally hurtful both 
to the mother and the fetus, or child. 

2. Dress —Under this head, the origin of the word enceinte , 
used to signify the pregnant condition, is highly suggestive. It 
was the custom of the Roman women to wear a light girdle or 
cincture round their waists; but in pregnancy this was removed. 

A woman was then said to be incincta (unbound), and thus the 
term enceinte has been adopted to indicate pregnancy. 

It would seem scarcely necessary to make any remarks upon 
the dress to be worn, were it not that some females, considerably 
advanced in pregnancy, often lace tightly for the sake of attending 
public entertainments or of diverting notice from their condition. 
At no time should stays be worn, for the simple reason that they 
are never required. But they should especially be avoided during 
pregnancy, since a continual and forcible compression of the abdo¬ 
men, while nature is at work to secure its gradual enlargement to 

523 


354 


HOW TO RECOGNIZE PREGNANCY. 


accommodate the growth of the fetus, must be attended with serious 
injury to both mother and child. During gestation, or pregnancy, 
the uterus increases from two to fourteen inches in diameter. It 
will be obvious, therefore, how vain as well as criminal must be 
any effort to contract it or to conceal its enlargement. Palpitation 
of the heart, indigestion, disease of the liver, costiveness, difficulty 
of breathing, spitting of blood and persistent coughs, enlarged 
veins and swellings in the legs, disorders of the womb, deformity 
of the offspring and numerous other evils, have their origin in 
tight-lacing; and finally, if the child be born alive and moulded 
aright, and the mother escape her self-created perils, it may be 
questioned if compressed breasts and nipples can afford the re¬ 
quisite nourishment for the child. 

The dress should be arranged, both as to material and quantity, 
with the view to comfort and to the season. There must be no 
pressure on any part; even the garters should be loosely worn. The 
feet and abdomen should be kept warm, since habitual coldness of 
these parts predisposes to colic, headache and miscarriage. The 
“chemiloon” dress has many advantages, not only as to the com¬ 
fort of the woman but in regard to the free development of the 
fetus. This kind of garment is now so common that both patterns 
and complete garments can be purchased almost anywhere. Free¬ 
dom in the dress gives freedom to move and breathe, and allows the 
fetus opportunity to come to physical perfection. 

3. Exercise —Exercise is essential to retain good health dur¬ 
ing gestation and to secure a natural delivery, and it greatly favors 
the health of the infant. Walking in the open air is a most useful 
kind of exercise; for it calls into action more of the muscles of the 
body than anything else suited to this condition. Walking exercise 
is even more necessary in the winter than in the summer, and pro¬ 
duces a much healthier and more lasting warmth than sitting before 
a fire. It should, if possible, be taken in the morning before dinner, 
and be in such scenes as to interest the mind as well as to strengthen 
the body. This walking will prevent a host of the morbid condi¬ 
tions and feelings which are apt to attend pregnancy. Care must 
be taken, however, to avoid such exercise as to cause positive 
fatigue; as too long walks, walking on a slippery road, dancing, 
lifting heavy weights, and all kinds of violent motion, which are 
liable to cause hemorrhage, miscarriage and bearing down of the 
womb. The passive exercise of riding in a carriage falls short of 
the object desired; and on the other hand riding on horseback 
exceeds it, besides the danger of fright and accident involved. In 
very wet or windy weather or when it is impracticable to walk out, 
the woman should use a large and well ventilated room, so that the 
air she breathes may be pure. 

It will be plain from these general remarks that lassitude and 
languor should be striven against and overcome. On this account 
the pernicious habit of sleeping too long after dinner should not be 


DISORDERS OF PREGNANCY. 


355 


contracted. Too little sleep is, perhaps, even a less evil than too 
much. And hence ladies who pass the interval, or a good part of 
it, between dinner and tea on the conch or the bed generally suffer 
from debility, which is likely to end in disease. 

4. General Hints —Theatres, balls or exciting, brilliantly 
lighted public meetings should not be attended; early habits should 
be formed and all excessive mental emotions, as grief, despondency, 
anger and the like, guarded against. The cold or tepid bath should 
be used daily followed by vigorous rubbing. The mind should be 
kept tranquil, remembering that parturition is not necessarily 
attended by great suffering or great danger; such things being 
in most instances, the penalty inflicted on those who disregard the 
hints here given. 


DISORDERS OF PREGNANCY. 

In a natural state of life, pregnancy would be comparatively 
exempt from suffering. In consequence, however, of disorders 
induced by artificial habits, the excessive use of drugs, constitu¬ 
tional diseases or accidental causes, this condition is too often 
accompanied by physical disorders, some of which we shall describe 
in the following pages, with the best means for their prevention and 
removal. 

Melancholy, Fear, etc. —Fear, anger, joy, grief and other 
emotional disturbances operate powerfully upon the heightened 
susceptibility of a pregnant woman, and may affect both the mother 
and child unfavorably. A great feeling of dread sometimes comes, 
when the sufferer will see everything in a distorted way and ultimate¬ 
ly have trembling, weakness of the limbs, night-mare and nervous 
irritability and all the evils of mental depression. Injudicious friends 
often aggravate this morbid state by recounting accidents and evil re¬ 
sults of pregnancy which probably never occurred. Such thoughtless¬ 
ness cannot be too strongly condemned. The statements are almost 
always untrue, but they may appear so real to the patient as to 
operate powerfully on her mind and thus produce the most serious 
results. 

Useful occupation, combined with suitable out-door recreation 
or games, cheerful company or books, change of air and scene, or 
easy journeys to places of interest are of great advantage. 

Fainting’ and Hysterical Fits —These are not frequent 
accompaniments of pregnancy, except at the period of quickening 
and in weakly and delicate females. The fits are far from being 
serious, except when associated with organic disease of the heart. 
If they occur toward the end of the pregnancy they may render 
recovery after child-birth more tedious than it would otherwise 
be. They are also unpleasant occurrences at the time of labor. 

Causes —Increased sensitiveness of the nervous system from 



356 


DISORDERS OF PREGNANCY. 


debilitating causes, as neuralgia, prolonged sleeplessness, diarrhea 
or other discharges, anger or fright. Tight dresses, crowded and 
badly ventilated sitting rooms, churches, theatres, ball-rooms, etc., 
are frequent causes. When fainting occurs soon after labor it may 
arise from hemorrhage, and requires prompt and skillful treatment. 
See “ Flooding after Delivery.” 

Symptoms— These differ from those of epileptic fits, as 
there is no choking noise in the throat, or biting of the tongue. 
There is a sensation of languor, with disposition to yawn; things 
appear to turn around, the sight becomes dim, the face pale; 
there is a buzzing or ringing in the ears, the patient sighs and be¬ 
comes partially insensible. 

Remedies —1. During an hysteric fit cold water may be 
sprinkled on the face. For a simple fainting fit the patient should 
be laid down, with the head and shoulders slightly raised, abundance 
of air admitted to the room and quiet maintained. Camphor, 
cologne-water, salts of ammonia, etc., may be applied to the nostrils. 
If the extremities are cold artificial warmth may be necessary. 
The cause must as far as possible be removed. When this is a tight 
dress, or a too hot or badly ventilated room, removal of the cause is 
generally sufficient. If fainting arise from constitutional condi¬ 
tions, professional treatment is necessary. 

2. In ordinary cases the patient, upon the first feeling of faint¬ 
ness, ought to be laid down without a pillow, and her dress thoroughly 
loosened and the windows opened. It is scarcely necessary to say 
that there should be as few attendants as possible. This symptom 
indicates a change required in the habits of life to simpler, plainer, 
more natural ones; in brief, proper exercise, proper dress and pro¬ 
per diet are required here as well as in other cases. A change of 
air may prove beneficial when the patient is subject to fainting. 

3. Attacks of hysterics can be temporarily cured by the use of 
small doses of assafetida (size of a pea), taken as often as required. 
Tincture of valerian is also an excellent medicine. A dose of the 
latter is from forty to eighty drops. 

How to Avoid Hysteria —It is commonly supposed 
that a woman during pregnancy must not be subjected to long or se¬ 
vere mental effort. This is all a mistake. Let her work with her brain 
as steadily and as long as she chooses, so that she balances this 
labor bv ample rest, recreation and exercise in the open air. If a 
woman begins to feel her mind over-taxed and her nerves over¬ 
strained, she should not lay the facts to too much mental study and 
work, but to a lack of physical exercise and want of rest. There 
is most danger from hysteria to those who have not sufficient em¬ 
ployment for the mind—whose hands and brains are alike idle. It 
is a well known though not sufficiently considered fact, that hysteri¬ 
cal symptoms are to be more frequently met with among women of 
leisure than among those who perform either hard physical or men¬ 
tal labor. 


MO KNING-SICKNESS. 


357 


MORNING-SICKNESS, OR VOMITING DURING 

PREGNANCY. 

In the early months of pregnancy, most women experience 
more or less of this; occasionally nausea or vomiting, or both, 
are very troublesome and persistent symptoms and give rise to 
serious concern as to the patient’s health, especially in the first 
pregnancy of delicate women. 

Causes —The increased action of the nerve-force employed 
in digestion to furnish material for enlarged growth, carried to so 
high a degree as to disturb the equilibrium of the digestive and 
assimilative forces. It is most common among the wealthy and 
inactive. Moderate morning-sickness is no doubt salutary, by 
diminishing that tendency to plethora or too great fullness of the 
system, which often attends pregnancy. Uterine displacements are 
known to produce morning-sickness, and it is more than possible 
that the slight falling of the womb, which is incident to the first 
months of gestation, may help to account for it. When sickness is 
invariably brought on or intensified during the latter part of the 
day or in the evening, after the patient has been upon her feet, it is 
due to displacement or falling of the womb; this is proved by the 
prompt relief that follows the replacement of the organ of the 
patient. Obstinate and long continued nausea or vomiting is gen¬ 
erally caused by congestion, ulceration or displacement, or it may 
arise from hyperesthesia of the nervous system and require profes¬ 
sional treatment. Nausea and sickness occurring towards night 
are more serious and obstinate, for the reasons already mentioned. 

Symptoms —The first intimation of it generally occurs on 
rising from bed. Before getting up, the patient may feel as well as 
usual, but while dressing will be overtaken by nausea, followed by 
retching, and perhaps by vomiting. Or it may not occur until 
some little time after leaving the apartment, or not till after break¬ 
fast, which may be eaten with zest. In some cases, sickness is not 
felt till the evening, when its habitual return indicates one of the 
forms of displacement (falling or retroversion) of the womb incident 
to pregnancy. Morning-sickness may begin almost immediately 
after conception, of which it is often one of the earliest symptoms; 
but more frequently it does not commence until after the lapse of 
two or three weeks, and then continues more or less constantly and 
severely for three or four weeks, and in some instances till near the 
time of quickening, or even until confinement. In some rare in¬ 
stances it does not occur before the last weeks of pregnancy, and is 
then more apt to be severe; in other cases it is altogether absent 
during the whole period of gestation. 

Treatment —The simpler modes of treatment are cheerful¬ 
ness, mental composure, moderate out-of-door exercise and early 
hours. The regulation of the diet is also important, a change in the 
hours of eating to those in which the stomach is least likely to be 


358 


MORNING-SICKNESS. 


disordered, especially avoiding over-eating. Cold food will some¬ 
times be retained when hot is rejected. In some cases two or three 
teaspoonfuls of beef-tea, frequently repeated, or soda-water and 
milk, or when these cannot be borne, small pieces of ice may be 
sucked. In extreme cases it may be necessary to give up the attempt 
of feeding by the mouth, and to depend upon injections by the 
rectum for a day or two. 

Dr. J. S. Bailey and Dr. J. Kitchen have recently recorded sev¬ 
eral cases in which raw beef has been retained after every other kind 
of food had been rejected. It was chopped line, with a little 
Cayenne pepper and salt sprinkled over it, and given in teaspoonful 
doses at intervals of three hours, or put a thin slice of raw beef be¬ 
tween tw T o slices of bread, cut thin, and eat it. Although the idea 
of eating raw beef is repulsive, upon tasting it, it is not found dis¬ 
agreeable. 

A few minutes before rising in the morning, take a cup of tea 
or black coffee without sweetening, and a slice of bread and butter. 
This seldom fails to prevent morning-sickness. 

An infusion of peach-tree bark, in doses of a teaspoonful every 
half-hour during the forenoon, will answer a good purpose, as will 
an infusion of spearmint taken cold. One of the most certain 
remedies is nux vomica. Add from two to three drops to eight tea¬ 
spoonfuls of water, and give a teaspoonful as often as necessary. A 
flannel bandage wrung out of cold vinegar and applied around the 
waist, with a dry one over it, is the best external application. 

The following appropriate remarks on this subject are by Mrs. 
Duffey, in her valuable book entitled, “What Women Should 
Know: ” “ A few years since I read an article in a health-journal 

in regard to the proper diet of a pregnant woman, the substance of 
which article has since been embodied in a little volume by Dr. M. 
L. Holbrook, entitled, ‘ Parturition without Pain.’ A partial trial 
of the diet prescribed in this book has convinced me that, if its re¬ 
quirements were fully complied with, the result might be that 
pregnancy and child-birth, if not entirely devoid of suffering, would 
be a hundred-fold less to be dreaded than now. I advise every 
woman to get this book and read it for herself. I have not space 
for a repetition of all the directions concerning diet, but the sub¬ 
stance of it is, to avoid all meats unless it be the flesh of young 
animals, such as lamb or chicken; to avoid also all articles made of 
wheaten flour, and substitute farina and rice in their place; to live 
principally on vegetables, and to indulge unsparingly in acid, unless 
they generate acid in the stomach and produce flatulency, then use 
sub-acid fruits. To comply fully with all the exactions of the 
volume referred to would require time, trouble and expense beyond 
the ability of most women. But vegetables and fruit are always to 
be had, and if one meal in the day is made entirely of fruit, it will 
save much distress. 

“Fruit in the Place of Medicine —I have found in my 


359 


MO ItXIX G -SIC XX ESS. 

own experience, a most simple remedy used in conjunction with the 
exercise already recommended for the sickness accompanying preg¬ 
nancy, which always on previous occasions was severe in the extreme. 
If l did not eat, I suffered terribly from hunger; if I did eat, I 
suffered still more terribly from a sickness which kept me on the 
verge of vomiting, yet never relieved me in that manner. Thus I 
constantly fluctuated between nausea and semi-starvation. There 
was always, day and night, a bad taste in my mouth which sensibly 
affected the flavor of everything I ate. My remedy was no more 
troublesome or expensive than this: immediately after each meal— 
at which I was careful that no inappropriate article was used—I ate 
a single tart apple or orange, which at once quelled all symptoms of 
nausea or heartburn, took away the unpleasant taste, and left me as 
free from distress as under ordinary circumstances, and with a 
hearty, healthy appetite to enjoy my next meal. Let me add, that 
my inclination led me to prefer a vegetable diet, and to avoid, as far 
as possible, meat, bread, pastry and sweets. 

“ Let women suffering from morning sickness try the acid fruit 
—apples, oranges or even lemons, if their sourness is not unpleasant. 
If a single apple or orange after each meal does not suffice, let them 
try two; let them eat ten if that number is necessary to conquer the 
distress. The principle is a correct one, and relief is certain. Let 
fruit be eaten at all hours of the day—before meals and after, on 
going to bed at night and upon getting up in the morning. If 
berries are in. season, let them be eaten abundantly in their natural 
state—that is, without sugar. If the sickness still continues, omit a 
meal now and then, and substitute fruit in its stead. By per¬ 
sistence in this course, not only will nausea be conquered, but an 
easy confinement guaranteed. 

“ Reasons for the Exercise and Diet Prescribed— 

As already stated, exercise will conduce to vigorous and regular 
action of all the organs of the body, and will avert biliousness and 
plethora. A diminution of the quantity of food will lead still 
farther away from a plethoric condition. Avoidance of meat, pastry 
and articles of a like character, will produce a like result in regard 
to biliousness. Bread is omitted from the diet, because wheat flour 
—even bolted flour—contains a large proportion of phosphates or 
bone-making materials, the use of which will tend to harden the 
bony structure of the embryo (child) in too great a degree, and 
render parturition exceedingly painful. Vegetables furnish all 
necessary nourishment, and fruit, especially that of a sub-acid char¬ 
acter, will correct any remaining tendencies of the stomach to 
biliousness or heartburn. It will also dissolve whatever bone¬ 
making material the food of the woman may contain, and the result 
will be that the bones of the unborn child will remain gristly and 
soft, yielding easily to pressure at the hour of birth, and rendering 
that hour far safer and freer from suffering to the mother with¬ 
out detriment to the babe itself.” 



360 


IIE ART BURN — SEE E PL ESSN ESS. 


HE ARTBUKN, WATERBRASH AND ACIDITY. 

These complaints often occur during gestation, and may be 
generally traced to taking more food than the stomach can digest, 
frequently from the mistaken idea that the patient now requires 
more food than at any other time. 

Treatment —An orange, a tart apple or a tumbler of not too 
sweet lemonade, will probably bring immediate relief. Vitriolic or 
citric acid may be also used with benefit. Lime-water and milk 
will bring relief when the heartburn is moderate. A few almonds 
or roasted pea-nuts have been found in mild cases to bring relief. 
So also has an infusion of peach-tree bark. The diet should be 
restricted, avoiding a too exclusive use of vegetables; all pastry, 
fatty kinds of food, stews, twice-cooked meats, hot-buttered toast, 
new bread, raw or half-cooked vegetables, and everything that is 
rich and indigestible, must be forbidden. Aerated bread is best 
for patients troubled with heartburn. Cold plain biscuits are also 
useful. Drinks should be taken sparingly with the meals. 


SLEEPLESSNESS. 

Sleeplessness is a prominent and annoying symptom in some 
women in all stages of pregnancy. 

Treatment —When the sleeplessness occurs in the early 
part of the night the patient should sponge her face and neck with 
hot water, or, if this fail, she should apply a cold-water compress to 
the nape of the neck, just before going to bed. Similar measures 
may be adopted if the sleeplessness manifest itself in the early 
morning. A tepid foot-bath frequently meets the requirements. 


SWELLING OF THE EXTREMITIES. 

In advanced pregnancy women often suffer from a puffy 
swelling of the ankles, and sometimes of the thighs, or even of the 
external genital parts. Change of posture has a great influence 
upon the swelling of the legs; in the morning it is but slightly per¬ 
ceptible, but during the day it increases and"towards night it is at 
its greatest degree. 

Treatment —The recumbent posture will often lessen the 
inconvenience; and when the patient sits she should do so as much 
as possible with the feet and legs raised. Standing is more unfavor¬ 
able than a moderate degree of walking exercise. 

Cramps, swelled feet and varicose or bursting veins may all be 
avoided by frequently rubbing the limbs; a light and appropriate 
diet and abundance of exercise, which will tend to keep down the 
weight of the fetus, so that it shall not become burdensome. 




SALIVATION— COLIC—CHAMPS. 


361 


SALIVATION (Ptyalism). 

A profuse flow of saliva occasionally takes the place of morning¬ 
sickness, and is generally most troublesome in the earlier months of 
gestation; it is sometimes the earliest sign of that condition. 

Symptoms —In the morning the patient finds her mouth and 
throat filled with tenacious mucus or saliva, which is ejected in 
roundish masses. When salivation is excessive it is a cause of 
exhaustion. 

Treatment —Chlorate of potash or alum-gargles are often 
beneficial. As a mere palliative, holding a small piece of gum- 
arabic in the mouth is recommended. The chewing of coffee has 
been known to cure when all other remedies have failed. One half 
teaspoonful of sulphur is a favorite remedy. 

This salivation is almost invariably accompanied by, and is the 
result of, constipation and heartburn; therefore whatever removes 
these latter will in all likelihood cure the salivation. If it is severe, 
a physician had better be consulted, who may possibly suggestsome 
means of relief. The same course of treatment pursued in heart¬ 
burn, frequent rinsing of the mouth with lime-water, and the use of 
solid food alone, will bring relief in ordinary cases. This symptom 
usually passes away about the fifth or sixth month. 


COLIC. 

Spasms, from flatulent distention of the bowels, are apt to occur 
during pregnancy, owing to cold or improper diet. It generally 
affects the large intestines. 

Treatment —During the violent pains of colic, hot appli¬ 
cations are useful, but a warm bath is objectionable for colic during 
pregnancy. A pint or a pint and a half of tepid water, boldly 
injected up the bowel by an enema-syringe with a long pipe, and 
repeated if necessary, is almost invariably and immediately success¬ 
ful, especially when the wind is in the lower part of the abdomen. 
Indigestible food should be avoided, especially pastry and uncooked 
or unripe fruits, and no food should be taken within at least three 
hours of going to bed. Persons liable to colic should wear a piece of 
flannel around the abdomen in cold or changeable weather, and keep 
the feet warm and dry. Daily exercise in open air should be taken, 
and worry and excessive mental fatigue avoided. 


CHAMPS. 

Pregnant women are liable to cramps or irregular pains in the 
abdomen, loins, calves of the legs and feet especially about the fourth 
or fifth months, and towards the end of gestation or pregnancy, 




TOOTHACHE—HEADACHE. 


362 

which are due to changes in the uterine and abdominal structures 
from the growth of the fetus. 

Treatment —Brisk friction to the legs morning and eve¬ 
ning, and also while the cramps are on, will often afford much 
relief. At all times the feet and legs should be kept dry and warm. 

To spring immediately to the feet, and bear the weight of the 
body on them, is another admirable remedy for cramps of the legs. 
This has a tendency to expand the ribs and walls of the abdomen, 
thus giving more room for the fetus. 


TOOTHACHE, OR FACE-ACHE. 

The toothache of pregnancy is a neuralgia from which some 
ladies begin to suffer soon after conception, and even recognize their 
condition by this symptom. It is, however, liable to happen at any 
period during pregnancy. The pain may attack one or more de¬ 
cayed teeth, or not quite sound, or it may extend along the jaw 
without affecting any tooth in particular. It is sometimes so in¬ 
tense as to render the patient temporarily delirious. Extraction of 
teeth is seldom advisable. An educated, reliable dentist, indeed, 
usually refuses to remove them for this cause, where it exists alone. 
Besides, patients of refined nervous sensibility, or who have a tenden¬ 
cy to miscarriage, are in danger of abortion from the fear or shock 
of extraction. 

Tre atment —One of the best remedies for toothache is a 
piece of cotton saturated with oil of cloves and placed in the cavity 
of the tooth, or wrap the face in hot cloths. This will generally 
give immediate relief. Avoidance of cold and damp, improvement 
of the general health, especially of the digestive organs, should be 
promoted by the use of wholesome food, pure air, out-of-door ex¬ 
ercise, bathing and regular early habits. 


HEADACHE, DIZZINESS, ETC. 

These are sometimes most distressing concomitants of preg¬ 
nancy. There may be acute congestion, with throbbing, dimness of 
sight, confusion of ideas, and great heat of the head and face, with 
dizziness, intolerance of light and sound, etc. Or the face may be 
pale, cool, and the eyes heavy and languid. There may be also a 
feeling of weight on the top of the head or back of the neck, palpi¬ 
tation, nervous tremblings, a disposition to fall forward, variable or 
diminished appetite, gastric derangements, etc. 

Treatment —In congestive headache the feet should be kept 
warm, and when cold, hot applications made. In headache from 
gastric derangements, free vomiting often gives relief; to promote 
which, if necessary, a tumblerful of warm water with a teaspoonful 




PAIN IN THE BREAST-INCONTINENCE OF URINE. 


363 


of mustard mixed in it may be taken. In neuralgic headache, dry, 
hot flannels around the head, or a handkerchief tied tightly, is 
often palliative. 

Preventive Treatment —Early hours, to obviate as far as 
possible the use of artificial light, heated rooms, etc.; the bath, with 
plenty of friction, in a well ventilated room every morning; regular 
daily, open-air recreation; domestic duties and anxieties should only 
be permitted to exercise a moderate influence, the patient aiming to 
live a tranquil and agreeable life; regularity or moderation in eat¬ 
ing and drinking, avoiding eating in a hurry, taking hearty sup¬ 
pers, stimulating food or drinks, especially spirits, strong tea, 
coffee, etc.; thus the regular function of the bowels will be promoted 
to healthy action. 


PAIN IN THE BREAST. 

Some women are troubled with a pricking or acute pain in one 
or both breasts; the pain may become exceedingly troublesome, 
constant, or occur in paroxysms; generally there is no fever, al¬ 
though excessive suffering may cause sleeplessness and want of 
appetite; like face-ache and headache, this is generally of a neuralgic 
character. 

Causes —Sympathetic irritation in the breasts, through preg¬ 
nancy, which determines a flow of hlood to those organs; compres¬ 
sion of the breasts with stays, etc. It is especially liable to occur 
in women who have suffered from painful menstruation. As a 
symptom, pain or tension of the breasts may result from tumor in 
the womb, ovarian dropsy, etc., as well as from pregnancy. 

Treatment —Take one part of Witch Hazel ( hamamelis ) 
and ten of olive-oil. Mix, and rub the breast frequently with it; it 
will afford speedy relief. Another good application for this pur¬ 
pose is to take one part of chloroform and twenty parts of glycer¬ 
ine and use as above; or bathe the breast with one part of camphor 
and three parts of water, mixed. Tight-fltting dresses should be 
avoided. 


INCONTINENCE OF URINE. 

The bladder is frequently affected during the months of preg¬ 
nancy; in the early months by the descent of the womb, causing 
a frequent and painful desire to urinate, which, if not immediately 
yielded to, may result in an involuntary discharge, especially when 
the patient has a cough. In many cases this condition is very dis¬ 
tressing; the constant discharge excoriates the parts more or less, so 
that the patient cannot move about without pain; while at the 
same time an offensive, urinous odor is exhaled from the person. 




364 


RETENTION of URINE-FILES. 


Treatment —The bladder should he trained to retain water 
during the day, though evacuation should not be too long post¬ 
poned. All salt, acid and pungent articles of food, malt liquors, 
spirits, tea and coffee, should be avoided. Meat should be eaten 
with moderation; fruits, especially uncooked, taken sparingly; flat¬ 
ulent food, that causing wind on the stomach, should not be used. 
Nothing hot should be taken in the latter part of the day. Cold 
water, soft is preferable, toast and water, mucilaginous drinks, milk 
and water, flax-seed tea, and cocoa, are the most suitable beverages. 
Abstinence from fluids is not desirable, as rather tending to m- 
crease the acridity of the urine, which may be lessened by mucila¬ 
ginous drinks. Local cold ablutions are strengthening. 


RETENTION OF URINE. 

This, the opposite condition to incontinence, may arise from 
pressure of the distended uterus or womb, or from displacement of 
the neck of the womb causing obstruction of the urethra. It re¬ 
quires prompt attention, as the pressure of the over-distended blad¬ 
der upon the uterus may occasion serious inconvenience. 

Treatment —The patient should make regular efforts to 
urinate; and if she fail in her endeavors, a single introduction of 
the catheter, an instrument for drawing off the water, will gener¬ 
ally remove the difficulty. Often, however, the use of the catheter 
is entirely superseded by the following measures: The sudden ap¬ 
plication of a towel to the abdomen, after immersion in cold water, 
often causes an immediate contraction of the bladder and conse¬ 
quent discharge of urine. Sometimes the alternate application of 
a hot and cold towel is speedily successful. Even plunging the 
hands into a full basin of very cold water and moving them about, 
is generally followed by an immediate discharge of urine. Foment¬ 
ations and injections of water up the bowel or vagina afford great 
relief, and often supersede the use of the catheter. The diet must 
be sparing, and, in severe cases, restricted to gruel and demulcent 
drinks—barley-water, gum water, flax-seed tea, or simple cold 
■water. Tea and coffee should be taken very sparingly, or alto¬ 
gether omitted for a time. A change of the drinking-water is often 
advisable, especially if pure soft water can be obtained. Acids and 
too much salt should be avoided. 


PILES (Hemorrhoids). 

Piles is really a varicose condition of the veins of the rectum, 
and is one of the most frequent diseases of pregnancy. It is by no 
means peculiar to that condition, but some women are troubled 
then who do not suffer at any other time. External piles seldom 




PILES. 


365 


give rise to hemorrhage to any great extent, while internal piles 
often bleed profusely. 

Causes —The chief cause is pressure of the enlarged womb 
upon the vessels of the pelvis, obstructing the circulation; minor 
causes are mechanical pressure of the contents of the bowels in con¬ 
stipation, acrid diarrhea, etc. 

Treatment —External piles should be returned as quickly as 
possible by gently pressing them within the anus; then the patient 
should lie down for a short time to favor their retention; after¬ 
wards, the application of cotton or a cold compress will afford com¬ 
fort and tend to prevent the descent of the piles. In internal piles, 
half a pint to a pint of water injected up the bowel in the morning 
has often a most salutary effect; it constricts the blood-vessels and 
softens the feces before the accustomed evacuation. Hard, costive mo¬ 
tions and straining should always be prevented during piles, by in¬ 
jections of tepid water. An India-rubber syringe, with an ivory 
tube, should be used, it being much more efficient than glass, and 
less liable to injure the parts. If the tumors are too painful to per¬ 
mit of injections, the parts should be washed with tepid water; if 
they are much swollen and extremely tender, the patient may sit 
over the steam of hot water, or foment the parts with moderately 
warm water. When the inflammatory symptoms have subsided, 
washing the parts with cold water, and cold injections do much 
good. 

The Abdominal Compress —This is made of three or 
four thicknesses of coarse linen cloth, from six to nine inches 
wide, to fit the individual, so as to cover the whole abdomen, in 
including the liver and spleen, and extend down to the pubes. It 
should be wrung out of cold water, covered with oil-silk or India- 
rubber cloth, to prevent evaporation, and secured by three broad 
tapes around the hips and waist. The compress should fit as closely 
as possible so as to avoid displacement, otherwise air enters between 
it and the skin, and cold instead of a moist heat is produced. The 
best time for wearing it is during the night, and when taken off in 
the morning, the part which has been covered should be sponged 
with water and vigorously rubbed with a towel. The wet compress 
may sometimes be worn day and night, and renewed every twelve 
or twenty-four hours. It is of great utility in dyspepsia, chronic 
constipation and piles. Many of the Homeopathic chemists sell 
bandages for this purpose. 

Cold sitz baths are not always admissible in piles, as they in¬ 
crease local congestion by the reaction they occasion, and should 
not be used except by medical advice; warm to hot is best. 

Diet —In piles this should be moderate, unstimulating and 
easy of digestion. The bowels should be kept open and regular. 
Coffees, peppers, spices, the excessive use of animal food and all 
stimulating beverages, should be avoided. A liberal quantity of 
well cooked vegetables and ripe fruits is recommended. Bread 


366 


DIARRHEA-CONSTIPATION. 


made from unbolted flour is sometimes inadmissible. On this 
subject Dr. Blaikie makes the following remarks: “Bread from 
unbolted flour is both wholesome and nourishing for those accus¬ 
tomed to it from infancy; and to persons suffering from simple 
constipation, without piles, its occasional use instead of physic is 
most desirable. But in all cases of piles, when the mucous mem¬ 
brane of the intestines and rectum is irritable, the mechanical 
action of the scales of bran is most injurious and sure to produce 

aggravation.” 


DIARRHEA. 

Diarrhea is not so frecpient in pregnancy as constipation, but 
is generally more prejudicial. If very severe and long-continued 
it is apt to induce abortion. 

Causes —Nervous irritation, induced by pregnancy; cold, to 
which pregnant women are very liable; insufficient or defective 
dress, and disease of the mucous membrane of the bowels. Diar¬ 
rhea sometimes follows conception so closely that the patient has her 
attention first drawn by it to her condition, and it may return regu¬ 
larly every month, as though it came in the place of menstrua¬ 
tion. 

Treatment —In cases of protracted diarrhea the surface 
should be kept warm with flannel, a bandage around the abdomen 
often giving great relief. Night-air, late hours, stimulants and 
excesses of every kind should be avoided. Food should be light, 
and, in acute cases, taken cool or cold and only in small quantities 
at a time. Fluid food is most suitable, especially milk and lime- 
water or milk and soda-water. Restricting a patient solely to this 
diet for two or three days, or even longer, is often alone sufficient 
to cure diarrhea not dependent on a permanent chronic cause; 
and even where there is such a cause, much temporary benefit 
is gained. It need scarcely be stated that a fluid diet like the above 
is advantageous in diarrhea, because it is highly nutritious, and 
because it does not require a perfect condition of the intestinal 
mucous membrane to digest and absorb it. 


CONSTIPATION. 

Constipation is a frequent attendant on pregnancy, especially 
in ladies who live in towns and lead a sedentary life. Although 
constipation is generally, less injurious than a too relaxed state of 
the bowels, it may occasion many inconveniencies, and should be 
remedied as far as possible. 




TABLE OF FOODS. 


367 


Causes —Constipation in pregnancy is generally referred to 
the pressure of the enlarged womb upon the bowels; but it is often 
due to torpor of the bowels, consequent on the increased action of 
the womb, diverting nervous and vascular forces from adjacent 
organs. Neglect of sufficient out-door exercise and indolent habits, 
for which pregnancy is supposed to be a justification, may also give 
rise to constipation. 

Treatment —Daily out-of-door exercise; a tumblerful of 
fresh spring-water taken either on going to bed or on rising; 
the sparing use of animal food; the free use of vegetables ripe or 
preserved fruits, brown-bread, oat-meal porridge, and also the hip¬ 
bath. When the bowels remain for many days unmoved, and there 
is uneasiness in consequence, recourse may be had to an enema or 
injection of tepid water or soapsuds. In using the enema several 
points should be well observed—that the rectum-tube be well 
greased; that the instrument be emptied of air before insertion; 
that the injection proceed slowly and if pain be occasioned the in¬ 
jection be suspended until it is gone and then renewed, and that 
the slow injection be continued till there is an urgent desire to 
evacuate or go to stool. A wash-basin full of water may be re¬ 
quired or a small quantity may suffice. If only a small quantity 
can be retained, and no result follow, the injection should be re¬ 
peated after a little while. The wet compress for the abdomen, 
described under the head of “Piles,” is also a very valuable adjunct. 
In some cases a small suppository of soap will insure a comfortable 
action of the bowels in an hour. A suppository made of a small 
piece of soap, of molasses candy or of tallow, pushed a little way 
up the anus into the rectum, will also probably give immediate 
relief. 

The following comprehensive table prepared with great care, 
specifies some of the various foods that may be used with advantage 
during pregnancy. The laxatives to be used when the patient is 
suffering from constipation and the constipatives when the bowels 
are too free in their action. 


TABLE OF FOODS. 


Laxative. 


Constipating-. 


Wheat-bread, at least twenty-four hours old. 
Mush from wheat Hour, graham, oat-meal 
or corn-meal. 

Cracked-wheat, cold raised biscuit, gems 
and crackers of wheat or graham-flour. 
Sago and rice and fruit puddings. 

Fresh acid fruits of all kinds. 

Apples. 

Peaches. 

Grapes. 

Plums. 


Dried and smoked fish. 
Cheese. 

Chocolate. 

Boiled-Milk. 

Tea. 

Coffee. 

Panada. 

Beans. 

Tapioca. 

Farina. 

Starch. 



368 


CAUSES OF A BAD GETTING-UP AFTER LABOR. 


TABLE OF FOODS—Continued. 


Laxative. 


Constipating-. 


Tropical fruits in good, sound condition, 
such as figs, raisins, bananas, prunes, 
oranges and lemons. 

Dried-fruits, stewed plums, peaches and 
prunes being among the best. 

Rhubarb. 

Celery. 

Onions. 

Beets. 

Tomatoes. 

Green Peas. 

Cauliflower. 

Squash. 

Pumpkin. 

Corn. 


Blackberries. 

Eggs, raw. 

Milk, boiled. 

Barley. 

Hot white-bread. 

White crackers. 

Black-pepper and spices. 

All custard puddings. 

Toast. 

Poultry. 

Potatoes. 

Toasted white bread. 

Rolls, dumplings, etc., made with 
baking-powders. 


Lean fresh meats have no decided influence in either con¬ 
dition. 


SENSATION OF WEIGHT IN THE ABDOMEN. 

In the latter months of pregnancy there is sometimes a very 
unpleasant sensation of weight and feeling as if the lower parts 
would give away. In these cases, adjust a bandage to the lower 
part of the body, draw it comfortably tight, and suspend it from 
the shoulders with a pair of elastic suspenders; it will in many 
cases relieve all the trouble, and the person will feel an agreeable 
sense of lightness and comfort. 

Under no circumstances should the skirts be suspended from 
the hips, as is frequently the case. Let all the clothing be loose, 
especially such as fastens around the waist, and suspend the skirts 
by straps from the shoulders. See preceding remarks concerning 
u chemiloon.” 

Corsets and tight lacing are always objectionable, but here 
they should be entirely avoided from the very first. If women will 
wear them at other times let them be banished during pregnancy, 
if they value their owm health or care for the well-being of their 
future children. 


CAUSES OF A BAD GETTING-UP AFTER LABOR. 

It is no uncommon thing for a patient otherwise healthy to 
have “ a bad getting-up after labor ”—that is, to be a longer time 
than usual in recovering the general condition, which in some 
cases is not attained for years. There is general debility, manifest¬ 
ing itself in various ways, notwithstanding a fair amount of rest, 
food and stimulants; inability to stand or w r alk a few^ steps without 
feeling ready to drop; bearing-dovm and discomfort in the pelvis; 




INVOLUTION AND SUB-INVOLUTION OF THE WOMB. 


369 


abundant vaginal discharge, perhaps bloody, or muco-purulent, 
which continues three or four weeks after the birth of the child, 
and when the lochia ought to have ceased. The most frequent 
causes are, enlargement, prolapse or displacement of the womb, 
from taking the erect posture and resuming domestic duties too 
soon after confinement or miscarriage; defective uterine involution, 
which is the main cause of the displacements that so frequently 
follow child-birth, and the first steps to many uterine affections; 
ulceration or bruising of the uterus or its orifices by a severe or 
protracted labor, or from too violent removal of the placenta; in¬ 
flammation of the womb, and a typhoid condition due to absorption 
of a portion of the placenta which is allowed to remain and de¬ 
compose in the womb. The administration of purgatives and 
opiates is also a cause of a bad getting-up after labor. The old 
practice of starvation during the first few days after delivery is an¬ 
other cause. When, therefore, at the end of four or five weeks 
after parturition, or child-birth, notwithstanding fair nursing, good 
food and stimulants, the patient continues weak, unable to walk, 
and suffers from headache and red, mattery or fetid discharge, pro¬ 
fessional advice should be sought, as grave consequences may result 
from neglect. A physical examination is generally necessary to 
discover the true source of the mischief. The wife should sleep 
away from her husband. A cold-water abdominal bandage, tightly 
applied, will prove palliative. See “Puerperal Fever,” “The 
Lochia,” etc. 


INVOLUTION AND SUB-INVOLUTION OF THE 

WOMB. 

Involution is that contractive change which takes place in the 
womb after the removal of the fetus by abortion or delivery, by 
which it resumes its ordinary size and attains its usual compactness 
of tissue. Sub-involution is the arrest or retardation of that 
change; so that the womb remains enlarged and heavy, causing 
considerable distress and suffering. 

Pathology —During pregnancy, and according to the growth 
of the child, the womb becomes developed in size and increased in 
weight. Immediately before the expulsion of a full-grown child, 
the womb is about fourteen inches long, and weighs at least twenty- 
five ounces. Immediately after the expulsion, the size and weight 
are very considerably reduced; the size is less than half what it was 
before parturition, and the weight is similarly diminished. This 
change is effected by the contraction of the muscular fibres of the 
uterus, which begins directly after the termination of the labor, 
which checks the supply and arrests the circulation of blood 
through the -organ. With more or less pain the contraction still 
steadily proceeds. Meanwhile fatty degeneration and disintegration 

24 



370 


INVOLUTION AND SUB-INVOLUTION OF THE WOMB. 


of tissue and absorption aid in the restoration of the organ to its 
normal state. This, if the process goes on with regularity and with¬ 
out interruption, will be attained in the course of live or six weeks, 
when the compactness of tissue will be regained, and the uterus 
will measure about three inches in length, and weigh about two 
ounces. This wonderful contractive and absorptive change is 
termed involution; if it be incomplete the womb is said to be in a 
state of imperfect involution, or sub-involution. 

Causes —It may readily be supposed that this process is sub¬ 
ject to very easy arrest, and that this arrest may be induced by a 
variety of causes. A very common cause is the debility of the 
patient, whose weakness is so great that the uterine contractions are 
not sufficiently prompt, powerful and continuous to check the in¬ 
creased supply of blood to the organ when it is no longer required, 
and thus to lessen the nutrition which was very necessary before 
the child was born, but causes enlargement when the womb is 
empty. Another very common cause is the too early resumption of 
ordinary employments. Even vigorous, healthy, muscular women, 
who feel quite well and somewhat resent the necessity for retaining 
the recumbent posture, often “ get about ” too soon. The change 
of the muscular structure of the womb plainly indicates that rest 
in bed should be taken for at least a fortnight, and that for several 
weeks after that there should be frequent recumbency and a very 
careful return to active exercise. Avoid lifting, going up and down 
stairs or much walking. 'There is some little danger in the present 
day, when there is such a desire and call for activity, lest in aban¬ 
doning some of the old-fashioned, stifling and weakening customs 
of a “ confinement,” the physical necessity for lying down should 
be ignored. In dispensary practice, where the patients are drawn 
from the poorer classes, who, without attendance and with the claims 
of a family, are unable or unwilling to submit to restraint after con¬ 
finement, by far the commonest form of uterine disease is sub¬ 
involution of the uterus, with its attendant evils of displacement 
and chronic catarrhal conditions of the mucous membrane. Other 
causes of the evil are inflammation within the pelvis, in any of its 
varieties; too early return to marital intercourse and too frequent 
sexual indulgence, whereby the womb and its appendages are too 
soon and too much excited. It should also be observed that if the 
process of involution be arrested, the return of the menses will 
have a tendency to confirm the arrest, and by the monthly conges¬ 
tion, causing increase of size and weight, to produce permanent en¬ 
largement; which is as surely followed by the development of 
diseases now so frequent, and denominated under the general 
terminal, female weaknesses. These when classified present a for¬ 
midable list of ailments either of which possibly may render the 
whole after life of the individual one of unmitigated suffering; 
therefore this book is written as a guide to the feet and a light to 
the path of those thus exposed to these ills of life. 


371 


LACTATION, OR NURSING. 

There is one error which we are here solicitous to correct, 
namely, the supposition that it is not so necessary to retain the recum¬ 
bent posture after abortion as after delivery at full term. Now in¬ 
volution is as natural and necessary a process in the one case as in 
the other; and sub-involution may follow abortion, even in the early 
months of pregnancy, as well as at full term; indeed, it is thought 
to be much more likely to occur in the former case than in the 
latter. This is probably because the womb has not reached that 
normal condition which provides for the contraction of its muscular 
fibres. 

Symptoms —A feeling of weight, with more or less bearing- 
down of the womb, and a tendency to excessive and too frequent 
menstruation, the severity of the symptoms being in proportion to 
the extent of the enlargement. But the excessive menstruation is 
the most troublesome, distressing and alarming effect and symptom 
of sub*involution. This is explained by the fact that the relaxed 
state of the muscular tissue favors the exudation of blood, and that 
there is an undue amount of blood in the congested uterine veins. 
The profuse flow is not always immediate, even months may elapse 
before it occurs; but after a while it is experienced and examination 
proves that there is enlargement of the uterus due to sub-involution. 
In the intervals between the periods there is frequently profuse leu- 
corrhea and other attendant symptoms are debility, great pain in 
the back, irritability of the bladder and straining. 

Treatment —The various causes that have been in operation 
to produce the condition, as already enumerated, must be avoided. 
Rest, in recumbent posture, is indispensable. Temporary separation 
from the husband’s bed, perfect absque marito , generally leads to 
great improvement, and if combined with other measures and 
continued long enough, may lead to complete restoration. In 
many cases the health of both husband and wife needs careful 
supervision. See also the preceding article, and that on “ Profuse 
Menstruation.” 


LACTATION, OR NURSING. 

The Functions of the Breasts —The doctrine cannot be 
too strongly enforced that every healthy mother should nurse her 
offspring. The reasons for this may be inferred from the consti¬ 
tution of the female organization, and from the fact that no pre¬ 
paration of food can ever be more than a mere approximation to the 
mother’s milk. After the birth of the child, nature continues to 
secrete an excess of nutrient matter, but this excess is transferred 
from the uterine system to the breasts, where it is secreted in the 
form of milk for the nourishment of the young offspring. 

Pretexts for Non-Nursing’ —Many women seek for profes¬ 
sional sanction to wean their infants after a few weeks’ nursing, and 



372 


LACTATION, OR NURSING. 


some even to shirk the duty entirely. The demands made by the 
toilet, the pleasures of the table, fashionable society, late hours or 
other forms of dissipation, render nursing inconvenient and dis¬ 
tasteful. The disposition to evade this great natural duty should be 
strenuously opposed; it deprives a mother of one of the most pleas¬ 
urable and soothing duties of maternity, and it robs the infant of 
its inalienable right to breast-milk, laden with all the riches of its 
mother’s affection, while exposing it to the dangers of artificial 
substitutes. 

Care of the Breasts —Much inconvenience and suffering 
may be obviated by paying proper attention to the breasts during 
pregnancy. For two or three of the last months they should be 
specially bathed with cold water every morning, and left perfectly 
dry. If the breasts are painful, hard and much distended, two 
thicknesses of old linen wrung out of cold water may be placed 
over them and covered with oiled silk. A kind of sling should 
then be formed by means of a handkerchief or band secured at the 
back of the neck, and so arranged as to support the breast. Only a 
sparing quantity of fluids should be permitted. 

Diet for the Nursing-Mother —A lady does not require 
extra good living when nursing, but discrimination in the selection 
of her food is necessary. If she eats slowly, she may eat sufficient 
to satisfy hunger, but it is important that she should not overload 
the stomach, or partake of indigestible food which would occasion 
intestinal derangement, to the injury of the infant as well as her¬ 
self. The rule established since the time of Mother Eve has been 
confirmed by observation. “ That which affects the mother also 
affects the nursling.” The meal-hours should be regular, and late 
dinners or suppers avoided. 

To prove that the kind of food taken by the mother powerfully 
influences the quality of the breast-milk, it is only necessary to cite 
the well known fact that the quality of cow’s milk is mainly deter¬ 
mined by the food on which the animal lives. Thus, a cow fed on 
turnips produces milk and butter having the flavor of turnips, 
showing that the milk partakes of the qualities of the food on which 
she feeds. The same holds good in regard to the human species, and 
proves the impropriety of a nursing-mother being allowed to eat 
anything unwholesome or indigestible. 

Experience has taught mothers that if they eat anything acid, 
and partake freely of fruits and vegetables, the milk brings on colic 
in the infant and causes diarrhea. Mothers who nurse their infants 
must therefore often practice self-denial in eating and drinking for 
the sake of their offspring. 

It is not intended to suggest by these remarks that a nursing 
woman should be excessively particular as to her food. Animal 
food, varied from day to day—beef, mutton, chicken, game and fish, 
and any kind of vegetables that have been found not to disagree 
with herself or her infant, and easily digestible, may be eaten; but 


STATED HOURS FOR NURSING. 


373 


such meats as goose, duck, salted beef, shell-fish, rich or highly 
seasoned dishes, pastry, etc., should not be taken. Greens, cabbage, 
fruit and any other articles of food which the mother has found to 
disagree with herself or child, must also be avoided. Milk and 
water, barley-water, toast and water, or even cold water in small 
sips, is best to appease the thirst to which the nursing mother is 
sometimes subject; but beer or wine tends rather to increase thirst. 

Violent Exercise and Mental Depression Deteri¬ 
orate tlie Milk —Women who are nursing are liable to fits of 
depression which should be guarded against. The best remedy is a 
short, pleasant walk, or a drive in the country. Healthy exercise 
in the fresh air admirably promotes cheerfulness and serenity of 
spirits. On no account should wine or stimulants be resorted to, 
for they only raise the spirits for a short time, and cause increased 
subsequent depression, to remove which fresh and augmented sup¬ 
plies of stimulants would be required. The society of cheerful 
friends is often a useful stimulus; but visiting must be done within 
prudent limits, or it will weary and harass the mother and diminish 
or deteriorate the supply of breast-milk. The ill effect thereof is 
visible in the child. 

Regimen of Wet-nurses —The regimen and diet of wet- 
nurses should be as nearly as possible like those they have been 
previously accustomed to. A woman accustomed to active duties 
and frugal diet is certain to suffer in her health if she suddenly 
relapses into a life of in-door idleness, and has a too abundant sup¬ 
ply of food, and takes such beverages as ale, stout or wine. A wet- 
nurse taken from industrial pursuits should continue to perform 
light duties, at least, or take a large amount of regular out-of-door 
exercise. The use of stimulants is injurious, and if taken to cause 
a good supply of milk will result in disappointment, and bring on 
indigestion and a host of evils from which the infant is sure to suf¬ 
fer. If the child does not steadily grow and increase in weight the 
nurse should be changed. 

If there be a choice of nurses of otherwise equal capacity, pre¬ 
ference may be given to one of dark complexion, for it has been 
found that the milk of the brunette is richer in each of the organic 
constituents than that of the blonde. 

In the interest of healthy women employed as wet nurses, we 
state here that a syphilitic infant ought not to be nourished from 
their breasts. The nurse who suckles such a child incurs enormous 
risk, for many an unsuspecting woman has acquired syphilis from 
her nursling. Artificial lactation, if properly carried out, may, in 
such a case, be an excellent substitute for the breast. 


STATED HOURS FOR NURSING. 

A habit very generally prevails on the part of the mother of 
giving the infant the breast too frequently; a habit prejudicial alike 



374 


PROLONGED NURSING. 


to the mother and the child. Regularity in all life’s habits should 
be commenced and continued all through subsequent life. It may 
be laid down as a rule, that for the first month the infant should be 
suckled about every two hours and a half during the day, and every 
three or four hours during the night;' the intervals should be grad¬ 
ually lengthened until about the third month, when it should have 
the breast only every three hours during the day, and about every 
four or five hours at night. Even during the earliest period of 
infancy the child will acquire regular habits in this respect by ju¬ 
dicious management on the part of the mother. By giving the 
breast at regular, stated times, the mother will be able to obtain 
proper rest and hours of uninterrupted sleep, which can scarcely be 
enjoyed by those who have fallen into the bad habit of permitting the 
infant to be at the breast during a considerable part of every night, 
or of offering it to the child whenever it cries or manifests any un¬ 
easiness. 


PROLONGED NURSING. 

The process of lactation forms a great drain on the constitution, 
and although healthy women, under favorable circumstances, suckle 
their children for a considerable time without sustaining injurious 
effects, still in delicate persons, or under unfavorable hygienic con¬ 
ditions, nursing, even within the otherwise healthy term, may be 
productive of permanently serious results. 

Some mothers derive the greatest pleasure from nursing their 
children, and never seem quite ready or willing to wean them. In 
addition to the pleasure of suckling, there is often another most 
powerful motive to postpone weaning as long as possible. The idea 
exists notwithstanding the contrary is so frequently illustrated that 
conception cannot occur while the function of menstruation is sus¬ 
pended. It is well known that the nursing-mother does not 
menstruate and here arises the misconception of the fact that she is 
not likely to conceive. Hence we often find lactation continued for 
twelve or eighteen months, with the view of avoiding pregnancy. 
This expedient we have frequently found to be adopted, especially 
by poor misguided parents. But inasmuch as nursing does not al¬ 
ways shield from pregnancy, and as the health is generally injured by 
prolonged nursing, it should be avoided. 

The period when nursing becomes hurtful varies considerably 
in different cases, from a few weeks after the birth of the child to 
twelve months. 

When to Wean —The symptoms which indicate that lacta¬ 
tion is injuriously affecting the mother are, aching pain in the back, 
or a dragging sensation when the child is in’tlie act of nursing, ac¬ 
companied or followed by a feeling of exhaustion, sinking and 
emptiness; general weariness and fatigue; languor, unrefreshing or 




LABOR. 


375 


disturbed sleep; headache at the top of the head, the painful spot 
being often perceptibly hotter to the touch than other parts; dim¬ 
ness of vision, noises in the ear, loss of appetite and difficulty of 
breathing and palpitation after exertion or ascending stairs. If the 
nursing is persisted in, the patient becomes pale, thin and weak; 
other indications of debility follow—night sweats; swelling of the 
ankles; nervousness and extreme depression of spirits; the melan¬ 
choly being often of a religious character. In short, we may have 
the early symptoms of puerperal mania, and it is important that 
these symptoms should be quickly detected, and when they are 
amenable to treatment. 

Accessory Means —Weaning should be commenced imme¬ 
diately ; nothing short of this will, in general, be of any real utility. 
An attempt to force the supply of milk by large and frequent quan¬ 
tities of beer, wine or spirits, will be unsuccessful and injurious. 
Should the infant be four or six weeks old, it may be weaned with 
a fair chance of doing tolerably well. Indeed, cases now and then 
occur in which the function of lactation cannot be continued even 
so long as a month. In slight cases, however, and when the infant 
is but a few weeks old, the mother should have a good supply of 
plain, nourishing food, with cocoa and good milk, to the exclusion 
of tea, coffee, etc. The use of cocoa is often productive of the best 
results by augmenting the secretion of milk. If, notwithstanding 
the use of these means, a proper supply of milk is not yielded, and 
the health and strength of the patient do not improve, all attempts at 
nursing should be at once abandoned. 


LABOR. 

Calculation of the Time of Labor —The following table 
will be especially valuable to the newly married woman, who, 
through delicacy, might hesitate to seek advice on this important 
and interesting subject. Much time may be saved, often great anx¬ 
iety avoided and timely medical and other attendance secured, by 
ability to approximate in reckoning to the hour of solicitude and 
hope. 

The period of pregnancy, from conception till confinement, is 
calculated at ten lunar months, or forty weeks, which amount to 280 
days. It is sometimes reckoned at nine calendar months, that is 
273 days, or 39 weeks; probably, however, forty w r eeks is the safer 
reckoning. Gestation is occasionally protracted beyond 280 days. 
Cases are recorded in which labor has been delayed 10, 20 or even 
30 days beyond the usual period, but such cases are very rare. 
When the date of conception is known, the reckoning begins from 
that day. If that be not known, then the calculation must com¬ 
mence from the last monthly period: the rule of ten days later ob- 



376 


LABOR. 


tains. If the time of the last monthly course cannot be remem¬ 
bered, then that of quickening, or when the movements of the child 
are first perceived, must be made use of. 

Women who make use of the annexed table should remember 
that the period of pregnancy is slightly altered by the ages of the 
parties concerned; the fact being clearly proved that the younger 
the husband and wife, the shorter the term of utero-gestation; and, 
vice versa , as age increases, the term of gestation is proportionately 
lengthened. 

Dr. Clay states that he once witnessed a curious experiment 
bearing on this subject, on the eggs of domestic fowls. Pullet- 
eggs can be easily distinguished from those of hens of three or more 
years old. A certain number of them were placed under a young 
hen, and an equal number of eggs from older fowls under an old 
hen. The result was, that every chick had escaped its shell from 
under the young hen, at least twenty-four hours, some even as much 
as thirty-six, sooner than those of the other. This difference is very 
remarkable in so short a period of incubation. He infers from this 
and other circumstances that the duration of the gestative period is 
far more definite than has hitherto been supposed, and that where 
the circumstances are similar, the result as to the length of term is 
very nearly the same. In maintaining that utero-gestation is defi¬ 
nite and regulated by age, the age is not to be calculated by that of 
the mother alone, but by the combined ages of both the parents. 

The annexed table, and many of the subjects treated of in this 
division of the book are entirely new, and have never as yet been 
treated of in any books published in this country, and will be of the 
utmost importance and practical utility to every mother, especially 
young mothers, and newly married women. 

There is a vast amount of counsel and advice imparted here, as 
well as many simple remedies given, for which women do not always 
want to go to a physician. Besides, through delicacy and modesty, 
they often let many such afflictions run too long, and in an economi¬ 
cal point of view it is important, for there is always more or less 
information necessary and desired on these subjects for which people 
do not always like to incur the expense of calling a physician or 
counseling with one; and, again, in these articles they have, as a 
general rule, more complete and full instructions than a physician 
would take the time to give them. 

[see table on opposite page.] 


LABOR. 


377 


CALENDAR, BY WHICH ANY PREGNANT WOMAN MAY CALCULATE ALMOST 
THE EXACT TIME OF HER DELIVERY, GIVING THE 
THREE PERIODS OF GESTATION. 


Concep. 

Quick. 

Labor. 

Concep. 

Quick. 

Labor. 

Jan. 

1 

May 

20 

Oct. 

8 

Feb. 

25 

July 

14 

Dec. 

2 

44 

2 

*4 

21 

44 

9 

44 

26 

ti 

15 

44 

3 

44 

3 

44 

22 

u 

10 

44 

27 

44 

16 

4( 

4 

44 

4 

44 

23 

44 

11 

a 

28 

“ 

17 

44 

5 

44 

5 

44 

24 

44 

12 

March 

1 

ii 

18 

it 

6 

44 

6 

u 

25 

44 

13 

44 

2 

44 

19 

44 

7 

u 

7 

41 

26 

ii 

14 

44 

3 

* 4 

20 

it 

8 

44 

8 

41 

27 

44 

15 

ti 

4 

44 

21 

44 

9 

«< 

9 

44 

28 

it 

16 

44 

5 

it 

22 

u 

10 

44 

10 

44 

29 

ii 

17 

ii 

6 

ti 

23 

44 

11 

«< 

11 

44 

30 

44 

18 

ti 

7 

ii 

24 

44 

12 

44 

12 

44 

31 

44 

19 

44 

8 

44 

25 

ii 

13 

it 

13 

June 

1 

a 

20 

44 

9 

44 

26 

44 

14 

« 

14 

44 

2 

ii 

21 

ii 

10 

it 

27 

ti 

15 

44 

15 

44 

3 

a 

22 

it 

11 

it 

28 

44 

16 

(« 

16 

« 

4 

it 

23 

44 

12 

44 

29 

44 

17 

u 

17 

44 

5 

44 

24 

it 

13 

44 

30 

it 

18 

n 

18 

44 

6 

it 

25 

ii 

14 

44 

31 

it 

19 


19 

44 

7 

it 

26 

44 

15 

Aug. 

1 

44 

20 

<i 

20 

*4 

8 

it 

27 

44 

16 

n 

2 

it 

21 

44 

21 

44 

9 

ii 

28 

44 

17 

it 

3 

44 

22 

«< 

22 

u 

10 

it 

29 

44 

18 

ii 

4 

44 

23 

44 

23 

u 

11 

ii 

30 

it 

19 

it 

5 

it 

24 

44 

24 

<i 

12 

it 

31 

ti 

20 

44 

6 

ii 

25 

ti 

25 

4< 

13 

Nov. 

1 

n 

21 

ii 

7 

u 

26 

4* 

26 

(« 

14 

44 

2 

44 

22 

it 

8 

ii 

27 

« 

27 

(• 

15 

44 

O 

u 

44 

23 

44 

9 

it 

28 

44 

28 

« 

16 

ti 

4 

44 

24 

44 

10 

44 

29 

<< 

29 

44 

17 

44 

5 

44 

25 

44 

11 

44 

30 

(« 

30 

44 

18 

a 

6 

ti 

26 

it 

12 

a 

31 

4 4 

31 

(i 

19 

ii 

7 

44 

27 

ii 

13 

Jan. 

1 

Feb. 

1 

44 

20 

44 

8 

44 

28 

it 

14 

44 

2 

I« 

2 

44 

21 

44 

9 

44 

29 

44 

15 

it 

3 

II 

3 

ii 

22 

it 

10 

it 

30 

i< 

16 

it 

4 

{{ 

4 

4< 

23 

it 

11 

44 

31 

44 

17 

44 

5 

44 

5 

44 

24 

44 

12 

April 

1 

ti 

18 

ii 

6 

t« 

6 

a 

25 

a 

13 

it 

2 

ii 

19 

ii 

7 

ii 

7 

it 

26 

44 

14 

it 

3 

a 

20 

it 

8 

ii 

8 

it 

27 

44 

15 

<4 

4 

it 

21 

it 

9 

it 

9 

ii 

28 

44 

16 

44 

5 

ii 

22 

44 

10 

44 

10 

44 

29 

it 

17 

14 

6 

(4 

23 

(4 

11 

«< 

11 

44 

30 

it 

18 

ii 

7 

44 

24 

it 

12 

<< 

12 

July 

1 

it 

19 

ii 

8 

ii 

25 

44 

13 

u 

13 

44 

2 

44 

20 

n 

9 

44 

26 

a 

14 

4« 

14 

44 

3 

ii 

21 

a 

10 

44 

27 

44 

15 

It 

15 

44 

4 

it 

22 

it 

11 

ii 

28 

44 

16 

l( 

16 

44 

5 

ii 

23 

44 

12 

44 

29 

44 

17 

II 

17 

ii 

6 

ii 

24 

it 

13 

u 

30 

ii 

18 

(i 

18 

44 

7 

44 

25 

44 

14 

it 

31 

44 

19 

« 

19 

44 

8 

44 

26 

44 

15 

Sept. 

1 

u 

20 

it 

20 

44 

9 

ii 

27 

44 

16 

44 

2 

it 

21 

t‘ 

21 

44 

10 

ii 

28 

it 

17 

44 

3 

44 

22 

1‘ 

22 

44 

11 

it 

29 

44 

18 

it 

4 

it 

23 

1‘ 

23 

44 

12 

44 

30 

44 

19 

44 

5 

44 

24 

u 

24 

44 

13 

Dec. 

1 

44 

20 

44 

6 

44 

25 




























378 


LABOR. 


Concep. 

Quick. 

Labor. 

Concep. 

Quick. 

Labor. 

Apr. 

21 

Sept. 

7 

Jan. 

26 

June 

20 

Nov. 

6 

March 27 

a 

22 

44 

8 

44 

27 

a 

21 

44 

7 

a 

28 

U 

23 

Hr 

9 

44 

28 

44 

22 

a 

8 

a 

29 

a 

24 

44 

10 

44 

29 

a 

23 

a 

9 

a 

30 

44 

25 

44 

11 

44 

30 

a 

24 

44 

10 

44 

31 

a 

26 

. 44 

12 

44 

31 

44 

25 

44 

11 

April 1 

44 

27 

44 

13 

Feb. 

1 

44 

26 

a 

12 

44 

2 

a 

28 

44 

14 

u 

2 

44 

27 

a 

13 

a 

3 

44 

29 

44 

15 

44 

3 

44 

28 

a 

14 

44 

4 

44 

30 

44 

16 

44 

4 

44 

29 

44 

15 

a 

5 

May 

1 

44 

17 

44 

5 

a 

30 

a 

16 

44 

'6 

44 

2 

44 

18 

<« 

6 

July 

1 

a 

17 

a 

7 

44 

3 

44 

19 

a 

7 

« 

2 

a 

18 

44 

8 

a 

4 

44 

20 

a 

8 

44 

3 

a 

19 

44 

9 

44 

5 

44 

21 

44 

9 

<( 

4 

a 

20 

44 

10 

a 

6 

44 

22 

a 

10 

44 

5 

44 

21 

<4 

11 

44 

7 

44 

23 

44 

11 

44 

6 


22 

44 

12 

44 

8 

44 

24 

44 

13 

44 

7 

44 

23 

a 

13 

«4 

9 

44 

25 

44 

13 

44 

8 

a 

24 

a 

14 

a 

10 

44 

26 

44 

14 

44 

9 

<4 

25 

a 

15 

a 

11 

44 

27 

44 

15 

<< 

10 

a 

26 

a 

16 

44 

12 

44 

28 

• 4 

16 

44 

11 

a 

27 

a 

17 

4( 

13 

44 

29 

a 

17 

44 

12 

44 

28 

44 

18 

U 

14 

44 

30 

44 

18 

a 

13 

44 

29 

44 

19 

(4 

15 

Oct. 

1 

44 

19 

a 

14 

a 

30 

a 

20 

44 

16 

44 

2 

44 

20 

44 

15 

Dec. 

1 

44 

21 

44 

17 

44 

3 

a 

21 

44 

16 

44 

2 

44 

22 

44 

18 

44 

4 

44 

22 

44 

17 

44 

3 

44 

23 

44 

19 

44 

5 

44 

23 

44 

18 

a 

4 

44 

24 . 

44 

20 

44 

6 

a 

24 

44 

19 

a 

5 

a 

25 

«( 

21 

44 

7 

44 

25 

44 

20 

44 

6 

44 

26 

14 

22 

44 

8 

a 

26 

44 

21 

44 

7 

i4 

27 

(4 

23 

14 

9 

44 

27 

44 

22 

a 

8 

44 

28 

44 

24 

44 

10 

a 

28 

44 

23 

44 

9 

a 

29 

44 

25 

44 

11 

March 

1 

44 

24 

a 

10 

44 

30 

44 

26 

44 

12 

44 

2 

44 

25 

a 

11 

May 

1 

44 

27 

44 

13 

44 

3 

44 

26 

44 

12 

a 

2 

44 

28 

44 

14 

44 

4 

a 

27 

a 

13 

a 

3 

44 

29 

44 

15 

a 

5 

44 

28 

44 

14 

a 

4 

44 

30 

44 

16 

44 

6 

44 

29 

a 

15 

44 

5 

44 

31 

44 

17 

<4 

7 

44 

30 

44 

16 

44 

6 

June 

1 

44 

18 

44 

8 

u 

31 

44 

17 

a 

7 

44 

2 

44 

19 

a 

9 

Aug. 

1 

a 

18 

44 

8 

44 

3 

44 

20 

44 

10 

44 

2 

44 

19 

a 

9 

4. 

4 

44 

21 

a 

11 

a 

3 

a 

20 

a 

10 

44 

5 

44 

22 

*4 

12 

a 

4 

a 

21 

44 

11 

44 

6 

44 

23 

44 

13 

a 

5 

a 

22 

4c 

12 

• 4 

7 

44 

24 

a 

14 

44 

6 

a 

23 

a 

13 

44 

8 

44 

25 

44 

15 

44 

r- 

t 

a 

24 

44 

14 

44 

9 

44 

26 

44 

16 

a 

8 

a 

25 

a 

15 

44 

10 

14 

27 

a 

17 

44 

9 

a 

26 

a 

16 

44 

11 

44 

28 

a 

18 

44 

10 

44 

27 

a 

17 

44 

12 

44 

29 

44 

19 

44 

11 

44 

28 

44 

18 

44 

13 

44 

30 

44 

20 

44 

12 

a 

29 

a 

19 

*44 

14 

44 

31 

44 

21 

a 

13 

a 

30 

a 

20 

44 

15 

Nov. 

1 

a 

22 

a 

14 

a 

31 

44 

21 

<4 

16 

44 

2 

a 

23 

44 

15 

Jan. 

1 

a 

22 

l4 

17 

44 

3 

44 

24 

44 

16 

a 

2 

44 

23 

44 

18 

44 

4 

44 

25 

a 

17 

44 

3 

a 

24 

44 

19 

44 

5 

4« 

26 

44 

18 

44 

4 

a 

25 





























LABOR 


379 


Concep. 

Quick. 

Labor. 

Concep. 

Quick. 

Labor. 

Aug 

. 19 

Jan. 

5 

Mav 

26 

Oct. 

18 

March 6 

July 

25 

44 

20 

44 

6 

44 

27 

44 

19 

tt 

7 

44 

26 

44 

21 

44 

7 

tt 

28 

tt 

20 

44 

8 

«4 

27 

« 

22 

tt 

8 

tt 

29 

44 

21 

tt 

9 

44 

23 

tt 

23 

44 

9 

44 

30 

44 

22 

tt 

10 

tt 

29 

ft 

24 

44 

10 

44 

31 

44 

23 

44 

11 

44 

30 

ft 

25 

tt 

11 

June 

1 

44 

24 

44 

12 

44 

31 

44 

26 

44 

12 

44 

2 

44 

25 

44 

13 

Aug. 

1 

44 

27 

44 

13 

tt 

3 

44 

26 

44 

14 

44 

2 

44 

28 

tt 

14 

44 

4 

tt 

27 

4* 

15 

44 

3 

ft 

29 

44 

15 

44 

5 

44 

28 

tt 

16 

tt 

4 

44 

30 

14 

16 

44 

6 

•4 

29 

44 

17 

tt 

5 

44 

31 

44 

17 

44 

7 

tt 

30 

tt 

18 


6 

Sept 

. 1 

tt 

18 

4. 

8 

44 

31 

44 

19 

tt 

7 

44 

2 

tt 

19 

tt 

9 

Nov. 

1 

tt 

20 

44 

8 

44 

3 

tt 

20 

tt 

10 

tt 

2 

4( 

21 

tt 

9 

44 

4 

44 

21 

44 

11 

it 

3 

ti 

22 

44 

10 

44 

5 

‘t 

22 

44 

12 

44 

-4 

44 

23 _ 

44 

11 

44 

6 

tt 

23 

tt 

13 

tt 

5 

44 

24 

<4 

12 

w 

7 

tt 

24 

tt 

14 

44 

6 

44 

25 

44 

13 

44 

8 

44 

25 

44 

15 

tt 

7 

44 

26 

tt 

14 

44 

9 

44 

26 

4* 

16 

it 

8 

44 

27 

44 

15 

44 

10 

44 

27 

t. 

17 

tt 

9 

tt 

28 

44 

16 

44 

11 

44 

28 

tt 

18 

44 

10 

44 

29 

44 

17 

44 

12 

tt 

29 

tt 

19 

44 

11 

tt 

30 

44 

18 

44 

13 

44 

30 

44 

20 

tt 

12 

• 4 

31 

tt 

19 

44 

14 

<4 

31 

44 

21 

it 

13 

April. 1 

44 

20 

44 

15 

Feb. 

1 

tt 

22 

ti 

14 

tt 

2 

44 

21 

44 

16 

tt 

2 

tt 

23 

<t 

15 

44 

3 

tt 

22 

44 

17 

*4 

3 

44 

24 

tt 

16 

44 

4 

tt 

23 

44 

18 

tt 

4 

tt 

25 

44 

17 

44 

5 

tt 

24 

44 

19 

tt 

5 

44 

26 

44 

18 

44 

6 

44 

25 

If 

20 

tt 

6 

44 

27 

tt 

19 

tt 

7 

44 

26 

44 

21 

tt 

7 

44 

28 

tt 

20 

44 

8 

tt 

27 

44 

22 

tt 

8 

tt 

29 

41 

21 

tt 

9 

tt 

28 

44 

23 

tt 

9 

44 

30 

tt 

22 

tt 

10 

tt 

29 

44 

24 

tt 

10 

July 

1 

44 

23 

tt 

11 

44 

30 

u 

25 

tt 

11 

tt 

2 

44 

24 

44 

12 

(4 

31 

u 

26 

ti 

12 

44 

3 

44 

25 

tt 

13 

Sept. 

1 

44 

27 

tt 

13 

tt 

4 

tt 

26 

44 

14 

44 

2 

44 

28 

tt 

14 

tt 

5 

tt 

27 

44 

15 

tt 

3 

<( 

29 

tt 

15 

tt 

6 

44 

28 

44 

16 

44 

4 

« 

30 

tt 

16 

tt 

7 

tt 

29 

44 

17 

tt 

5 

Oct. 

1 

tt 

17 

44 

8 

it 

30 

tt 

18 

it 

6 

ti 

2 

tt 

18 

tt 

9 

Dec. 

1 

44 

19 

tt 

7 

44 

3 

tt 

19 

44 

10 

44 

2 

44 

20 

44 

8 

44 

4 

44 

20 

44 

11 

tt 

3 

44 

21 

44 

9 

tt 

5 

44 

21 

4« 

12 

44 

4 

<4 

22 

tt 

10 

44 

6 

tt 

22 

tt 

13 

tt 

5 

tt 

23 

44 

11 

44 

7 

tt 

23 

44 

14 

44 

6 

44 

24 

tt 

12 

tt 

8 

44 

24 

44 

15 

tt 

7 

tt 

25 

44 

13 

44 

9 

44 

25 

44 

16 

tt 

8 

tt 

26 

tt 

14 

44 

10 

44 

26 

tt 

17 

tt 

9 

44 

27 

44 

15 

C( 

11 

44 

27 

44 

18 

tt 

10 

4< 

28 

44 

16 

<( 

12 

44 

28 

44 

19 

tt 

11 

tt 

29 

tt 

17 

tt 

13 

March 

1 

44 

20 

4« 

12 

tt 

30 

44 

18 

tt 

14 

44 

2 

tt 

21 

44 

13 

May 

1 

a 

19 

tt 

15 

44 

3 

44 

22 

44 

14 

44 

2 

44 

20 

44 

16 

44 

4 

44 

23 

44 

15 

44 

3 

44 

21 

44 

17 

4* 

5 

44 

24 

44 

16 

tt 

4 

tt 

22 


























380 


LABOR. 


Concep. 

Quick. 

Labor. 

Concep. 

Quick. 

Labor. 

Dec. 17 

May 

5 

Sept. 

23 

Dec. 

25 

May 

13 

Oct. 

1 

“ 18 


6 

44 

24 

«4 

26 

44 

14 

44 

2 

“ 19 

44 

7 

44 

25 

44 

27 

<< 

15 

M 

3 

“ 20 

u 

8 

44 

26 

44 

28 

u 

16 

44 

4 

“ 21 

44 

9 

« 

27 

u 

29 

44 

17 

(< 

5 

“ 22 

a 

10 

44 

28 

44 

30 

44 

18 

44 

6 

“ 23 

u 

11 

<( 

29 

44 

31 

<4 

19 

a 

7 

“ 24 

44 

12 

u 

30 








Note— The figures in the first and fourth columns on each page of the table 
have reference to the time of conception; the two next immediately succeeding, 
in each case, refer to the time when quickening may be expected in the natural 
course to be felt and labor to occur. For example—(See first dates given in 
table): If conception occurs January 1, quickening will be felt May 20, and labor 
begin October 8; or if the first occur February 22, quickening may be expected 
July 11, and labor November 20. 























DIFFICULT LABOR-PREPARATION FOR LABOR. 


381 


DIFFICULT LABOR. 

Influence of Artificial Habits —Many of the sufferings 
attendant upon parturition or labor arise from those habits of life 
which it is the object of this article to expose and to guard against, 
such as diet of an improper quality or quantity, the use of stimu¬ 
lating beverages, want of sufficient pure air and healthy exercise, 
tight lacing, late hours, and other injurious habits. Healthy women 
of regular habits accustomed to out-of-door exercise, and whose 
general mode of life is natural, are freed from the long train of 
miseries which are the too frequent concomitants of child-bearing. 

Obstructive Causes —At the same time causes of difficult 
labor may exist of a more remote nature and less directly referable 
to the habits of the patient. Such are contraction and deformity 
of the bones of the pelvis, from rickets, or from a similar disease 
in adult life; obstruction from tumors, dropsy, the large size of the 
child, a hydrocephalic head or wrong presentation. The manage¬ 
ment of these cases requires professional knowledge and skill. 

Simpler causes of difficult or tedious labors are a distended 
bladder, accumulation in the lower bowel, or indigestion from a 
too full meal; or from food that disagrees taken just before labor 
sets in. Prompt treatment suffices at once to remove these obstacles 
to the progress of labor. 


PREPARATION FOR LABOR. 

The Monthly Nurse —She should be a middle-aged mar¬ 
ried woman, or a widow having experience and of temperate, kind 
and cleanly habits, and free from any defect of sight or hearing. 
In every respect she should be subordinate to the medical attendant 
and faithfully carry out his directions, both as to the mother and 
infant, for he alone is responsible. 

The Lying-in Room —If practicable, a spacious, well- 
ventilated room having a southern aspect, should be selected. Pro¬ 
vision should exist both for the admission of fresh air and the 
escape of tainted air. Renewal of the air is generally best secured 
by occasionally leaving the door ajar, having the fireplace open, and 
the top sash of the window more or less down, according to the sea¬ 
son. Fresh air wonderfully helps the patient to go through the 
process of parturition. In cold weather a tire may be kept in the 
room, but neither the mother nor infant should be exposed to its 
direct influence. 

Who Should he Present at the Birth —In addition 
to the medical man and the nurse, one or two female friends may 
likewise be present in the chamber; they should be prudent, cheer¬ 
ful persons. Remarks calculated to depress the patient, especially 
any referring to unfavorable labors, are strictly improper. If con- 



382 


PREPARATION FOR LABOR. 


venient, the mother of the jjatient may be in the house, or within 
a short distance, the knowledge of such fact tending to comfort the 
patient. But she should not be in the lying-in chamber, as maternal 
anxiety is occasionally very embarrassing there. There are, how¬ 
ever, exceptions to this rule. 

Minor Preparations —All articles of clothing necessary 
for the mother and infant should be well aired, ready for immedi¬ 
ate use and so arranged that they may be found in an instant. A 
little fresh, unsalted lard, about twelve inches’ length of nice twine 
or four or live threads, a pair of blunt-ended scissors, a few patent 
or safety pins and the binder or bandage. Also a piece of water¬ 
proof sheeting, or strong oiled silk, or even a common oil-cloth 
tablecover, should be placed under the blanket and sheet over the 
right side of the bed, to protect it from being soiled by the dis¬ 
charges. 

Attention to the Bowels —Attention to the action of the 
bowels is necessary. Generally the bowels are somewhat relaxed— 
a wise provision of nature, for by thoroughly emptying the bowel 
more space is gained for the birth of the child. Should, however, 
the bowels be confined, an injection of one or two pints of tepid 
flaxseed tea or water will be sufficient to empty the intestines and is 
far more preferable to the common but reprehensible practice of 
taking castor-oil, or any other aperient drug. Ample experience 
leads us emphatically to denounce the practice of giving purgatives, 
as both unnecessary and hurtful. A good injection of water as 
soon as labor has set in, especially when the patient is costive, will 
not only facilitate’the birth of the child, but obviate the unpleasant 
occurrence of an escape of feces during parturition. If there is a 
considerable collection of hardened feces, a warm soap-and-water 
injection may be necessary. 

The Bladder —During labor the patient should never neg¬ 
lect to urinate as often as necessary. The proximity of the bladder 
to the womb renders it most undesirable that the former should be 
distended with urine, as nature requires the utmost available space 
for the passage of the child. Besides, the powerful action of the 
womb at the commencement of labor may, if the bladder is dis¬ 
tended with urine, press it down into the vagina, thus injuring the 
bladder and retarding labor. This caution is especially necessary 
in first labors, when, from refined sensibility, ladies are apt to suffer 
much inconvenience from inattention to this point. If the bladder 
is full and there is inability to urinate, the measures suggested in 
the section on “Retention of Urine” should be adopted, or better, 
the doctor should be informed of the fact. The importance of at¬ 
tention to the state of the bladder during and immediately after 
labor can scarcely be overrated. 

Position of the Patient —During the precursory stage 
of labor she should not confine herself to bed—not to her own bed¬ 
room, unless she desires it—but walk about a little; a certain 


SYMPTOMS AND STAGES OF LABOR, 


383 


amount of unrest leads her from place to place and it would be 
most undesirable to confine her to her bed. A change of position 
is a good preventive or remedy for cramp of the legs or thighs, 
which occasionally comes on, more especially when she is restricted 
to one position. 


SYMPTOMS AND STAGES OF LABOR. 

Symptoms of Labor —The earliest is a diminution of the 
waist, from sinking of the child lower down in the abdomen. This 
subsidence of the womb gives a feeling of lightness and comfort; 
pressure on the chest being removed, she breathes more freely and 
is better able to take exercise. But occasionally this alteration in 
the position of the womb leads to irritability of the bladder by its 
pressure on that organ, giving rise to a frequent desire to urinate. 
After this symptom has existed for a few days, or even in some 
cases only a few hours, the more immediate symptoms of labor 
occur; these are agitation, depression of spirits, flying pains, fre¬ 
quent inclination to relieve the bladder and the bowels, relaxation 
of the external parts and a slight discharge of mucus tinged with 
red, technically called the “show.’’ This latter is the most certain 
indication that labor has really commenced. 

At this stage, sometimes shivering and sickness come on, but 
as they are not unfavorable symptoms they require no particular 
treatment, certainly not brandy, for their removal. 

Stages of Labor —Labor has been divided into three stages. 
Th e, first, in which the uterus alone acts, commences with uterine 
contractions, the pains being of a grinding character; the osiiteri 
(mouth of the womb) gradually dilates until it is sufficiently capa¬ 
cious to admit the passage of the head of the child. In this stage 
it is not necessary for the woman to confine herself to bed; she is 
better walking about the room, occasionally lying down when a pain 
comes on. She should not on any account bear down, as some 
ignorant nurses advise; for before the mouth of the womb is suffi¬ 
ciently dilated, the child could not be born, except by rupture of 
the womb. 

The second stage of labor is indicated by the pains being of a 
forcing, bearing-down nature; the abdominal muscles and the 
diaphragm assist the action of the womb, acting in an involuntary 
and reflex manner; this stage terminates with the birth of the child. 
In this stage the lady should remain on the bed. Even now she 
should make no voluntary efforts to bear down, especially in the 
absence of pain; she should keep her eyes closed, to prevent injury 
to them during the irresistible straining which attends the expulsive 
pains. 

The third stage includes the expulsion of the after-birth, which 
generally takes place in about fifteen or twenty minutes, or it may 
be a little longer, after the birth of the child. 



384 


PAINLESS PARTURITION. 


Length of Labor —It has been laid down as a general rule, 
that a first labor continues six hours, and a subsequent one three 
hours. This calculation dates from the commencement of actual 
labor; if the premonitory flying-pains are included, the time 
would probably be doubled. The first labor of a woman who mar¬ 
ries beyond the age of thirty usually occupies a longer time than 
that of one who marries a few years earlier. Subsequent labors as 
a rule are easier. 

Tedious Labor —Here we may remark that tedious labors 
are as a rule natural, and by no means necessarily dangerous; on 
the contrary, a woman usually makes a more rapid and perfect re¬ 
covery after a slow than after a quick labor. Sometimes the large¬ 
ness of the head of the child, or narrowness of the outlet of the 
mother, is a cause of tedious labor; in such cases the head has liter¬ 
ally to be moulded to the proper proportions before it can be born, 
and this process necessarily causes delay. But, except in preterna¬ 
tural cases, which must be conducted according to the knowledge 
and skill of the professional man, medical or manual interference 
is rarely necessary; time, patience and good management only 
being required to bring a natural labor to a successful issue. 

Accessory Means —When the pains are flagging, friction 
with moderate, well directed pressure over the abdomen often 
stimulates the womb to increased activity. The pressure should 
be exerted until the placenta is detached. 


PAINLESS PARTURITION. 

Observation and experience have fully demonstrated that much 
if not all the pain and suffering commonly attendant on pregnancy 
and child-birth could be alleviated or entirely avoided by resort to 
proper methods and timely and appropriate remedial measures. 
Under the head “Raw Beef in the Vomiting of Pregnancy ” on 
page 357, Mrs. Duffey refers in terms of high commendation to Dr. 
Holbrook’s system of dieting and prescribing for the parturient 
woman to the end of rendering the various stages through which 
she has to pass as free from pain as possible. Each of them relies 
largely on dietetic measures to bring the patient up to that stage of 
strength and resolution where labor will be little more than many 
another natural process. 

Among the remedies of paramount value for rendering child¬ 
birth less painful and tedious may be first named blue cohosh {Can- 
lophyllum Thalictroides ). It imparts tone and vigor to the womb. 
Tea made of it should be taken for the last three or four weeks of 
pregnancy. The dose of the tea is from one-third to two-thirds of 
a teacupful three times daily. 

The black cohosh (Cimicifuga Racemosa) is in every respect 
equally as serviceable in facilitating child-birth and for use in leucor- 



HOW TO ACT IN THE ABSENCE OF A BIIYSICIAN. 


3S5 


rhea and other female complaints as the preceding. The black 
cohosh is put up in the form of tincture and fluid extract, twenty to 
sixty drops of the first and a half to one teaspoonful of the latter 
being the dose to be given three times a day. 

Some time since, the writer (Dr. Buddock) attended a lady in 
her confinement whose previous labors were so difficult and tedious 
that the medical man engaged had always found it necessary to call 
in the aid of a second professional attendant. On being summoned 
to the labor we administered soon after arrival three grains of Cau- 
lophyllum (Blue Cohosh) (homeopathic lx trit.), which acted most 
satisfactorily; the pains became regular and effective, the labor was 
soon completed, and our attendance did not extend over two hours. 
Her previous labors always lasted twenty-four to thirty-six hours. 
To show how satisfactory in all respects was the present labor, the 
husband insisted on giving a double fee, as in preceding labors he 
had been called upon to do by the attendance of a second medical 
man. It should be observed that no medicines of this character 
should be given until after the inner neck (internal os) of the 
uterus is fully dilated. 

A tea made of slippery-elm and flax-seed has a reputation for 
preventing the pains attending child-birth. Take two parts in 
weight of the slippery-elm and one of the flax-seed and ponr boil¬ 
ing water over them. Use it as a daily drink beginningat least two 
months before the expected period. 


HOW TO ACT IN THE ABSENCE OF A 

PHYSICIAN. 

Some labors are managed entirely by nurses who have had some 
preliminary training, but women generally prefer a qualified medi¬ 
cal man, in whose care, firmness and superior ability they have 
greater confidence. Inasmuch, however, as labor sometimes comes 
on earlier than was anticipated, or its stages are gone through so 
rapidly as not to give sufficient time for the attendance of a medi¬ 
cal man, it is desirable to know how to act till he arrives. Calm¬ 
ness, judgment, self-possession and attention to the following points, 
are generally all that are necessary in ordinary cases for the safety 
and comfort of the mother and infant, at least until the arrival of a 
doctor. 

Birth before the Doctor’s Arrival— If, when the head 
is born, the face get black, the exit of the shoulders should be aided 
by slight traction, by means of the index finger inserted in the 
axilla (arm-pit); but on no account should the head be pulled, for 
dislocation of the neck might result. After this the remaining exit 
of the bodv and nates should not be hurried. 

t/ 

When the child is born, the nurse should at once remove it out 

25 



1I0W TO ACT IN THE ABSENCE OF A MEDICAL MAN. 


of the way of the mother’s discharges, place it where it has room 
to breathe, and see that the mouth is not covered with clothes. 
The mouth should also be examined, and any mucus in it removed. 
At the same time it is very important to notice whether a coil of 
the funis (navel-string) be wound round the infant’s neck, and if 
so, to instantly liberate it to prevent strangulation. If there are 
two or three coils, they should be loosened a little to allow the child 
to breathe. 

To Tie the Umbilical Cord —The ligature—a piece of 
twine or four or five threads—should be placed about two inches 
from the body of the infant, and tied firmly by a double knot 
around the umbilical cord; two or three inches further from the 
body of the child a second ligature has to be similarly applied, and 
the cord then cut between the two ligatures with a pair of blunt- 
pointed scissors. The cord should not be ligatured or tied till the 
child has given signs of life by its cries or vigorous breathing, or 
until all pulsation in the cord has ceased. 

The Placenta —The umbilical cord having been ligatured and 
divided, no attempt should be made, by pulling at it or otherwise, 
to remove the placenta (after-birth). The only justifiable interfer¬ 
ence is firm pressure and occasional friction over the region of the 
womb, which tends to encourage contraction of that organ, by 
which means detachment and expulsion of the placenta is effected. 
We may judge whether the placenta is detached by examining over 
the lower part of the abdomen, and if the womb is felt contracting 
and hard, like a cricket-ball, the placenta is detached. 

There is one very decided way of knowing when the placenta 
or after-birth is detached; it is as follows: Grasp the cord in the 
hand and squeeze it; if pulsation is felt, separation is. not complete. 
For this purpose one finger is not enough; the thrill is best felt 
through all. If the placenta be not expelled, it is in the vagina 
passage to the womb; two fingers may then be passed up to the in¬ 
sertion of the cord, where the placenta may be grasped and brought 
away steadily and evenly, with a spiral or twisting movement, but 
without using force. The spiral movement tends to overcome the 
pressure of the atmosphere, and also winds the membranes into a 
kind of rope so that they are less likely to be torn. It is by no 
means necessary to wait for a griping pain or two to effect the ex¬ 
pulsion of the after-birth. Indeed, the removal is better effected 
before the griping pains come on. 

Application of the Binder —The binder, frequently 
called bandage, may be made of strong linen or sheeting, about 
twelve inches wide and a yard and a half long, so as to include the 
whole of the abdomen and overlap a little. It should be ap¬ 
plied with moderate firmness, secured by patent or safety pins and 
readjusted as soon as it becomes loose. The binder is useful in two 
respects; it favors contraction of the womb, and thus tends to 
obviate hemorrhage; it also aids the return of the abdomen to 



HOW TO ACT IN THE ABSENCE OF A MEDICAL MAN. 387 

its former size, and prevents the condition called “ pendulous belly.” 
The binder should be kept on for a week or ten days. It is only 
proper to add that medical men are not agreed as to the necessity 
of the binder, for while some always apply it, others discard it 
entirely. As, however, it can scarcely do harm if properly applied, 
and may prevent hemorrhage or uterine displacement, we use and 
also recommend its application before the patient is left. 

Immediately After Labor —The first few hours after the 
birth of the child, should be essentially hours of repose. For an 
hour at least, the patient should maintain the same posture as dur¬ 
ing labor and be no more disturbed than is necessary to apply the 
binder, remove the soiled napkins, and render her as comfortable as 
the circumstances will permit. She must not on any account make 
the slightest exertion herself, or hemorrhage is very liable to occur. 
One or two hours after labor the tendency to hemorrhage is much 
reduced. A cup of hot tea, or a little warm arrowroot or gruel may 
be given her, but, except in extreme cases or under the advice of a 
medical man, no brandy or other stimulants should be permitted. 
If the patient desires to urinate soon after labor, she should do so in 
a lying posture, but on no account arise or sit up for that purpose, 
as dangerous hemorrhage might thus be occasioned. By good 
management and quietude for two or three hours, a little sound and 
refreshing sleep is usually obtained, and her exhausted energies are 
soon renewed. After this, should no untoward circumstances forbid, 
she may be changed and placed in bed, meanwhile maintaining and 
preserving the horizontal posture. As soon as the infant is dressed 
and the mother made comfortable, the child should be applied to the 
breast. By this means the nipple is most likely to assume the proper 
form, the flow of milk is facilitated and the activity thus excited in the 
breasts tends, by reflex action, to promote vigorous uterine contract¬ 
ion, and considerably reduces the danger of secondary hemorrhage. 
As suggested in the article on “ Flooding,” the nurse should 
examine the napkins very frequently at first, to ascertain if there be 
any undue hemorrhage. The labor being thus completed the 
window blind should be let down, noise shut out, conversation for¬ 
bidden and everything done to induce the patient to sleep, at the 
same time making due provision for good ventilation. As soon as 
the child is washed and dressed the nurse only should remain in the 
room. 

Arnica —In order to anticipate and prevent soreness as much 
as possible it is well to administer arnica internally, especially when 
the labor has been a hard and protracted one. To be given every 
hour or two, for three or four times. When the after-birth has been 
expelled, arnica may also be applied externally to the parts by 
wetting a napkin with Arnica-lotion (twenty drops of the tincture 
to a tumbler of water), renewing the application as often as may be 
required. If the patient be liable to erysipelas, Hamamelis 
( Witcli-Ilazel) lotion should be used in preference. 


388 


MANAGEMENT AFTER DELIVERY-FLOODING. 


MANAGEMENT AFTER DELIVERY. 

Diet —Errors on this point have arisen from parturition hav¬ 
ing been regarded as a disease, rather than a physiological condition 
Labor is emphatically a process of health, and under ordinarily 
favorable circumstances there is no fever or febrile reaction, or any 
danger of inflammation; why then should a lady be restricted to 
gruel or low diet for a week? Indeed, under a low diet inflamma¬ 
tory symptoms are liable to be called into existence, and bad matters 
are more readily absorbed by the uterine vessels. A good diet is 
the best preventive against inflammation. The diet we invariably 
give is nourishing, digestible, solid food from the very commence¬ 
ment ; and we have never seen any untoward results. On the con¬ 
trary, many women formerly under the care of doctors who gave 
only a slop-diet, have expressed to us their thankfulness for the 
earlier and more complete restoration to their former condition and 
their exemption from debility and other evils inseparable from a low 
diet. When a patient is delivered in the night or early morning 
and there are no unfavorable symptoms we allow a mutton-chop for 
dinner on the first day; for other meals, well-made oatmeal-porridge, 
cocoa or tea, cold-buttered toast or bread and butter, a breakfast- 
cupful of arrow-root or gruel and light farinaceous puddings, keep¬ 
ing constantly in view a healthy condition and regular action of the 
bowels. 

A too exclusive use of gruel and other slops is apt to distend 
the stomach, produce constipation and retard the necessary changes 
in the womb. 


FLOODING. 

This is one of the most frequent and at the same time the most 
serious of the accidents which complicate the expulsion of the after¬ 
birth. The hemorrhage generally comes on with a rush a few 
minutes after the child is born, and before the placenta is expelled; 
occasionally it does not come on for several hours or in rare cases 
even for several days. 

Symjrtoms —The blood usually appears externally, which the 
physician or nurse instantly recognizes, and is sometimes so sudden 
and abundant as to place the lady in great danger; at other times 
the discharge is confined to the cavity of the womb, where it may 
escape detection, or be only recognized when it is difficult or 
impossible to remedy it. Paleness of the face, small, feeble, wiry 
pulse, dimness of vision, noise in the head and fainting are symp¬ 
toms which accompany dangerous hemorrhage, whether the dis¬ 
charge be internal or external. 



FLOODING. 


389 


Remedies — 1 . Take oil of cinnamon, one teaspoonful; alco¬ 
hol, four tablespoonfuls. Mix. Dose, half a teaspoonful every 
fifteen or sixty minutes, according to the urgency of the symptoms. 
Essence of cinnamon, as obtained at drug-stores, may be substituted 
for the oil and in like doses. This will almost invariably arrest the 
flow. In the absence of this remedy use equal parts of alum and 
nutmeg, as much as will lie on a ten cent-cent piece, and repeat the 
dose as above. 

2. If the feet are cold apply hot irons to them, but keep the 
body cool. In very severe cases, when it is of great importance to 
check the discharge speedily, plug the vagina with soft cotton cloth 
or an old silk handkerchief or linen, with which it must be well 
closed, keeping them in this situation by means of a compress and 
bandage. In the course of six or seven hours this plug must be 
removed; but in no case must it remain in the vagina longer than 
twenty-four hours. It must be recollected that it is exceedingly 
improper to employ the plug, except during the first five months of 
pregnancy; if used after this period, it will give rise to what is 
called a “ concealed hemorrhage,” in which the flooding continues, 
but does not appear externally owing to the presence of the plug 
which obstructs its flow. 

3. When the foregoing remedies are not at hand add one- 
fourth of an ounce of alum to a pint of warm milk and take a table¬ 
spoonful every half hour or hour, as the necessity of the case may 
demand. 

4. Take one part of charcoal, well powdered, and six parts of 
powdered white sugar; that is, in the proportion of one teaspoonful 
of charcoal to six of sugar, and rub them together thoroughly. In 
the absence of a druggist’s mortar in which to prepare or rub them 
spend twenty or thirty minutes in grinding and mixing them 
together with a case-knife, on a table or some smooth surface. 
Then, of this, divide one teaspoonful into four equal parts, and 
give one of these parts for a dose and repeat every hour. This is a 
new remedy for flooding, and so simple that it might be rejected on 
that account. Yet it is invaluable for this purpose, as its use will 
amply demonstrate. 

5. Another new remedy is a powder called bebeerine, which will 
have to be procured at the drug stores. Dose, one-half grain 
three times a day. Prof I. J. M. Goss says: “It acts with more 
promptness than any other article in the Materia Medica.” 

6. In the absence of the above remedies, use a tea of witch- 
hazel or betli-root, or both combined, when they can be procured. 
They are old remedies, but nevertheless very good ones. 

Accessory Treatment —As soon as the hemorrhage occurs 
seize upon the soft womb through the walls of the abdomen, and 
constantly press upon it and knead it, as it were, for a long time 
or until it feels like a ball. Knead and press deeply upon the parts 
just above the bone at the lower part of the abdomen, whether the 


390 


FLOODING. 


womb can be distinguished at first or not. At the same time napkins, 
saturated with cold water, should be placed on the external parts. 
Small lumps of ice, when they are obtainable, may be introduced 
into the vagina or pushed up the rectum, to arrest hemorrhage; at 
the same time, small pieces of ice, in considerable quantities, should 
be frequently swallowed. The internal and external employment 
of ice in this manner will rarely fail to effect early and vigorous 
contraction of the womb. The patient should remain quite still, 
the hips being a little elevated, and the pillow removed from her • 
head. The application of the child to the breast is also useful, as 
it tends to excite uterine contraction. The patient should be lightly 
covered, the room kept cool and a free circulation of air promoted. 
If the discharge has been alarming and the patient appears on the 
point of death she should have brandy, but slightly diluted with 
water, in small quantities, at frequent intervals. In this form it is 
the best stimulus to the heart, and less likely to excite sickness. 
Beef-tea or Liebig’s extract of meat should be given in small but 
frequent quantities. 

After flooding the patient is generally inclined to sleep. This 
tendency should not be interrupted too soon as it wonderfully re¬ 
cruits the exhausted powers. The patient must not, however, be 
left alone, and frequent examinations should be made by the attend¬ 
ant. If the patient sleeps, do not awake her unless symptoms of 
flooding come on, as suspected by the bloodless appearance of the 
face and indistinct, rapid pulse. The room should be kept dark, 
not too warm, and fresh air should be admitted, being careful not 
to have it pass over or upon the patient. Visitors, whispering, loud 
talking and unnecessary noises must on no account be allowed; 
the patient should be kept still and recumbent, free from noise and 
not allowed to talk or make the least exertion. At first, the diet 
should consist of light, nutritious fluids, as cold gruel, cold, boiled 
milk, chicken-broth, arrow-root, beef-tea, custard, calf’s foot jelly, 
cold drinks, such as lemonade, cream of tartar or tamarinds and 
water, or cold water, or a few drops of elixir vitriol in a tumberful 
of water. If the woman is of a weakly constitution, tea or infu¬ 
sions of cinnamon, or any other spices may be given with great 
benefit. 

Preventive Means —After delivery the patient should re¬ 
main prone and in silence and enjoy the most absolute repose of 
mind and body for at least half an hour or an hour. A clean and 
well aired napkin should be applied to the vagina as soon after de¬ 
livery as possible, and the nurse strictly enjoined to examine it at 
least every few minutes at first. In this way any excessive dis¬ 
charge will be easily detected. As before remarked, after the lapse 
of one or two hours the danger of hemorrhage is much reduced. 

Never be alarmed, as alarm increases the patient’s danger. Act 
coolly and deliberately, as there is very rarely any danger if the 
directions in this article are strictly followed. 


AFTER-PAINS—ABORTION. 


391 


AFTER-PAINS. 

Except after a first labor, women generally suffer from after- 
pains, the nature and intensity of which are much influenced by the 
character of the labor, and the constitutional peculiarities of the 
patient. After-pains are liable to increase with each succeeding 
labor, and unless proper treatment is adopted, the pains may be 
very excessive and prevent sleep. Much, however, may be done 
both in the way of preventing them and of moderating their vio¬ 
lence. 

Cause —Uterine contraction—After the birth of the child and 
the detachment and expulsion of the after birth, muscular contrac¬ 
tions are still necessary to close the now empty womb and to re¬ 
duce that organ to its natural size in the unimpregnated state. This 
is termed involution. After-pains are said to be often troublesome 
in women who have taken chloroform during labor. This, how¬ 
ever, may be due to the severity of the pains or the pains may seem 
greater because they were mitigated during labor. In the latter 
case Dr. Ludlam recommends five drops of chloroform to be added 
to half a tumblerful of water, and a teaspoonful to be administered 
as often as the pains recur. 

Remedies —1. Take a piece of the pith of prickly ash, of 
the size of the little finger. Steep it in half a pint of water for a 
few minutes, and give as soon as possible. This will generally pro¬ 
duce immediate relief. 

2. After pains may usually be relieved by applying warm 
fomentations to the abdomen, composed of hops and vinegar. 

3. A tea, made of the bark of the root of the black haw, is 
excellent and will relieve promptly. 

4. In pains following protracted, hard labor, arnica is very 
effective. Add twenty drops of the strong tincture to a teacupful 
of warm water. Saturate a napkin with the lotion, apply it warm 
to the lower part of the abdomen and cover with dry flannel to pre¬ 
vent too rapid evaporation. 

5. Also a tea, made of the high-cranberry bark, will generally 
control, or relieve them sufficiently. 

6. A tea made of equal parts of pleurisy-root and red-rasp¬ 
berry leaves, is often very effectual in removing this difficulty. 

7. Hop-tea is also useful and will often afford relief and thus 
answer the purpose. 

Various remedies are given for this affection so that if one of 
them is not at hand another one may be. 


ABORTION (Miscarriage). 

When the expulsion of the fetus occurs in the early months of 
pregnancy it is termed abortion, or miscarriage; after about the 
seventh month, premature birth. In the former—abortion or mis- 

/ 


/ 




392 


ABORTION. 


carriage—the child is not viable (capable of an independent exist¬ 
ence); in the latter—premature birth—it is. When abortion has 
once occurred a predisposition to it is engendered in subsequent 
pregnancies, and especially at about the corresponding period; 
consequently, indiscretions and excesses are more likely to be fatal 
to natural delivery at this particular time than at any other. Abor¬ 
tion must be regarded as a serious evil; it not only deprives the 
mother of the product of her pregnancy, but often places her health 
and even life in peril. The subsequent evil is a source of serious 
apprehension, frequently involving health and happiness. 

Symptoms — Slight symptoms of miscarriage —A feeling of 
indisposition to exertion, depression, weakness and uneasiness at 
the bottom of the back and at the lower part of the abdomen, and 
other symptoms resembling those which often precede menstrua¬ 
tion. 

Symptoms directly threatening miscarriage —Slight and in¬ 
creasing discharge of blood; cutting pains in the loins and abdo¬ 
men, recurring in paroxysms and with increasing intensity. 

Miscarriage —Pains, at first slight and irregular, now become 
severe and recur at regular intervals, with bearing-down, watery 
discharges and expulsion of the fetus. 

Causes —The predisposing causes are—feebleness of constitu¬ 
tion; too slight an attachment of the embryo to the womb during 
the early part of pregnancy; profuse menstruation; too great 
rigidity of the walls of the womb, which opposes the due expansion 
of the organ; a relaxed condition of the uterus or of its neck; 
long-continued leucorrhea; excessive sexual indulgence; acute dis¬ 
eases, particularly those of the uterus and abdominal viscera; ex¬ 
posure to malignant forms of disease—small pox, scarlatina, diph¬ 
theria, etc.; want of sufficient healthy exercise; late hours, as in 
nursing the sick, especially if combined with anxiety and unrelieved 
by daily recreation in the open air. 

The most frequent exciting causes are the following: Over¬ 
reaching, as in hanging a picture; falls and blows; taking a false 
step in going up or down stairs; lifting heavy weights; long walks; 
horseback-exercise, or riding in carriages over rough roads; climb¬ 
ing steep or difficult steps; dancing; excessive use of the sewing- 
machine; late hours; tight garments, especially such as exert undue 
compression upon the abdomen; indigestible food; acute diseases 
and inflammatory affections of the womb or adjacent organs; 
purgatives, especially such as operate directly upon the uterus; 
violent mental emotions, as care, anger, grief and fright. Also all 
circumstances which immediately or remotely excite abnormal con¬ 
tractions of the uterus. 

The causes just enumerated are not usually followed by miscar¬ 
riage; indeed, muscular efforts, moderately and regularly performed, 
are favorable to gestation. The danger arises in women who ordi¬ 
narily take but little exercise, either in or out of doors, but who 




ABORTION. 393 

under the excitement or the stimulus of unusual circumstances, do 
an amount or kind of work and perform feats which result in the 
mischief under consideration. Abortion, again, is more likely 
to arise from the above causes when a predisposition to it already 
exists, more especially at the end of the third month, or at the 
period corresponding to that at which it previously occurred. But 
the most powerful exciting cause is the recurrence of the time 
when, but for pregnancy, menstruation would have taken place, for 
at this period abortion is a hundred times more likely to occur than 
at any other time. To those who have aborted, therefore, the re¬ 
turn of what would have been the monthly period is always a criti¬ 
cal event. 

Remedies —1. Any excessive flooding may be arrested by the 
application of cold wet cloths to the parts and over the lower parts 
of the bowels; cold water or vinegar and water may be used. In¬ 
ternally a mixture of live grains of powdered alum and one grain 
of grated nutmeg may be given for a dose, repeating it every thirty 
or sixtv minutes. 

2. The oil of flreweed is also valuable and may be 
given in doses of five drops with sugar, repeating them every twen¬ 
ty minutes, or at longer intervals, depending upon the urgency of 
the case. In many cases of an approaching abortion, but little more 
will be demanded than a state of quietness in the horizontal pos¬ 
ture, having the hips elevated higher than the head and using cold 
lemonade. 

Should the symptoms still continue, notwithstanding these 
measures, make a large mustard-plaster, using one teaspoonful of 
ground mustard to three of flour, or anything suitable to mix it 
with; make the plaster with the white of eggs and apply it 
across the back, just above the hips. Keep it on for hours, 
and change it every three or four hours. This will not blister, but 
simply keep the part stimulated and warm. 

3. One of the best known remedies is the black haw ( Vibur¬ 
num Prunifolium ), made into a tea by steeping the bark of the root, 
and taking two teaspoonfuls every half-hour or hour, until the dan¬ 
ger is passed. It can now be obtained at most drug-stores, in fluid 
extract, the dose being one-half teaspoonful, every one or two hours. 
This will check nineteen out of twenty cases of threatened abor¬ 
tion and carry them safely to the full term. 

4. The star-root (Ilelonias Dioica ), sometimes called unicorn 
root or blazing star, has been employed in threatened abortion with 
remarkably good success. The root is the part used. Dose, half a 
teacupful of the infusion every hour. In urgent cases it may be 
repeated oftener. If the powder is used, give fifteen to twenty 
grains at a dose, and repeat as above, until three or four doses are 
taken. 

5. Some physicians give one-eighth to one-sixth of a grain of 
morphine or one grain of opium every four hours, and tincture of 


394 


ABORTION. 


ergot, twenty drops, and the same of fluid extract of hamamelis, 
every hour lengthening the interval of time as indications become 
less violent. 

Points to be remembered: Keep perfectly quiet; never rise 
up or get out of bed, nor even sit up in bed, when there is flowing; 
do not be in too much haste to walk about the room; and do not 
try to lift any heavy articles for weeks after leaving bed. 

When the flooding is very profuse, and there is no doubt that 
the fetus will be expelled, the vagina may be plugged with pieces 
of linen or muslin and well closed up, keeping them in place by 
means of a compress and bandage. In the course of six hours 
this plug may be removed; but it must not remain in the vagina 
longer than twenty-four hours. By this method, the flow of blood 
will frequently be checked. The precautions suggested in the 
second paragraph of remedies under the article on “ Flooding/' 
should obtain here as the same mishap, “ concealed hemorrhage” is 
liable to occur, under like conditions. 

Let all drinks be cold, and keep the room also cool. As a 
drink give fifteen drops of elixir of vitrol, in a little water, flve or 
six times daily, or lemonade; the flrst being the best. Keep on the 
mustard until all danger of abortion has ceased, which may be 
known by the flowing and pains having ceased. It requires from 
two to ten days to bring about the desired result. 

The tincture of cinnamon, in this difficulty, is very valuable to 
aid in checking the flow and the tendency to miscarriage. It 
should be given in half teaspoonful doses, every ten or twenty min¬ 
utes, according to the profusion of the discharge, each dose of 
which may be given in about half a wine glassful of water, sweet¬ 
ened with loaf-sugar. 

Accessory Treatment —As soon as it may be deemed pru¬ 
dent the patient may be allowed to lie down in a cool, well ventila¬ 
ted room, on a sofa or hair-mattress, and maintain that position till 
all symptoms of miscarriage have disappeared. Merely resting 
the legs and feet is quite insufficient. In cases, however, in which 
miscarriage is only apprehended, it is not necessary to restrict the pa¬ 
tient wholly to the recumbent posture; gentle and moderate out of 
door exercise is necessary, when sufficiently recovered, but no soon¬ 
er than the conditions will admit. Sexual intercourse must be 
avoided; also coffee, tea and other kinds of hot stimulating drinks 
that occasion flushings or excitement; also the circumstances tend¬ 
ing to produce abortion, as detailed under “ Causes.” 

After Miscarriage —When miscarriage has actually oc¬ 
curred, the immediate after-treatment should be the same as pointed 
out under “Labor.” The patient should be kept in bed, and in every 
respect the same care observed as if she had gone through labor in 
due course. If the patient leaves her bed and goes about household 
duties before the womb has had sufficient rest and time to return 
to its unimpregnated size, displacement, falling of the womb and 


GATHERED, OR INFLAMED BREASTS. 395 

subsequent abortions are likely to occur. Abortion and miscar¬ 
riage, more frequently than natural parturition, are followed by de¬ 
fective uterine involution; and this is because the menstrual dis¬ 
charge is brought on too soon by the resumption of the duties and 
pleasures of life. The uncontracted womb is thus likely to become 
permanently over-sensitive and congested, and this condition may 
merge into inflammation in weakly constituted women. 

General Preventive Measures —Every attention should 
be directed towards maintaining 1 as vigorous a state of the constitu- 
tion as possible. The diet should be good and liberal. Open-air 
exercise should be taken for two or three hours a day, if it can be 
borne without fatigue. For the bed, a hair mattress over a feather¬ 
bed is the most suitable; and cold or tepid sponging should be 
practiced two or three times a week. Sometimes a hip-bath should 
be conjoined with the sponging. The patient should sit in a bath 
about half fllled with water, for three or four minutes. While in 
the bath the water should be dashed over the stomach and back 
with the hand or by means of a sponge. After the bath, the body 
should be rubbed with a large towel or sheet until reaction is 
thoroughly established. When there are threatenings of miscarri¬ 
age, the patient must strictly coniine herself to the recumbent pos¬ 
ture, even for weeks, should it be necessary; and, especially after 
miscarriage has taken place, must she retain that posture as if 
pregnancy had gone on to full term. The uterus must have a per¬ 
iod of rest which is as necessary after miscarriage as after an ordi¬ 
nary labor. Especial care and rest are necessary whenever the 
monthly period comes round. If this last precaution w f ere fully 
acted upon, it would suffice to break what is termed the habit of 
aborting. In some cases abortion can only be prevented by a sep¬ 
aration of the husband and wife for some months, during which 
time efforts should be made to reduce the uterus to its natural size 
and condition. Together with rest of the body here recommended, 
a quiet and tranquil state of mind should, as far as possible, be 
maintained. 


GATHERED, OR INFLAMED BREASTS. 

Causes —Exposure to cold, by not covering the breasts during 
nursing; especially if perspiring or if in a draft or cool place; sit¬ 
ting up in bed uncovered to nurse the child; too small, depressed or 
sore nipples, so that the breast becomes distended with milk, favoring 
inflammation and suppuration; efforts of the child to suck when there 
is no milk in the breast; strong emotions; mechanical injuries; too 
prolonged nursing, theabcess not appearing until a late period—the 
tenth to the twelfth month. Too sudden weaning, by allowing a large 
accumulation of milk in the breasts, and deranging the general 
health by the abruptness of the new condition of things, is also an 



396 


GATHERED, OK INFLAMED BREASTS. 


exciting cause. Tight fitting stays, by coinpressing the glands, keep 
the breasts too hot and derange the circulation in them, and act as 
predisposing causes. 

Symptoms —When the inflammation occurs in the tissue 
behind the breast, and on which it is placed, the pain is severe, throb¬ 
bing, deep-seated, and increased by moving the arm and shoulder; 
the breast becomes swollen, red and more prominent, being pushed 
forward by the abcess behind. Sometimes, but less frequently, the 
breast itself is involved, when the pain becomes very acute and 
cutting, the swelling very considerable, and there is much constitu¬ 
tional disturbance—quick, full pulse, hot skin, thirst, head-ache, 
sleeplessness, etc. This variety of gathered breast is preceded by 
rigors (shivering fits), followed by heat, and the case should be 
immediately placed under the care of a medical man. 

Remedies —1. Use externally the tops of poke-root, first 
bruising and heating them, applied in the form of a poultice. When 
it becomes dry, renew by a fresh one. It will relieve any case of 
swelled breasts. It is equally as good for “ broken breasts.” The 
root, when roasted and applied, is as good for this purpose as the tops. 
In chronic cases bathe the breasts with the tincture of this plant. 
This may be obtained at any drug-store. Also take the same 
internally, in five-drop doses, three times a day, until relieved. 

2. Another good application is to rub together thoroughly 
camphor-gum and a little alcohol. To a teaspoonful of this add a 
tablespoonful of sweet oil, and apply freely. This is not only 
valuable for swelled breast, but also for anv kind of swelling, bruise 
or pam. 

3. A plaster made of bees-wax and camphor applied with 
vigorous rubbing to the inflamed part acts very efficiently. 

4. A very excellent application to a hard, tender and inflamed 
breast, is a cold solution of sal-ammoniac in vinegar, adding as much 
of this as the vinegar will dissolve. Apply on cloths, covering; them 
with flannel. 

5. Take of 

Hard soap.2 ounces. 

Common salt.. . 2 ounces. 

Hew milk.i pint. 

After shaving the soap fine, put the whole of the ingredients in a 
vessel, and simmer them slowly over the fire for a few minutes, and 
while hot stir in a tablespoonful of corn-meal, and continue to 
simmer it until it is of the proper consistence to spread on a cloth. 
This quantity should cover the whole breast. After being spread 
the surface of the poultice should be greased and then applied to the 
breast as hot as can be borne. 

6. Use common molasses as a liniment, three times a day, 
applying it to the nipple, rubbing the breasts down from that 
point. This remedy though simple is highly recommended by those 
who have used it. 





397 


GATHERED, OR INFLAMED BREASTS. 

7. Should these measures fail at any time to disperse or re¬ 
move the swellings, and matter forms, the suppuration may be 
hastened by a hot elm-poultice, or a bread-and-milk poultice, placed 
over the breast and renewed frequently. Or, if it can be obtained, 
fresh poke-root may be roasted until it is soft, then mashed, mixed 
with an equal quantity of powdered lobelia, and sufficient hot 
water added, which may be applied over the breast, renewing it three 
times a day. When the suppuration is completed, the severe pain 
will be materially diminished by opening the abcess with a probe or 
lancet. The ulcer may be treated upon the same principle as ex¬ 
plained under “ Ulcers.” 

Accessory Treatment —Two or three hours after labor, 
sooner if there is much hemorrhage, the infant should be given the 
breast, but only about once in every four hours, until the supply of 
milk is uniformly secreted. The breasts should be supported by a 
broad handkerchief, or a net-work supporter, or by strips of ad¬ 
hesive plaster, nicely and uniformly applied, as their weight aggra¬ 
vates the patient’s sufferings greatly; strips of plaster are also used 
to effect uniform compression of the glands, and thereby diminish 
their secretion. A linseed poultice should be applied to the part; 
this will allay the pain, by relieving tension and causing perspira¬ 
tion. 

The camphorated oil or spirits of camphor, followed by dry 
heat, as of an iron passed close to the breast, and then enveloping 
the breast in cotton, should be used continuously, and renewed every 
twelve hours, as long as necessary. A solution of camphor and 
glycerine, applied over the gland by means of a flannel compress, 
or what is better if obtainable, a piece of oiled silk or chamois skin, 
is also a useful application. In extensive engorgement and indura¬ 
tion, an opening is necessary, and should be made in the lowest 
situation as soon as matter is discovered. If the matter be not 
removed as soon as felt, it will be diffused in various directions 
through the breast. 

It is important to remember that this difficulty is a symptom 
which strongly points to constitutional feebleness, indicating the 
necessity for pure air, sunlight, suitable bathings and nourishing 
diet—lightly dressed eggs, tender, lean meat, oatmeal and brown 
bread. By eating the latter, the patient has an advantage of 
the phosphorus which is contained in the covering of the grain, 
much of which is lost by the dressings which fine flour undergoes. 
The mind must be kept free from domestic worry and all kinds of 
care. 

The preventive treatment consists in relieving the breasts as 
fast as they are filled; in keeping the patient warm and on good 
diet. 

Swelled Breasts of Infants —It often happens that the 
breasts of a child will become caked and swollen. It is seldom 
necessary to resort to any other treatment than the following: Wet 


398 


CHILD-EED FEVER-MILK-FEVER. 


a piece of brown paper witli strong spirits of camphor, fold it to¬ 
gether and lay it upon the breast or breasts, as the case may be. In 
forty eight hours the cake and swelling will disappear. 


CHILD-BED FEVER—MILK-FEVER (Puerperal 

Fever.) 

Causes —Instrumental or difficult labors, fetid lochia, decom¬ 
posing fragments of retained placenta, violent emotional disturb¬ 
ances, contagion, or personal transmission of the poison from one 
patient to another by doctors and nurses. Other animal poisons, as 
that from erysipelas, scarlatina, typhus and from the post-mortem 
or dissecting room, are capable of exciting puerperal fever. Some 
learned physicians argue that atmospheric conditions sometimes 
exist favoring its develo]3ment, seemingly epidemic in character, 
or it may be conveyed by the persons and dresses of the attendants 
of the patients, even after the exercise of great caution. The disease 
derives great importance both from its extreme danger and its 
frightfullv contagious character. 

Symptoms —These usually occur shortly after delivery. 
There are pricking sensations in the breasts, which gradually swell 
and harden, accompanied by a febrile action in the system, and in 
some cases pains in the head, scanty urine, constipation, etc. 

In puerperal fever there are, in addition to the above, rigors 
(shivering fits), pain and great tenderness over the region of the 
womb; suppression of the milk (if it has been secreted at all); also 
a suppressed or scanty and fetid lochial discharge, scanty high 
colored urine, constipation, quick, sharp, irregular pulse; there are 
severe pains in the head, flushed face, glistening eyes and sometimes 
delirium; distention of the abdomen; and unless the disease is 
checked, typhoid or malignant symptoms rapidly supervene. This 
fever commonly occurs within a few days after childbirth; and it is 
remarkable that in most cases the patient loses all interest in the 
infant, and even expresses dislike to it and the husband. 

Remedies —l.To control the fever and inflammation give the 
following: Tincture of aconite, one teaspoonful; water, one-half 
pint; mix. Dose, a teaspoonful every hour, as long as there is any 
fever or inflammation. The abdomen must be constantly fomented 
with hops and vinegar, or stramonium-leaves, or bags of hot tansy 
or smart-weed. To allay vomiting, use peppermint, anise or spear¬ 
mint-water; or perhaps a draught of soda or seidlitz water with 
lemon-juice. A mustard-poultice over the region of the stomach, 
will frequently be of service; especially will this be necessary if 
sickness and vomiting exist. Strong coffee, without sugar or milk 
will in some cases act almost like a charm. 

2. The tincture of the muriate of iron, in doses of ten drops in 
a wineglassful of water, repeated every hour, will generally be found 



GREEN SICKNESS. 


399 


superior to every other remedy; especially if the disease be associ¬ 
ated with erysipelas. 

3. If the inflammation and soreness do not soon subside with 
this treatment, apply a poultice of hops and charcoal, and give 
freely of liop-yeast and charcoal internally. 

Accessory Treatment —Frequent small draughts of cold 
water should he given; this relieves the thirst and promotes perspi¬ 
ration. Barley, milk or strong beef tea, between the doses of 
medicine, will help keep up the patient’s strength. Hot water will 
relieve vomiting, but better still is a grain of sulpho-carbonate of 
soda dissolved in half a glassful of water; a teaspoonful every few 
hours. Perfect rest and quiet, with absence of all appearance of 
excitement or alarm in the attendant, are imperatively necessary. 
Occasional sponging of the body with tepid water is soothing, and if 
there is much abdominal swelling and tenderness, a dry, heated bran- 
poultice, in a bag, is the best local application. Repeated foment¬ 
ations and bathing and injections of the vagina with warm flax- 
seed tea, adding three or four drops of carbolic acid to the quart, are 
valuable; indeed, if the parts were sponged with very warm water, 
three or four times a day, there would be fewer cases of this fever. 
The napkins should be frequently examined and all foul discharges 
effectually cleansed away and the room disinfected with carbolic 
acid. When the discharges are offensive, it is well to inject up the 
vagina some warm water, to which a few drops of carbolic acid have 
been added. Dr. McLeod states that he saved his own wife from a 
fatal termination of puerperal fever, after the physicians had 
expressed the opinion that she could not recover, by the injection of 
three drachms of Condy’s fluid in a wash-basinful of water at 64 ° ; 
followed by a similar operation on the following day with two 
drachms of the fluid. The temperature of the room should be main¬ 
tained at about 68 ° , the ventilation thorough. The nursing of the 
child should be discontinued with the first active symptoms of 
fever. 

When the tongue is coated brown or yellow, acid drinks should 
be allowed, as cider, lemonade, vinegar and water, tomato-juice 
sweetened, and apple-water. 

In evacuating the bowels or bladder the patient should not be 
allowed to sit up, but must use a bed-pan or old cloths. Injections 
every day with flax-seed tea will be found beneficial by keeping the 
bowels open. 


GREEN SICKNESS (Chlorosis). 

This is a condition of general debility affecting young women 
at about the age of puberty, due probably to nervous causes and 
want of healthy nutrition. There is deficiency of the red corpuscles 
of the blood, which gives the skin a pale, yellowish or greenish and 
almost transparent hue. The temperature of the body is diminished 



400 


GREEN SICKNESS. 


and the patient morbidly sensitive to cold. There is generally 
delayed,suppressed or imperfectly performed menstrual function. 

Causes —Among the hygienic conditions the most favorable 
to the production of chlorosis are—confinement in badly ventilated 
or imperfectly lighted or shaded rooms; underground kitchens and 
back rooms, shut in by high walls excluding the direct rays of the 
sun and a free circulation of air; and deprivation of open-air 
exercise and recreation; long-continued grief, unrequited love, 
anxiety, fright or fatigue; masturbation; uterine or ovarian disease; 
innutritious food, bread and butter forming the staple diet; the 
relish for animal food of every kind almost completely ceases. 
Mothers should not hesitate to find out whether the disease may 
not be induced by secret habits; great delicacy and caution are 
required in endeavoring to obtain certainty concerning this all- 
important subject. 

Symptoms —The following conditions are always more or 
less prominent; loss of appetite, which is more or less capri¬ 
cious, the patient often subsisting upon an incredibly small 
quantity of food; or the appetite is perverted, and such 
articles craved for as chalk, coal, cinders, etc. In other cases 
the appetite becomes fitful, or the patient eats simply as a 
duty. Most patients complain of obstinate constipation, or this 
condition may be alternated with relaxation. Sometimes the breath 
is offensive, or there may be ulceration of the stomach and persistent 
vomiting or even bleeding from the stomach. Such patients become 
listless and melancholy; they lose interest in society and in the 
general events of life, preferring solitude and quiet repose. There 
is frequently paroxysmal, often regularly periodic, headache, chiefly 
affecting one temple. 

Treatment —Good nourishing food, including milk and 
milk diet, brown bread, animal broths, oysters, cod-fish and 
juicy varieties of meat. Frequent exercise in the open air and sun¬ 
shine, avoiding fatigue; horseback exercise is particularly advantage¬ 
ous; bathing, particularly in sea-water, is much to be commended. 
Persons unaccustomed to bathe, or extremely sensitive ones, should 
commence with tepid water and the temperature be gradually 
lowered till a cold bath can be advantageously borne. 

Chlorotic patients are notoriously fond of ease and desire to 
remain in a state of muscular inactivity; but this desire must no 
more be yielded to than that of travelers to the soporific effects of 
intense cold. They should therefore be urged and for«ed to exert 
themselves so that the blood may circulate more rapidly, and thus 
absorb that due quantity of oxygen which is necessary to impart to 
it those vital, properties which excite all the organs to’perform their 
proper functions. 

It is also important, as before urged, that girls should be 
unobtrusively watched and not allowed, if avoidable, to remain 
alone. 


MILIARY FEYER. 


401 


MILIARY FEVER. 

Causes —This disease in child-bed women is sometimes the 
effect of great costiveness during pregnancy; it may likewise he 
occasioned by the excessive use of green, unripe fruits, and other 
unwholesome things, in which pregnant women are apt to indulge. 
But its most general cause is indolence. 

Symptoms —When this is a primary disease, it makes its 
attack, like most other eruptive fevers, with a slight shivering, 
which is succeeded by heat, loss of strength, faintness, sighing, a 
low, quick pulse, difficulty of breathing, with great anxiety and op¬ 
pression of the breast. The patient is restless and sometimes 
delirious; the tongue appears white and the hands shake, with often 
a burning heat in the palms; and in child-bed women the milk gen¬ 
erally goes away, and the other discharges stop. 

The patient feels an itching or pricking pain under the skin, 
after which innumerable small pustules of a red or white color 
begin to appear. Upon this the symptoms generally abate, the 
pulse becomes more full and soft, the skin grows moister and the 
sweat, as the disease advances, begins to have a peculiar fetid smell; 
the great load on the breast and oppression of the spirits generally 
vanish, and the customary evacuations gradually return. Some¬ 
times the pustules appear and vanish by turns. When that is the 
case there is always danger, and when they go in all of a sudden 
and do not appear again, the danger is very great. 

Treatment —In all eruptive fevers of whatever kind the 
chief point is to prevent the sudden disappearing of the pustules 
and to promote their maturation. For this purpose the patient 
must be kept in such a temperature as neither to develop the 
eruption too fast nor to cause it to retreat prematurely. The diet 
and drink ought therefore to be in a moderate degree nourishing 
and cordial, but neither strong nor heating. The patient’s chamber 
ought neither to be kept too hot nor cold. 

The food must be weak chicken-broth with bread, panada, sago 
or groat-gruel, with a few grains of salt and a little sugar. Good 
apples roasted or boiled, with other ripe fruits of an opening, cool¬ 
ing nature, may be eaten. The drink must be suited to the state of 
the patient’s strength and spirits. If these be pretty high, the 
drink ought to be weak, as water-gruel, balm-tea, or the following 
decoction: Take two ounces of the shavings of hartshorn, and the 

same quantity of sarsaparilla; boil them in two quarts of water; to 
the strained decoction add a little white sugar, and let the patient 
take it for his ordinary drink: or take sulphur and cream of tartar 
equal weights; mix, and take half a teaspoonful three times a day 
for a few days. 

When the patient’s spirits are low, and the eruption does not 
rise sufficiently, the drink must be a little more generous, as wine, 

26 


402 


HYSTERICS. 


whey, or small negus sharpened with the juice of orange or lemon, 
and made stronger or weaker as circumstances may require. 

Sometimes the miliary fever approaches towards a putrid nat¬ 
ure, in which case the patient’s strength must he supported with 
generous cordials, joined with acids; and if the degree of putres- 
cency be great, Peruvian bark must be administered. If the head 
be much affected use warm water injections. This disease is of 
rare occurrence, and it is of such a nature that it seldom requires 
anything more than good nursing. 


HYSTERICS (Hysteria). 

This affection generally occurs in females between the ages of 
twelve and forty-five, and it is more frequent at menstrual periods 
than at other times. 

Causes —The present cruel method of bringing up young 
ladies favors the development of the disease by rendering the 
whole system delicate and nervous. They are deprived to a great 
extent of the all-important necessaries of life, sunlight, pure air, 
active labor and exercise. Hot rooms, unnatural confinement in 
schools, crowding the intellect to the neglect of the body, solitary 
vice and novel-reading are among the many causes of this disease; 
also disappointments in love, domestic troubles, strong mental emo¬ 
tions and an irregular or vicious life. It is often connected with* 
if not caused by, spinal irritation; also by diseases and derange¬ 
ments of the womb. 

Symptoms —This disease occurs in paroxysms or fits, which 
are sometimes preceded by depression of spirits, anxiety of mind, 
effusion of tears, difficulty of breathing, sickness at the stomach 
and palpitations of the heart; more usually a pain is felt on the 
left side with a sense of distension, advancing upward till it reach¬ 
es the stomach, and thence to the throat; it occasions by its pressure 
a sensation as if a ball was lodged there. The disease having ar¬ 
rived at this height, the patient appears to be threatened with suffo¬ 
cation, becomes faint and is affected with stupor and insensibility, 
while at the same time the trunk of the body is turned to and fro 
the limbs are variously agitated, wild and irregular actions take 
place in the alternate fits of laughter, crying and screaming and in¬ 
coherent expressions are uttered, a temporary delirium prevails, and 
a frothy saliva is discharged from the mouth. The spasms at length 
abating, the woman recovers the exercise of sense and motion with¬ 
out any recollection of what has taken place during the fit. In 
some cases there is little or no convulsive movement, and the person 
lies for some time seemingly in a state of profound sleep, without 
either sense or motion. 

However dreadful and alarming a hysteric fit may appear, it is 
seldom accompanied with danger; and the disease never terminates 



HYSTERICAL RETENTION OF URINE. 


403 


fatally, unless it changes into epilepsy or mania, or the patient is 
in a very weak and reduced condition. 

Remedies — 1 . Camphor is an invaluable remedy during a 
hysterical paroxysm and often terminates a fit immediately, especially 
if there is general coldness of the surface. Two drops on a 
piece of loaf sugar may he given every few minutes, for two or 
three times during the fit; or a vial of the strong tincture may be 
applied to the nose. 

2. Peppermint is frequently useful, in some cases, to relieve 
flatulence and gently excite the nerves of the stomach. It may be 
used either in the form of the essence or a tea made of the fresh or 
dried herb. 

3. Assafetida is a celebrated remedy in this complaint. A 
pill of it about the size of a small pea may be taken once or twice a 
day. 

4. Valerian may be used, and is often productive of beneficial 
effects. The tincture, procurable at drug-stores, may be given in 
doses of one or two teaspoonfuls two or three times a day; or one 
or two wineglassfuls of an infusion of the root. 

Accessory Treatment —During a fit, the patient’s dress 
should be loosened, so that the circulation and respiration may be 
embarrassed as little as possible; cold water should be sprinkled or 
rather dashed over the face, the body laid in a recumbent position 
with the head elevated, and a current of air admitted into the apart¬ 
ment. The attendants may be employed in rubbing the temples, 
abdomen and extremities. It is usual for five or six persons to 
clinch the patient during a hysteric fit, and confine her to the bed 
or in a certain position, but this practice should be avoided. It is 
best to use only force sufficient to keep the patient from injuring 
herself or her attendants. When she suddenly rises and springs 
from the bed, allow as much latitude, liberty and motion to the 
the body and limbs as possible, or if she shows a disposition to roll 
upon the floor, let her roll. When called to treat the disease during 
the paroxysm or fit, it will be of the first and greatest importance 
to immerse the feet and legs in very warm water. 


HYSTERICAL. RETENTION OF URINE. 

Treatment —Dr. J. W. Curran recommends as a simple and 
prompt remedy to plunge the hands in a wash-basin full of the 
coldest water, and moving them about in it, as if in the act of 
washing. In every instance in which this expedient was tried it was 
immedfately successful; it may, therefore, be recommended for 
general adoption as more convenient than a warm hip-bath, and in¬ 
finitely more desirable than the use of the catheter. As confirma¬ 
tory of this, any person may notice that the plunging of the hands 
into cold water, when urine has accumulated to any extent in the 



404 


INFLAMMATION OF THE LABIA. 


bladder, is rapidly followed with an irresistible desire to urinate, 
although the desire to do so had not been previously felt. 

After the patient’s clothes are loosened, and an abundant sup¬ 
ply of fresh air is secured, an attempt may be made to arrest the 
hysteric convulsions by a method suggested by Dr. Hare, viz.; that 
of forcibly preventing the patient from breathing for a certain 
time, by holding the mouth and nose. The effect of such constraint 
is to make the patient, when allowed to do so, draw a long breath; 
this vigorous inspiration being usually followed by a relaxation of 
the spasm and a disappearance of the fit. Prolonged attacks are 
notably benefited by this plan of treatment; in brief ones there is 
neither time nor need for it. 

“A calm manner,” says Dr. Reynolds, “the absence of all 
appearance of alarm, and of either scolding or distressing sym¬ 
pathy, all of which things the apparently unconscious patient ob¬ 
serves much more accurately than do her frightened friends, will 
sometimes bring a fit to a speedy end.” 

Besides regular, out-of-door walking exercise, cheerful society, 
conversation and recreation, physical and mental occupation of a 
useful nature should be strictly enjoined. Healthy, useful employ¬ 
ment should become a uniform habit. Absence of occupation 
favors that meditative mood in which hysterical patients are liable 
to fall, and renders cure difficult. 

Removal from Home Influences —Nothing, perhaps, 
interposes greater obstacles to recovery than the misplaced tender¬ 
ness, anxiety and sympathy of friends, talking of or about her 
case, and the constant recurrence of influences which tend to perpet¬ 
uate the disease; so that sending the patient from home, away from 
her accustomed habits and associations, under the care of cheerful, 
.kind, but judicious friends, offers a favorable chance of recovery. 

Disuse of Stimulants —The daily consumption of alco¬ 
holic beverages for debility and other symptoms of hysteria is a 
delusion, and should be strenuously opposed. In hysteria, wine is 
a mocker. It yields but the semblance of strength, and instead of 
benefiting, it tends to confirm and perpetuate the worst symptoms 
of the complaint. 

General Cautions —Crowded, badly ventilated and too 
brilliantly lighted churches, theatrical exhibitions, novel-reading, 
tight corsets and late hours in retiring at night and rising in the 
morning, should be resolutely forbidden. Diet, rest, study, recrea¬ 
tion, as well as the various bodily functions, should receive intelli¬ 
gent and uniform attention. When speaking to a sufferer about 
her disorder, it is well to avoid the term “ Hysteria,” and to assure 
her that it is curable and not dangerous. 


INFLAMMATION OF THE LABIA. 

It is not uncommon for the lips of the vagina or passage to 



ITCHING OF THE PRIVATE PARTS. 


405 


the womb to become inflamed, red, swollen and hot; and if the in¬ 
flammation is not subdued, an abscess is apt to form. This affec¬ 
tion may be caused by the rupture of the hymen, difficult labor, 
exposure, or it may occur without apparent cause. 

Wash the parts three or four times a day, with a weak solution 
of arnica; half a teaspoonful of the tincture to a teacupful of 
water is about the right strength. 

At the same time give one drop of it on sugar, three times a • 
day, or oftener in severe cases. 


ITCHING OF THE PRIVATE PARTS (Pruritus 

Vulvse). 

Causes —Acrid fluids from the glands of the vulvse or 
vagina; any conditions leading to congestion of the generative 
organs, as inactive habits, too much sitting upon warm seats such 
as upholstered chairs, sofas, etc., especially if combined with too 
high living or the use of stimulants; at times it is owing to an 
aphthous form of inflammation of the mucous membrane of the 
vagina, and may co-exist with the sore mouth which sometimes ac¬ 
companies pregnancy or nursing. Worms may occasion the irrita¬ 
tion. A want of proper cleanliness also is, no doubt, a frequent 
cause. Taking opium, or hydrate of chloral, has often caused it. 
Disorders of the digestive organs, constipation, piles, etc., are fre¬ 
quently associated with this condition. It is especially liable to 
occur in ladies who have suffered from leucorrliea or urinary 
troubles. 

Symptoms —Itching of these parts is often one of the most 
distressing ailments to which pregnant women are liable. Some¬ 
times this affection is accompanied by sexual excitement, or it may 
have a periodic character. It is not limited to pregnancy, and 
sometimes troubles the unmarried of all ages; it is most common, 
however, during gestation, and at the change of life. 

Remedies —The itching generally indicates some disease of 
the womb or the mucous membrane of the vagina, or of the ex¬ 
ternal parts, or the bladder. When this is the case, the malady 
cannot be cured without removing the cause of the disease of which 
it is a symptom. When it is brought on by masturbation, as it 
sometimes is, this habit must be broken off before a cure can be 
effected. Local treatment is generally necessary. Frequent and 
thorough ablutions of the external parts with tepid or cold water 
are very desirable for the comfort of the patient, and at the same 
time conducive to her recovery. A wash of castile-soap and warm 
water is often very useful. The hot sitz bath, used several times 
daily, during an attack, and persevered in afterwards once a day, 
will be found very efficient in aiding the cure, and in preventing 



406 


THE LOCHIA. 


this troublesome affection. Temporary relief may be obtained by 
a solution of borax in water, applied two or three times a day to 
the parts. A tablespoonful of Cologne-water mixed in a teacupful 
of warm water, and applied directly by means of cloths saturated 
with the mixture, is another valuable application. 


THE LOCHIA (Cleansing). 

This is a natural and healthy discharge which takes place after 
delivery, and in color, odor and appearance at first resembles the 
menstrual discharge. Gradually, however, it becomes lighter, yel¬ 
lowish, and before its final cessation, of a greenish or whitish hue. 
In a majority of cases the red color changes in about a week to the 
yellowish shade. It varies considerably in different women, being 
in some thin and scanty, and continuing only a few days; and in 
others is so profuse as almost to amount to flooding, and lasting for 
weeks. The latter is most common in patients who have been 
troubled with too copious menstruation, who have borne many 
children, and who have indulged in the pleasures of the table. In 
some cases, too, this discharge has a disagreeable odor. 

Treatment —In suppression of the lochia, flannels wrung 
out of hot water should be applied to the external parts, and fre 
quently renewed, a second flannel being ready when the first is re¬ 
moved. Also, if necessary, vaginal injections of warm infusion of 
chamomile-flowers, and apply vinegar and water to the lower part 
of the bowels. A little salt and water is also very good. When 
the discharge is bright, or continues too long, the patient should 
retain the horizontal posture, be kept quiet and fed with suitable 
diet; observing strictly hygienic rules in regard to cleanliness, warm 
bathing, etc. 

Preventives —After a confinement, ablution of the parts, 
by means of a soft sponge and warm water, at least twice in every 
twenty-four hours, the parts being immediately but thoroughly 
dried, is essential for the health and comfort of the patient, and to 
prevent the discharge from becoming offensive. The napkins 
should be frequently changed, and always applied warm, as the ap¬ 
plication of cold might be followed by an arrest of the lochial dis¬ 
charge. There is decided objection in any case to the patient’s sit¬ 
ting up in a chair the day after delivery, while the bed is made, a 
custom that cannot be too strongly reprehended. After several 
days, or sufficient contraction of the mterus has taken place, then 
the daily use of the chair favors the discharge of putrid, coagulated 
blood, and in severe cases injections may be employed to aid the 
evacuation. After the first day the patient may also wash herself, 
the exertion being helpful rather than otherwise. If the lochia be 
offensive, the chair should be used more frequently. 




TO CHECK THE FLOW OF MILK. 


407 


When the discharges are very offensive and putrid, add a little 
carbolic acid to the water which is used for the injection; say three 
to four drops to a pint of warm water. 


TO CHECK THE FLOW OF MILK. 

Remedies —1. Use camphorated-soap plaster, made as fol¬ 
lows: Half a gill of soap; one fourth of an ounce of camphor. Pul¬ 
verize the camphor-gum by adding a little alcohol or other good 
spirits. Mix it well with the soap and spread thinly on a soft linen 
cloth, and wear one piece on each breast for a day or two, or for as 
much of this time as the plaster can be borne without making the 
breast sore. 

2. A wash of borax or of alum is also good for this purpose. 

3. Apply a plaster made of powdered skunk-cabbage and lard. 
This is useful to check the flow of milk in the breasts in ordinary 
cases, and likewise in those of inflammation. 


TO PRODUCE A FLOW OF MILK AFTER IT HAS 

BEEN CHECKED. 

Treatment —Take, of buckwheat-flour and buttermilk, suf¬ 
ficient to make a stiff batter, as for pan-cakes, and keep constantly 
applied to the breast or breasts, as a poultice, for twenty-four or 
forty-eight hours. This will bring on a flow where the milk has 
been dried up for days. 

In all cases where the flow of milk is tardy, the following plan 
for accelerating it will be found to be available and safe. Take a 
decanter and fill it with boiling water; when it is thoroughly hot, 
suddenly empty it and place it on the breast with the nipple in the 
neck of the bottle. The gradual cooling of the decanter will create 
a vacuum; the nipple will be gently pressed into it without pain, 
and the atmospheric pressure on the breast will, in almost every 
instance, cause the milk to flow. The experiment may safely be 
repeated after a short interval if it does not happen to be successful 
at first. Care must be taken to protect the breast by covering the 
mouth of the decanter with leather or thick flannel. A hole made 
in the center of this will keep the nipple in its proper place. All 
druggists keep a vacuum bottle for this purpose, which is not only 
more convenient but better. 

When there is a lack of milk for the child, the cause may be 
traced to imperfection in the mother’s health and measures should, 
if possible, be adopted to correct this, so that after a subsequent 
labor she may be able to furnish the infant with sufficient milk. 
The external application of the castor-oil plant (Ricinus Com - 




408 


ESCAPE OF MILK-NURSING SORE MOUTH. 


munis) lias been used by some physicians with great success. A 
strong decoction is applied hot by means of soft rags, and retained 
until the milk is secreted copiously. 

Accessory Means —Warmth always favors the secretion of 
milk. The diet is important and should be nutritious and digest¬ 
ible. Good cocoa is very useful, improving the quality and increas¬ 
ing the quantity of the mother’s milk, and we have known it to 
succeed after other means had failed. During the whole period of 
nursing,this nourishing beverage will be found highly conducive to 
the health of both mother and child. When the quantity of milk 
cannot be increased to meet the requirements of the child, mixed 
nursing must be adopted. It is important that the mother should 
suckle her baby during the day and have it fed by the bottle at 
night. This arrangement permits the mother to enjoy a good 
night’s sleep, which in itself favors the secretion of milk. 


INVOLUNTARY ESCAPE OF MILK. 

Cause —Deficient tone in the milk ducts, which often co¬ 
exists with loss of tune in the general constitution. 

Remedies —Lotions of borax and alum are recommended as 
applications to the breast. 

Accessory Means —The breasts should be sponged with 
equal parts of cold vinegar and water (or one part of strong acetic 
acid to twelve parts of cold water), morning and evening, and rap¬ 
idly and carefully dried with a soft towel afterwards. To keep the 
dress from getting soiled nipple-glasses or rubber shells may be 
worn; but they should never be used, unless absolutely necessary, 
as they are apt to keep up, instead of diminish,the flow of milk. 


NURSING SORE MOUTH. 

This is an affection from which nursing women occasionally 
suffer. It consists of inflammation of the lining of the mouth, 
which is covered with very small ulcers; these cause stinging and 
burning sensations, and a cheese-like matter exudes from them. A 
profuse flow of saliva is also frequently present. Now and then it 
proves an intractable disorder. 

Remedies —1. Make a solution of borax and water, of the 
following proportions: To one pint of water, add a lump of borax 
the size of a nutmeg, and when dissolved, gargle the throat and 
thoroughly wash the mouth with it, three times a day, and in se¬ 
vere cases, every three hours. At the sa*me time, take the following 
preparation: One drachm of iodide of potash and eight tablespoon¬ 
fuls of water, inclosed in a suitable bottle, and of this give one tea¬ 
spoonful twice a day. One bottle will generally be sufficient to cure 
the disease. 




MILK-LEG. 


409 


2. A tea of golden seal makes another effective wash for the 
mouth and the throat. It should be used three or four times a day, 
and in an aggravated case much of tener. Petit’s Canker Balsam is 
also an excellent remedy. 

3. In very severe cases of this affection the child should 
be weaned, as it is almost impossible to effect a cure while it con¬ 
tinues to nurse. If the child has the disease also, the same remedies 
may be given to it, in properly reduced quantities; or you may give 
it honey mixed with a small amount of pulverized sage leaves. 

Accessory Treatment — Acidulated drinks, lemonade, 
hard cider and lime juice are very valuable; vegetable and animal 
food in due proportion, with wholesome ripe fruits, oranges, grapes, 
roasted apples, etc. Fruits containing vegetable acids are often 
alone curative, and are usually very grateful to patients. Weaning, 
travel, change of climate, etc., may be necessary in exceptional cases. 


MILK-LEG (Phlegmasia Dolens). 

A short time after child-birth this disease sometimes appears. 
It usually attacks one leg, and may extend to the other, and the 
whole system may become affected. The limb appears firm, glossy, 
elastic, swollen and painful. The attack is generally preceded by a 
chill, succeeded by fever. The affected member becomes stiff, heavy, 
tender, and is irritated by motion; the skin is not discolored, but 
has an increase of heat. After a period of about two weeks these 
symptoms subside, leaving the limb stiff, benumbed, heavy and 
weak, and very liable to remain more or less so for a great length of 
time. It may arise from a suppression of the lochial discharge of 
the milk, or from cold. 

Remedies —1. The whole of the limb should be wrapped in 
a flannel bandage, but it should not be uncomfortably tight. It 
must be re-applied when it becomes loose. The whole limb should 
frequently be bathed in a strong solution of salt and vinegar. 

2. Sometimes cold applications will answer a better purpose 
than warm ones. When fresh stramonium-leaves can be had, 
bruise, moisten with hot water and place over the whole limb. 
They will give speedy relief. 

3. The tincture of arnica is another remedy, which has* been 
found effectual after the subsidence of the more painful symptoms. 
It should be given in doses of from five to ten drops, three times a 
day. 

4. If ulcers should form, by the breaking of the skin, they 
should be washed with a decoction of smart-weed, and dressed with 
some good salve. We would especially recommend that made of 
bitter-sweet and lard, as best adapted for this purpose. 

5. Tincture of aconite-root is a good remedy in the early 
stages of this complaint. Five drops, stirred in a tumblerful of 



410 


SOKE NIPPLES. 


water, and given in dessert-spoonful doses, every four hours, will 
tend greatly to mitigate the sufferings of the patient, promote per¬ 
spiration, afford rest and facilitate recovery. 

Accessory Treatment —The patient must be placed upon 
her hack, with the swollen limb upon pillows or a holster, raised so 
that the foot will be a little higher than the hips, and then charged 
not to put her foot down on the floor until she has very nearly 
recovered. 


SORE NIPPLES. 

During pregnancy an examination should be made to ascertain 
whether the nipples are of the proper size and shape, for in many 
instances they are deficient, or have been so thoroughly compressed 
by tight clothes that, after confinement, nipples can hardly be said 
to exist. 

Remedies —1. Among the best and most effective applica¬ 
tions for sore nipples is a teaspoonful, each, of glycerine and tannin, 
and apply after every nursing of the child. 

2. Another excellent application is a teaspoonful of borax dis¬ 
solved in half a teacupful of water, and apply as above. Alum- 
water is also used for the same purpose, and, w r hen no other remedy 
is at hand, strong green tea may be used, which is good. 

3. The oil of eggs is an admirable remedy for this purpose. 
It is procured by boiling eggs hard and pressing it out between two 
pewter plates. 

The mother should always remember that after using any of 
the above washes, the nipple should be thoroughly washed with 
tepid water, or tepid milk and water, before the child is again 
allowed to nurse. 

Accessory and Preventive Treatment —Before con¬ 
finement it is well to wash the nipples several times a day 
with cold water or weak brandy and water, and after delivery, 
do not allow the child to remain long at the breast, and never for a 
single moment after the breast is empty. Apply the child to the 
breast as soon after delivery as the mother is rested, and do not wait 
for the filling of the breasts, when nursing will be more difficult. 

Small compresses, wrung out of cold water, are very useful, 
especially if the nipples are sore, hot and burning. In order to pre¬ 
vent sore nipples, they should be washed over gently with tepid 
water immediately after the child has been nursed, tenderly dried 
by means of soft linen or a fine towel, and then dusted with super¬ 
fine wheat flour or finely powdered starch. As before recommended, 
the entire breast should receive daily morning ablution with cold 
water if the patient can bear it, but if not, tepid may be used for 



REMOVAL OF STERILITY, OR BARRENNESS. 


411 


several times, gradually reducing it to cold. The infant should only 
be allowed to nurse at stated periods—say every third or fourth 
hour, as previously directed. The habit of permitting the infant to 
have the nipple almost constantly in the mouth very frequently 
leads to tenderness and soreness. The child’s mouth should be 
examined to see if it is suffering from thrush. 

A very simple and efficient measure to elongate the nipple is to 
tie a piece of woolen thread or yarn two or three times around its 
base, after having pulled it gently out with the fingers. It should . 
be tied sufficiently tight to keep the nipple prominent, but not 
enough to interrupt the circulation. The woolen threads may be 
worn several weeks without inconvenience. The daily application 
of the pump to the breast, taking the nipple within its chamber and 
exhausting the air by withdrawing the piston, elongates the nipple. 
The nipple should be retained within the chamber for about fifteen 
minutes each time. After the use of the pump, an application of 
arnicated v iter or of diluted glycerine should be made to the nipple 
and surrounding part, to prevent excoriations. The same result 
may be secured by suction, twice a day, by the nurse. An 
imperfectly developed nipple may be much improved by this 
method, if intelligently carried out. The measures adopted to elon¬ 
gate the nipple should be commenced two or three months before 
labor, and, if necessary, continued, in a modified form, during the 
commencement of nursing. 

In some cases, if the preparatory treatment just suggested be 
adopted, sore nipples will be prevented. But where there is a 
tendency to excoriation and soreness, as in ladies of fine, sensitive 
skin, the nipples and the breasts should be bathed several times 
daily with a lotion made by adding twenty drops of the tincture of 
arnica to a tumblerful of water. We can testify to the entire success 
of this application in a very large number of cases we have treated. 
The lotion should be applied after each time of suckling, and the 
nipple moistened with saliva or mucilage before again allowing the 
child to nurse. 


REMOVAL OF STERILITY, OR BARRENNESS. 

There is perhaps no condition in the life of a married woman 
that more frequently gives rise to domestic unhappiness than that 
of sterility. If she be sterile, she will fail to secure the great pur¬ 
pose of marriage—to “multiply and replenish the earth.” From 
circumstances that frequently come before us, we regard the sub¬ 
ject as one of sufficient importance to justify the appropriation of a 
section to its consideration. 

Causes —To determine in many cases the causes of sterility, 
considerable medical knowledge is necessary, and, in particular, the 


412 


REMOVAL OF STERILITY, OR BARRENNESS. 


anatomy and physiology of the generative organs. The application 
of such knowledge not infrequently enables its possessor to detect 
and remove causes of sterility long in existence that would other¬ 
wise have escaped observation. 

The causes of sterility may be local, affecting some portion of 
the generative apparatus; or constitutional, the sexual functions 
suffering in common with those of the body generally. 

The local causes are very varied, and we can only mention a 
few of the more prominent. Such are, an imperforate hymen, or 
one only so slightly perforate that effectual intercourse is prevented; 
narrowness or partial closure of the vagina, either as a natural defect 
or as the consequence of difficult labors; tumors or polypi in the 
uterus or vagina; closure or partial closure of the neck of the womb, 
after being torn, as a consequence of difficult labor; the improper 
use of caustics or aphrodisiacs; inflammation of the ovaries; 
adhesion or closing of the fallopian tubes; displacements or flexions 
of the womb; leucorrhea; masturbation; excessive sexual indulg¬ 
ences and ulceration of the womb. 

Leucorrhea may exert considerable influence by diminishing 
susceptibility to fecundation. Functional alteration of the mucous 
membrane of the vagina and uterus, causing considerable excess in 
its acid or alkaline characters, may render the male secretion in¬ 
operative, by the destruction of its spermatozoa, the vitalizing ele¬ 
ment of the seminal fluid. When leucorrhea, however, exists to an 
extent sufficient to cause sterility, its influence on the general 
health becomes more or less apparent, and cervical hypersemia 
exists to so great an extent that it can only he cured by local appli¬ 
cation in connection with constitutional treatment. 

Membraneous menstruation may be a cause of barrenness in this 
wise: Conception may take place, but at the return of the menstrual 
epoch the patient experiences an abortion by the throwing off of 
the lining membrane of the womb (which should form the outer 
membrane of the fetus), and with it the ovum or egg is expelled. 
The cure of sterility from this cause can only be accomplished by 
the correction of the tendency of the lining of the womb to exfoli¬ 
ate (fall off). 

The constitutional causes include those in which the general 
physical powers are exhausted, as the consequence of acute or 
chronic disease; obesity (excessive fat); severe, protracted or unac¬ 
customed exertion; too close application to business or excessive 
exertion of the brain, thus absorbing an undue amount of nervous 
power, which otherwise would be more equally diffused for the 
efficient discharge of the general functions of the body. In this way 
the generative system may be impaired by the divergence of the 
nervous influence which its healthy functions demand. Under 
constitutional causes may be classed very early and very late 
marriages, which show a large proportion of cases of sterility. 

Tndolent and luxurious habits, excessive indulgence in the 


REMOVAL OF STERILITY, OR BARRENNESS. 413 

pleasures of the table, and especially the free use of wine, are fre¬ 
quent causes of sterility. The industrious and frugal portions of 
the community are, it is well known, far more prolific than the 
higher ranks of society. In his work on the law of population, Mr. 
Sadler incontrovertibly proves that the fecundity of the human race 
is diminished by the indolent and luxurious mode of life prevalent 
among the rich, while it is augmented by the industrious habits 
and spare diet of the poor; * * * the proportionate infecund¬ 

ity of the two being, in general terms, as six to one. Excessive 
eating may cause sterility by leading to excessive accumulation of 
fat. There is an intimate connection between the sexual and the 
nutritive functions; and thus ladies, when the child-bearing period 
has passed, often become corpulent. Defective, or on the other 
hand excessive, nervous irritability may operate as an obstacle to 
impregnation. 

We may also notice what may he termed emotional causes of 
sterility; and although these are probably less influential than many 
of the other varieties, they are still sufficient to operate prejudicially 
to conception. There should be the most perfect harmony and 
congeniality of taste, temper and disposition between the husband 
and the wife, the one responding to the other, without any sense of 
discord or feeling of repugnance. 

A case is related of a lady, many years sterile, who was in the 
habit of using an injection of cold water after intercourse, which is 
a reprehensible practice and should never be used. The sudden in¬ 
flux of cold upon parts highly excited and most completely relaxed, 
is a suicidal step resulting in catarrh, congestion inflammation, 
hypereemia, paralysis of the vagina and uterus by direct influence 
and to the ovaries, fallopian tubes, peritoneum and nerves of the en¬ 
tire genitalia by contiguity and by reflex action. It should never 
be done, as dire calamity will surely follow its practice. On one 
occasion she accidentally used simply warm water instead, and con¬ 
ception resulted therefrom. 

Another fruitful cause of barrenness is the deplorable and 
sometimes criminal practice of using various means to prevent con¬ 
ception during the early years of married life. In consequence of 
this, the designs of nature having been often interfered witll, bar¬ 
renness is at length induced, and the female now, perhaps, desirous 
of becoming a mother, finds when all too late, that her powers of 
procreation have been destroyed and she mourns in vain her early 
pride and folly. 

Treatment —In the treatment of sterility an investigation of 
the cause, which is the first step towards the cure, should be made, 
so that if possible it may be removed. Sterility from malforma¬ 
tion of the parts is generally incurable. On the other hand, num¬ 
erous cases are exceedingly simple in their nature, and quite 
amenable to treatment. A temporary separation, or a change of diet, 
habits or climate, sometimes leads to successful results. The liorti- 


414 


LEUCORRHEA. 


culturist, by transplantation to a congenial soil and climate and 
supplying it with altered and suitable conditions, makes a tree, 
which had heretofore yielded leaves only, produce blossoms and 
fruit. So equal care and skill in the application of physiological 
laws and hygienic conditions may be expected to reward the efforts 
of the physician to make the human species increase and multiply. 

It is very certain that high living prevents conception. We 
seldom find a barren woman among the laboring poor, while noth¬ 
ing is more common among the rich and affluent. The inhabitants 
of every country are prolific in proportion to their poverty, and it 
would be an easy matter to adduce many instances of women who, 
by being reduced to live entirely upon milk and a vegetable diet, 
have conceived and brought forth children, though they never had 
any before. 

Dr. Cheyne avers that want of children is as often the fault of 
the male as of the female, and strongly recommends a milk and 
vegetable diet to the former as well as the latter; adding that his 
friend Dr. Taylor, whom he calls the milk-doctor of Croydon, had 
brought sundry opulent families in his neighborhood, who had con¬ 
tinued some years after marriage without progeny, to have sev¬ 
eral fine children, by keeping both parents for a considerable time 
to a milk and vegetable diet. 

An English author gives the following in reference to the re¬ 
moval of barrenness: “ A careful selection of the food will aid in 
the removal of the sterile condition. Whatever is nutritive should 
be preferred; food that contains a large proportion of phosphorus; 
fish, especially shell-fish if it can be well digested, will increase the 
nerve-power and aid in procreation. But, perhaps this may be bet¬ 
ter adapted to the more moderate class of livers.” 


LEUCORRHEA—WHITES (Fluor Albus). 

The term leucorrhea literally means a white discharge—the 
white as opposed to a bloody one—though it is not infrequently of 
■a light cream color, or yellow, or greenish, and includes a great 
variety of discharges. It is a catarrh of the vagina, neck or uterus, 
and the result of inflammation or irritation. In a healthy condi¬ 
tion the mucous lining, and the various glands which stud the va¬ 
ginal orifice, secrete a fluid just sufficient to lubricate the opposed 
surfaces, and for other physiological purposes. In unhealthy con¬ 
ditions this secretion becomes increased in quantity, of an altered 
character, and varies in color and consistence; this is termed leucor¬ 
rhea. 

This disease or symptom may occur at any period of life, but 
is most common after puberty, and previous to the cessation of 
the menses, when so many causes are in operation to induce free 
determination of the blood to the utero-srenital organs. 

O o 



LEUCORRHEA. 


415 


It has been observed that leucorrheal discharge in the mother 
is a potent canse of scrofula in the child. The fetus is insufficiently 
nourished, hence the scrofulous symptoms soon show themselves in 
the form of convulsions, water on the brain or possibly mesenteric 
disease; or, if the age of puberty be reached, in consumption. 

Causes—These may be constitutional or local. Anything 
which debilitates the constitution is liable to be accompanied by a 
leucorrheal discharge; thus it is frequently associated with profuse 
menstruation, prolonged nursing and other excessive discharges, 
falling of the womb, cold, congestion, scrofulous constitution, 
defective health generally, a warm climate, the use of purgative 
drugs, and inactive and luxurious life, etc. In short, leucorrhea is 
likely, sooner or later, to accompany any disease that enfeebles the 
health. Leucorrhea is very common in the rich, indolent, luxuri¬ 
ous and dissipated, and in those who live in crowded cities; it is less 
frequent in those of industrious and regular habits, and in persons 
living in the country, especially if the soil be dry. 

Local causes are; excessive sexual intercourse; masturbation; 
polypi, or other abnormal growths of the uterus; want of cleanli¬ 
ness, etc. Lastly, leucorrhea not infrequently results from irritation 
or disease in an adjacent part, thread-worms in the rectum, piles, stone 
or catarrh of the bladder, or the introduction of any irritating sub¬ 
stance into the vaginal passage. 

Symptoms —Generally, a profuse mucous discharge from the 
utero-vaginal lining membranes, of a white, cream-yellow or greenish 
color; thin and watery, or of the consistency of starch or gelatine; 
and it may be inodorous or fetid. When the discharge proceeds 
from the vagina, it is generally a light, creamy-looking fluid; in 
ulceration of the mouth of the womb, it is profuse and semi-puru¬ 
lent. That poured out by the cervical glands is a copious, tenacious, 
albuminous fluid; from the lining of the interior of the womb the 
discharge is of an alkaline reaction, copious, and generally immedi¬ 
ately precedes menstruation. In severe cases, the whole system 
becomes injuriously affected; the face is pale or sallow; the functions 
of digestion are impaired; there are dull pains in the loins and 
abdomen; cold extremities; palpitation and difficult breathing after 
exertion; debility and loss of energy; partial or entire suppression 
of the menstrual flow. Sometimes the discharge is evidently in 
the place of menstruation. Slight cases of leucorrhea may exist 
for years without giving rise to any very marked symptoms. 

Remedies—1 . Mild cases of this disease can be cured with 
injections of tepid water, three times a day. If moderately cold 
water is more comfortable to the patient, employ it in place of the 
tepid. 

2. Two new remedies have recently been employed for the 
treatment of this disease that can be relied upon, as they have not 
yet been known to fail to cure this disease when administered as 
directed. One is the yerba reuina; take, of the fluid extract of this 


416 


LEUCORRHEA 


plant, two tablespoonfuls, and six of water; mix, and of this use as 
an injection one tablespoonful three times a day. The tincture may 
be employed in place of the fluid extract, in which case use the 
same quantity with water, as the above. 

3. The other remedy is the Oregon grape-root (Berberis aqui- 
folium), of which take two tablespoonfuls of the fluid extract and 
the same amount of sirup. Mix. Dose, one teaspoonful before 
each meal, and before retiring at night. These remedies can be 
procured at all drug-stores. 

4. A treatment that has gained much favor lately, and which 
has been the means of curing many inveterate cases, is to take one 
gill of claret-wine, three-fourths of a pint of water and one-half an 
ounce of tannin. Mix. Of this, use two tablespoonfuls, as an 
injection, three times a day. When claret-wine cannot be obtained, 
use port-wine. 

5. Alum-water is very highly extolled for the treatment of 
this disease. It has produced some surprising and Unexpected 
cures, in severe chronic cases. One practitioner remarked that, 
i( It is the best remedy I ever used in this complaint.” One tea¬ 
spoonful of pulverized alum is to be dissolved in two-tliirds of a 
pint of water, and used as an injection, twice a day. At the same 
time the hip-bath, with salt added, is to be used at least twice a day. 

6. Other remedies, which have been highly commended are: 
injections of common tea; of a decoction of golden seal; of wliite- 
oak bark (with poppy-leaves added, when they can be obtained); 
also, the white pond-lily made into a decoction or tea. 

7. In a work by Dr. Elisha Smith, of New York, we find the 

following remarks: “ Peach-pits tinctured in brandy, in the pro¬ 

portion of four ounces to a quart, form a powerful tonic, which has 
been used with good success in the treatment of leucorrhea. A tea¬ 
spoonful of this preparation may be taken three or four times a 
day.” 

In using any of the above remedies or injections, first wash the 
parts thoroughly and use thi) medicated injection in a lying posture. 
This should be retained for five or ten minutes, in order to obtain 
its full advantage. Many women, when directed to use an injection, 
do it so imperfectly, and use so small a quantity, that no good 
results from it. 

Injections should be tepid, in all cases, unless moderately cold 
water is more pleasant to the patient. Women suffering with this 
disease should positively abstain from the use of tea and coffee, 
spices and all condiments, spirituous liquors and from sexual 
intercourse. 

Accessory Treatment —There are several conditions which 
are absolutely essential to the successful treatment of this disease. 
Among the most important is rest in the horizontal posture, which 
is necessary in most uterine disorders. Active exercise aggravates 
an existing leucorrhea, just as it does congestion or inflammation of 


INFANTILE LEUCOKRIIEA. 


417 


the womb. At the same time, moderate exercise in the open air, 
especially in the intervals between the attacks, short of producing 
fatigue, is essential for the maintainance of the general health. 
Other accessories of importance are: a diet chosen with the view to 
its nourishing properties and to its ready assimilation; avoidance of 
indulgence in the pleasures of the table, exciting spectacles, crowded 
balls and parties, etc.; and lastly, frequent injections of water and 
daily washings, including the hip-bath, are necessary, in order to 
insure the most perfect cleanliness of the genital organs. 

The importance of this last point cannot be too strongly stated, 
for without a due attention to cleanliness all other efforts may prove 
futile. The leucorrheal secretion is at best exceedingly irritating, 
but when it is permitted to accumulate and remain for a long time 
in contact with the mucous membrane, it becomes partially decom¬ 
posed, fetid and highly pernicious to the healthy condition of the 
parts. On this account the frequent and thorough use of local 
applications of tepid or cool water should be strictly carried out. 
The use of the fountain syringe, having the vaginal tube attached, 
facilitates carrying out this part of the treatment. 

In order to insure a continuous stream of water on the lower por¬ 
tion of the womb, and on the vaginal mucous surfaces, without any 
manual effort on the part of the patient, a self-acting douche has 
been constructed. It consists of a Japanned metal reservoir, fitted 
with six feet of tubing, with vaginal pipe and ivory nipple. The 
fountain syringe contains the principles of the above in a simple 
form and can easily be obtained at any drug-store. All women 
should have one. 

The reservoir has merely to be filled and suspended above the 
level of the hips, when a continuous stream is obtained, the force of 
which is easily regulated by a stop-cock. The degree of pressure 
can be increased by a greater or less elevation of the tank. The 
cold douche, if used at all, should not be used when pregnancy is 
supposed to exist. 


INFANTILE LEUCORRHEA. 

This is catarrhal inflammation of the vulva and occurs chiefly 
in scrofulous children. 

Causes —Sudden check of perspiration or exposure to cold, 
acrid urine, neglect of cleanliness, the use of infected sponges, worms, 
manual irritation by nurses, etc. Mr. Cooper Forster relates a case in 
which a woman communicated an infectious discharge to two girls by 
washing them with her own sponge. This case affords sufficient 
evidence that a woman could easily communicate it to her husband. 
If so communicated serious harm might ensue-—divorces, broken 
up families, characters smirched, and no end to the wrong thus in¬ 
nocently produced. The attention of women is called to the great 

27 



418 


FALLING OF TIIE WOMB. 


necessity of removing the every vestige of the disease that the direst 
calamity that can befall a woman, the suspicion against her virtue, 
may not result. 

Girls of all ages are liable to a discharge from the vulva, quite 
independently of infectious matter. The remembrance of this fact 
may save much distress; for the occurrence of this discharge in 
children has often caused unfounded suspicions and anxiety. 

But the absence of swelling, heat and redness; the limitation 
of the discharge to the external parts and the integrity of the hy¬ 
men, tend to prove that the affection has not been communicated. 
In infectious discharges the parts are inflamed and swollen, the in¬ 
flammation extending high up in the vagina, and passing of urine 
causes pain. 

Symptoms —Irritation of the external organs, occasioning a 
frequent desire to rub the parts, sometimes slight pain in urinating, 
and a thin, colorless or thick, creamy discharge. In unhealthy chil¬ 
dren, of bad hygienic conditions, the leucorrhea may become copi¬ 
ous and irritating, giving rise to ulceration of the mucous mem¬ 
brane. The discharge is infectious, causing severe inflammation if 
brought in contact with the lining of the eye or other mucous sur¬ 
face. 

Remedies —The parts should be frequently washed with 
tepid or cold, soft water, carefully dried and a little finely powdered 
starch or violet powder applied. When there is any ulceration, a 
lotion of marigold ( calendula ), or of golden-seal ( hydrastis ), 
should be used. Twenty drops of either to about half a pint of 
water. The diet should be good and digestible, taken regularly in 
three meals daily, and properly varied. Fresh air is necessary^ but 
without too much exercise at first. Salt-baths, sea-air and cod-liver 
oil are often advantageous, and, in scrofulous children, essential. 
Impaired health being restored will often effect a cure of this diffi¬ 
culty. 


FABLING OF THE WOMB. 

Sitting or raising up soon after child-birth, and drastic cathar¬ 
tics, do great harm to those who are predisposed to this disease. 
With them the horizontal position should be retained during an un¬ 
usual length of time. They should also avoid tight dressing, lift¬ 
ing, sweeping, running a sewing-machine, ironing, over-exertion 
and long walks, at all times. Pessaries and supporters are merelv 
palliative, and often injure by weakening, relaxing and irritating the 
parts and the abdominal and other muscles. They should rarely, if 
ever, be worn, as they never cure. For the cure of falling of 
the womb, we will allude to a few only of the movements which 
are useful. The patient may lie on her back, and while one assist¬ 
ant takes hold of her hands and another of her feet, they may 



FALLING OF TIIE WOMB. 


419 


slowly stretch her, and, if she is not too weak, she may resist. The 
same may be done while she is lying on her face, the assistant grad¬ 
ually raising her feet as she draws. This tends to raise the ribs, en¬ 
large the abdominal cavity and cause a flow of blood to the extrem¬ 
ities. Let the patient lie on her face, resting the entire weight of 
her body on her toes and elbows, and gradually raise and lower her 
hips several times. If the patient is too weak to do this, an assist¬ 
ant may support part of the weight, and thus assist her. These 
simple exercises, practiced for a short time, two or three times a 
day, are worth more for the radical cure of falling of the womb 
than all the supporters ever invented. Let the patient lie on her 
back, with her hips elevated and her knees drawn up; then let an 
assistant repeatedly draw her knees apart, the patient resisting; then 
let the patient bring them together, the assistant resisting. All the 
above exercises are taken in the horizontal position, and tend to re¬ 
store the womb to its natural place and to strengthen the muscles 
and parts which should retain it in its true position. Persevere in 
such exercises until cured. 

Causes —Probably the most frequent cause is getting up 
too soon after child-birth, when the womb is larger than usual, 
and when also its perineal support below has been weakened by the 
process of parturition. Dislocation of the uterus may, however, 
take place at puberty, especially if menstruation begin at too early 
or too late a period, the increased w r eight of the congested organ 
predisposing to prolapsus. Occupations such as those of laundresses, 
cooks, etc., are fruitful causes, especially if followed when the womb 
is relaxed or large. In other cases, one of the following causes may 
have been in operation: sexual excesses, injuries from falls, sudden 
straining, jumping, over-lifting, etc.; long-continued coughs, exces¬ 
sive vomiting, chronic indigestion, constipation or piles; tight 
lacing, a general relaxed condition of the system, either constitutional 
or the result of sedentary habits, too high living, purgatives, 
etc. Thus it will be observed that the essential elements in prolap¬ 
sus are an enlarged, heavy womb, relaxation and weakening of its 
natural supports, combined generally with too much standing. 

Symptoms —Bearing-down sensations in the vagina; drag¬ 
ging and aching pains in the small of the back and around the loins 
and hips; frequent sensation as if something would escape from 
the vagina; weariness, soreness and faintness, with indisposition to 
to stand; leucorrlieal discharge, often increased menstruation, and 
frequent desire and sometimes inability to pass water; nervousness, 
irritability of temper, indigestion, constipation, etc. 

Remedies — 1 . Use the following injection twice a day: To 
one pint of tepid water, add one and a half teaspoonfuls of pulver¬ 
ized alum; at the same time, use a salt-water sponge-bath, morning 
and evening, to the lower part of the body, pelvis and thighs. This 
bath should be accompanied with brisk friction and kneading the 
lower part of the bowels. These means increase the strength of 


420 


FALLING OF THE WOMB. 


these parts, and render them more able to support the womb. If 
this course be persevered in, and at the same time the patient con¬ 
fine herself to the recumbent posture on the bed, a cure in all recent 
cases will be effected, and frequently those also of a chronic form. 

2. This difficulty can frequently be removed by the simple use 
of injections of tepid flax-seed tea, three or four times a day. 

3. The following is a good remedy for the same purpose: To 
one pint of warm water add twenty drops of tincture of aconite 
root. Mix, and inject into the vagina three times a day. This, in 
severe cases, is a valuable means of reducing the inflammation and 
restoring the organs to their natural condition. 

4. Equal parts of peach-leaves, Solomon’s seal and hops, in 
an infusion, form an excellent remedial injection. So also does elm- 
bark and stramonium-leaves. 

5. For falling of the womb, the unicorn-root or star-root 
(.Alteris Farinosa ), has been used very successfully. Dose, of the 
tea or decoction, half a teacupful three times a day. 

6. Electricity is a very excellent agent in the treatment of 
this disease, and, when coupled with the use of black cohosh and 
nux vomica, the most inveterate cases have been cured with it. 
These are to be taken in the following manner: Add five drops of 
nux vomica tincture to a tumblerful of water. Mix well. Dose, 
two teaspoonfuls at night. Then prepare the tincture of cohosh in 
the same manner, and take like doses every morning. 

7. Put a half ounce of beaver castor in a half pint of gin. 
Take one dessertspoonful three times a day. Some of the worst 
cases of this affliction have been cured with this remedy in a 
few weeks. 



PERINEAL SUPPORTER. 

For further remedies used in the removal of this disease, the 
reader is referred to the treatment under “ Leucorrhea,” as the rem¬ 
edies employed in the latter affection are useful in the cure of fall¬ 
ing of the womb. 

For the purpose of aiding a permanent cure, and relieving the 














INFLAMMATION OF THE WOMB. 


421 


unpleasant symptoms that attend the displacement of the womb, a 
properly adjusted perineal supporter will be found an excellent 
means. This consists of a well fitted abdominal bandage or jacket, 
made of drilling, lacing up in front like a corset, putting in whale¬ 
bone in front and behind to keep it from wrinkling; sew on buttons 
before and behind, six inches apart, to attach the perineal bands, 
which may be made of drilling, but good, strong elastic suspenders 
are better. Lace the bandage on, buttoning the suspenders on be¬ 
hind ; bring them between the thighs, and button them sufficiently 
tight in front. Immediately under the perineum where these 
straps cross, a perineal pad is attached, which passes upward be¬ 
tween the vagina before and the bowel behind, and furnishes a 
constant and efficient support. This pad may be made about two 
inches square and half an inch thick, and covered with oil¬ 
cloth to protect it from the discharges. 

Accessory Treatment —The horizontal posture, with the 
hips elevated, often suffices to cause the womb to return to its 
proper place, where it will remain if the patient can retain that 
position. This posture should therefore be maintained as long as 
is consistent with the general health, especially during the monthly 
period. It is not, however, desirable or practicable for women to 
remain long in bed. Exercise is necessary for health, and the in¬ 
dustrious portions of the community are compelled to work and 
walk daily. 

The use of appropriate baths, followed by general friction of 
the skin, injections of water, or in some cases of astringent fluids, 
by means of a large-sized, gum-elastic vaginal tube, attached to a 
proper syringe so as to insure a good and continuous stream of wa¬ 
ter reaching up to the lower portion of the womb, and the daily use 
of the hip-bath, are remedial agents whose great value is authenti¬ 
cated by long practice. 

In severe forms of falling of the womb a good pessary, accur¬ 
ately adapted to the size of the vagina, may be used with tempo¬ 
rary advantage, if properly applied and not worn too long. Its use 
is simply palliative and not curative. Its injudicious and contin¬ 
uous use aggravates the mischief. A medical man should always 
be consulted in its use. 

Violent exercise, lifting heavy weights, scrubbing, running a 
sewing-machine, sweeping, ironing, straining at stool or sittting too 
long in a constrained posture, must be avoided. Brown bread, veg¬ 
etables, etc., should be taken to prevent constipation. 


INFLAMMATION OF THE WOMB (Metritis). 

This affection may occur in any adult female, and is an occasional 
serious complication of pregnancy, or of child-birth. The disease 
may be acute or chronic; the cervix is the part generally involved, 



422 


INFLAMMATION OF THE WOMB. 


and the ultimate tendency of inflammation of the deeper tissues of 
the womb is towards ulceration. 

Causes —Exposure to cold ; sitting or standing on damp 
grass, etc.; suppression of the menses; mechanical irritation, as 
from excessive coition, tumors, etc. 

Symptoms —An attack may commence with a chill, followed 
by febrile symptoms—full, jerking pulse, great thirst, nausea and 
vomiting, and sometimes diarrhea with straining; the bladder is 
irritable, and there is a feeling of throbbing in the vicinity of the 
womb, which is swollen and painful. The precise seat of pain de¬ 
pends upon what part, or whether the whole of the womb is in¬ 
volved. There are throbbings, irritability of the bladder and rec¬ 
tum, and the patient maintains the recumbent posture, as sitting 
aggravates the pains. Sometimes the disease assumes a typhoid 
character, and there are excessive prostration and a dirty, yellow- 
coated, dry tongue. 

Remedies — 1 . If the bowels are much constipated, give re¬ 
peated injections of warm water, with a little lard and salt dissolved 
in it. Apply to the lower part of the bowels hot fomentations of 
hops and vinegar, or some bitter herb. Or, apply a mush-poultice, 
made of corn-meal. They must be frequently changed, in order to 
keep the bowels continually hot. The rubber hot-water-bag is very 
convenient and effective, as it retains the heat longer and can be 
used without soiling or wetting the surrounding garments. The 
common smart-weed is an excellent article in this disease, used as a 
fomentation and frequently renewed. 

2. When there are irritating and offensive discharges, cleanse 
the parts with injections of warm water ; and, when they can be 
procured, make a tea of peach leaves or of wild indigo. It should 
be used warm. 

3. In severe cases, add a teaspoonful of chloride of lime to a 
quart of water, and after it is dissolved use as an injection, two or 
three times a day, several injections at each time. The solution 
should be made tepid before using. 

4. If the urine is high-colored, give the patient, every two 
hours, a teaspoonful of sweet spirits of nitre, in a little spearmint- 
tea or water. 

5. When the above is not at hand, either of the following is 
good : a tea made of marshmallow, mullein, pumpkin-seeds, or flax¬ 
seed. 

6. Take juice of spearmint, made by bruising the green 
mint, and add as much spirits of nitre ; give a teaspoonful every 
three hours. This has cured many cases, and is an excellent remedy. 

Accessory Treatment —Rest, as complete as possible, is 
very important. Food must be reduced to almost an entire ab¬ 
stinence, and no stimulants whatever must be taken. 

The room must be well ventilated and kept still. The patient 
should lie upon the back, with her knees raised, so as to keep the 


ULCEBATION OF THE WOMB. 


423 


clothes from pressing on her. The feet and hands should be kept 
warm. 

If the patient can sit up, the warm or tepid hip-bath, for 
twenty or thirty minutes at a time, will be found of much value. 
Professional advice is essential in serious cases. 


ULCERATION OF THE WOMB. 

When excoriation or ulceration of the neck of the womb occurs 
there are often pains, soreness and a sensation of rawness, with per¬ 
haps heat and smarting in that region. Pain in the right side of 
the abdomen, and pain in the back of the head, and in the back part 
of the top of the head, with a numb sensation, are common symp¬ 
toms which attend uterine congestion and ulceration. Leucorrhea 
may exist without ulceration, or even much if any inflammation, 
hut the latter affections rarely occur without causing more or less 
discharge. 

Remedies —1. Ordinarily, a solution of alum will effect a 
cure, when used in the following manner : Take two heaping tea¬ 
spoonfuls of powdered alum ; divide into six equal parts, and add 
one part of this to one pint of water—soft water when it can be pro¬ 
cured—and use it warm as an injection at least twice a day. 

2. In severe cases, take two teaspoonfuls of alum and one- 
half teaspoonful of white vitriol; divide into six equal parts, and 
use one of these parts in a pint of water. To be employed as an 
injection twice a day. 

3. This disease can be cured by simply applying powdered 
tannic acid or tannin to the ulcers. 

4. Oak-bark possesses similar medical properties to tannic 
acid, and is frequently employed in the place of it, by making a 
weak decoction and using as an injection, night and morning. 

5. Golden Seal ( Yellow Puccoon Root) has been efficaciously 
used in curing this disease. A decoction of it should be used as an 
injection, twice a day. 

6. The white pond-lily (Rymphce Odorata) has proved an 
efficacious remedy in this disease, having cured it after all other 
available means had failed. It should be used locally, by injection 
of the infusion into the neck of the womb, and by taking it in¬ 
ternally. Dose, of the infusion, from one-half to a teacupful, two 
or three times a day; of the fluid extract, ten to fifteen drops, 
morning and evening. 

Before any of there injections are employed, the patient must 
use an injection of warm or cold water, whichever feels best; and 
in addition to this, we ought to say, that these water-injections must 
be used every two hours during the day, if a cure is expected, in 
case there is much discharge. 



DIVISION SEVENTH. 


DISEASES OF CHILDREN. 


THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PARENTS FOR THE 
SICKNESS AND DEATH OF THEIR CHILDREN. 


That one half of the children born into the world die during 
childhood, and nearly all of that proportion are consigned to pre¬ 
mature graves through the neglect and inexcusable ignorance of 
their parents, are facts too well established to admit of controversy. 
Except in hereditary cases, sickly and diseased children should be 
a constant reproach to the parents; even criminal punishment is 
sometimes justly merited, for any one who will become a parent 
and be instrumental through neglect and culpable ignorance in 
causing the child to suffer in its helpless infancy the pains of dis¬ 
ease, deserves something more than mere censure. No one can hold 
himself blameless, or seek a shield from the obloquy which should 
rest upon him for such dereliction of duty, by pleading ignorance, 
for the sources of information are now too manifold and too easy 
of access to permit such a plea to be accepted. All may read and 
readily learn how to obviate the ills to which children are subject, 
or to bring timely alleviation; and the idea that disease or prema¬ 
ture death are necessary parts of nature’s processes, to be accepted 
without question or remark, is an exploded notion of the past, and 
not entitled to serious consideration. 


PHYSICAL AND MENTAL TRAINING OF CHIL¬ 
DREN. 

Men are usually educated and trained for the avocations they 
are to follow in life. If then it is important and desirable to lit 
them for their life-duties, it is equally so to have women qualified 
and prepared for the difficult task of managing and rearing children 
to which most of their lives are dedicated. Y et too many women 
begin the exercise of these most difficult and intricate duties—the 
physical and mental training of their children—with scarcely any 
knowledge of, or preparation for, the important cares devolving 
upon them; and it is a source of regret that, when thus started, a 






SFECIAL DIRECTIONS TO MOTHERS. 


425 


vast number continue to plod on as they began, and attain little 
more proficiency in knowledge on this subject than an unlettered 
and untutored savage; justly earning that oft-repeated though 
inelegant criticism that they are “ not fit to raise a papoose.” This 
want of qualification, this ignorance and neglect, are the prime 
causes of so much sickness, disease and death among children, and 
of the existence of many intellectual dwarfs and imbeciles through¬ 
out the country, as well as an army of ill-bred children and hood¬ 
lums. Experience has shown that no investment of time and money 
is more certain to bring a rich return than that devoted to the 
acquirement of knowledge for the physical and mental training of 
children. Yet we find not a few families without a single book or 
scrap of literature on this subject, and meet individuals who say, 
“We have raised children, and are still raising them, and therefore 
know all about these things.” To such we would reply that books 
are not written and information collected and imparted for those 
who know enough without learning more, and are too wise to be 
taught. On observation, it will be found that those identical 
individuals are only bundles of self-conceit and monuments of 
stupidity, incapable of appreciating the value and importance of the 
knowledge placed within their reach. 


SPECIAL DIRECTIONS TO MOTHERS IN REGARD 

TO CHILDREN. 

The following very important rules should be adopted by every 
mother in regard to children at meal-times and at bed-times: 

After the company and adults of the family have eaten, the 
mother should summon her children to the table, personally superin¬ 
tend their meals, and especially see that nothing is eaten or drunk 
that is indigestible or injurious. During this supervision she can 
teach them how to behave properly at the table. There are several 
objections to taking children to the table with company until such 
time as they shall have been thoroughly trained, for the reasons that: 

First, they are very likely to be given more or less improper 
food, often merely to keep them quiet. 

Second, they become imperious and forward, with a tendency 

to self-conceit. 

Third, the practice fosters ill manners, for mothers rarely at¬ 
tempt to teach their children manners in the presence of company. 

We have heard it said, “ But Mrs.-takes her children to 

the table at all times and under all circumstances, and yet they are 
models of propriety and exemplary conduct. ’ Admitted; but that 
is the exception and not the rule, for where there is one case of this 
kind, there are a dozen that are otherwise. 

Preparing Children for Bed— This should be done from 
six to seven o’clock ; and as they approach their teens, one hour 




426 


CLOTHING OF CHILDREN. 


later; ami it should be done promptly, and with strict regularity. A 
most reprehensible practice is that of putting children to bed at six 
o’clock one night, and the next perhaps at seven or eight. 

The preparation consists mainly in seeing that their feet are 
washed and thoroughly dried—in the summer every night, in the 
winter every other night; their teeth cleansed eveiw night with a 
brush, and their clothing changed, as no article of clothing should 
be worn at night that is worn during the day. 

And the mother, before retiring, should visit the children to 
see that they are properly covered and that the doors and windows 
are sufficiently open for ventilation, without exposure to direct air 
draughts. 

These are no minor matters among the duties devolving on 
mothers; and when they know the importance and are yet neglectful 
of them, they are deserving of as much condemnation as the hus¬ 
band who fails to provide for the family. 

What Mothers Know —There are various sections in this 
book pertaining to children and their diseases which should be read 
and re-read by every mother, but far too many are impressed with 
their own capacity and think they know enough on this subject 
without thus reading, from the fact that they “ have raised children,” 
or their mothers have, and hence they “ know more about it than 
the man who wrote the book.” They really know just enough to 
destroy the lives of one-lialf of their children, and render the other 
half more or less diseased or sickly. And this is the result, except¬ 
ing in cases of contagious diseases, of the alleged superior knowl¬ 
edge that they claim to possess and exercise. The facts should ex¬ 
cite a blush of shame. 

Moreover, if there were as much knowledge possessed on this 
subject as there might be, they would not lie ignorant of the fact 
that the information usually presented in a medical book is not 
simply the knowledge and experience of one individual physician, 
but the combined wisdom of various ones, often of different coun¬ 
tries and of different periods of time. Useful and practical direc¬ 
tions in regard to management of children will be found in 
another division of this book. 


CLOTHING OF CHILDREN. 

White flannel of the softest texture should constitute the under¬ 
clothing of children, and not only their bodies but their limbs 
should be protected by the same material. But flannel, even of a 
fine quality, may often be too irritating if worn next to the skin. 
In such cases use fine linen or cotton under the flannel to protect 
the skin. Another reason for using linen or cotton next the skin is 
that flannel cannot be washed so often without injury, and there is 
also danger that, as it does not show the dirt so quickly, it may be 
worn too long. Linen and cotton receive little harm from frequent 



CLOTHING OF CHILDREN. 


427 


washings. Some children are so constituted that they cannot en¬ 
dure woolen clothing during the hot days of summer. You should 
therefore look well to this matter; remove such clothing during 
that time, and replace it by soft linen or cotton. Another idea of 
importance should be noted here ; tight clothing should not be 
permitted to be worn by children of any age. Particular attention 
is directed to this subject, and it should not be neglected. The 
tight bands sometimes fastened around the bodies of young infants 
are an outrage to humanity and in direct conflict with the common¬ 
est principles of prudence, reason and good sense. All confinement 
produces distress, and when in the nature of compression is liable 
to induce deformity and other and still more serious injuries to 
health, even before the presence of the evil is suspected. Hernia or 
rupture not infrequently results from tight dressing. If the 
bowels are pressed too tightly, Nature, in her effort to find room 
for them, will press them out through the least protected part of 
the abdomen, as the navel or groin. Space should be allowed for 
the growth which is continually and rapidly going on. For this 
purpose, every article of dress should be fastened with strings; and 
in tying these, exercise great care not to draw them too tightly. 
They are greatly to be preferred to buttons or liooks-and-eyes. 
These last possess but one advantage—that of putting it out of the 
power of the hasty or negligent nurse to arrange the dress too 
tightly, as may happen when strings are used. The growth of the 
infant is very rapid during the first two years of its existence. It 
can be easily understood that a few weeks may make considerable 
difference as to size, so that a tight garment may produce much 
pressure and consequent distress. It would seem a sufficient exhi¬ 
bition of vanity and folly for adult people to torture themselves and 
thereby impair the natural beauty and symmetry of the bodies that 
kind Nature had given them, ruin their health and shorten their 
days by girting themselves in their dress to the size of dwarfs and 
the shape of wasps, without inflicting such punishment and entail¬ 
ing permanent injury on the young and helpless innocents. 

& Fashion to be Disregarded —Fashion should be disre¬ 
garded in the dress of children and nothing thought of not dic¬ 
tated by convenience, comfort and common sense. The fashion of 
long clothes, such for instance as measure a yard or more, is both 
useless and expensive, besides encumbering, overweighing and re¬ 
straining the free movement of the child. There need be no more 
length than is necessary to cover the feet, so that the cold will not 
get under the clothes. * As to the underclothing, it should not, in 
health, be changed oftener than once in two or three days, as fre¬ 
quent changes withdraw too much electricity from the system. 
The clothing of their beds should be well aired each day, to avoid 
any danger of engendering disease. The clothing, for the body, 
particularly the flannels, should be aired before the fire previous to 
being put on. 


428 


CLOTHING OF CHILDREN. 


Cleanliness —A child should not be permitted to wear a 
diaper for one moment after it becomes wet, as it is both unhealthy 
and uncleanly. You have not done your duty to your child 
when, at such a time, you simply dry the diaper and imagine it is 
then fit to be replaced. It should be used but once, and then 
washed and made perfectly clean; otherwise serious consequences 
may result. 

Use only safety pins, buttons or strings as fastenings for the 
clothing of your children; never ordinary pins under any circum¬ 
stances. 

The Band, and Dressing the Navel —One of the most 
important parts of an infant’s clothing is a band to support the ab¬ 
domen. This should be made of soft flannel, or of some other elastic 
material; that is, something that will stretch. It is especially in¬ 
tended to support the navel. The cord is usually divided, at birth, 
about three inches from the abdomen of the child, close to which it 
is securely tied. The separation of the remaining portion is the 
work of nature, and is effected in from five to fifteen days. In or¬ 
dinary cases, as soon as the separation has taken place, a split raisin 
and a piece of singed linen should be applied to the part, and 
changed daily. It occasionally happens that after a few weeks the 
navel starts; in such a case, a common ball of sewing-cotton, half 
used, so that what remains is soft and yielding should be laid upon 
the navel, and confined by strips of strapping-plaster, placed cross¬ 
wise. If anything more serious appear, such as redness, ulceration, 
discharge, etc., medical advice is immediately necessary. 

In putting on the band, it must be remembered that there is a 
wide distinction between a tight band and a band only for support. 
The former is dangerous, while the latter is a necessity. 

If the cavity of the abdomen be diminished, its contents are 
compressed, and when any action that strains the parts takes place 
there is no room for the necessary expansion, the weakest point 
yields and rupture results. The action of the bowels is also im¬ 
peded by compression, occasioning pain and constipation. Medical 
writers dwell upon the importance of the band and decide that 
rupture is frequently the consequence of neglect or ignorance in 
regulating its use. It needs to be taken off and re-arranged morn¬ 
ing and night, and a clean one put on every other day, as it gets 
wrinkled, and thus unfitted for use. It often becomes wet and is 
then likely to create pain and disturbance of the bowels, for which 
reason the same band should not be worn both day and night. 

How Long to Retain the Band Upon an Infant— 
A month is sufficiently long for a healthy infant to wear its 
band. If it is taken off in cool or cold weather, flannel shirts 
should be at once put upon the child, so that it will feel no evil ef¬ 
fects from its removal. 

With some children the band is necessary for many months; when 
it is discontinued the stay or waistcoat, usually worn as a sort of 


WASHING AND BATHING. 


429 


support to the rest of the clothing, should reach two inches below 
the navel; it prevents an enlargement of the abdomen and sustains 
the child in its attempt to sit up. 

Warm Clothing* —Warmth is of prime importance for 
children of all ages, and especially so for newly born infants. 
Warm clothing should cover the whole body. But in hot weather 
it is of equal importance to keep children cool, for diarrhea and 
other summer-complaints may be thus to a great extent avoided. 
Excess of clothing, night or day, is to be guarded against. 

In this country, where changes of temperature are sudden and 
continual, judicious clothing is especially necessary; summer- 
apparel cannot be safely adopted and laid aside at fixed times, nor can 
the same dress be always worn at noon and in the evening. How¬ 
ever warm the clothing, infants should not be carried abroad in cold 
weather; their lungs cannot bear a low temperature, and they have 
no exercise to keep the blood equally distributed. Where ventila¬ 
tion is attended to, no other change of air is wanted than may 
be obtained by moving from room to room. An infant usually 
falls asleep when carried abroad; cold air increases the disposition 
to sleep and renders it dangerous, while no good can be derived 
from the out-door air, since common prudence dictates that the 
whole person must be completely enveloped. If carried about a 
well-ventilated room, in a moderate temperature, the child breathes 
freely and without risk. No child can be taken into the open air 
in very cold weather with safety, until it is able to take enough ex¬ 
ercise" to keep the blood at the surface. Before this the quantity 
of necessary clothing impedes activity. This, with the state of the 
air, benumbs the limbs; the blood is driven from the surface and 
loads the lungs, stomach and brain, etc.; the child returns home, is 
brought suddenly into a room with a fire, and probably close to the 
grate; violent reaction follows; the harmony of the system is 
disturbed and the functions undergo serious interference. The 
daily repetition of the disturbance tries the strongest constitutions 
severely, and, where there is predisposition to disease, active dis¬ 
orders follow. It is much better to put a child into a swing, toss 
.him about or encourage him to use his voice, throw a ball along the 
floor and let him creep or run after it; all of which, and much more, 
may be done in a room properly warmed and ventilated. 


WASHING AND BATHING. 

Frequent bathing is not only conducive to health and cleanli¬ 
ness, but much suffering often comes from the want of it; and in 
many diseases there is no remedy equal to the water-bath. Yet not 
infrequently health is impaired and lives lost in consequence of its 
injudicious use. There are mothers who plunge their children into 
the bath-tub daily, seemingly without regard to the dangerous con- 



430 


PURE AIR. 


sequences it is gradually producing—undermining tlieir constitu¬ 
tions and rapidly bringing them to premature graves,, while the 
only reason for doing so may be that some of their neighbors or 
friends thus treat their children, and with apparent safety and ad¬ 
vantage. 

A child with a strong constitution may endure and even thrive 
under these daily bathings, but the majority are seriously injured 
by them. In regard to their proper frequency there can be no fixed 
rule given, as every case must be regulated by observation of the 
effect produced. It can be said, however, that most children may 
be bathed twice a week in summer and once in winter; and the 
baths should always be of tepid water, unless it is learned from ex¬ 
perience that cold water is more agreeable to the child, as well as 
more invigorating. The bath should be given between nine o’clock 
in the morning and noon. Sponge baths are much less debilitating 
than those in tubs, and may be given daily without danger, except 
in special cases. 


PURE AIR. 

Above all things give your children abundance of pure air. 
There is more disease and death among children from breathing 
impure air in badly ventilated rooms than from any other single 
cause. The ventilation is usually worse in the bed-room where of 
all places it is most important that the air should be pure. To proper¬ 
ly ventilate a bed room, or any other for that matter, it is necessary 
to provide both a way for the pure air to get in and for the bad air 
to get out. This is very commonly forgotten, and people open a 
single window a few inches and think that the end is secured. It 
may indeed happen that a lively wind will find its way in under 
such circumstances, but it is always better to have two openings if 
they can be arranged without making a draught directly upon the 
sleepers. If no other way offers, a window open at both top and 
bottom will allow the air to change a great deal, as it naturally 
comes in at the bottom and goes out at the top. Where there is a 
fire-place in the room that alone effects a great deal of ventilation, 
and in cold weather may be sufficient to keep the air in a room rea¬ 
sonably good. But it is undeniably true that the great majority of 
people have a fear of pure air which is little short of insanity—not 
a fear of draughts, for they do mischief as everybody knows, but 
of pure air let into a house in a proper way. This matter is espec¬ 
ially important to children, because they are at once more suscep¬ 
tible to the evil effects of bad air than adults and more exposed to 
it from being closely confined to the house. No one who has stud¬ 
ied this subject doubts that a great and general reform is impera¬ 
tively needed, and that among all classes, high and low, rich and 
poor, in town and country. How much of peevishness, bad temper, 



SLEEP OF INFANTS. 


431 


sickness and death among children is directly due to the want of 
good air no man can tell, but unquestionably the amount is fright¬ 
ful. The effect of the evil is in most cases of mysterious appear¬ 
ance to those who have not given great thought to the matter, and 
so the mischief goes on unchecked. If once its magnitude could be 
realized, however, there is no doubt that the plain and easy remedy 
would be promptly applied, and just as little doubt that the fearful 
death rate among the innocents would be very greatly reduced. 

A word should be said as to the danger of crowding too many 
persons into one room. The more occupants there are of course 
the greater the difficulty of getting proper ventilation, and in fact 
a great majority of sleeping rooms as now made should have but 
one person in them. A great many are never fit for even one to 
sleep in and never can be; but cases of this kind are confined most¬ 
ly to the cities. 


SLEEP OF INFANTS. 

Regularity —They should be fed and put to bed at stated 
hours, as regularity is of the greatest importance in all matters per¬ 
taining to children. 

No Rocking —When the time for sleep arrives, infants 
should be placed directly in their cots awake; the unnecessary and 
objectionable habit of rocking or nursing them to sleep in the arms 
should never be formed. Neither should ordinarv walking about, 
speaking or other common sounds he avoided, but the infant should 
be accustomed to sleep with the usual affairs of the house undis¬ 
turbed. 

Sleeping Medicines —All the so-called soothing remedies, 
sirups, cordials, spirits or sleeping drops, should be strictly avoided, 
as they all contain more or less opium in some of its forms. These 
sleeping mixtures do incalculable harm to the health, and largely 
swell the list of deaths in childhood. 

Ventilation —Pure, fresh air is of the highest importance to 
children while asleep. Nurseries should be as spacious and airy as 
possible. The practice of shutting bed-room doors is objectionable, 
if the children can be protected from draughts when they are open. 

It seems hardly necessary to repeat the injunction that no child 
of any age should ever sleep with an adult. The mother should 
place her infant in a crib or bed, by the side of her own, and where 
she can easily reach it. Place it on its right side and make an oc¬ 
casional change of its position during the night; and do not fail to 
do this during the day as well as at night. These changes prevent 
cramping and rest the child. Infants are often cruelly treated, in 
this respect, by the thoughtless and negligent. On laying an infant 
down it should be ascertained that the feet and hands are comfort¬ 
ably warm, that every part of the body is supported, and that the 



432 


CKADLE BEDS. 


limbs are not in a position to be cramped. It is best not to take 
up a child the instant it wakes, particularly if it has not been 
asleep long, nor if it cries on being laid down. Change of posi¬ 
tion, a drink of water, gentle rocking or slight patting on the back 
should be tried. Food and change of diapers are needful at night. 
These should be attended to very quietly. After the first three or 
four months the child, suckled when the mother retires at night, 
will, if the management has been judicious, wake but once until 
morning, do bring this about it should be allowed to nurse but 
once, and even that be discontinued as soon as practicable. Never 
keep a child awake when tired, under the idea that it will rest better 
at night. Over-fatigue produces irritability, pain in the limbs and 
restlessness. 

Beds It is impossible to overestimate the importance of good 
beds, well and properly cared for. The duty of regularly and thor¬ 
oughly airing children’s beds, especially, is habitually and very 
sadly neglected. Immediately on the child’s rising, every mornino’, 
the bed-clothing should be thrown back and left to dry and air for 
some time before the bed is made. 


CRADLE BEDS. 

The . c ^°^ lin & fjmse should be perfectly clean and free from 
all offensive odor. It is a shame and disgrace, as well as an unkind¬ 
ness and cruelty to the child, to permit, as some do, the clothing of 
the cradle-bed to become saturated with urine and be but partially 
dried again and again, until it emits a horrible stench, and the in¬ 
fant be obliged to constantly breathe this intolerable odor. And to 
add to all this, the poor babe is not infrequently permitted to go 
to sleep wet and filthy and remain in this condition for a whole 
night. With such facts of neglect in view, to say nothing of the 
evils of positive abuse which are practiced among the lower classes, 
it certainly does not seem strange that there is" so much sickness 
among children. And there would be even more pale, puny and 
sickly children, and many more of the sad little funerals, did not so 
many of them inherit constitutions which are hardy and apparently 
absolute proof against poison. r J 


GENERAL MEASURES FOR THE CARE OF CHIL¬ 
DREN. 


Crying— Mothers and nurses should pay strict attention to 
the plaintive cries of their infants. By so doing they may be able 
to trace the hrst cause of illness, for an infant will never cry if it is 

in health and at ease. If it does, there is little doubt that the nurse 
has neglected her duty. 




CROUP. 


433 


Gentle Treatment —Allow no harsh or impetuous treat¬ 
ment of young children, either by scolding or striking them. And 
never provoke them to violent laughter, as it is likely to result in a 
fit or spasm; or it may produce rupture. Neither ought you to toss 
them in your arms over your head. Never expose the eyes of a 
child to the rays of the sun, or any other glaring light. 

Frightening Children —Never, if it is possible to prevent 
it, permit your child to be frightened by any unusual noise or 
sight, and if, by accident or otherwise, it has been thus exposed, 
take care that there shall be no repetition of it, as the child becomes 
more susceptible to fright at each succeeding alarm. 

Ghost Stories —Do not in any way play with the fears of 
children, or he guilty of telling “ ghost stories” or allowing others 
to do so, nor of saying to them, for instance, to keep them from 
doing some particular thing, that the “ Black Man will catch 
them.” 

Dark Rooms as Places of Punishment —A child 
should never be forced into a dark room, when it is afraid to go. 
Besides being cruel, this is liable to produce serious results on the 
nervous system. A most reprehensible act is to shut a child in a 
dark room or closet as punishment for faults. Deplorable and 
sometimes dangerous consequences have followed, involving even 
the life of the child. 

“Hush Up” —Parents should not be guilty of punishing a 
child for an offense and then hush up suddenly by threats its 
cryings and sobbings, which are the natural outbursts of its little 
heart. 


Day and Night Clothing —Never permit your child to 
wear any articles of clothing at night which it wears during the 
day, nor to sleep the second time, if it is sick and feverish, in un¬ 
changed sheets. 

Rubbing —When your child is young, rub its body night 
and morning, with your hand. Friction promotes the circulation 
of the blood, invigorates the skin and thereby strengthens the 
child. 


CROUP (Trachitis). 

Causes —This disease is caused by exposure to cold and 
damp weather, when the neck, shoulders and arms are not properly 
protected by clothing. Dr. Eberlie says that during a practice of 
six years in a German settlement he saw but one case, and that 
occurred in a family where the American style of dress had been 
adopted. Hot rooms and the confinement of children in-doors are 
also fruitful causes of this affection. Thin shoes and stockings, 
especially with those kept in warm rooms, highly seasoned food and 
all stimulants tend to produce and aggravate it. 



434 


CKO UP. 


Symptoms —Fretfulness, feverishness, cold in the head, 
slight hoarseness, increasing towards evening and in the early night. 
Sometimes, however, without a single warning symptom, the child 
startles us in the night with a hoarse, ringing cough, which cannot 
he so described as to he recognized, but it is between a hoarse, 
low whistle and a crow, and which no one who has ever heard can fail 
to know again immediately. There seems to be a sense of suffocation 
evinced by a hurried, hoarse and hissing breathing, as if the air were 
drawn into the lungs and expelled through too small an opening in 
some instrument; which is the actual fact, for such an instrument 
is the accumulated phlegm in the wind-pipe. Great alarm, agita¬ 
tion and distress, with hot skin and frequent pulse, are common 
though not invariable symptoms. These are all worse at night, and 
it frequently happens that the patient is quite comfortable during 
the day. If the disease is neglected or does not yield to treatment, 
signs of prostration follow; the difficulty of breathing increases, 
seeming to come on in paroxysms, while the face assumes a livid hue. 
The patient may die within twenty-four hours, or survive nine or 
ten days. When there is much fever and inflammation the tenden¬ 
cy to the formation of false membrane is very slight; whereas, in 
cases that seem mild at the beginning, the disease often passes to 
the membranous stage unsuspected. 

Spasmodic Croup is where there is a predominance of 
spasmodic symptoms. In this form the child may go to bed per¬ 
fectly well, and in one or two hours be awakened with perfectly 
formed croup; hoarse voice, ringing cough and threatened suffoca¬ 
tion, which, if not relieved, will continue through the night, increas¬ 
ing in severity, but having a remission through the day. If taken 
early it may be relieved before there has been time for the false 
membrane to form. 

Remedies —1. Coal-oil is an excellent remedy for croup. 
It may be applied externally to the throat and chest; at the same 
time administer, internally, from two to ten drops, according to 
age, and repeat the dose every half-hour, until relief is obtained. 
This remedy has cured many children who were supposed to be in 
the last stage of the disease. 

2. Onions, cut into thin slices, each sprinkled with a layer of 
sugar, soon yield a sirup; a teaspoonful of this often gives speedy 
relief. Repeat every ten or fifteen minutes. 

3. In the first stages of this disease onions are used very 
effectively in the following manner: Bruise them, uncooked, and 
apply in the form of a poultice to the chest and throat. At the 
same time give the patient the following: Take a piece of fresh 
lard, the size of a butternut, thoroughly incorporated with sugar, 
and divide into three parts; to be given at intervals of twenty min¬ 
utes. 

4. The old remedy of alum and molasses is a good one. Take 
two parts of molasses and one of alum. Mix thoroughly, and give 


CROUP. 


435 


a teaspoonful every fifteen minutes, until vomiting occurs. With 
some patients honey is preferable to molasses. In ordinary cases 
of croup this is a sure cure. 

5. Cox’s hive-sirup is a favorite remedy with many. It is to 
be given in doses of from ten to twenty drops, at intervals of 
fifteen to twenty minutes, according to the urgency of the case, 
until free vomiting is induced. 

A very popular mode of treatment in this disease is to ad¬ 
minister an emetic of some kind, which will generally afford relief. 

6. Blood-root is a very useful and valuable remedy in croup. 
It should be prepared for use in the following manner: Take two 
teaspoonfuls, finely pulverized, and one half pint of equal parts of 
vinegar and water; steep for a few minutes, and give the patient 
from a teaspoonful to a tablespoonful, according to age, every 
fifteen to twenty minutes, until vomiting is produced. Some physi¬ 
cians recommend a teaspoonful of ipecac to be added, in order to 
increase its activity. 

7. Regarding the use of blood-root for this disease, Dr. R. V. 
Pierce says: “ The agent which I have found to manifest the most 
specific and remedial effect on this disease is an acetic sirup of 
blood-root, made by adding one teaspoonful of the crushed or pow¬ 
dered root to one gill of vinegar and four tablespoonfuls of white 
sugar. Heat this mixture to the boiling-point, strain, and adminis¬ 
ter while warm from one-fourth to one teaspoonful every half-hour 
or hour, regulating the interval between doses by the urgency of 
the case. It should be given sufficiently often to keep up a slight 
nausea, but not so as to produce vomiting. The patient’s body 
should be frequently sponged with hot water, in which a sufficient 
quantity of saleratus or ordinary baking-soda has been dissolved to 
render it strongly alkaline. The tincture or fluid extract of veratrum 
should be administered to control the inflammation. Five drops to 
twenty teaspoonfuls of water, of which a teaspoonful may be given 
every hour, will be about the proper dose for a child one year old.” 

8. Very excellent results have often been secured by causing 
the child to inhale the vapor of slaking lime, as it softens and 
loosens the membrane. This may be employed, with care, at any 
period of the disease. Water should be poured on a piece of quick¬ 
lime the size of an orange, and the child held so as to breathe freely 
the vapor arising from it. 

Accessory Treatment —During the treatment everything 
likely to excite or irritate the patient should be avoided. He may 
have a partial or complete warm bath; his throat should be fo¬ 
mented by means of sponges or cloths squeezed out of hot water, 
and a compress of flannel applied to the part when not fomenting; 
the feet and general surface of the body kept warm; and the air of 
the apartment raised to about 65° Falir., this temperature to be 
uniformly maintained day and night. The air should also be moist 
as well as warm. 


436 


MUMPS. 


During the attack water is almost the only article admissible 
and may be given in small, frequent quantities; when recovery sets 
in, milk and water, arrow-root, gruel, etc. In the case of delicate 
children, or when great weakness suddenly occurs during the course 
of the disease, it may be necessary to support the patient by essence 
of beef, wine and water, etc., which should be administered in 
small quantities, at regular and frequent intervals. In the case of 
an infant at the breast, the mother should adopt the dietetic sug¬ 
gestions elsewhere given. See u Diet for Nursing Mothers.” 


MUMPS (Parotitis). 

This is an inflammatory swelling of the salivary glands be¬ 
neath the lower jaw and in front of the ear, frequently attended with 
pain, soreness and difficulty in moving the jaws. The glands some¬ 
times attain a very large size; the enlargement generally commences 
on one side, and as it diminishes shows itself on the other side. 
Often one side only is involved leaving a liability to another attack 
at some subsequent period. 

Causes —A specific morbid miasm, generated during peculiar 
conditions of the atmosphere, which spreads by contagion. It often 
occurs as an epidemic, particularly in cold, damp weather; is more 
incident to children after the fifth year than to adults and only oc¬ 
casionally attacks the same person twice, if both sides were affected 
in the first attack. It is very infectious; children take it from their 
mates and playfellows. 

Symptoms —At first there is a feeling of stiffness and sore¬ 
ness on moving the jaw, and the child complains of discomfort in 
eating; indeed, the pain caused by eating or even drinking is some¬ 
times agonizing. The glands under the ear soon begin to swell, 
and they continue to be sore and painful, with more or less fever 
and headache, for about a week. There is little danger, although 
there are instances in which, from exposure to cold or from cold 
applications, the disease has been transmitted to the testicles in 
boys and to the breasts in girls; hence it is classed as a metastatic 
infectious disease. 

Remedies —If, during the progress of the complaint or after 
it abates, the testicles, or the breasts of the female, become swollen, 
painful and inflamed, use a poultice of beans, boiled soft and 
mashed, or one made of Indian meal or slippery elm. When the 
pain and fever are severe, use tincture of aconite, five drops in half 
a tumblerful of water, and, after stirring well, take two teaspoon¬ 
fuls every three or four hours; or drink freely of warm infusions of 
catnip or sage. Usually, however, in ordinary cases of this disease, 
no medical treatment of any kind is required. Good nursing, with 
attention to diet, is all that will be necessary. 



WHOOPING-COUGH. 


437 


Accessory Treatment —Care is requisite that the patient 
be not exposed to sudden changes of temperature, or to damp and 
cold weather during the continuance of the mumps and for several 
days after the disease has abated. It is also best to avoid active 
exercise and all stimulating drinks during the same period. 

Make no application over the swollen gland with the exception 
of a dry, warm handkerchief, a piece of flannel or of cotton bat¬ 
ting. The diet should be light, and free from stimulating condi¬ 
ments. No animal food should be allowed. 


WHOOPING-COUGH (Pertussis). 

This is a disease of infancy and childhood, and one attack gen¬ 
erally insures immunity for the rest of life. 

Symptoms —Whooping-cough is generally preceded by a 
common cold, cough, feverishness, etc. After from seven to ten 
days of the catarrhal stage, the cough becomes louder, more pro¬ 
longed, and assumes the characteristic \yhoop. Each paroxysm 
consists of a number of sudden, violent and short expiratory efforts 
or coughs, which expel so large an amount of air from the lungs 
that the patient appears on the point of suffocation; these forcible 
efforts are followed by a deep-drawn inspiration, in which a rush of 
air through the partially closed glottis gives rise to the distinctive 
crowing or whooping noise. This whooping is the signal of the 
patient’s safety, for when suffocation does take place, it is before 
the crowing inspiration has been made. During the paroxysms the 
face becomes deeply red or black, and swells; the eyes protrude and 
are suffused with tears, and the expression and appearance of the 
sufferer are such as apparently indicate imminent suffocation. 

The ropy kind of expectoration which follows the cough en¬ 
ables us to distinguish it from common cough, even before the 
whoop has been heard. Sometimes blood escapes from the nose, 
mouth and even from the ears, during the fits of coughing. 

Remedies — 1 . Take one lemon and slice thin; add half a pint 
of flax-seed, two ounces of honey and one quart of water; simmer, 
but do not boil, four hours; when cool, strain, and if there is less 
than a pint of the mixture, add sufficient water to make a pint. 
Dose, one tablespoonful four times a day, and, in addition, a dose 
after each severe fit of coughing. This remedy has never been known 
to fail, a cure being effected in four or five days if given before or 
when the child first whoops . It cannot be too highly recom¬ 
mended. 

2. For alleviating and shortening the attack of this disease, 
give freely of a tea made of the leaves, stems and tops of red 
clover. 

3. A strong tea of chestnut leaves is another admirable rem- 
edv for the same purpose; sweeten and give it five or six times a 



438 


WHOOPING-COUG H. 


day during the continuance of the disease. The dry leaves may be 
found in drug stores, but the green are the best when they can be 
procured. 

4. The following is highly recommended: To three table¬ 
spoonfuls of thin sirup or molasses, add as much good whisky and a 
teaspoonful of the essence of peppermint, and of this give from ten 
drops to a teaspoonful, according to age, two or three times a day. 

5. Some physicians think “ there is nothing like asafetida.” 
The tincture may be given in five to ten-drop doses, three times a 
day. Or, the asafetida may be dissolved in a little whisky and 
given in like doses. 

6. Take a porous plaster, cut in two equal parts; place one- 
half over the lungs and the other half between the shoulders. It 
reduces the cough, promotes expectoration and so much relieves 
patients suffering with whooping-cough that those who have used it 
recommend it in the highest terms. 

7. Three drops of the tincture of Chelidonium; six ounces, or 
twelve tablespoonfuls, of water. Mix. Dose, one teaspoonful, 
night and morning, for Qne week; after which give Corallia Rubra, 
one grain, morning and evening, for a week, and the patient is 
cured. If the remedies should at any time seem to irritate, give 
but once a day.— Dr. N. G. Pendry. 

8. Slice thin a bowl half full of blood beets. Fill the bowl 
almost full of molasses. All of the juice will be extracted. Of this 
give a teaspoonful three, four or five times daily, as required. An¬ 
other method is to prepare the beets as you would for the table, 
same thickness, raw, and place in a pudding dish, with alternate 
layers of sugar. Set the dish in a warm oven to extract juice. 
Give a teaspoonful three times a day, or oftener. Mothers who 
have used this say it is a marvelous remedy for whooping-cough. 

Accessory Treatment —It is necessary to treat children 
with great consideration and to overlook many of their faults, as 
violent emotions or fits of anger add to the severity and frequency 
of the paroxysms. Infants must be constantly watched, taken up as 
soon as a fit comes on, and placed in a favorable position. Friction 
with olive-oil or simple liniment, over the chest and along the 
spine, for ten or fifteen minutes morning and night, in a comfort¬ 
ably warm room without currents of air, is often of great efficacy. 
During fine, warm weather, the patient should be much in the 
open air, but damp, cold and exposure to draughts should bestrictlv 
avoided. In obstinate cases and in convalescence, change of air, 
if only for a short distance, proves very beneficial. 

The inhalation for a few minutes of the vapor which rises from 
lime used to purify gas has been found very beneficial in some cases. 

Light, digestible food only, in moderate quantities, frequently 
given; in the convulsive stage, it should be highly nutritious. 
Toast and water, barley-water or gum-water, are grateful and 
soothing, but a too exclusive slop diet often aggravates the vomiting. 


MEASLES. 


439 


MEASLES. 

Mode of Propagation —It is propagated or communi¬ 
cated, even after a considerable time has elapsed, by infected cloth¬ 
ing, bedding, furniture or wall-paper. Infection only ceases when 
the peeling-off of the skin is quite complete, and when all the 
clothing and surroundings of the patient have been thoroughly dis¬ 
infected. It is strongest during the eruptive stage, and especially 
at the early part of this stage. 

Symptoms —After about ten to fourteen days, the period of 
incubation, the disease is ushered in with the symptoms of a 
catarrh*—sneezing, running from the nose, sore throat, red, swollen 
and watery eyes, a hoarse, harsh cough, languor and fever, which 
increase in intensity. About the fourth day of the illness, the 
eruption begins, and appears in three successive crops—on the face 
and neck, on the body, and lastly on the legs. It is in the form of 
small circular spots, resembling flea-bites, which multiply and 
coalesce into blotches, slightly raised above the surrounding skin, 
so as to be felt, particularly on the face, which is often considerably 
swollen. It is like raspberry in color, and turns white for an in¬ 
stant under pressure; a dark purple is a bad sign. It is two or 
three days in coming out, and remains at least three days. The 
fever then abates, and a bran-like scurf is gradually thrown off the 
skin. As the rash declines, diarrhea sometimes occurs; this, unless 
very troublesome, should not be interfered with, as it is often ben¬ 
eficial. 

Remedies —1. Yery little medical treatment is required in 
mild cases of this disease. Cold drink ought to be used, not only dur¬ 
ing the fever, but while the eruption lasts; being one of nature’s 
best remedies, it should never be denied the patient, under any 
circumstances, as indeed the craving thirst most plainly indicates, 
and to withhold it greatly increases the suffering and aggravates 
the disease. Flax-seed tea is good to allay the cough. The feet 
and hands may be bathed two or three times a day in warm or tepid 
water if they burn. 

2. When measles occurs before weaning, the infant may refuse 
to suck in consequence of the closure of the nasal passages; resort 
must then be had to artificial feeding with the spoon. Cold water, 
gum-water, barley-water, etc., are the best drinks, No stimulants. 
As the fever abates milk-diet may be given, gradually returning to 
more nourishing food. Should the eruption be imperfectly devel¬ 
oped or strike in suddenly, the child should be put into a hot bath, 
or be packed in a blanket wrung out of hot water. The clothing 
must be frequently changed. A shawl or curtain should be so sus¬ 
pended as to protect the eyes. A little fire, except in the very 
height of summer, should be kept in the room. 

" Accessory Treatment —Take three times a day some 
cracked wheat or boiled rice, with fruits, berries, bread and butter, 


440 


EARACHE. 


sago, tapioca; keep comfortably warm; never by any possibility 
allow a feeling of chilliness or a draught of air; the room ought to 
be well ventilated; the most favorable circumstances for measles are 
a cool, well ventilated room and to keep warm in bed, for a chill or 
draught will strike the measles in, with liability to all of the bad 
results named. 

Great harm results in numberless cases from impatience to get 
out of doors; after the rash has disappeared it is better to avoid 
leaving the house for at least a week. 


EARACHE. 

Earache, in some instances, is attended by an excessive throb¬ 
bing pain in the ear. The pain, however, is sometimes very mild, 
and goes off without the aid of medicine. 

JBut the more violent forms of this disease are attended with 
excruciating, throbbing pains, delirium and sometimes convulsions. 

Causes —An inflammation of the ear is commonly brought 
on by exposing the ear to a partial current of air. It may arise 
from cutting the hair of the head very short, particularly in cold 
weather, or from any exposure. 

Remedies —1. The ear should be carefully examined, to 
determine if there be any foreign bodies in it that may provoke the 
difficulty, the removal of which will relieve at once. If nothing of 
this kind is discovered, we may know it to result from a cold, and 
proceed as follows: Heat a brick or stone, wrap it in a wet towel 
and place to the ear, heating and sweating it freely, at the same 
time inserting a few drops of equal parts of warm sweet-oil and 
glycerine. 

2. Take one teaspoonful each of the juice of grated onion and 
blood-beet. Mix, and drop three or four drops in the ear, warm, 
and use it often. If the pain is very great, moisten cotton with 
the same, and put in the ear every ten minutes. It seldom fails to 
give instant relief. 

3. Take as much black pepper as will lie on a five-cent piece 
and put it in a small roll of cotton-batting; wrap it tightly; add as 
much sweet-oil as the cotton will absorb, and insert it into the ear, 
with a little cotton over it, after which bandage the head. Almost 
immediate relief will generally be experienced. 

4. Two parts of sweet-oil and one of the juice of garlic will 
very soon relieve this troublesome affection. Apply by putting a 
few drops in a warm teaspoon and dropping it into the ear. Then 
close it with cotton or wool. 

5. Another good remedy is to fill a clay-pipe with tobacco, 
light it and draw a thin cloth over the top of the bowl; place the 
end of the stem in the ear as far as it will go without pain, and 
with the mouth on the pipe-bowl, gently but thoroughly force the 



INCONTINENCE OF URINE. 


441 


warm smoke into the ear, continuing it for several minutes, and re¬ 
peating as often as it is necessary. This nearly always gives im¬ 
mediate relief. 

6. In many cases arnica is a specific for earache. A few 
drops, five or six, on cotton previously moistened with warm water, 
and put into the ear, will afford relief. If used in time it 
will subdue inflammation and prevent gathering in the ear, which 
is so distressing and so dangerous to the hearing. 

7. The dripping of warm water from a sponge into the ear, 
continuing five to twenty minutes, and often repeating, will also ar¬ 
rest pain and. prevent gatherings. Keep that side of the head en¬ 
veloped in hot moist cloths. 

Discharges from the Ear —If the ear gathers and dis¬ 
charges it should be kept clean by syringing with warm water from 
day to day. After each application of water use the sweet-oil as 
above directed. 

A great deal of injury is done by attentive mothers and nurses, 
who think the ears of children require to be cleaned out, by insert¬ 
ing into them the “ twisted corner ” of a towel. 

In young children, especially, the use of the syringe requires 
considerable care, on account of the tenderness of the parts; it is 
therefore best not to employ it, but make the application by slowly 
squeezing the water or lotion from a sponge, allowing it to drop or 
trickle gently into the ear. 

The child should lie down on the side opposite the diseased 
ear, and this should then be filled with the lotion, in the manner 
just before indicated. After it has remained for two or three min¬ 
utes, the child may be turned so it will run out. White-oak-bark 
tea is a good lotion for this purpose ; so is alum-water, one tea¬ 
spoonful powdered, to one pint of warm water. These lotions or 
washes should be used three or four times a day, in the manner pre¬ 
scribed, and attention given to the general health of the child. 

Humming: or Buzzing in the Ears —This arises from 
congestion, or a too great amount of blood about the organs of hear¬ 
ing. When large amounts of quinine are taken, a troublesome 
ringing in the ears is the result, but it disappears in time. It is a 
result also of nervous debility, and there is no relief but in the re¬ 
moval of that difficulty. 


INCONTINENCE OF URINE—WETTING THE BED 

(Enuresis). 

This is a frequent and troublesome affection of children—not 
a disease in itself, but a symptom dependent upon causes often dif¬ 
ficult to detect; it may consist of partial or complete loss of power 
to retain the urine. The most common form is wetting the bed; 



442 


INCONTINENCE OF URINE. 


in rare cases the child may have an almost incessant urging to pass 
water which, if not responded to, results in a painless, involuntary 
discharge. If the child be troubled with a cough, the inconvenience 
is much increased, as during each paroxysm the urine is apt to es¬ 
cape. The affection is most common in children from three or four 
to fourteen or sixteen years of age, and is most frequent at night. 

Causes —Irritation of the bladder from worms; scrofulous or 
syphilitic constitution; too large a quantity of warm fluids in the 
evening; food or drink causing an acid state of the urine, which 
irritates the mucous coats of the bladder ; stone in the bladder; 
tumors, etc. 

Remedies —1. Lime-water or bicarbonate of soda (baking- 
soda), three grains, three times a day, with mild bitter tonics, as a 
tea made of Peruvian bark, etc., may be employed; and at the 
same time keep the bowels free and improve the digestion. 

2. Bearberry (Uva Ur si) is also used with good effect: Take 
a handful of the leaves, and pour a half a pint of boiling water over 
them. Give half a teacupful three times a day; and for small 
children, give half that quantity, or less, according to age. 

3. It has recently been discovered that the tincture or decoc¬ 
tion of the rush is one of the most important remedies known for 
incontinence of urine. Prof. Hale, of Chicago, reports various 
cases, three of which occurred in the same family, all promptly 
cured with it in the course of a week. Mothers, who are so fre¬ 
quently troubled by their children wetting the bed, will be gratified 
to learn this fact. The plant is common to all parts of the country. 
The tincture can be made by adding alcohol to the herb. See 
“ Tinctures.” The decoction is made from the tops or stems. Dose 
of the tincture, ten drops, four times a day. It may be mixed in 
water. 

4. In those cases in which the incontinence is owing to irri¬ 
tation of the bladder, the cause of the irritation will have to be re¬ 
moved before any permanent benefit can be expected. Much relief, 
however, may be derived from the following pleasant remedy, and 
it will frequently effect cures: Take of isinglass one roll; boil it "in one 
pint of water until it is dissolved; then strain and add one pint of 
sweet milk; put it again over the fire and let it just boil; then 
sweeten with sugar and grate nutmeg upon it. An adult may take 
of this a tumblerful three or four times a day. 

5. The tincture of cantharides, one or two drops three times a 
day, has been successfully used in the treatment of this difficultv. 

6. Parch, grind and boil the common white bean, of which 
make a drink, to be used freely at meals, as you would drink coffee. 
W. W. Ashton, of St. Louis, Mo., after suffering for many years 
and spending hundreds of dollars, was given up as incurable by the 
physicians; lie used this remedy, and in two or three weeks was 
cured. 

Accessory Treatment —As incontinence of urine is gen- 



CHOLERA INFANTUM. 


443 


erally the result of disease, medical and general treatment, which 
must be entirely regulated by the cause, are necessary to correct 
the annoyance. All salt, sharp and sour articles of food, malt 
liquors, spirits, tea and coffee should be avoided. Meat may be 
eaten in moderate quantities, but only a small quantity of fruit, and 
no flatulent food. Nothing hot should be taken in the after part of 
the day. Simple water, milk and water, and cocoa are the most 
suitable beverages. Cold water or mucilaginous drinks in modera¬ 
tion tend to diminish the acrid properties of the urine. The 
mother or nurse should be quite certain that the child fully empties 
its bladder before getting into bed, as a child very tired or sleepy is 
apt to shirk this. Until the cause is removed, the child should 
be taken up once or twice in the night to urinate. It is preferable 
to sleep on a hard mattress, with light clothing, and not be per¬ 
mitted to lie on its back; this maybe prevented by fixing an empty 
cotton-spool so that on turning on its back the spool may press into 
the muscles. At bedtime an occasional warm bath at 90° to 98° 
Fahr., or a warm sitz-bath, is often of great value in this disease, 
and greatly contributes to the success of the general treatment. 
Sponging the lower part of the back with hot water at bedtime is 
said to cure some cases of incontinence in children. Patients should 
take much open-air exercise and regular baths; the whole process 
of the bath, including drying with a large towel or sheet, should not 
occupy more than a few minutes. 

Children troubled with nocturnal incontinence should be pre¬ 
vented from falling into a morbidly profound sleep, as it is then 
that the discharge of urine occurs. Heavy sleep may be obviated 
by waking the patient about the second hour of sleep. 

Corporal punishment will work no cure. The fear of it in¬ 
creases the tendency to urinate in the case of nervous children. It 
should only be resorted to when incontinence is the result of an 
indolent habit of neglecting the natural desire. 


CHOLERA-INF ANTUM. 

This affection is common with children under three years of 
age. Vomiting and purging, more or less severe, are the promi¬ 
nent svmptoms at the commencement of the disease. After a few 
days the vomiting may cease and the diarrhea continue. In very severe 
cases the patient may die within twenty-four or forty-eight hours, 
but milder cases may last for weeks. Rapid emaciation, sunken 
eyes and great debility soon result, and sleepiness, stupor and 
symptoms of disease of the brain are apt to ensue in severe cases. 

Remedies —1. After removing the skin from ripe tomatoes, 
add sugar until they are palatable. Give the patient one teaspoon¬ 
ful every half-hour or hour, until relief is perceptible; after which 
repeat the dose every two or three hours, according to the urgency 



444 


SCALD-HEAD. 


of the symptoms. It is seldom twenty-four hours will elapse before 
the remedy can be discontinued. It is both food and medicine and 
some surprising and unexpected cures have been accomplished 
with it. 

2. Add one teaspoonful of unslaked lime to a pint of water 
and of this give a teaspoonful three times a day. In severe cases it 
should be given every three or four hours. If this remedy is used 
in time it will check this disease without the use of any other 


medicine. 

3. Take, of 

Rhubarb (pulverized).2 scruples. 

Saleratus do .. 2 “ 

Peppermint-plant (pulverized).2 “ 


Add a half pint of boiling water and sweeten with loaf-sugar. 
Dose, one teaspoonful every one, two or three hours, according to 
the urgency of the symptoms. The action of this remedy seems to 
be positive and speedy, not only for cliolera-infantum but many 
other bowel difficulties. 

4. Three or four injections of Wakefield’s Blackberry Balsam 
have cured this disease when other remedies have failed. Injections 
of brandy are also excellent for the same purpose. 

5. A strong infusion of the knot-grass, or of chamomile, 
blackberry-root or raspberry-leaves will often relieve this affection. 

Accessory Treatment —If the child is sick at the stomach, 
drinks, especially cold water, should be withheld until the stomach 
becomes quiet and the child ceases to vomit. A good remedy to 
settle the stomach is peach-leaves or twigs, well bruised. Cover 
them with cold water. Of this, give the patient a teaspoonful every 
twenty minutes. This will often arrest the vomiting, and the pa¬ 
tient, in a few hours, will be entirely relieved. 


SCALD-HEAD (Tinea Capitis). 

This is a chronic inflammation of the skin of the head, pro¬ 
ductive of a secretion of matter peculiar in its nature and capable 
of propagating the complaint if applied to the head of a healthy 
subject. At first the eruption is confined to only a small portion of 
the head; but by degrees its acrimony is extended to the neighbor¬ 
ing parts, and at length the whole of the scalp is beset with a 
scabby eruption. 

Children principally are affected with it. It may arise from 
uncleanliness, the want of a due proportion of wholesome, nutritive 
food, and possibly from bad nursing; at any rate these will very 
much aggravate the disease. In many instances it is propagated by 
contagion, either by using a comb impregnated with the matter 
from the head of a person suffering with it, or by putting on his 
hat or cap. 






SUMMER-COMPLAINT. 


445 


Remedies — 1 . The head must be dressed every day in the 
following manner: After washing clean with mild soapsuds and 
removing all the scabs, it must be then washed with lime-water, 
made by slaking a piece of lime, of the size of a hen’s egg, in a 
quart of water. In ordinary cases this will cure without additional 
remedies. 

2. In the season of the year when it can be obtained, take 
green rye, when about eight to twelve inches high, and stew it into 
a salve with fresh cream. Apply this to the head every morning 
and evening till cured. Always wash the head with castile-soap- 
suds, and dry it each time before using the salve. 

3. A tea of yellow-dock root, yellow parilla or sassafras, are 
valuable remedies. 

4. In inveterate cases use the following: First, oil the head 

once daily for two or three days; then, wash the head thoroughly 

with castile-soap and water, and remove, as far as possible, every 

crust or scab; when dry, cover every part of the head with common 

tar. Then wear an ordinary night-cap. The hair should be cut as 

closely as possible before putting on the oil. In three or four weeks 

the tar will nearly always peel off, leaving the head (scalp) smooth, 

clean and entirelv free from the disease. 

«/ 

Accessory Measures —Pure soft water is an agent of great 
value, and in the first stages of this disease, the only remedy re¬ 
quired. Hard water is irritating, and when rain-water cannot be 
obtained, it may be softened by boiling and the addition of bran, 
flour or other mucilaginous material, which further abstracts the 
lime-salts. 

Great cleanliness is requisite. General baths and friction, to 
promote the healthy action of the skin, are of great service. The 
water should be soft. For this purpose also, care should be taken 
not to spread the disease in washing. The diet should be whole¬ 
some and nutritive, avoiding salted meats and fish. 


SUMMER-COMPLAINT, OR INFANTILE DIAR¬ 
RHEA. 

Causes —The circumstances which may develop an attack of 
summer-complaint are numerous, and their detection often necessi¬ 
tates much care, but as the cause generally influences the treatment, 
it should always be investigated. The most fruitful source of this 
disease is improper food, especially farinaceous or flour and meal- 
food, which is often most unwisely given almost as soon as the abil¬ 
ity to swallow exists. The constant passage of these indigestible, 
starchy masses along the intestinal canal causes irritation to the 
sensitive mucous lining, which sooner or later expresses itself in 
diarrhea. Sour-milk is a frequent cause, especially among the poor. 



446 


SUMMER COMPLAINT. 


So is an inferior quality of maternal milk, such as of women to 
whom the monthly period has returned, or whose milk is otherwise 
deprived of its nourishment. Sugar is also hurtful, particularly 
when given too freely in milk when the mother is unable to nurse. 
When the milk is unsuitable the stools first resemble chopped eggs, 
and afterwards bad eggs, the child suffering much from wind and 
colic, emitting flatulence which smells like rotten eggs. Dr. Lade 
says he linds the milk of the cow, without the addition of sugar, 
preferable to the two together. One of the earliest causes of this 
disorder, as the same gentleman points out, is the highly reprehen¬ 
sible practice of some nurses giving castor-oil or butter and sugar, 
soon after the baby is born. Foul air and contaminated water, the 
inevitable results of filth and overcrowding, are causes of an obsti¬ 
nate form of diarrhea. In fact, diarrhea and infantile mortality are 
largely augmented by neglect of efficient sanitary measures, espec¬ 
ially by the effiuvia or emanations from drains or decaying vegetables 
and other refuse, which pollute the air and food and set up irrita¬ 
tion. LLeat and other atmospheric conditions, especially in summer 
and autumn, exercise a prejudicial influence, and directly tend to 
develop or aggravate an attack of diarrhea. 

Symptoms— These vary extremely, even in recent and acute 
attacks, from a slight, painless increase in the quantity, frequency 
and altered consistence of the normal evacuations, to violent, pain¬ 
ful and frequent purging, liquid evacuations, perhaps several times 
every hour, being ejected with spasmodic force. In the latter case 
the stools are green or spinach-like, resembling those produced by 
administration of mercury, but assume a yellow appearance during 
recovery. Frequently they contain the caseine of undigested milk 
in the form of numerous white specks. In the more severe stage, 
they are sometimes streaked with blood and mixed with mucus. 
There are also generally sickness, thirst and an interruption in the 
nutritive processes. Acute diarrhea rapidly reduces the firmness of 
the muscles, and, if the drain be severe, in two or three days there is 
marked loss of flesh and strength; the eyes are sunken, the feat¬ 
ures pinched and livid, the pulse rapid, feeble and nearly imper¬ 
ceptible, and the extremities cold and shrunken. On the other 
hand, after the cessation of an acute attack, the lost flesh and vigor 
are quickly regained and the child soon recovers its wonted color 
and spirits. 

Slight attacks may be left to themselves; the relaxation may 
be beneficial, effect its own cure and cease spontaneously in a day 
or two. As soon, however, as it begins to pass the limits of health 
and act injuriously, remedial and corrective measures should be 
instituted. 

Remedies —1. A tea made of the common rag-weed is a 
very effective remedy in this disease, and in many instances the only 
medicine needed. The tea or decoction should be given freely three 
times a day. 


CHRONIC SUMMER COMPLAINT. 


447 


2. Take equal parts of blackberry and raspberry leaves and 
make a tea of them; sweeten with white sugar and of this give the 
patient freely, four or five times a day. It is an old remedy, never¬ 
theless a very good one. In case the leaves of both cannot be ob¬ 
tained, either one alone may be sufficient, or a tea of the root can 
be employed when the leaves cannot be obtained. 

3. Lime-water has proved effective in this disease in cases 
where all other means had failed. It is prepared by adding one 
teaspoonful of unslaked lime to one pint of water; give it in doses 
of one teaspoonful three times a day. 

4. Benne-leaves are highly recommended by many physicians 
for the bowel-complaint of children, as well as for the same com¬ 
plaint in adults. Soak two or three leaves of the fresh plant in a 
pint of cold water for a few hours; then use it for a drink. Chil¬ 
dren readily take it without discovering anything unpleasant about 
it. These leaves can be procured at drug-stores. 

5. The tincture of rhubarb, in doses of from ten to thirty 
drops, according to age of child, will be certain to afford relief in 
ordinarv cases. See “ Table of Doses for Children.” 

V 

6. If there be greenness about the stools, a little lime-water 
added to the infant’s food will correct the acidity of the stomach 
and give relief. 

7. Take, of 

Rhubarb, pulverized.) 

Saleratus, do..> equal parts. 

Peppermint-plant, pulverized.) 

To a large teaspoonful of this add half a pint of boiling water; when 
cool, strain and sweeten with loaf-sugar. Dose, one or two table¬ 
spoonfuls, every half, one or two hours, according to symptoms and 
age. This is one of the most valuable preparations known for summer- 
complaint of children, diarrhea, dysentery, cholera-infan turn or cholera 
morbus. Its operation and action appear to be specific. It is ex¬ 
cellent for pregnant women, to allay sickness and regulate the 
bowels. It is also known as the “Neutralizing Mixture, or Cor¬ 
dial.” 

8. Another excellent remedy is the following: Take a hand¬ 

ful of the leaves (green or dry) of spearmint, pour on them one 
pint of hot water, let it stand in a warm place for an hour, strain, 
and add half a teaspoonful of bicarbonate baking soda. Dose, for 
an infant, one teaspoonful every three or four hours. 

To Prevent Summer-Complaint in Children —Give 
them only slippery-elm water to drink. A little of the powdered 
bark, boiled in milk, is an excellent diet. 


CHRONIC SUMMER-COMPLAINT. 

Causes —Chronic diarrhea is generally traceable to three sets 
of causes, viz.: disregard of the laws of health and diet, atmospheric 






448 


CHRONIC SUMMER COMPLAINT. 


influences, and improperly treated acute disease. The younger 
the child, the more easily is it influenced by neglect of cleanliness, 
want of proper food, fresh air and sunlight, and the more essen¬ 
tial to recovery is the removal of these causes. The reprehensible 
practice of giving newly born infants castor-oil and sugar and but¬ 
ter by ignorant and old fashioned nurses, is also a frequent cause of 
diarrhea, vomiting and indigestion. Chilling of the surface of the 
body is another frequent cause of chronic diarrhea. As this cause 
may be obviated by proper precaution, we would impress upon all 
mothers the necessity of protecting their children, especially if at 
all delicate, from the inclemencies of the weather. 

The acute disorders of which this form of diarrhea is a com¬ 
mon result are—measles, small pox, scarlatina, inflammation of the 
lungs, typhoid fever, croup, bronchitis and pleurisy. Inflammation 
of the large bowel, when the actions assume a dysenteric form, and 
ulceration of the mucous membrane of the small intestines, are 
also causes. 

Symptoms —If the disease date from a few days of the 
child’s birth, or if its commencement coincide with weaning or the 
use of unsuitable food, it is probably a simple catarrh of the bow¬ 
els. In this species of chronic diarrhea the temperature is lower 
than in health. When derangement follows an acute disease, there 
are generally fever, pain in the abdomen, languor and frequently 
vomiting. These symptoms slowly subside, and leave the case one 
of chronic diarrhea. 

Consumption of the bowels, one of the most formidable causes 
of chronic diarrhea, may always be suspected when, without the 
irritation of teething, there is a persistent elevation of temperature 
in the evening. When the diarrhea shows traces of blood and the 
abdomen is very tender to pressure, ulceration of the mucous mem¬ 
brane of the intestine is probably present. 

The graver forms are those following inflammatory diseases, or 
when the stools are greenish matter, like chopped spinach, or brown, 
fetid, dirty fluid and mixed with purulent mucus and blood. Dry 
and rough tongue, thrush or dropsy are very unfavorable symptoms. 
Great tenderness of the abdomen on pressure is also of serious im¬ 
port. On the other hand, if the stools become thicker and more 
uniform (homogeneous), even though they continue very offensive, 
a favorable result may be anticipated. Among the additional 
favorable signs may be included : continuance of the natural pro¬ 
gress of dentition, or teething, the appearance of tears, and the 
occurrence of any eruption upon the child’s body, even although the 
diarrhea may not at the time have undergone any visible improve¬ 
ment. 

Chronic infantile diarrhea is generally much milder than the 
acute, but none the less grave on that account. Indeed, the com¬ 
mencement is often so insidious that this serious derangement is 
overlooked till the loss of flesh and strength is so far advanced 


CHRONIC SUMMER COMPLAINT. 


419 


as to force a conviction that some secret disease lias been undermin¬ 
ing the system. In this insidious form, fever is absent from the 
first ; the evacuations may be three or four daily, about the color 
and consistence of putty, and accompanied with pain and straining; 
the discharges consist partly of undigested food, and when there is 
violent straining, of mucus and even blood from small vessels rupt¬ 
ured by the severity of the straining; the stools often smell sour and 
offensive, while the child looks dull and pale, but otherwise well. 
This form of diarrhea may continue for weeks, or even months, the 
additional symptoms being loss of flesh, color and activity. 

At length more decided symptoms set in, the stools becoming 
watery, slimy, clay-colored or grass-green, having an increasingly 
offensive odor. At this stage variations are almost constant, often 
coincident with atmospheric changes. The emaciation advances ; 
the food, eagerly taken, seems to pass through the child immed¬ 
iately in an undigested state ; the child lies listless and helpless, or 
cries plaintively, and draws up its legs from the accumulation of gas 
in the abdomen. The skin is now dry and harsh, the features old 
and pinched, the bones projecting, and the child appears a mere 
skeleton, loosely covered with flaccid skin. The appetite becomes 
varied or is altogether absent; the stools become excessively frequent 
—fifteen or twenty in the twenty-four hours ; thrush, soreness 
of the buttocks and death may shortly supervene. From the pov¬ 
erty and thinness of the blood the feet, fingers and eyelids may 
swell, or effusions may take place in the lungs ; eruptive fevers are 
very liable to occur, or convulsions or stupor may precede death. 

Should the stools, however, become more solid and colored with 
bile ; should the patient also assume a more active, fretful and tear¬ 
ful temperament, hopes of recovery may be entertained. Diminished 
fetor of the stools, constipation, following the relaxation and in¬ 
crease of flesh and strength, are additional grounds for anticipating 
a favorable termination of the disease. 

Kemedies —1. Take one pound of the bark of the root of 
the blackberry, well cleansed, and a suitable quantity of water; boil 
two or three hours; strain. Add a pound or more of loaf sugar, or 
enough to preserve the mixture from becoming sour. Dose, a table¬ 
spoonful three times a day, before meals. If it does not arrest the 
disease after taking it a few days, gradually increase the dose as the 
stomach can bear it. This a very valuable sirup in bowel-com¬ 
plaints, particularly the chronic form. It will effect a cure when 
every other means fail. 

2. An excellent remedy may be made of ripe blackberries. 
Take one quart of the berries; mash; add one ounce of crushed 
cinnamon-bark; one ounce of cloves, crushed, and one pint of 
water; simmer slowly for an hour or two, then strain; add one-half 
pound of loaf-sugar; simmer till there is but about one pint. Dose, 
for children, one to two teaspoonfuls, repeated after every discharge. 

3. In a tumblerful of cold water stir wheat-flour until it be- 

29 


450 


CHRONIC SUMMER COMPLAINT. 


comes about the consistency of thick cream, and then drink. A 
grown person should take this at once, and repeat three times a day; 
but for a child, a wineglassful, or even less, will be sufficient, to be 
taken at intervals during the day. It is said to be infallible. 

4. “A decoction of sweet-gum bark is an admirable remedy 
for bowel-complaints. Take a handful of the inner bark (fresh from 
the tree is as good as the dry); boil in a quart of water down to a pint; 
it may be sweetened with white sugar, and a little brandy added; 
take in doses of one or two tablespoonfuls to half a teacupful, ac¬ 
cording to age of the patient.”— Gunn. 

5. A decoction of geranium or crane’s bill may be given in 
doses of a fourth to a half-teacupful, repeated three or four times 
during the day. For children, a very good plan is to boil the root 
in sweet milk, and sweeten with white sugar. This is esteemed a 
good remedy for the summer-complaint, and may be given freely. 

Accessory Treatment —In the first place, an attempt 
should be made to correct the discharge, even in its mild form, by 
the removal of its cause. In a majority of cases we believe this 
will be found in the diet. Farinaceous (flour and meal) food, which 
should not as a rule be given until after the teeth have appeared, is 
a common cause of bowel-difficulties. 

Should a substitute for the mother’s milk be necessary, the best 
is cow’s milk with the addition of sugar-of-milk, as recommended 
under the article entitled “First Six Months.” 

Lime-water in some cases may be substituted for sugar-of-milk, 
and added in the proportion of a teaspoonful to a feeding-bottle 
which holds about one-third of a pint. In addition to its nutritive 
value, lime-water tends to keep the milk sweet. The temperature 
of food is also very important; it should be given cold, or even 
iced in feverish states. Cold milk and lime-water will often suffice 
to arrest an attack, when warm would be wholly useless. When sick¬ 
ness is superadded to the diarrhea, and is troublesome, all prepara¬ 
tions of milk may have to be suspended for a few hours, and whey, 
veal-broth or barley-water substituted; and this again followed by 
beef-tea, or other kind of animal broth. The application of a broad 
flannel bandage to the abdomen, extending from the waist over the 
hips, particularly during teething, is very serviceable and expedites 
a cure. 

The feet and abdomen should be kept warm. Cleanliness and 
fresh air aid recovery. Except in severe cases, children should be 
taken out of doors for short intervals, properly protected from at¬ 
mospheric changes. 

In the case of infants, milk and water, without sugar, is the 
best of all food; but where it does not agree, Nettle’s food may be 
tried. In some few cases animal broths are efficacious. In older 
children, old rice, freshly cooked in milk, is excellent. Mutton, 
chicken, game, pigeon, white fish, etc., are generally advantageous if 
not overdone. Eaw eggs beaten up, or eggs lightly boiled, and other 


SIMPLE VOMITING. 


451 


nutritions kinds of food are advantageous. Friction over the spine 
and whole body is necessary. An abdominal belt of flannel is often 
efficacious. Children should be protected against atmospheric 
changes by warm clothing. Lastly, change of air is often necessary 
and promptly curative. If no other end be served, it may remove 
the little patient out of the range of some undetected and un- 
thought-of cause of the disease, which exists in the air or water. 


SIMPLE VOMITING. 

The vomiting of infants may be divided, for convenience of 
our purpose, into two kinds, simple and chronic, the former being 
the more common. 

When the milk is rejected immediately after nursing or feed¬ 
ing, the milk being curdled, it is of the simple variety, and is 
caused either by too frequent feeding or over-distention of the 
stomach. Vomiting of uncurdled milk indicates debility of the 
stomach, and requires a carefully regulated diet, smaller quantities 
of food at a time and at shorter intervals. 

Causes —Repletion; improper or badly prepared food; pre¬ 
mature weaning; the use of starchy food before the child is able to 
digest it. Wet nurses, unable fully to supply the wants of the 
suckling, have been known to supplement the breast-milk by 
arrow-root, corn-flour and other indigestible food, to meet defi¬ 
ciency. In such cases the use of the microscope reveals starch 
granules, and thus enables us to detect the cause of the derange¬ 
ment. Impure air, too little sunlight, want of cleanliness and 
other bad hygienic conditions are fertile sources of vomiting. The 
crowding of a whole family into one room, or the crowding of many 
children in a small, badly ventilated, ill-lighted and cold room, is 
not an uncommon cause of the derangement. 

Treatment —A change of diet is generally necessary in hand- 
fed or weaned children, and a change of the mother’s diet or of her 
habits in case of those who are fed by the breast. Suckling 
infants should be nursed at regular periods and not permitted to 
nurse too long at one time, the amount permitted to be swallowed 
being regulated by the previous meal. If that has been rejected, 
the quantity at the next must be lessened. In some cases the child 
should have a wet nurse or be fed with sugar-of-milk, as elsewhere 
directed, or with cow’s milk and lime-water, given in such quanti¬ 
ties as can be retained. In the case of older children more care is 
often necessary. When a disposition to sickness has been excited, 
the stomach will only bear small quantities of food at a time—very 
much smaller than are commonly given, while warm food is some¬ 
times much better tolerated than cold. Small pieces of ice placed 
on the tongue tend to allay vomiting, and are usually very grateful 
to the little patient. After vomiting, it is better to make no 



452 


CHRONIC VOMITING. 


attempt for an hour or two to give any kind of food or drink. 
After some rest, a teaspoonful of cold water may be given, and 
followed in ten or fifteen minutes by a very little cold milk and 
water, or whatever else may be suitable. Another point of consid¬ 
erable importance during sickness, is to avoid moving the child 
hastily or roughly in giving it food, or raising it more than is 
absolutely necessary out of the lying posture. 

After the child is a week or two old, during favorable weather, 
abundance of pure, open air and sunlight will improve the tone of 
the digestive organs. Even as soon as the infant is one or two 
weeks old, it may be taken out of doors. Strict cleanliness is 
necessary, and the whole body should be sponged at least once a 
day in cold or tepid water. The child should be warmly clad, the 
feet especially being kept warm. 


CHRONIC VOMITING. 

Causes —Too early weaning, the premature use of starchy 
kinds of food, and other conditions enumerated under “ Chronic 
Diarrhea.” 

• Symptoms —Chronic vomiting generally comes on slowly and 
without fever, differing in these respects from common, simple 
vomiting, which is accompanied, by heat of skin, thirst and a loaded 
tongue. At first the child vomits, at irregular intervals, curdled 
milk of a strong, sour smell, showing by its yellow or green tinge 
the presence of bile. After a time the matters vomited look like 
clear water mixed with food. The belly is full, hard and tender; 
sour or fetid eructations occur, and the bowels are obstinately con¬ 
stipated. The child grows thin, pale and fretful. Occasionally 
diarrhea intervenes, then leaves the bowels as obstinate as ever, the 
stools being passed with great difficulty, and consisting of light- 
colored, hard, round lumps, covered with tough mucus. The tongue 
is now coated with dirty-yellow fur and dry, the breath smells sour, 
the lips are red and lack moisture, the mouth is clammy and parched, 
and the lips appear to project. 

This condition may continue for weeks or even months, slowly 
passing into the next stage, when vomiting occurs much more fre¬ 
quently, and is occasioned by the sliglitest"movement. The milk is 
rejected uncurdled; emaciation progresses rapidly, the skin becomes 
harsh, dry and flaccid, the features pointed, and the knees are 
drawn up on the abdomen. The temperature sinks verv low, the 
child lies with the eyes half-closed in a semi-stupor; thrush appears 
and the worn-out sufferer sinks to rest. 

Treatment —Due care should be at once taken that the child 
is properly clothed and fed. The clothing should be sufficient to 
secure comfortable warmth. If it has been prematurely weaned 



RED-GUM, TOOTH-RASH. 


453 


and it is impossible to procure a suitable wet nurse, the child 
should have sugar-of-milk food; parts of fresh cow's milk and lime- 
water as above directed, with some of the various preparations of 
Pepsin, obtainable in any good drugstore, or fresh whey and cream 
(one tablespoonful of cream, two of whey and two of hot water). 
In obstinate vomiting, the food should be given cold or cool. Much 
injury often results from careless nurses giving food too hot. The 
body of the child should be sponged twice a day with tepid water, 
and afterwards rubbed with olive-oil. The greatest cleanliness 
should be observed, and all vomited matter or soiled clothes 
removed immediately. 

In case of extreme prostration, cold beef-tea may be given in 
small quantities, frequently repeated. For this purpose the beef- 
tea may be prepared as follows: To a pint of cold water add a 
pinch of salt and one drop of muriatic acid; cut up tine eight or ten 
ounces of lean beef, and stir among the liquid. In an hour strain 
with gentle pressure through a tine cloth or hair-sieve. For 
children over twelve months old, the whites of one or two eggs may 
be thoroughly mixed with the liquor, adding a small quantity of 
pure port wine. 


RED-GUM, TOOTH-RASH (Strophulus). 

Strophulus may be red or white. Red-gum begins as red 
blotches, each slightly elevated in the center; the redness soon fades, 
and the central elevation enlarges and forms a flattened pimple. 
They occur on the face, neck, arms and may even extend over the 
whole body. White-gum consists of pearly, white, opaque pimples, 
smaller than the preceding, about the size of a pin’s head, usually 
on the face and arms. 

Cause —The appearance of this disease, as of nettle-rash, on 
the body of an infant is certain evidence of unsuitable diet and of 
derangement of the digestive functions. It is most frequent in 
children who are kept too much in hot rooms and excluded from 
the fresh air. 

Remedies —1. Little or no medical treatment is required 
for this disease, which usually occurs a few days after birth. Should 
any seem necessary, the child may be given a weak infusion or tea 
of chamomile, a half or a teaspoonful every three or four hours, 
until the difficulty is removed. 

2. Another simple and effective remedy is spearmint tea; a 
lump of baking-soda of the size of a common bean should be dis¬ 
solved in a teacupful of it. Give a teaspoonful three or four times 

a dav. 

"Accessory Treatment —The regulation of the diet; abund¬ 
ance of fresh air; clothing sufficient to protect the body from cold, 
and at the same time permit of the free access of air to the skin; 



454 


THRUSH-SORE MOUTH. 


and daily use of the bath. Favorable hygienic conditions are 
necessary in every case, or medicine will prove inefficient. An argu¬ 
ment in favor of these measures may be adduced from the fact 
that, since they have been more generally adopted, and children 
kept less artificially heated and more freely exposed to fresh air, 
cases of strophulus "and of nettle-rash have largely disappeared. 


THRUSH—SORE MOUTH (Aphthae). 

Causes —Unhealthy character of or insufficient breast-milk, 
unsuitable quality or quantity of food given to infants fed with the 
bottle or spoon, neglect of general cleanliness, bad drainage, etc. A 
scrofulous constitution may operate as a predisposing cause. The 
disease also occurs during the course of measles, typhoid fever and 
consumption; it is then generally indicative of an early fatal 
termination. 

Symptoms —There is generally some fever; the child is 
fretful, often refusing the breast on account of pain experienced in 
sucking; there are usually vomiting and a thin, watery diarrhea, 
caused by deranged intestinal secretions. The local symptoms con¬ 
sist of innumerable white specks, like little bits of curd, which are 
sometimes so connected as to form a continuous, dirty, diphtheria¬ 
like covering over the tongue, gums, palate and inside of the cheeks 
and lips. In severe cases “ cankers ” line the whole interior of the 
mouth and extend even to the throat and down the gullet. 

Remedies —1. Borax has a specific power over this affec¬ 
tion, and alone will cure it if the disease is limited to the mouth. 
The mouth may be washed with a weak solution of borax, one- 
half a teaspoonful to four tablespoonfuls of water, or borax and 
glycerine or honey may be used, half a drachm of the former to one 
ounce of the latter. The infant will swallow sufficient for a dose 
each time the solution is used. In using the borax alone, dissolve 
a piece as large as a pea in a teacupful of water; wash the mouth 
three times a day with this solution, by means of a soft brush. Be¬ 
fore using the lotion the mouth should be well cleansed with a 
piece of linen rag squeezed out of warm water. 

2. Powdered lump-sugar and borax, put dry in the mouth, is 
an excellent remedy; also, a tea of the berries of the sumach is 
considered good in this disease. 

3. Golden seal, used in the form of a decoction or tea, sweet¬ 
ened with honey, often answers a good purpose to wash or gargle 
the mouth, and frequently effects a cure. 

4. A piece of alum the size of a bean, dissolved in a half-tea- 
cupful of soft water and applied three or four times a day, is a 
useful and often effective remedy, especially in the milder forms of 
the disease. 




MILK-CRUST. 


455 


5. The blue-cohosh root, made into a decoction with golden 
seal and sweetened with honey, is highly spoken of by eminent 
physicians as a superior preparation for thrush. It should he ap¬ 
plied to the ulcerated parts by means of soft lint moistened with 
the liquid. 

6. Among the vegetable productions of our country perhaps 
none excels the wild turnip, finely pulverized and rubbed into a 
paste with a little honey, which should be placed in small quantities 
on the infant’s tongue, and often repeated, to have it spread through 
the mouth. 

The remedies given under “ Canker-Sore Mouth ” are applic¬ 
able to this disease. 

Accessory Treatment —A point of first consideration is 
suitable diet. If thrush be distinctly traceable to any disease in 
the mother which cannot be quickly cured, the infant should be at 
once provided with a wet nurse, or weaned and fed with sugar-of- 
milk or cow’s milk diluted with lime water. 

Prevention —Every variety of starch-food is unsuitable for 
an infant, and no food but breast-milk, sugar-of-milk or cow’s-milk 
diluted should be used. Cane-sugar, which speedily ferments and 
is favorable to the development of the disease, is not to be allowed. 
Strict cleanliness is particularly necessary; after each meal the 
mouth should be washed, to prevent the accumulation of milk about 
the gums. This simple measure will often prevent the appearance 
of thrush. In like manner, the mother’s nipple should be cleansed 
each time after giving it to the infant. Well ventilated rooms and 
abundance of out-of-door air, every day in suitable weather, will 
prove of extreme value, rendering the secretions more healthy and 
raising the tone of the general system. 


MILK-CKUST (Eczema). 

This is an inflammation of the skin characterized by more or 
less superficial redness and closely packed vesicles not larger than a 
pin’s head; these run together, burst and exude a starch-like fluid, 
which dries up and forms thin, yellow crusts. The discharge has 
the property, when dried, of stiffening linen, which distinguishes 
it from other skin diseases. 

Causes —Hereditary tendency, the sun’s rays, heat, cold, 
stockings dyed with aniline, improper food, friction, irritation of 
clothes wet with urine, the local application of sugar, lime, coarse 
soap, soda or Croton-oil, or poor health of the mother during nurs¬ 
ing. It is also caused by her irregular and improper diet during 
the same time. When it occurs in early infancy, the navel is gen¬ 
erally its first site. 

Symptoms —The little patient is usually pale, thin, pasty¬ 
looking, feverish and has an indifferent appetite. This disease 



456 


COLD IN THE HEAD. 


generally appears on the scalp, behind the ears, on the face, the fore¬ 
arms and the legs. Indeed, it affects all parts, but especially the 
scalp, ears, armpits and flexures of the joints. If the eruption be 
extensive, the constitutional symptoms, feverishness, wasting, etc., 
will be more marked. In mild cases, the disease may be recognized 
by the skin feeling thick when raised between the thumb and 
finger. 

Treatment —Pure, soft water is an agent of great value, and 
in many cases the only remedy needed. Hard water is irritating, 
and, when rain-water cannot be obtained, should be softened by 
boiling and the addition of bran, flour or other mucilaginous matters, 
which further abstract the lime-salts. The washing should be done 
so as not to spread the irritating discharge over unaffected surfaces, 
and afterwards well dried by pressure with a soft cloth, not by rub¬ 
bing. Petroleum soap or transparent soap is recommended to be 
used in washing, taking care that in all scalp-diseases the hair 
should be kept cut very short all the time; remembering, too, that 
all poultices other than pure water keep the parts more filthy and 
retard recovery, and that all washes in the nature of astringents, even 
although as simple as alum-water, oak-bark and common tea, tend 
directlv to cause water on the brain or some other internal ailment 
quite as fatal. 

Great cleanliness is requisite. General baths and friction to 
promote the healthy action of the skin are of great service. Vege¬ 
tables, especially such as are eaten uncooked, lettuce, celery, water¬ 
cress, etc., may be freely taken. Cod liver oil is particularly recom¬ 
mended. Dose, one-fourth to half a teaspoonful according to age, 
twice daily after food. The diet should be wholesome and nutri¬ 
tive, avoiding salted meats and fish. 


COLD IN THE HEAD—SNUFFLES (Coryza). 

Causes —Exposure to draughts and cold, sudden changes of 
temperature, wet feet, inherited syphilis (in infants). 

Symptoms —Cold in the head usually comes on with slight 
shiverings, pain or a feeling of weight in the head, redness or itching 
of the eyes, obstruction of one or both nostrils. 

Treatment —In the very early stage camphor should be ad¬ 
ministered. To infants it may be given by inhalation. A drop or 
two of the tincture should be put in a teaspoon and held near to the 
nostrils for a minute or longer, and repeated every twenty minutes 
for three or four times. To older children it may be given on 
sugar. 

Snuffles in children may generally be removed by rubbing the 
nose and forehead with warm sweet oil, or by placing upon 'these 
parts cloths kept wet with warm water. 



CRYING. 


457 


In severe cases add five drops of spirits of camphor to one tea- 
spoonful of sweet oil, and, after cleansing the nostrils with tepid 
water, rub the surface of.the nose with this camphorated oil. The 
application of glycerine is also recommended for the same purpose. 

Accessory Treatment —The child should remain in a 
room the atmosphere of which is of a comfortable, uniform temper¬ 
ature. In severe cases a warm bath should be given on going to 
bed and the child well wrapped in an extra blanket, so as to favor 
the free action of the skin; this is still further promoted by drink¬ 
ing freely of cold water during and. after the bath. In the case of 
infants their noses should be frequently smeared with simple cerate, 
cold cream or tallow, to prevent the discharge from forming into 
hard crusts. In chronic, obstinate cases, the interior of the nostrils 
may be syringed with a weak solution of carbolic acid. If suckling 
be difficult or impossible, the milk should be drawn and the infant 
fed with it by means of a spoon until the complaint is modified. 

Prevention —Children should be exposed to the open air 
daily, which tends to strengthen the body to resist atmospheric 
changes. They should be properly clothed, especially the lower 
limbs and abdomen. Lastly, infants should be taught, by laying 
them on their side, to use the nostrils for breathing in sleep instead 
of the mouth. This cannot be done too early, for the habit is 
difficult of acquirement if neglected till adult life. 


CRYING. 

Significance of Crying —The crying of an infant is expres¬ 
sive and varies much in character. In brain-affections it is sharp, 
short and sudden. In diseases of the abdomen, exciting pain, it is 
prolonged. In inherited syphilis it is high-pitched and hoarse. In 
inflammatory diseases of the larynx, it is hoarse and may be whis¬ 
pering. In inflammatory diseases of the chest and in severe 
rickets, the child is usually quiet and unwilling to cry, on account 
of the action interfering with the respiratory functions. 

Causes —In many instances infantile crying and fretful ness 
are due to some mechanical cause, tight or creased clothing, wet 
napkins, the prick or scratch of a pin, improper or excessive feeding, 
etc. Crying is also the language by which its wants are expressed; 
but it is a mistake to suppose that the child should be presented to 
the breast, or that it is hungry, merely because it cries. The time 
that has elapsed since the previous nursing will determine the neces¬ 
sity or otherwise for feeding the child. Crying, however, is often 
due to colic, wind or other symptoms of indigestion in hand-fed 
children or in infants suckled by unsuitable wet nurses. For the 
proper investigation of the cause of crying, the infant should be 
fullv undressed in a room of comfortable temperature. By this 



458 


MANAGEMENT OF INFANTS. 


method, the form and movements of the chest and abdomen; the 
the state of the skin, whether hot or cool, moist or dry; the presence 
or absence of any eruption, and any other peculiarity present, may 
then be easily detected. 

Treatment —Hot flannel applied to the abdomen or rubbing 
with the warmed hand, placing the child on the knee with the 
stomach downwards and patting the back gently, will often prove 
soothing. A warm bath is sometimes found beneficial. 


GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT 

OF INFANTS. 

Before concluding we deem it desirable to offer some general 
instructions on the management of early infancy, touching on points 
which, though they may appear to be of only minor importance, 
have a most important bearing on the prevention of infantile dis¬ 
ease and mortality. 

This is a subject that seldom receives the attention which it 
merits. Through criminal ignorance or neglect of the laws of 
health pointed out in these volumes, three-fourtlis of the children 
in nearly every family are either more or less diseased, in some way, 
or are in their graves before they arrive at years of maturity. 

The Newly Born Infant —In all those cases where an in¬ 
fant is born before the doctor’s arrival, it should receive the atten¬ 
tions pointed out “in the article entitled “How to Act in the Absence 
of a Physician.” If the child is healthy and strong, it will cry 
vigorously; for the transition from a condition of unconscious re¬ 
pose in a bland fluid at a temperature of 98° Falir., to the contact 
of rough clothes and a comparatively cold temperature cannot be 
agreeable. The act of crying helps to fill the lungs with air, and 
thus the functions of breathing and pulmonary circulation become 
established. 

The First Washing —As soon as breathing has fairly com¬ 
menced and the umbilical cord been tied, everything being ready be¬ 
forehand, the infant should be enveloped in soft, warmed flannel, and 
oiled or washed, as preferred. Do this at once, for the skin 
requires cleansing from the tenacious fluid which adheres to it 
at birth, in order that healthy transpiration may be established. A 
new-born child is often allowed to remain a long time before it is 
washed, and even then it is not always washed quickly and skill¬ 
fully, so that it shivers and its skin becomes blue before*it is placed 
by its mother’s side. 

Before commencing the process of washing, the eyes should be 
carefully wiped with a piece of moist, soft linen; then the rest of 
the body should be cleansed, by means of a fine sponge, with warm 
water and a little soap and carefully dried with a soft, warmed 



MANAGEMENT OF INFANTS. 


459 


towel. If tlie coating-matter be considerable or very adhesive, a 
little fresh lard rubbed upon the skin previous to the application of 
the soap and water will render its entire removal an easy operation. 
As soon as the cleansing is completed, a little violet powder, finely 
powdered or scented starch, may be dusted lightly on the surface, 
especially in the creases of the joints. 

Covering’ tlie Face —The practice of covering the face and 
particularly the mouth of the infant, immediately after birth or at 
any other time, is very injurious, and no mother or nurse should be 
guilty of it. The child recpiires fresh air to breathe, as well as a 
grown person. 

Presenting tlie Infant to the Breast —As soon as the 
mother has somewhat recovered from the exhaustion of labor, the 
infant should be put to the breast. The application of the child to 
the maternal font at once, often prevents or much diminishes the dis¬ 
turbances incident to the coming of the milk; it also tends to 
appease the wants of the infant, and enables it better to grasp the nip¬ 
ple than when the breast is over-distended or hard with the milk; 
further, by its promoting contraction of the womb of the mother 
the probability of secondary uterine hemorrhage, and also the chance 
of what is called “Milk-Fever,” will be much lessened. 

Immediately after being dressed, the infant should be laid on 
its mother’s bosom and not, as is too often the case, placed by itself 
in a cradle where it is in danger of being too cold. As a general 
rule, for the first few days it should sleep in the same bed with its 
mother, especially during cold weather ; afterwards it should sleep 
in a cradle or cot. 

Milk in the Breast tlie First Day —It is affirmed by 
some nurses that until the third day after labor the breasts contain 
no milk, and that a substitute, gruel or some other farinaceous pre¬ 
paration, is necessary. In the great majority of cases, however, 
milk sufficient for all the requirements of the infant is present on 
the first day, and the only thing necessary to be done is to apply the 
child’s mouth to the nipple. Should there be no milk at the mo¬ 
ment, the suction of the infant, which is the natural mammary 
stimulant, will hasten the secretion; while, as we have elsewhere 
stated, the suction promotes the necessary uterine contractions 
which are favorable to the mother. If, after repeated attempts, in 
eight or nine hours there be no breast-milk drawn, the child may 
have, until the secretion be fairly established, cow’s milk diluted 
with warm water (two-thirds milk to one-third water), with the ad¬ 
dition of sugar. The milk should not be boiled, nor should the 
water added to it be too hot, for in either case the albumen is liable 
to be coagulated and the milk rendered less digestible. The admin¬ 
istration of any kind of farinaceous food, sugar, butter or gin to 
the new-born infant is not only unnecessary, but is likely to prove 
of incalculable mischief. 

Longings of tlie Baby —The following directions on this 


460 


MANAGEMENT OF INFANTS. 


subject, from Mrs. Duffey, are exceedingly judicious, and the case 
she gives in illustration is well in point: 

“Let no young mother be persuaded to try her babe with one 
article of food after another in the belief that, because it happens 
to put out its tongue occasionally, it wants something which it must 
certainly have, if the right thing can be found. 

“ ‘Why,’ said one excellent woman, ‘I gave my babe a pickled 
bean to suck when he was only six weeks old, because lie put out 
his tongue for it and wanted it.’ 

“‘Well,’ I replied, ‘I should judge from his present state of 
health that he had been fed upon pickled beans and things of alike 
appropriate character when he was a baby.’ 

“ There might have been a slight touch of cruelty in the an¬ 
swer, but my excuse must be that I was exasperated beyond my 
powers of patience. There was, besides, such an opportunity for 
a retort, as the man who, as a babe, had sucked pickled beans was a 
confirmed dyspeptic, dating back his sufferings as far at least as 
memory would carry him, and had probably never known a day of 
perfect health in his life.” 

Attention to the Bowels —A mother should carefully 
attend to the condition of her babe’s bowels. The discharges should 
be of a bright yellow color, inclining to orange, and of the consis¬ 
tence of thick gruel. If they are slimy, curdled, green or too thin, 
it is an indication that the mother must make some change in her 
own diet. 

As soon as the babe is old enough to sit up with support, it 
should, the first thing after leaving the bed in the morning, be 
placed in an infant’s chair. This should be repeated several times 
duiing the day. The child will finally understand the purpose for 
which it is placed in the chair, and diapers can generally thence¬ 
forth be laid aside. J 

Open-Air Exercise-Children require fresh air and sun¬ 
light as much as plants and flowers do; and as the latter are color¬ 
less and imperfect if excluded from direct sunshine, so children 
who live in places where light does not abundantly enter are pale 
and feeble. In fine weather, an infant over a month old should be 
taken out at least twice a day, the only precaution necessary beino* 
that it should be sufficiently clothed. In warm, sunny weather the 
moie it is in the open air the better, if care be observed to protect 
the head from the hot sun. In short, a child should almost live out 
ot doors during suitable weather. Plenty of exercise in the open 
an is necessary for the healthy development of the limbs and body 
generally. Suitable athletic games and exercises should form a 
part of the early education of all children, and these games and 
exercises should take place in the open air, except during inclement 

weather, when they may be carried out in spacious, welf ventilated 
rooms. 

Food —No point is of higher importance in the rearing of 


MANAGEMENT OF INFANTS. 


461 


children than the proper arrangement of their meal-hours and ob¬ 
servance of hygienic laws in the management of their meals. 
Errors in feeding probably rank first among causes of infantile dis¬ 
ease and death. 

The mother’s milk is the sustenance provided by nature for the 
infant, and as yielded by healthy mothers is superior to all artificial 
substitutes; and suckling is the best method of feeding. 

When the mother enjoys good health and has a sufficient quan¬ 
tity of milk, an infant requires and should have no other food but 
breast-milk until from the sixth to the ninth month. Even during 
the first day or two, the breast usually furnishes sufficient nourish¬ 
ment. The too common practice of giving butter and sugar, gruel 
and various other articles to a new-born babe should be strictly in¬ 
terdicted as an uncalled-for act of cruelty. Should the formation 
of milk be unusually long delayed, a little new cow’s milk (unboiled), 
diluted with an equal quantity of warm water, with the addition of 
a little white sugar, maybe given until the function of the breast 
becomes established. For the first five or six weeks the infant 
should be applied to the breast at regular intervals of two hours and 
a half during the day, and at longer intervals, if possible, during the 
night; but after the first two or three weeks it should be accustom¬ 
ed to remain without food from about 11 p. m. to 2 or three a. m. 
It is important, too, that the infant should nurse from each breast 
alternately. Regular habits of feeding may be soon acquired, and 
it is a great mistake, and often the cause of wind, colic and other 
disorders, to give the infant the breast whenever it cries or to let it 
be always nursing. 

Diet for Nursing Mothers —A nursing mother or wet 
nurse does not require an extra or a rich diet, but should exercise 
discrimination in the selection of her food. To overload the stom¬ 
ach or to eat indigestible articles, would occasion digestive derange¬ 
ment, to the injury of the infant as well as herself. The meal- 
hours should be regular, and late meals avoided. The thirst to 
which nursing mothers are liable is best appeased by milk-and- 
water, barley-water, toast and water and similar beverages. 

A person of full, robust habit will require less nutriment, while 
a delicate person, of languid circulation, will need more animal food, 
milk, etc. 

“ It is necessary for a nurse who has a tendency to flatulency 
or wind to avoid food apt to induce that ailment, not only on her 
own account, but that of her charge; for this and other disordered 
functions tell upon an infant immediately through the medium of 
the milk. Where a nurse is actually affected by flatulency, her tak¬ 
ing a little powdered ginger or soda makes her milk agree better 
with the digestive powers of the child. 

“ A mother who is also a nurse has a double claim upon her, 
and a double motive to stimulate her in the observance of the laws 
which o-overn health. The immediate welfare of herself is indis- 

£3 


462 


MANAGEMENT OF INFANTS. 


solubly united with that of her child; every transgression on her 
part inflicts suffering on her infant, who is the helpless victim of 
her errors. And not only so; unhealthy, ailing children, bring 
great afflictions upon a family. In the case of affluent persons, 
they bring disappointed hopes, wounded pride and sorrowing affec¬ 
tions. A father is naturally disposed to regard his offspring with 
pride, exultation and hope; but can he do this when he sees ailing, 
fretful beings, incapable of enjoying or benefiting by the advant¬ 
ages which his abundance and affection procure? In the case of 
poor people, the sorrowing affections are aggravated by the expense, 
the household discomfort entailed by illness and the prospect of the 
sickly creatures around them being hereafter incapable of earning 
their maintenance at all, or of doing so under the pressure of bodily 
and mental suffering. The faults of the mother may inflict these 
disappointments and difficulties upon the father. Her responsibili¬ 
ties are therefore great and numerous.”— Scudder. 

Regimen of Wet Nurse —The regimen and diet of a wet 
nurse should as nearly as possible resemble those she has been pre¬ 
viously accustomed to. A woman of active duties and frugal diet 
is certain to suffer in her health if she suddenly relapse into a life 
of in-door idleness, and take a too abundant supply of food and 
such beverages as ale or stout. A wet nurse taken from industrial 
pursuits should continue to perform at least light duties, or take a 
large amount of regular, open-air exercise. The use of stimulants 
is injurious, and if taken to cause a good supply of milk may re¬ 
sult in disappointment or debility and bring on a host of*evils 
from which the infant cannot escape. 

Should a nursing mother or wet nurse begin to suffer from 
headache, dim sight, dizziness, shortness of breath, palpitation or 
night-sweats, it is evident that nursing exhausts her and should be 
discontinued. 

The diet of infants being of great moment to their well-being, 
we devote the following additional remarks to the further con¬ 
sideration of the subject. 

Foot! for the First Six Months — 1 . We commence 
by stating emphatically that children who enjoy their inalienable 
right to maternal breast-milk, assuming this to be suitable in qual¬ 
ity and sufficient in quantity, require no other food. The infant 
should be applied to the breast every two hours and a half durin 0 * 
the day for about the first six week's; afterwards only once every 
three hours. But it should not be awakened from sleep to be fed. 
After about the first month it will not be necessary to give the 
breast at all between the hours of 11 p. m. and 2 or 3 a. m. The 
eaily commencement of this arrangement is very important, as it 
affords the opportunity for that regular, undisturbed repose which 
contributes much to the well-being of both mother and child. 

2. For children brought up by hand, cow’s milk diluted with 
water, with the addition of sugar-of-milk, is the best substitute for 


MANAGEMENT OF INFANTS. 


463 


breast-milk. One ounce of sugar-of-milk dissolved in three-quar¬ 
ters of a pint of'boiling water, and mixed, as wanted, with an 
equal quantity of good, new cow’s milk, should be given from the 
feeding-bottle at the same intervals as recommended for maternal 
nursing. As soon as the meal is over, the tube should be removed 
from the child’s mouth. It should not be allowed to fall asleep 
with it in its mouth. The bottle and teat should be thoroughly 
washed after each meal and the former always kept in a basin of 
cold water when not in use. A sweet feeding-bottle is of great 
importance. It is well to have two bottles, so that one can be 
cleansed while the other is in use. Neglect of scrupulous attention 
to the feeding-bottle is a frequent cause of indigestion and other 
disease. 

3. If, from poverty or scantiness of the breast-milk, a com¬ 
bination of nursing and feeding become necessary, the breast 
should be given twice a day. For the other meals the child should 
be fed on the diluted sugar-of-milk and unskimmed cow’s milk, as 
prescribed in the previous paragraph; or the artificial diet may 
consist of new cow’s milk diluted with about one-third of warm 
water, so as to bring the temperature to that of breast-milk. This 
diet is infinitely preferable to any variety of starch-food and to the 
ill-selected additions to maternal milk often supplied at the fifth or 
sixth month. 

If the child do not thrive on this diet, he may, after three or 
four months, have milk in which a small quantity of gelatine and 
arrow-root have been boiled. 

Starch-food Unsuitable —Starch is not necessar} 7 to the 
infant, for breast-milk contains none. Starch requires, before it can 
be digested and absorbed, to be converted into a soluble substance 
called dextrine, which can only be effected by the starch being 
ground up and mixed with saliva. But as the child has now no 
teeth, and much of the saliva dribbles away, starch-food passes into 
the stomach unmixed with its natural solvent, and therefore is in¬ 
soluble and indigestible. It is easy then to understand how an in¬ 
soluble mass of boiled bread, gruel, arrow-root, baked flour, rice, 
biscuits, rusks or any other starch-food, passing through the 
stomach and scraping and scratching along the delicate, sensitive 
bowels, might readily produce all the ills to which infantile flesh is 
heir. 

Dr. Ellis says: “Among the most pernicious kinds of nourish¬ 
ment for a young infant, may be named those miserable compounds 
of flour and milk, cracker or bread and water, or oatmeal and water, 
which are fed to children under the names of pap, panada and 
water-gruel. The powers of the infant’s stomach are inadequate 
to digest properly these substances. Let the infant’s stomach be 
once or twice filled during the twenty-four hours with gruel, or 
any of the ordinary preparations resorted to by nurses for this 


i 


464 


STILL-BORN INFANTS. 


purpose, and the chances will probably be as ten to one that acidity, 
vomiting, colic, griping and jaundice will supervene.” 

There are now several kinds of food especially prepared for in- 
f an ts—as Nettle’s food and others, that can be recommended as 
digestible and satisfactory food for infants. 


STILL-BORN INFANTS. 

Children are sometimes born apparently dead, and if means are 
not quickly adopted this condition may pass into one of real and 
permanent death. But so long as the heart continues to beat, even 
but feebly, there is a probability that well-directed efforts will be 
successful in exciting breathing. 

Causes —Constitutional feebleness, so that the effort necessary 
to commence breathing cannot be made; obstructed circulation 
during labor by pressure or twisting of the navel-string; too long- 
continued compression of the head; tenacious mucus in the mouth 
and throat, preventing the entrance of air, etc. 

Rules for Treatment —1. The first object is to clear the 
throat and nostrils of mucus. This is best done by the prone posi¬ 
tion, pressure along the back, etc., or by seizing it, as it appears, by 
a piece of soft linen. 

2. The second object is to imitate Nature, and excite respi¬ 
ration, for which the alternate hot and cold douche or bath, or 
excitants applied to the skin, are the most effectual measures. 

3. The third and all-important measure is, to imitate respi¬ 
ration, which may be accomplished by alternate rotation, and 
pronation with pressure. 

4. Next follows friction along the limbs upwards with 
flannel. 

5. The continuous warm bath, as distinguished from the 
sudden alternate hot and cold baths, is to be carefully avoided, as 
causing loss of time and the neglect of all-important remedies. 

Accessory Treatment —The first efforts to promote breath¬ 
ing are to be made before the navel-string is divided, if pulsation is 
felt in it. Obstructive mucus should be carefully wiped away from 
the mouth and throat, and the general surface exposed to cold air; 
an attempt should then be made to excite the function of breathing 
by blowing in the infant’s face, sprinkling cold water with some 
little force on the face or chest, or alternately cold and hot, and by 
giving several smart blows with the hand, or with the corner of a 
towel wetted with cold water, on the hips, back and chest. The 
back and limbs should be well rubbed, while the face is freely ex¬ 
posed to the air. 

The following is another good method of exciting breathing: 
Close the infant’s nostrils with the finger and thumb, press the 
wind-pipe gently backwards, and then blow into the mouth, so as to 



WEANING. 


465 


drive the air into the lungs; afterwards press the ribs together, so 
that the lungs may expel the air. This process should take place 
about fifteen times in one minute, and if persevered in is the most 
likely to be successful in a short time. Meanwhile the body should 
lie on a flat surface, and be well rubbed with warm flannels, and the 
head not suffered during these efforts to fall upon the chest. 

If these means are not successful, and the pulsation has ceased 
in the navel-string, it should be divided as before directed, and the 
infant plunged into a warm bath, 98° Falir., or what is agreeable to 
the back of the hand. If the sudden plunge does not excite breath¬ 
ing, it will be no use to keep the infant in the bath beyond a min¬ 
ute or two, and Dr. Marshall Hall’s ready method may then be 
tried as follows: 

“ Place the infant on its face; turn the body gently, but com¬ 
pletely on the side and a little beyond, and then on the face, alter¬ 
nately; repeating these measures deliberately, efficiently and perse- 
veringly, fifteen times in the minute only.” 


WEANING. 

The proper period for weaning the child is generally at the age 
of from nine to twelve months; but a time when the child is in good 
health and free from the irritation of teething should be chosen as 
the most appropriate, even if it is beyond twelve months. Too hot 
weather or the prevalence of any intestinal epidemic may necessi - 
tate the deferment of weaning for a short time. If the mother is 
feeble and sickly, it is generally desirable to wean the infant when it 
is six months old, or even at the end of the first or second month, 
if the mother presents evidence of great suffering from lactation. 

The child should never be fed, except from the mother’s or 
nurse’s breast, until it is at least six or eight months old, unless this 
natural fountain becomes dry; and even then nothing but the milk 
of one cow should be given, unless a physician for some special 
purpose or occasion desires a substitute. As children get older, 
solid food may be substituted for milk; though, as a rule, young 
children should hot be nourished too largely on animal diet. The 
first teething should at least be passed before this kind of food is 
allowed, as it produces irritability of the stomach, which is already 
much excited by the process of teething. 

‘‘Until after the first dentition or teething is completed,” re- 
marks Dr. Condie, “ solid animal food, in our opinion, should form 
no portion of an infant’s diet; it is apt to increase the fever to which 
the system is already predisposed, and to augment that irritability of 
the digestive organs which is an almost invariable attendant, to a 
greater or less extent, upon the process of teething.” 

It sometimes happens that cow’s milk is slightly acid instead of 
alkaline, and this is apt to be the case where the cow has been 

30 



466 


WEANING. 


milked for several months. It is well, therefore, especially in the 
case of weakly or sickly children, to test the milk which you give 
them, which may easily be done by means of bine litmus paper, 
obtainable at the drug-stores. Hold the end of a narrow strip of 
this paper in the fresh milk for a short time, and if it changes to a 
red color, the milk is acid and unfit for use. As a double test, 
should it be desired, it may be stated that good milk will change red 
litmus paper to blue. Boiled milk is not as easily digested as that 
which is unboiled. It is better, if the child likes it, to feed it on 
milk directly from the cow. 

Process of Weaning —When weaning is decided upon, 
the mother should gradually diminish the allowance of the breast 
and increase the supply of suitable kinds of food. Too sudden 
weaning increases the risk of local mischief, and of a general de¬ 
rangement of her health. In some cases it is a good expedient for 
the mother either to send the child away, or leave it at home and to 
go away herself for a few days. As soon as the weaning is com¬ 
menced, the mother should remain quiet for a little time, in order 
that the swollen breasts may not suffer from the motion of the arms 
or the pressure of the stays, and that the system may be free from 
excitement. She should take only light nourishment; refrain from 
food likely to induce thirst; drink as little as possible, and that of 
cold water; keep the breasts covered with some light, warm ma¬ 
terial, and avoid soups and other liquid kinds of food. 

Regularity of Feeding — Irregular and too freguent 
feeding of children kills thousands before they are two years old. 
Therefore, too much importance cannot be attached to this subject, 
and mothers should have regular hours at which to give their chil¬ 
dren food. 

Food After Weaning —Children, until they are three or 
four years of age, should eat chiefly bread and milk, and other light 
diet, with only the broths of meat. It is better, under all circum¬ 
stances, to discourage the use of meat, if the child is strong and 
healthy without it. Ho highly seasoned food should be allowed. It 
is not surprising, when we remember what they eat, that so many 
children die, or grow up weak dyspeptics. 

Dr. Ellis says : “ It is generally not well to give children meat 
until they are at least three or four years old; and, as a general 
rule, it is better during childhood and youth to discourage rather 
than encourage the inclination to eat meat, if the young person is 
strong and healthy without it. Children should never be allowed a 
great variety of food at the same meal, nor any which contains the 
least particle of pepper or any other spice or'condiment, except a 
moderate quantity of sugar or salt. Our cooks in this countrv are 
the most terrible enemies our children have to encounter, and when 
we look at the food of which the children of many thoughtless par¬ 
ents are permitted to eat, it is not surprising that so many die or 
grow up poor, puny men and women. They are often permitted to 


DISORDERS OF TEETHING, OR DENTITION. 


467 


live almost entirely on articles and substances which should never 
enter the stomach of a child.” 

Early Weaning’ —Nursing one’s own children may be ren¬ 
dered improper by particular circumstances; though, as a general 
rule, every mother should suckle her own child, and will do so, if 
she is able, unless she cares more for pleasure and fashion than for her 
offspring. 

However, should there be, in the mother, a strong predisposi¬ 
tion to consumption, she would do well, both for herself and child, 
to secure the services of a competent wet-nurse, or even to substi¬ 
tute the milk of the cow for the human breast. The same is true 
of scrofula, cancer, etc., and it is obvious the mother should not 
suckle in severe illness of any kind. 

The return of the menses, or monthly flow, during the period 
of nursing, does not render it necessary to wean the child as a gen¬ 
eral rule; and never so long as the milk agrees with it. The same 
is true if pregnancy should occur while the child is too young to wean, 
especially if the mother is strong and healthy; but it is not well, 
perhaps, to continue the nursing longer than the time required to 
obtain suitable food or secure a wet-nurse, after the commencement 
of pregnancy; though there is a difference of opinion among authors 
as to whether nursing should be discontinued after impreg¬ 
nation. ^ 


DISORDERS OF TEETHING, OR DENTITION. 

To enable our readers to recognize the disorders of teething (in 
itself a natural process), we shall briefly sketch the progress of 
healthy teething. There are two sets of teeth: the first, the milk- 
teeth, appears during the first two years of life, and falls out about 
the seventh or eighth year. As the first set falls out it is replaced by 
the permanent, which is not completed till adult life. 

The milk-teeth generally appear in the following order: About 
the sixth month the two middle incisors of the lower jaw, followed 
in a few weeks by the corresponding incisors of the upper jaw; 
next appear the two outside incisors of the lower jaw, and soon after 
those of the upper; after another interval of perhaps about two 
months, the first four molars; then the eye-teeth, and lastly four other 
molars, completing, by about the second year, the teeth of the first set. 
Should there be any little deviation from this order, or should den¬ 
tition be a little prolonged, no great importance need be attached to 
it. 

Causes —These are: Irregular feeding; excessive feeding; im¬ 
proper quality of food. Disordered teething often occurs with a 
change of diet from the mother’s milk to various articles which are 
unsuited to 'the age of the child. Other causes are: Keeping the 
head too hot; too little out-of-door air, etc. By such means, the 
nervous system is disturbed, the stomach is disordered, and restless- 



468 


DISORDERS OF TEETHING, OR DENTITION. 


ness, crying, colic and even convulsions follow. Inflammatory 
affections of the gums, or disproportion between the jaw and the 
number and form of the teeth, are also causes of suffering. Fre¬ 
quently these causes may be avoided and the sufferings of teething 
reduced very much, even in scrofulous constitutions. 

Not a few cases of disordered teething are referable to the 
mother. Worry, fits of anger, overheating, fatigue, etc., may so 
poison the blood of the mother that, unless the milk be first with¬ 
drawn and nursing suspended until physical and mental calm be 
restored, convulsions, fever, diarrhea or even sudden death may 
result. 

Symptoms —Cough, with wheezing breathing; restlessness, 
starting as if in fright, or interrupted sleep; sudden occurrence of 
febrile symptoms; hot, swollen or tender gums, and increased flow 
of saliva; various eruptions on the head or body; derangement of 
the digestive organs, as sickness, diarrhea or constipation; and 
sometimes spasms and convulsions. Diarrhea and other symptoms 
of indigestion are most frequent in the summer and autumn, and 
when, therefore, children are most exposed to sudden changes. 

To Regulate the Bowels of Teething Children— 

Take, of 

Turkey rhubarb.2 teaspoonfuls. 

Spearmint.2 “ 

Baking soda.1 “ 

Pulverize the rhubarb and the spearmint, and mix all to¬ 
gether. To a teaspoonful of this mixture, add one teacupful of 
boiling water; strain. Dose, one teaspoonful, night and morning. 
This is one of the best preparations in use, for regulating the bow¬ 
els of teething children, and has been the means of saving the lives 
of many infants. 

Lancing the Gums —Medical authors unite in the im¬ 
portance of the policy of lancing the gums in many cases of 
teething. If the teeth do not come through in two or three days 
after the operation, the lancing should be repeated. It can be per¬ 
formed with a sharp pen-knife, if a lancet is not at hand. 
Discontinue the injurious habit of allowing a child to bite on a hard 
substance while teething, or rubbing the gums with a hard 
substance, for it bruises and makes them very painful and sore. 
When the gum is ready for lancing, that is, when it presents a 
whitish appearance on the top and the point of the tooth is visible 
through the gum, take a piece of metal sufficient to cover the top of 
the tooth —the handle of a knife will do—and press upon the gum, 
causing the tooth underneath to cut through. Some recommend 
this in place of lancing. If your child is healthy, it is not often 
necessary to lance the gums during teething, and when it becomes 
so, it may be only for the larger teeth. A child may use rubber- 
rings to bite on, but recollect always to wash them clean, and then 
let them stand over night and soak in pure water. 





DECAY OF THE TEETH OF CHILDREN. 


469 


Accessory Treatment —Regularity in the times of feeding 
and sleep; correction of any habits in the mother which may affect 
the child unfavorably; restriction to suitable quantities of food at 
one time. Keeping the head cool and the feet warm, washing the 
child daily, using much friction with dry flannel, and allowing it to 
be much in the open air, tend to prevent determination of blood 
to the head. Purgatives are to be strictly avoided. Costiveness in 
children is generally due to errors in diet; if obstinate, or if worms 
are present, injections of water may be used. 

Beef-tea is often useful in disorders in children, especially af¬ 
ter weaning, when they have arrived at the age of twelve or eighteen 
months. It may be made in the following way: Put half a 
pound or a pound, according to the strength required, of rump 
steak, cut up into small pieces, into a covered enameled saucepan 
with one pint of cold water. Let this stand in a cold or cool place 
for four or five hours, and then by the side of a fire till the temper¬ 
ature shall approach, but not reach, the boiling point. It is then 
fit for use. The meat used should be freshly slain, and divested be¬ 
forehand of all fat or gristle; otherwise a greasy taste is given to 
the beef-tea which cannot be afterwards removed by skimming. In 
re-warming beef-tea which has been left to cool, care must be taken 
to warm it only up to the point at which it is to be served. On no 
account should it be allowed to boil. When children, from long 
use, become tired of it, it may be seasoned with some vegetable 
product—celery or celery-seeds, which should be strained off before 
using, when, possessing an entirely new flavor, it will generally be 
taken with zest. 


DECAY OF THE TEETH OF CHILDREN. 

The function of the teeth is so important that it is impos¬ 
sible to over-estimate the necessity of exercising due care in 
their management during the whole period of childhood. A good 
set of teeth is one of the best guarantees a child can possess of good 
digestion and prolonged health; and this blessing it is generally 
possible to attain by the exercise of early care. A large proportion 
of the patients who come under our observation, including persons 
of all ao-es, suffer from a more or less deteriorated state of the teeth 
and gums. 

Causes —The early decay of the teeth is due, in a great 
measure to preventable causes, the chief of which are the follow¬ 
ing: 

In some children the jaw T s are so small or irregular that there 
is not sufficient room for proper development. The consequence is 
that they overlap, and, pressing against each other, damage the 
enamel. " Moreover, in this condition there is greater probability 
than in a normal condition that particles of food will be retained in 
the mouth, producing decayed teeth. 



470 


DECAY OF T1IE TEETH OF CHILDREN. 


Insufficient use of the teeth is consequent on the kind of food 
taken, and on its preparation. The prevalent use of sops and of 
soft, new bread is productive of much evil. Nothing is more suit¬ 
able for a child, with the incisors or front teeth cut, than a crust of 
stale bread, or a bone, on which to exercise and harden the teeth 
and gums. The result of insufficient use of the teeth is that the 
jaws are imperfectly developed, the gums become soft and spongy, 
the teeth grow irregularly, are easily loosened and drop out. For it 
is with the teeth as with all other organs and functions of the body, 
the less they are employed for the purposes to which they are 
assigned, the more rapidly they become enfeebled and degenerate. 
Resistance gives strength. The resistance of tough food affords that 
healthy pressure which promotes circulation in the blood-vessels, 
gives fixedness to the teeth, and necessitates the formation of that 
hard texture which wears well even when the enamel is gone. 

Whatever enfeebles the general system enfeebles every part of 
it. If the standard of health be lowered by disregard of hygienic 
measures, or in any other manner, the teeth will suffer; they will 
decay for want of sufficient nutrition. 

Preventive Treatment —This may be inferred from the 
causes already mentioned. To prevent the crowding of the teeth, an 
experienced and skillful dentist should be consulted, who will re¬ 
move superflous teeth, selecting for extraction any that may be 
hopelessly decayed, or those which are most liable to early degen¬ 
eracy, viz.: the first permanent molars (double teeth). We have 
repeatedly advised this course, with the most satisfactory results. 
Personal appearance has been improved by the greater regularity of 
teeth, for the vacancies occasioned by removals have been quickly 
filled by the adjustment of the teeth to the vacant spaces. To pre¬ 
vent deterioration, we recommend a return to the primitive custom 
of eating whole-meal bread. It gives the healthy stimulus which 
the teeth and gums require; it is more nutritious to the system, 
and it supplies in considerable quantity the silica and phosphates 
from which enamel and dentine are formed. We also advise parents 
to allow their children the vulgar gratification of nibbling a bone 
now and then. Sweets should only be allowed in moderation, for 
they injure the teeth; not, as is usually supposed, by direct chemical 
action, but by disturbing digestion and vitiating the secretions of 
the mouth. Very acid fruit acts both directly and indirectly upon 
the substance of the teeth; strong acids and some of the preparations 
of iron and hot drinks are also prejudicial. Cleanliness is essential to 
the prevention of decay. The bristles of the tooth-brush should be 
moderately soft and not too thickly set, and used at least once a day. 
Not only animal food, but particles of white bread originate degen¬ 
erative changes, and should be removed. Tooth-powder is unnec¬ 
essary except after the teeth have been neglected; it may then be 
required for a short time to remove carious incrustation. In any 
case the tooth-powder should not be harsh or medicated. Such as 


DECAY OF THE TEETH OF CHILDREN. 


471 


feels rough and gritty when rubbed between the thumb and finger 
should not he used, as it will scratch and injure the enamel. Brush¬ 
ing with simple water should be commenced directly the teeth ap¬ 
pear, and nothing else is necessary in the case of children. 


DIVISION EIGHTH 


THE SICK-ROOM. 


NURSING THE SICK. 


The services of an intelligent, experienced nurse form a part of 
the treatment of the sick quite as essential as the administration of 
medicine. To aid her to some extent in the performance of this 
duty, the following general hints are offered : Particular instruc¬ 
tions suited to various diseased conditions are given, when needful, 
throughout the book, under “Accessory Treatment.” Special di¬ 
rections concerning infectious fevers are given in the section on 
“ Typhoid Fever.” In serious and difficult cases the medical attend¬ 
ant alone can furnish instructions adapted to the peculiarity of 
each case, and it is the nurse’s duty faithfully to carry out his direc¬ 
tions and to report to him at each visit the effects of the treatment. 

The following points should be kept in view: The apartment 
should be airy. A spacious, well-ventilated room, allowing an un¬ 
interrupted admission of fresh and the free escape of tainted air, is 
a valuable element in the management of the sick. Fresh air can 
only be insured by an open window or door, or both. 

In ventilating a sick-room, you should be careful as to the 
source of the air which you let in. Never air a room from another 
room that has been closed up tight for days previously, nor from a 
hall which is itself seldom properly aired. The air which you let 
into the room should not come from a filthy locality, nor from a 
kitchen, nor underground or basement room. A fireplace or grate 
in a room is greatly to be preferred to a stove, and the fireplace should 
never be closed. Some people, as soon as the season for having 
fires is over, close up the fireplaces of the rooms where a fire is not 
necessary. This is bad; a fireplace should never be shut up; it 
serves, when open, whether with or without fire, as a most impor¬ 
tant ventilator, an escapement or draught through which the air 
may constantly change. By opening a window a little, say at the 
top, or if this cannot be done, by taking out one of the upper 
lights, and making a brisk fire in an open fireplace, a fine draught 
and plentiful supply of fresh air can be obtained and the room kept 
properly ventilated. And this should always be done, except in 





NURSING THE SICK. 


473 


the most extreme hot weather. You need have no fear of the pa¬ 
tient taking cold under such circumstances. Of course, the patient 
is to be in bed and well supplied with the necessary covering; you 
will find that patients do not take cold while in bed, and it is 
better even to make use of artificial heat, by applying about the 
patient’s feet, legs and body warm bricks or bottles of hot water, 
than to close the room and permit the patient to breathe impure air. 
When patients first get out of a warm bed is the time they are most 
likely to take cold. Great care, then, should be exercised in keep¬ 
ing them warmly wrapped. Cleanliness of the skin and clothing, 
pure air for breathing and proper food, are the chief essentials for 
the sick. 1 et how few are thus properly cared for; and, not infre¬ 
quently, the result is the death of the patient, when to an inscrut¬ 
able Providence, improper remedies or an incompetent physician, is 
attached the blame which should rest upon an ignorant or negligent 
nurse. 

Another extraordinary fallacy is the dread of night-air. What 
air can we breathe at night, but night-air? The choice is between 
pure night-air from without and foul night-air within. Most 
people prefer the latter—an unaccountable choice. What will 
they say if it is proved to be true that fully one-lialf of all the disease 
we suffer from is occasioned by people sleeping with their windows 
shut ? An open window most nights in the year can never hurt any 
one. In great cities night-air is often the best and purest air to be 
had in the twenty-four hours. 

During infectious diseases, besides diluting the poison with an 
abundance of atmospheric air, dilute carbolic acid, especially pre¬ 
pared for use in the sick-room, may be used as an efficient and 
agreeable disinfectant. The same solution should be frequently 
sprinkled about the floors, bedclothes, handkerchief, etc., and be dif¬ 
fused through the room by a spray-producer. It acts quickly as an 
efficient disinfectant. It may also be used for personal disinfection 
—a point often but indifferently carried out—by adding it to the 
water in which the patient is washed, and is a valuable substitute 
for aromatic vinegar. It also makes an excellent gargle for sweet¬ 
ening the breath of fever-patients. It is also useful to visitors of 
the sick, to prevent the risk from infectious diseases; for this pur¬ 
pose a few drops should be sprinkled on the handkerchief before 
entering the sick-room. Perfumed carbolic acid, which may be pro¬ 
cured already prepared for use, will be found much more agreeable 
than ordinary preparations of the pure acid. 

To the same end the room should be divested of all superfluous 
furniture, carpets, bed-hangings, etc. 

The room should be provided with a second bed or convenient 
couch to which the patient should, if possible, be removed for a 
short time, at least once in the twenty-four hours. This insures a 
change of atmosphere around the patient’s body, and at the same 
time allows the bed to be aired. 


474 


NURSING THE SICK. 


The sick room should be quiet. Silk dresses and creaky boots, 
the crackling noise made by handling a newspaper, etc., often dis¬ 
tress invalids; the tones of the voice should be gentle and subdued, 
but whispering is to be avoided; all unnecessary conversation and 
noise must be forbidden. 

The temperature of the room should be ascertained by a ther¬ 
mometer, as the sensations of the nurse cannot be depended upon 
as a sufficient guide; a thermometer, suspended beyond the influ¬ 
ence of a current of air or the direct heat of the fire, will correctly 
indicate the temperature of the room. The temperature may be* 
varied according to the nature of the disease from which the patient 
suffers. In fevers, inflammation of the brain, etc., about 55° will 
be the proper warmth; in inflammation of the lungs and bronchitis, 
a higher temperature is necessary—60° and upwards. In all in¬ 
flammatory affections of the chest the air should be warm and also 
moist, so as not to irritate the inflamed lining of the air-tubes. 
Cold air and too many bed-clothes are sure to increase the mischief. 
Under all circumstances it must be . remembered that the tempera¬ 
ture considered necessary is on no account to be maintained by ex¬ 
cluding fresh air from the room, and making the patient breathe, 
over and over again, the air which has already been made im¬ 
pure. 

Patients suffering from infectious diseases should be isolated, 
if possible, and occupy a room on an upper stoiy, to prevent the 
spread of the infection to others; for infectious exhalations, being 
lighter than air, ascend. Mothers, who frequently go in and out 
of the room, might keep a loose cotton-gown ready to put on over 
their other dress whenever they enter it before waiting on the 
infected patient, and to be taken off again and left in the room when 
leaving. 

In most cases of illness, especially at the commencement, cold 
water, barley-water, gum-water, raspberry-vinegar and water, apple- 
water, toast and water, lemonade and soda-water, all demulcent bev¬ 
erages, are nearly all that are necessary. There is sometimes a 
foolish objection raised to allowing cold water to be given to a 
patient; but it is not only most refreshing to the sick person, but 
also an agent of supreme importance, lowering excessive heat, 
giving vigor to the relaxed capillaries and accelerating favorable 
changes. The quantity of cold water given at a time should be small 
—one to two tablespooiifuls—and repeated as often as desired. 
Sucking ice is useful and grateful. 

Food not to be Kept in the Sick-room —Miss Night¬ 
ingale’s suggestion on this point is worth repetition here. It is 
this; do not keep the food, drink or delicacies intended for the 
patient, in the sick-room or within his sight. The air and tempera¬ 
ture of the apartment are liable to hasten putrefactive decomposi¬ 
tion, especially in hot weather, and the continuous sight of them 
to cause disgust. Rather take up for him, at the fitting time, and 


NURSING THE SICK. 


475 


by way of surprise, two or three teaspoonfuls of jelly, or as many 
fresh grapes as he may consume at once, or the segment of an 
orange; or, if it be appropriate to his condition, a small cup of 
beef-tea, covered with one or two narrow slips of toasted bread, 
just from the fire. This is very much preferable to offering even 
a less quantity from a basinful that has been kept for many hours 
within reach of the patient’s hand and eye. 

Information upon Moderation in Convalescence, Change of 
Air on Recovery from Illness , etc., may be found in the section 
on “ Typhoid Fever. ” 

Bathing —The nurse, before commencing to bathe the patient, 
should provide herself with water, two towels, a sponge, a piece of 
soft flannel and a sheet; the temperature of the room should also 
be observed. Use cold or warm water as may be more agreeable to 
the patient’s feelings. Before using the sponge to bathe, a sheet or 
fold of cloth should be spread smoothly over the bed and under the 
patient, to prevent the bed-linen on which the patient lies from be¬ 
coming damp or wet. 

Apply the wet sponge to one part of the body at a time, as the 
arm for instance. By doing so, liability to contracting chills is 
diminished. Take a dry, soft towel, wipe the bathed part, and fol¬ 
low this by vigorous rubbing with a crash towel, or, what is better, 
a mitten made of this material; then use briskly a piece of soft 
flannel, to remove all moisture that may exist on the skin, and par¬ 
ticularly between the fingers and the flexions of the joints. In this 
manner bathe the entire body. 

The sick should be thoroughly bathed at least once in twenty, 
four hours. Particular attention should be given to the parts be¬ 
tween the fingers and toes, and about the flexions of the joints, as 
the accumulation of the excretions is most abundant on these parts. 
In bathing, these portions of the system are very generally neg¬ 
lected. The best time for bathing is when the patient feels most 
vigorous and freest from exhaustion. The practice of daubing the 
face and hands with a towel dipped in hot rum, camphor or vinegar, 
does not remove the impurities, but causes the skin soon to feel dry, 
hard and uncomfortable. 

Food—It is the duty of every woman to know how to make 
the simple preparations adapted to a low diet, in the most whole¬ 
some and the most palatable way. Water-gruel, which is the 
simplest of all preparations, is frequently so ill-made as to cause 
the patient to loathe it. Always prepare the food for the sick in 
the neatest and most careful manner. 

When the physician enjoins abstinence from food, the nurse 
should strictly obey the injunction. She should be as particular to 
know the physician’s directions about diet, as in knowing how and 
when to give the prescribed medicines, and obey them as implicitly. 

When a patient is convalescent, the desire for food is generally 
strong and it often requires firmness and patience, together with 

to ^ 


476 


NURSING THE SICK. 


great care on the part of the nurse, that the food be prepared suit¬ 
ably, and given at proper time. The physician should direct how 
frequently it should be taken. 

Bed-linen, as well as that of the body, should be aired every 
day, and oftener changed in sickness than in health. All clothing, 
when changed, should be well dried and warmed by a tire previous 
to its being put on the patient or the bed. 

Darkening* the Sick-room —It is a common error to im¬ 
agine that a sick-room should always be either partially or wholly 
darkened. In some diseases, as for example fevers, when the eyes 
are acutely sensitive to light so that they remain half-closed, and 
the eyebrows are contracted, the greatest relief is experienced from 
darkening the room. When delirium is present, a certain degree of 
darkening is, in some instances serviceable; while in others, espec¬ 
ially when the delirium is accompanied with visual illusions, noth¬ 
ing so readily dispels these, and consequently abates the delirium, 
as the admission of the full daylight into the sick-room. There 
is much difficulty, however, in determining which state of the 
apartment is likely to be most serviceable in any particular case. 
Observation of the effects of light and darkness in the individual 
case must be our guide. 

Beds —There is probably more injury done to the sick and 
more lives lost through the ignorance of the nurse in regard to the 
bed and bedding than in any other thing. To say the least, the 
condition of many beds is an outrage to the suffering patient. The 
careful nurse is very particular about airing the sheets every day, 
but too little attention is generally paid to the equal necessity for 
airing the mattress. A mattress will soon become saturated with 
the unhealthy, poisonous emanations from the patient’s body; from 
this arises a dampness, either cold or warm, as the case may be, 
which returns upon the patient, to be inhaled and absorbed into the 
system, and this unhealthy process, in case of this neglect, is kept 
up during the whole course of his sickness. 

A patient should not be allowed to lie on the same mattress 
more than forty-eight hours at a time; twenty-four hours is better. 
It should then be exchanged for a well-aired one, and subjected 
to a thorough airing and sunning; by no means let it be slipped 
underneath another on the same bed, as is sometimes done. 

The frequent changing and airing of the mattress is of vastly 
greater importance than the same necessity with the sheets, for the 
reason that it will catch and contain vastly more poisonous effiu- 
via than sheets will, and will give it off again, to the great injury 
of the patient. The exhalations from the patient’s body are constantly 
passing off by perspiration, and gradually and constantlv passing 
into his bed. * 18 

It may be worth while to remark, that where there is any dan¬ 
ger of bed-sores, a blanket should never be placed under the patient. 
It remains damp and acts like a poultice. 


NURSING THE SICK. 


477 


Never use anything but light Whitney-blankets, as bed-cover¬ 
ing for the sick. The heavy, cotton, impervious counterpane is bad, 
for the very reason that it keeps in the emanations from the sick 
person, while the blanket allows them to pass through. Weak 
patients are invariably distressed by a great weight of bed-clothes, 
which often prevents their getting any sound sleep whatever. 

Never place a patient on such a detestable thing as & feather¬ 
bed. Mattresses should be used for this purpose, and ^those made 
of hair are the best. 

As regards pillows, it must be borne in mind that every weak 
patient, be his illness what it may, suffers more or less from diffi¬ 
culty in breathing. To take the weight of the body off the poor 
chest, which is hardly up to its work as it is, ought therefore to be 
the object of the nurse in arranging his pillows. Now what does 
the uninstructed nurse do, and what are the consequences? She 
piles the pillows, one a-top of the other, like a wall of bricks. The 
head is thrown upon the chest, and the shoulders are pushed for¬ 
ward so as not to allow the lungs room to expand. The pillows, in 
fact, lean upon the patient, not the patient upon the pillows. 

Beds for the sick, as well as for those in health, should not be 
too low; neither should they be at the other extreme—that is, too 
high. The height to the top of the upper mattress should not 
exceed eighteen inches or two feet. 

If the patient is too high, especially if the ceiling is low, he 
will be above the current of fresh air and in' that which is heated 
and impure. Care should be had also not to have the bed too low, 
or the patient will be in the cold, damp and equally unhealthy air 
which settles near the floor of the room. The best criterion is to 
have the position of the patient as nearly as possible on a level with 
the top of the fireplace, as lie will then be in a current of the best 
air in the room. 

The bed should never be placed against the wall, nor in the 
corner of the room, the reasons of which will appear to every intelli¬ 
gent nurse. If possible, it should be in the lightest part of the 
room and where the patient can look out of the window. 

If possible, the bed should be made night and morning. And 
sometimes during the day and night the bed-clothes should be 
raised up from the body and let fall again, so as to drive out the 
confined air; or they should be thrown back towards the feet, to 
allow a full airing. If possible, the head of the bed should be 
placed towards the north. 

Proper Time and Punctuality in Giving Food— 

Punctuality in giving food is of the utmost importance. With 
very weak patients, life itself may hang upon a few minutes. A 
spoonful of nourishment, given at the right time, may turn the 
scale and save the patient’s life; whereas, if it had been delayed 
fifteen minutes longer, it might have been too late. Where patients 
are very weak and can take but little nourishment at a time, it is of 


478 


NURSING- THE SICK. 


the utmost importance that it he given with scrupulous punctuality. 

In the case of a large majority of very weak patients it is quite 
impossible to take any solid food before 10 or 11a. m., nor then, if 
their strength is still further exhausted by fasting till that hour; for 
weak patients have generally feverish nights and in the morning dry 
mouths; and if they could eat with those dry mouths it would be 
the worse for them. A spoonful of beef-tea or arrow-root and wine, 
or of egg-flip every hour, will give them the requisite nourishment 
and prevent them from being too much exhausted to take, at a later 
hour, the solid food which is necessary for their recovery. Again, 
a nurse is ordered to give a patient a teacupful of some article of 
food every three hours. The patient’s stomach rejects it. If so, try 
a tablespoonful every hour; if this will not do, a teaspoonful every 
quarter of an hour. 

It should be better known that there are many lives lost for the 
want of proper care and ingenuity at these momentous times. 

Patients’ lives have been saved when thev were sinking for the 
want of food, by the simple question put to them by the doctor, 
“But is there no hour when you feel you could eat?” “ Oh, yes, I 
could always take something at — o’clock and — o’clock.” Patients 
very seldom, however, can tell this—it is for you to watch and find 
it out. 

A patient should, if possible, not see or smell either the food 
of others or a greater amount of food than he himself can consume 
at one time, or even hear food talked about or see it in the raw state. 

The above is applicable mainly to patients who are in a very 
feeble state of health from exhaustion through the want of nourish¬ 
ment. Hence in all these cases there are much judgment and dis¬ 
cretion to be exercised by the nurse. The general rule is, “ never 
urge a patient to eat; ” he will know better than you when he needs 
food. Also, as to what he should eat, he may know better than you. 
If he crave any particular thing the chances are that it will not 
hurt him. The diet should be light, nourishing and easy of diges¬ 
tion. But recollect that the patient does not need much food. This 
will apply to all cases of acute disease. In diseases of long stand¬ 
ing, where there is little or no fever, the rule will be somewhat 
different; a light diet may not be so necessary. In cases of recent 
attacks of fever or acute diseases of the bowels, food, especially ani¬ 
mal food, urged upon a patient simply because it is thought he 
ought to eat something, is likely to do more harm than for him to 
go without food for three days. Indeed, the abstinence from food 
for that time, or even longer, might be the best possible way to save 
the patient’s life. The best rule in all cases of recent or acute dis¬ 
eases is, never to give the patient food unless he desires it; and 
then to let him have what he wants or prefers , if you know it 
cannot hurt him. 

Moisture and Impurities Produced in the Room— 

There ought to be nothing in the room, besides the patient, that can 


NURSING THE SICK. 


479 


give off effluvia or moisture. The damp from towels, or any 
other article hung up to dry, goes into the air the patient is to 
breathe. One of the worst habits is that of leaving the chamber- 
vessel with its contents under the bed. A vessel for such purposes 
should never be left standing in the room for one moment with its 
contents—though it contain nothing but urine —without being well 
covered/ and if ever so well covered, it should he emptied immed¬ 
iately and well cleansed, lid and all. Day and night, make this an 
invariable rule in a sick-room. 

There should he no standing liquid of any description in a sick¬ 
room, not even the purest cold water; because the cold water causes 
the tainted atmosphere of the sick-room to settle on its surface and 
condense into oily drops, to drink which would be disgusting. If 
not drunk, the same particles are made gaseous by the warm air of 
the room, are evaporated, mingled with the air and breathed into 
the lungs. 

All medicines, bottles and vials, or anything else which reminds 
of medicine, should be kept out of sight, except at the moment of 
administering them. 

The use of a chamber-vessel without a lid should be abolished, 
whether among sick or well. You can easily convince yourself of 
the necessity of this absolute rule by taking one with a lid and ex¬ 
amining the underside of that lid. It will be found always covered, 
whenever the utensil is not empty, by condensed, offensive moisture. 
Where does that poisonous substance go when there is no lid? 

Earthenware, or if it can be conveniently procured, highly pol¬ 
ished and varnished wood, are the only materials fit for patients’ 
utensils. 

A slop-pail should never be brought into a sick-room or any 
other. It should be an invariable rule that the utensil should be 
carried directly to the water-closet, emptied there, rinsed there 
and brought back. • There should always be water and a cock 
in every water-closet for rinsing. But even if there is not, 
you must carry water there to rinse with. Says a physi¬ 
cian, “ I have actually seen, in the private sick-room, the utensils 
emptied into the foot-pan and put back unrinsed under the bed. 

I can hardly say which is more abominable—whether to do this or 
to rinse the utensil in the sick-room.” 

External Applications —The feet and legs should be ex¬ 
amined by the hand from time to time, and whenever a tendency to 
chilling iS discovered, hot bottles or warm flannels, with some warm 
drink, should be made use of until the temperature is restored. 
Patients are frequently lost in the latter stages of disease, from 
want of attention to such simple precautions. The nurse may be 
trusting to the patient’s diet, or to his medicine, which she is 
directed to give him, while the patient is all the while sinking 
from want of a little external warmth. Such cases happen even 
during the height of summer. This fatal chill is most apt to 


480 


NURSING THE SICK, 


occur toward early morning, at tlie period of the lowest tempera¬ 
ture of the twenty-four hours, and at the time when the effect of 
the preceding day’s diet is exhausted. 

Talking Business to a Sick Person— Always sit down 
when a sick person is talking business to you, show no signs of 
hurry and go away the moment the subject is ended. 

Always sit within the patient’s view, so that when you speak 
to him, he has not painfully to turn his head round in order to look 
at you. If you make this act a wearisome one on the part of the 
patient, you are doing him harm. So also if, by continuing to 
stand, you make him continuously raise his eyes to see you. Be 
as motionless as possible and never gesticulate in speaking to the 
sick. 

Mere visitors should not be allowed to remain in the sick¬ 
room more than five minutes, just long enough to allow a friendly 
greeting and the expression of a hope that soon all will be well 
again, with the communication of such intelligence as might make 
a pleasant impression on the mind. 

Sitting on the Bed of a Patient —Remember never to 
lean against, sit upon, or even touch the bed in which a patient 
lies. This is a painful annoyance. If you shake the chair upon 
which he sits, he has a point by which he can steady himself, in 
his feet. But on a bed or sofa, he is entirely at your mercy, 
and he feels through his whole system every jar you give him. 

Conversation and Noise —It is a matter of surprise that 
the friends of patients, and even many doctors, should exhibit so 
much thoughtlessness or lack of good sense, often resulting in 
unintentional cruelty, as to hold a long conversation in the room 
of the patient or in a passage adjoining it. If it is a whispered 
conversation in the same room, then it is absolutely cruel, for it is 
impossible that the patient’s attention should not be strained to 
hear. Walking on tip-toe, or doing anything in the room very 
slowly, is injurious for the same reasons. A firm, light, quick 
step, a steady, quick hand, with every act and look tempered with 
gentleness of disposition and kindness of heart, are qualities most 
desirable in the sick-room; not the slow T , lingering, shuffling foot, 
the timid, uncertain touch, the boisterous word or laugh, or the 
look of anxiety and despair. 

Variety and Change —The effect, in sickness, of beautiful 
objects, especially those of variety and brilliancy of color, is hardly 
at all appreciated ; yet they are actual means of recovery. But 
it should be a slow variety; for example, if you show a patient 
ten or twelve engravings successively, ten to one that he becomes 
cold and faint or feverish, or even sick; but hang one up opposite 
him, one on each successive day, or week, or month, and he will 
revel in the variety. 

Nurses vary their own objects, their own employments, many 
times a day; and yet, while nursing some bed-ridden sufferer, they 



NURSING THE SICK. 


481 


are liable to let him lie there staring at a dead wall without any 
change of object to enable him to vary his thoughts, and it never 
even occurs to them at least to move his bed so that he can look out 
of the window. No; the bed is to be always left in the darkest, dull¬ 
est, remotest part of the room. 

Oil Leaving the Sick Room —Always tell a patient, and 
tell him beforehand, when you are going out and when you will be 
back, whether it is for a day, an hour or ten minutes. If you go 
without his knowing it and he finds it out, he never will feel secure 
again that the things which depend upon you will be done when you 
are away, and in nine cases out of ten he will be right. If you go 
out without telling him when you will be back, he can take no meas¬ 
ures or precautions as to the things which concern you both, or 
which you do for him. You should be prompt to return at the ap¬ 
pointed time, and all will who are worthy of being called nurses. 

The nurse requires knowledge and practice to enable her to 
discharge aright her duty to the patient, quite as much as the 
physician and surgeon do to perform what is incumbent on them. 
Woman, from her constitution and habits, is the natural nurse of 
the sick; and in general no small portion of her time is spent 
ministering at the couch of disease and suffering. 

No girl should consider her education complete, who is not ac¬ 
quainted with the principles of the duties of a general nurse and a 
temporary watcher. 

Up to a few years ago, while we had medical schools and col¬ 
leges to educate physicians, there were but few institutions to edu¬ 
cate nurses in their equally responsible calling, but there are now 
training schools for nurses in all large cities, and every woman who 
chooses nnrsing as a profession, or a means of livelihood, should take 
a course of instruction at one of these schools. Where this educa¬ 
tion is absent, or in case of non-professional persons, the instructions 
here given should be carefully studied and put into practice in at¬ 
tendance upon the sick. The study of Hygiene, or the laws of 
health, should also be made a portion of the education of every girl. 

Quiet —The room of the patient should be kept free from noise. 
The family and friends of the sick should be guided by this rule, 
that no more persons may remain in the room of the sick than the 
welfare of the patient demands. It is the duty of the physician to 
direct when visitors can be admitted or excluded from the sick-room, 
and the nurse should see that these directions are enforced. 

It is the duty of the nurse to ascertain the normal habits of the 
patient as respects the period of eating and sleep when in health, 
that she may prepare the food and arrange the sick room in accord¬ 
ance with the practice of the patient. If the person who is sick is 
ignorant of the necessity of the removal of the waste products from 
the system, the nurse should invite attention to these functions at 
such periods as are in accordance with the previous habits of the 

patient. 

31 


482 


NURSING THE SICK. 


The deportment and remarks of the nurse to the patient 
should be tranquil and encouraging. The illness of a friend, or 
death of any person, should not be alluded to in the sick-room. No 
doubt or fear of the patient’s recovery, either by a look or by a 
word, should be expressed or intimated by the nurse, in the chamber 
of the sick. When such information is necessary to be communi¬ 
cated, it is the duty of the physician to impart it to the sick person. 

The nurse should not confine herself to the sick-room more 
than six hours at a time. She should eat her food regularly, sleep 
at regular periods, and take exercise daily in the open air. To do 
this, let her quietly leave the room when the patient is sleeping. A 
watcher, or temporary nurse, may supply her place. There is but 
little danger of contracting disease if the nurse attend to the 
simple laws of health and remain not more than six hours at a 
time in the sick-room. 

Directions : » r Watchers —These necessary assistants, like 
the nurse, should aave knowledge and practice. They should 
ever be cheerful, kind, firm and attentive in the presence of the 
patient. 

A simple, nutritious supper should be eaten before entering 
the sick-room, and it is well, during the night, to take some plain 
food. 

When watching in cold weather, a person should be warmly 
dressed and furnished with an extra garment, as a cloak or shawl, 
because the system becomes exhausted towards morning and less 
heat is generated in the body. 

Light-colored clothing should be worn by those who have the 
care of the sick in preference to dark-colored apparel, particularly if 
the disease be of a contagious character. Experiments have shown 
that black and other colors will absorb more readily the subtile ef¬ 
fluvia that emanates from sick persons, than white or light colors. 

Whatever may be wanted during the night should be brought 
into the sick chamber or the adjoining room, before the family 
retire for sleep, in order that the slumbers of the patient be not 
disturbed by haste or searching for needed articles. 

The same general directions should be observed by watchers, 
as are given to the nurse; nor should the watcher deem it necessary 
to make herself acceptable to the patient by exhausting conversa¬ 
tion. 

It can hardly be expected that the farmer who has been labor¬ 
ing hard in the field, or the mechanic wdio has toiled during the 
day, is qualified to render all those little attentions that a sick per¬ 
son requires. Hence, would it not be more benevolent and 
economical to employ and pay watchers, who are qualified by 
knowledge and training, to perform this duty in a faithful manner, 
while the kindness and sympathy of friends may be practically 
manifested by assisting to defray the expenses of these qualified and 
useful assistants? 



NURSING THE SICK. 


483 


The Nurse —When all the arrangements are completed in 
the sick-room, little benefit can be anticipated if a proper nurse be 
not obtained to render them available to the invalid. Care should 
be taken to secure, if practicable, a nurse trained at some of the 
schools which are now available, and if a qualified professional 
nurse cannot be secured, a person in good health, active, of cheerful 
disposition, and pleasant, sympathetic temperament, should be 
chosen, who should be guided by the rules here given. 

The nurse should not be under twenty-five nor above fifty- 
five years of age. This period is fixed upon on account both of the 
physical powers and the moral conduct of the individual. Under 
twenty-five the strength of a woman has not reached its maturity, 
and is scarcely adequate for lifting patients in and out of bed, and 
for many other duties which require strength, connected with the 
office of a nurse; but the strength and the muscular power in 
females begin to fail after fifty-five, when the natural transition 
from maturity to decay takes place. 

A woman of a naturally delicate frame of body is unfit for a 
sick-nurse; at the same time, a coarse, heavy and masculine woman 
is, for many reasons, objectionable. While strength is requisite, 
the frame should be such as to indicate activity. 

None of the qualifications of a sick-nurse is more important 
than health. An individual who herself requires attention is ill- 
calculated to attend upon others. A woman who is asthmatic, or 
has any difficulty of breathing or an habitual cough; who is 
rheumatic or gouty, or has any spasmodic affections; who is 
afflicted with palpitation or suffers from periodical headache, vert¬ 
igo or a tendency to paralysis, or who is consumptive or scrofulous, 
or has defective sight or hearing or anything which causes 
decrepitude, is disqualified for a sick nurse. It is important, also, 
to ascertain that the nurse is not hysterical nor predisposed to men¬ 
tal depression. 

An attendant upon the sick should possess a happy, cheerful, 
equal flow of spirits, a temper not easily ruffled and kind and sym¬ 
pathetic feelings; but, at the same time, not such as to interfere 
with firmness of character. The expression of the countenance 
should be open and winning, so as to attract the good will and con¬ 
fidence of the invalid; a pleasing and gentle manner being more 
likely to gain esteem and insure obedience to the orders of the 
physician than the most persuasive arguments which can be ad¬ 
dressed to the understanding of the patient. 

A collected, cheerful expression of the countenance in the 
attendant on the sick is likely to inspire hope and to aid the efforts 
of the physician for the recovery of his patient 

The general disposition of a sick nurse should be obliging. 
Every little office which the invalid may require to be done should 
be performed at once and without the smallest apparent reluctance, 
even when the necessity for its immediate performance is not 


484 


NURSING THE SICK. 


absolute. There is also an earnestness of manner which should, if 
possible, be acquired or acquiesced in by the sick-nurse, as it 
impresses the idea that she feels deeply interested in the case, a 
circumstance which is always highly appreciated by the patient. 

It ought to be unnecessary to say that a nurse should be 
honest, as no description of servant has so much in her power. But 
the honesty of the nurse is not to be measured by her respect for 
property; she must be above imposing on the physician, with 
respect either to medicines or to diet. In her habits she should be 
sober, active, orderly, and clean and neat in her person. 

It may appear a refinement to talk of the education of a nurse, 
but there is not a greater difference between noon-day and midnight 
than between an educated and an ignorant nurse. The former is 
often an aid to the physician, not only in carrying his orders into 
effect, but by observing and informing him of symptoms of great 
importance which have occurred during his absence; whereas the 
latter is a source of constant anxiety and too often assumes the 
]3rivilege of acting in direct contradiction to his orders, and accord¬ 
ing to her own opinion. 

To prevent Infection —In every case of infectious disease, 
the attendants, even in the best ventilated rooms, should stand on 
the windward, or on that side of the sick-bed from which the 
current of air comes, as by neglect of this rule and by standing in 
the current which has passed over the patient, the infectious exha¬ 
lations are blown upon them in a direct stream from the body of 
the patient. The attendants should never lean over the sick, nor 
should they receive their breath. The health also of the nurses 
should always be supported by nutritious and generous diet, but not 
by brandy or any other ardent spirit. 

Light —Patients should be able, without raising themselves or 
turning in bed, to look out of the window from their beds. To see 
the sky and sunlight at least, if you can show them nothing else, 
is held to be, if not of the very first importance for recovery, at 
least something very near it, and you should look to the position of 
the beds of your sick, as one of the first essentials. Again, the 
morning sun and the mid-day sun—the hours when they are quite 
certain not to be up—are of more importance to them, if a choice 
must be made, than the afternoon sun. But the best rule is, if 
possible, to give them direct sunlight from dawn to sunset. 

A great difference between the bed-room and the sick-room is 
that the sleeper has a very large supply of fresh air to draw upon 
when he begins the night, if his room has been open all day as it 
ought to be. 

Cleanliness —Prof. Scudder of Cincinnati, makes the follow¬ 
ing* observations on this subject: “Compare the dirtiness of the 
water in which you have washed when it is cold without soap, cold 
with soap, hot with soap. You find the first has hardly removed 
any dirt at all, the second a little more, the third a great deal more. 


NURSING THE SICK. 


485 


But hold your hand over a cup of hot water for a minute or two and 
then, by merely rubbing with the linger, you will bring off flakes 
of dirt or dirty skin. After a vapor bath you may peel your whole 
self clean in this way. What I mean is, that by simply washing or 
sponging with water you do not really cleanse your skin. Take a 
rough towel, dip one corner in very hot water (if a little spirit be 
added it will be more effectual), and then rub as if you were rubbing 
the towel into your skin with your fingers. The black flakes which 
will come off will convince you that you were not clean before, 
however much soap and water you may have used. These flakes 
are what require removing. And you can really keep yourself 
cleaner with a tumbler of hot water and a rough towel and rubbing, 
than with a whole apparatus of bath and soap and sponge without 
rubbing. It is nonsense to say that anybody need be dirty. Pa¬ 
tients have been kept as clean by these means on a long voyage, 
when a basinful of water could not be afforded and when they could 
not be moved out of their berths, as if all the appurtenances of 
home had been at hand. 

“Washing, however, with a large quantity of water, has quite 
other effects than those of mere cleanliness. The skin absorbs the 
water and becomes softer and more perspirable. To wash with 
soap and soft water is, therefore, desirable from other points of 
view than that of cleanliness.” 

There are some common errors prevalent among those who 
have the care of the sick, in reference to diet, a few of which we 
shall mention. 

One is the belief that beef-tea is the most nutritive of all ar¬ 
ticles. Now, boil a pound of beef into beef-tea; evaporate your 
beef tea, and see what is left of your beef. You will find that there 
is barely a teaspoonful of solid nourishment to half a pint of water 
in beef-tea; and although there is a certain nutritive quality in it, 
yet there is little to be depended upon with the healthy or convales¬ 
cent, where much nourishment is required. Again, it is an ever- 
ready saw that an egg is equivalent to a pound of meat, whereas it 
is not at all so; while moreover it is seldom noticed with how many 
patients, particularly of nervous or bilious temperament, eggs dis¬ 
agree. All puddings made with eggs are distasteful to them in 
consequence. An egg whipped up with wine is often the only form 
in which they can take this kind of nourishment. Arrow-root is 
another grand dependence of the nurse. As a vehicle for wine, and 
as a restorative quickly prepared, it is all very well; but it is nothing 
but starch and water. Flour is both more nutritive and less liable 
to ferment and is preferable wherever it can be used. 

Again, milk and the preparations from milk are a most 
important article for the sick. Butter is the lightest kind of animal 
fat, and though it lacks the sugar and some of the other elements 
which are in milk, yet it is most valuable both in itself and in en¬ 
abling the patient to eat more bread. Flour, oats, barley and their kind 


486 


NURSING THE SICK. 


are preferable to all the preparations of arrow-root, sago, tapioca 
and food of that class. Cream, in many long, chronic diseases, is 
quite unsurpassed by any other article whatever. It seems to act 
in the same manner as beef-tea and to most it is much easier of 
digestion than milk. In fact, it seldom disagrees. 

Sour milk, however, should be used with caution, as there are 
some diseases in wdiich it is injurious. Buttermilk, a totally 
different thing, is often very useful, especially in fevers. 

In laying down the rules of diet, by the amounts of solid 
nutriment in different kinds of food, it is a constant error to lose 
sight of what the patient requires to repair his waste; what he can 
take, and what he cannot. The nurse’s observation here will mater¬ 
ially assist the doctor; the patient’s fancies will materially assist 
the nurse. 

“ In the diseases produced by bad food, such as dysentery and 
diarrhea in cases of scurvy, the patient’s stomach often craves for 
and digests things some of which would be laid down in no dietary 
that ever was invented for sick, and especially not for such sick. 
These are fruit, pickles, jam, gingerbread, fat of ham or bacon, suet, 
cheese, butter, milk. These cases I have seen not by ones, nor by 
tens, but by hundreds; and the patient’s stomach was right and the 
book was wrong. The articles craved for, in these cases, might 
have been principally arranged under the two heads of fat and 
vegetable acids. 

“ There is often a marked difference between men and women 
in this matter of sick feeding. Women’s digestion is generally 
slower.”— Dr. Gunn. 

Jelly is another article of diet in great favor with nurses and 
friends of the sick; but it is now known that jelly does not nourish— 
that it has a tendency to produce diarrhea, and to trust to it to repair 
the w T aste of a diseased constitution is simply to starve the sick 
under the guise of feeding them. If one hundred spoonfuls of jelly 
were given in the course of the day, you would have given one 
spoonful of gelatine, which spoonful has no nutritive power what¬ 
ever. 

And, nevertheless, gelatine contains a large quantity of nitro¬ 
gen, which is one of the most powerful elements in nutrition; on the 
other hand beef-tea may be chosen as an illustration of great nutri¬ 
tious power in sickness coexisting with a very small amount of 
solid nitrogenous matter. 

Dr. Christison says that “ every one will be struck with the 
readiness with which ” certain classes of “ patients will often take 
diluted meat juice or beef-tea repeatedly, when they refuse all other 
kinds of food.” This is particularly remarkable in “ cases of gas¬ 
tric-fever, in which,” he says, “ little or nothing else besides beef- 
tea or diluted meat-juice ” has been taken for weeks, or even months; 
“ and yet a pint of beef-tea contains scarcely one-fourth ounce of 
anything but water.” The result is so striking that he asks what is 


NURSING THE SICK. 


487 


its mode of action? “ Not simply nutrient—one-fourth ounce of 
the most nutritive material cannot nearly replace the daily wear and 
tear of the tissues in any circumstances. Possibly,” he- says, u it 
belongs to a new denomination of remedies.” 

“ It has been observed that a small quantity of beef-tea, added 
to other articles of nutrition, augments their power out of all pro¬ 
portion to the additional amount of solid matter. 

u The reason why jelly should be innutritions, and beef-tea 
nutritious to the sick, is a secret yet undiscovered, but it clearly 
shows that careful observation of the sick is the only clue to the best 
dietary. 

“ Chemistry has, as yet, afforded little insight into the dieting 
of the sick; all that chemistry can tell us is the amount of carbon¬ 
iferous and nitrogenous elements discovered in different dietetic- 
articles. It has given us lists of dietetic substances, arranged in the 
order of their richness in one or other of these principles; but that 
is all. In the great majority of cases the stomach, of the patient is 
guided by other principles of selection than merely the amount of 
carbon or nitrogen in the diet. Ho doubt in this, as in other things, 
nature has very definite rules for her guidance, but these rules can 
only be ascertained by the most careful observation at the bedside. 
She there teaches us that living chemistry, the chemistry of repara¬ 
tion, is something different from the chemistry of the laboratory. 
Organic chemistry is useful, as all knowledge is, when we come face 
to face with nature; but it by no means follows that we should learn 
in the laboratory any one of the reparative processes going on in 
disease. 

“ Again, the nutritive power of milk and of the preparations 
from milk is very much undervalued; there is nearly as much 
nourishment in half a pint of milk as there is in a quarter of a 
pound of meat. But this is not the whole question or nearly the 
whole. The main question is, what the patient’s stomach can 
assimilate or derive nourishment from, and of this the patient’s 
stomach is the sole judge. The diet which will keep the healthy 
man healthy, will kill the sick one. The same beef, which is the 
most nutritive of all meat, and which nourishes the healthy man, is 
the least nourishing of all food to the sick man, whose half-dead 
stomach can assimilate no part of it, that is, make no food out of 
it. On a diet of beef-tea, healthy men on the other hand speedily 
lose their strength. 

“ I have known patients live for many months without touching 
bread, because they could not eat bakers’ bread. Home-made bread 
or brown bread is a most important article of diet for many patients. 
The use of laxatives may be entirely superseded by it. Oat-cake is 
another.”— Scudder. 

You should never give tea or coffee to the sick, as a rule, after 
five o’clock in the afternoon. Sleeplessness in the early night is 
from excitement generally, and is increased by tea or coffee; sleep- 


488 


NURSING THE SICK. 


lessness which continues to the early morning, is from exhaustion 
often and is relieved by tea. In general, the dry and dirty tongue 
always prefers tea to coffee and will quite decline milk, unless with 
tea. Coffee is a better restorative than tea, but a greater impairer 
of the digestion. 

In making coffee, it is absolutely necessary to buy it in the 
berry and grind it at home, or see it ground. Otherwise you may 
reckon upon its containing a certain amount of chicory, at least. 
This is not a question of the taste or of the wholesomeness of 
chicory; it is that chicory has nothing at all of the properties for 
which you give coffee; and therefore you may as well not give it. 


DIVISION NINTH. 


FOOD IN HEALTH AND DISEASE. 


REGULATION OF DIET. 


Food is a subject of great interest to the healthy and the sick, 
which concerns not merely gratification of taste, or satisfaction of 
the appetite, but also the maintenance of life. In health, diet may 
be left very much to the inclination of the individual, both with 
respect to quality and quantity; since unless appetite be per¬ 
verted and depraved by rich sauces and high seasonings, it is on the 
whole the best guide. Judgment must, however, be exercised in 
respect to eating and drinking, or man soon degenerates into a mere 
animal. In disease, on the other hand, the appetite fails to guide, 
and intelligent judgment is more required in the selection of differ¬ 
ent articles of diet, because regulation of quantity and quality is of 
greater importance than in health. The taste of an invalid is in 
most cases so perverted that he may reject the most suitable article, 
and desire the most injurious. His appetite is too capricious to be 
trusted to regulate quantity. Hence the severity of the disease 
might be increased and the life of the patient imperiled, if taste 
and appetite were permitted to govern the selection of food, instead 
of intelligent knowledge of the properties of different foods, and 
judicious experience in their administration. There should be no 
exception to this rule except by way of experiment, when observa¬ 
tion may be carefully made of the effects of food craved by the 
patient, given in cautious quantities, when the results may betaken 
for guidance. 

In not a few disorders an acquaintance with dietetics is as es¬ 
sential to the proper treatment of the patient as a knowledge of 
drugs, for the action of medicine maybe counteracted by unsuitable 
diet? * It is of great importance to know what variations in food are 
permissible, for an invalid soon tires of the same food. Tea and 
toast may be palatable for a time, but “ What else may I eat? ” is 
soon the inquiry he ruefully puts. Experience shows too that there 
is considerable* ignorance of the best methods of preparing food 
suitable for the patient. In the present day it is deemed desirable 
to lav down for the guidance of mistresses and servants the princi¬ 
ples of cooking and to give public lessons in cookery. But these 
are for the food of the table, not for that of the sick-room. The 





490 


REGULATION OF DIET. 


latter requires more care in selection, more special attention in 
preparation, more delicacy in serving, than the former. For in¬ 
stance, how much good meat has been wasted, and how many pa¬ 
tients have been troubled, because cooks instead of making beef-tea 
made soup? 

Dietetic Rules Important —Good health can be main¬ 
tained, and when disturbed can be restored, only by the adoption of 
rules of diet which insure a due supply of healthy blood to the sys¬ 
tem. The waste constantly resulting from the common duties of 
life must be repaired, and if the quality of the blood be deteriorated 
in disease it must be improved. But the blood is what the food 
makes it. As the supply of food, then, is increased or decreased, or 
its quality altered, so the blood is affected and the health is main¬ 
tained or lowered. Hence the necessity for observing dietetic rules, 
as in consequence of their infraction many diseases arise. The 
badly cooked, poor food of the working classes is often innutritious 
and causes various disorders, the best cure for which is not medicine, 
but sufficient, suitable and properly prepared food. Any one who 
has been much among the poor, visitors who have tended the sick, 
practitioners who prescribe in dispensaries, know full well how im¬ 
portant a part sufficiency of appropriate diet plays in the condition 
of those to whom they minister. 

The digestibility of food and its subsequent assimilation 
depend as much upon the mode of its preparation as upon the con¬ 
dition of the person who eats it. If this be true of the healthy, it 
is much more true of the sick. Hot infrequently a change in the 
method in which food is cooked is the simple means whereby it may 
be rendered acceptable and easily digested by the individual who 
had previously suffered from taking it. Such change may afford 
marked relief in some functional bowel disorder. In chronic dis¬ 
eases of the digestive organs, in which the appetite remains 
unimpaired, or is inordinately increased, attention to dietetic regu¬ 
lations becomes of great importance, since in such cases there is 
considerable danger lest the boundaries of prudence should be 
overstepped, in yielding to the urgent claims of appetite, demanding 
excessive or unsuitable food. 

It is impossible to lay down regulations for the rational and 
methodical use of food in health and disease; for in this as in other 
matters, each case must be dealt with on its own merits. Sex, age, 
employment, condition of life, physical form, idiosvncrasies, circum- 
stances—all are elements in the solution of this problem, “What to 
eat and what to avoid.” The father must consider the wants of the 
family, the mother the special needs of a frail child, the physician 
the peculiar requirements of his patient, in making arrangements 
for suitable dieting; no precise hard and fast rules can be laid down. 
General principles alone can be enunciated, known scientific facts 
can be promulgated; well tried common experience can be recorded; 
then, out of the materials thus supplied, what is the most fitting for 


REGULATION OF DIET. 


491 


each case must be selected with intelligence and judgment. Even 
when a selection is thus made, it too frequently happens that in¬ 
structions are not observed. Ignorance, prejudice and carelessness 
prevent compliance with judicious advice. Nevertheless, health is 
maintained, and where impaired is often restored, in spite of these 
drawbacks. Ilobust health would be more common, recovery more 
rapid, and mortality much less, were dietetic rules universally 
observed. 

Violation of Instructions Wrong 1 —Neglect, or positive 
violation of instructions in this respect is unpardonable. The physi¬ 
cian prescribes certain food just as he prescribes certain medicine. 
But while the medicine may be honestly given, the food is withheld 
or other food substituted. The patient and the friends of the 
patient often deceive the physician with reference to diet and deem 
the original transgression and the subsequent deception trivial 
offences. The consequence is that the recovery of the patient is 
retarded and the physician and his treatment are disgraced. Infrac¬ 
tions of dietetic instructions are always occurring of which nothing 
is known unless aggravation of the disease be so marked as to lead 
to disclosure of the indiscretion. 

The impossibility of prescribing fixed regulations for diet is 
obvious, from the fact that some persons can take what others are 
obliged to reject. The saying, “ What is one man’s meat is another 
man’s poison,” contains much truth. Even when there is a similar 
derangement of the digestive organs some persons can eat with 
impunity what others must eschew. Some of the least digestible 
articles of food, such as fried fish, cabbage, cheese, fats, etc., may be 
eaten by some dyspeptics, while others cannot partake of them 
without suffering severely. 

In considering the kinds and proportions of food to be eaten, 
it should be remembered that even healthy persons do not always 
assimilate all the elements possible. Some escape digestion and 
pass out of the system with the waste, and allowance must be made 
for this. Food which requires some strength of digestive function 
may be thrown away upon an old person whose limited secretions 
cannot dissolve it and who may therefore be only insufficiently 
nourished, while the same food would be easily and advantageously 
assimilated by the young. On the other hand, easily digested diet 
suitable and sufficient for an old man might be unsuitable and in¬ 
sufficient for an active youth. The employments of life also 
necessitate variations in kind and quantity. Even appetite is not 
an infallible guide. Physical and mental labor, out-door and in ¬ 
door work, demand difference in diets. The nursing mother requires 
more food and of a different kind from that taken by the quiet 
housewife of sixty years of age. The patient suffering from chronic 
unhealthy discharges must meet that drain upon the system. 
Morbid conditions and functional derangements of different organs, 
though not amounting to an illness, or sufficient to keep a person 


492 


RELATION OF FOOD TO NUTRIMENT. 


from ordinary work, require consideration in regimen. The good 
cheer which includes considerable nitrogenous aliment, while pre¬ 
judicial to a gouty subject, is beneficial to a man who takes much 
exercise in the open air. The bread, which is “ the staff of life,” 
must be withheld from the diabetic. So that no dietetic rules can 
be laid down to suit all cases either in health or in sickness. 

Fixed Rules Impossible —When the body is in a feverish 
state, the mouth dry, the thirst great and the pulse accelerated, very 
little gastric juice is secreted. In such a case, it is obviously im¬ 
proper to take food which requires the solvent of the gastric juice 
for its digestion. It may contain the essence of nourishment, be the 
very best food cooked in the very best manner, but will prove utterly 
useless in the stomach, irritating to it and hence injurious. In the 
feverish state, beef-steak is very unsuitable diet, especially if dished 
up with onion-sauce and condiments, and washed down with beer. 
Since no nourishment can be derived from it, it should be avoided 
until the feverish symptoms have disappeared and the stomach has 
regained its tone, however palatable the steak may be, or however 
anxious friends may be to strengthen the patient. At the com¬ 
mencement of fever everything is loathed, but cold water. After 
a while the feverish symptoms abate, then toast or barley-water is 
agreeable; then luscious fruits are desired and relished, and subse¬ 
quently by degrees the patient is able to satisfy his natural appetite, 
convalescence becomes more rapid, and by and by beef-steak may 
once more be eaten. All this is dietetic regimen. 

In brief, the regulation of diet is of importance to both the 
healthy and the sick; but definite rules cannot be laid down by 
which the diet may be regulated; each one must judge for himself 
or must be guided by the judgment of others—a judgment which 
we hope may be intelligently formed and directed by a perusal of 
the following pages. 


RELATION OF FOOD TO NUTRIMENT. 

Food has been defined as a substance which, when introduced 
into the body, supplies material which renews some structure or 
maintains some vital process. Medicine modifies some vital action, 
but does not supply the material which sustains such action. A 
supply of suitable food is therefore essential during the medical 
treatment of disease; for medicine alone will not, and is not designed 
to, sustain life. Neither, on the other hand, will changes of food 
so modify vital action when it is disordered as to render the admin¬ 
istration of medicine superfluous. Nevertheless it must be allowed 
that diet does play an important part in promoting recovery from 
disease, and that some kinds of food do stimulate vital action in a 
degree far beyond the actual amount of nutritive material they 
supply. 



RELATION OF FOOD TO NUTRIMENT. 


493 


Elements of Food —Tlie body requires, for the mainten¬ 
ance of its existence, for its growth and for the performance of its 
functions, a variety of kinds and a variety of forms of food; but as 
its constituent elements are limited in number, the chemical com¬ 
position of the food need not include a great variety of factors. 
Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen exist in far larger quantity 
than any other elements; sulphur and phosphorus are also pres¬ 
ent; but other constituents exist in only exceedingly small quanti¬ 
ties. Food should, therefore, supply all these requirements in dif¬ 
ferent combinations, if the body is to be maintained in health. It 
is not, however, necessary that one kind of food should yield every 
kind of material required in the structure of the body, for then that 
one would be sufficient; but it is essential that it contain some of 
the material required, and it is also essential that by the combina¬ 
tion of different foods all the material required is supplied. Some 
foods are undoubtedly more valuable than others, either because 
they supply a large quantity of nutriment in a small compass or 
because it is in such a state that it can be easily assimilated. These 
are, of course, to be preferred when the functions of the body are 
deranged by disease. 

Food is required by the body for two chief purposes, viz.: To 
produce and maintain the various tissues while they are fulfilling 
their divers vital functions, and to generate heat, without which life 
would cease. That the maintenance of the tissues is of great im¬ 
portance is evident from the decay of life which is invariably as¬ 
sociated with the wasting of the tissues. That the generation of 
heat is essential is evident from the fact that, while waste of tissues 
may go on for a long period before death occurs, the removal or 
lessening of heat is soon followed by the termination of life. When 
the body is in a state of disease we have therefore to meet these two 
principal requirements—the maintenance of tissue and the main¬ 
tenance of heat. Now, in accordance with these requirements, there 
are foods which are assimilated by particular tissues and go to 
maintain them, called in general terms “flesh-formers;” others 
sustain the vital heat and are known as “lieat-formers;” others 
again both nourish tissue and supply heat. 

Animal and Vegetable Products —Food is derived from 
all natural sources—from earth, water and air; from solids, liquids 
and gases; from substances living and organic, or inanimate and 
inorganic. The food thus variously derived is converted, by the 
action of vital forces, into those compounds which the body can 
assimilate and change into a part of itself. But before it can be so 
assimilated in the human body, the greater part of it must become 
organic. Chemical elements uncombined are of no service as food. 
They must be built up into some living organism to be of service. 
Hence our food generally consists of animal and vegetable pro¬ 
ducts, the animal having been also previously derived from the veg¬ 
etable. Indeed, all our foods are primarily derived from the veget- 


494 


RELATION OF FOOD TO NUTRIMENT. 


able kingdom, for no animal has the physiological power of 
combining mineral elements so as to form them into food. But the 
vegetable assimilates inorganic materials under the influence of light, 
storing up in itself various elements, in different combinations, 
essential to the formation and nutriment of vegetable and animal 
structures. So, without taking much inorganic matter directly into 
the system, we obtain what is necessary through its presence in the 
organic. 

In popular language, what is taken into the system is termed 
“food” and “ drink;” the former including solid, the latter liquid 
matter. But, convenient as these designations may be, they do not 
accurately represent the facts of the case. Milk, for instance, is very 
rich in solids, while nine-tenths of the component parts of turnips con¬ 
sist of water. A better classification, therefore, is to arrange all food 
whether liquid or solid, into organic and inorganic portions—the 
organic comprising those elements which are combined and pro¬ 
duced only through the agency of some living structure, whether 
vegetable or animal, and the inorganic those which are derived 
directly from the mineral kingdom. Water and salt are inorganic. 

In view of their chemical composition, organic foods are 
generally classified as nitrogenous and non-nitrogenous. The nitrog¬ 
enous consist of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen, in differ¬ 
ent proportions, with generally the addition of sulphur and phos¬ 
phorus. The non-nitrogenous consist of only the first three 
ingredients. 

Nitrogenous Food —It will be observed that the presence 
or absence of nitrogen constitutes the chief difference between these 
classes; and as it enters very largely into the composition of the 
body, an abundant supply of it is essential. Some may suppose 
that, as this is an important constituent of the atmosphere—four- 
fifths of which are nitrogen,—it might be imbibed from the air; 
but it is not. It is derived from the food and must be introduced 
into the system in combination with other organic elements. 

Among nitrogenous foods the flesh or muscular tissue of ani¬ 
mals contains the elements which are required for forming flesh 
and generating heat. Hence life could be maintained for a consid¬ 
erable time on animal food alone. Bread, among vegetable foods, 
also contains nearly all the elements required for nutrition. 

Nitrogenous foods must all undergo the process of digestion 
before they can be assimilated and form part of the body. This 
process is really one of comminution and liquefaction. The food 
is reduced to a finely divided state by the action of the teeth, the 
muscles of the mouth and the saliva; when it reaches the stomach 
it is further disintegrated by the action of the gastric juice, with 
which it is brought into contact by the motion of this organ. 
Thence it passes out in a state of fluidity, as a very soluble and 
diffusible product called chyme, and easily transmitted to the blood¬ 
vessels. The food has now lost its characteristic properties, but 


RELATION OF FOOD TO NUTRIMENT. 


495 


how the change has been wrought it is not easy to determine. Should 
any portion of the food, however, pass from the stomach undis¬ 
solved, it is subjected to a supplementary digestive process in the 
bowel. The intestinal fluid and the pancreatic juice act as solvents; 
and the bile (though it does not appear to possess any solvent 
power) is incorporated with the food, which is now in a condition 
ready for absorption and for application to its proper use. Under 
meat-diet there is a more.copious secretion of gastric juice; under 
vegetable the saliva is more abundant; showing that there is pro¬ 
vision in the system for variation in the food, and that uniformity 
in food is immaterial. 

The primary use of nitrogenous food is to develop and renew 
the various tissues; its secondary use is to facilitate the absorption 
of non-nitrogenous food. Wherever there is life, nitrogenous 
food must be present to sustain it; non-nitrogenous food con¬ 
tributes to its support; without the former the latter would be use¬ 
less; the former being present, the latter is a very valuable auxiliary. 
Nitrogenous food is the main tissue-former, but it also to some 
extent produces force. Non-nitrogenous food produces force, but 
it also in some measure contributes to the formation of tissue. 
Indeed, the best materials for the production of working power as 
well as heat, are the non-nitrogenous principles; and of these the 
fats are more effective than others. 

Non-nitrogenous Food —Non-nitrogenous food comprises 
fats, starch and sugar, alcohol and vegetable acids. 

Fat is found in both animal and vegetable products. It under¬ 
goes little change in the mouth and stomach; but, by the action of 
the pancreatic juice in the small intestine, it is digested and re¬ 
duced to a minute state of subdivision, ready for absorption through 
small projecting filaments into the lacteal system, by which it is 
conveyed into the general circulation of the blood. It is by this 
means deposited in the various tissues, fills up interstices between 
muscles, bones and vessels, gives regularity to the form of the body, 
assists in the retention of the heat of the body and forms a reserve 
of force-producing material, to be utilized when required. It holds 
the highest place as a heat-former, for by its oxydation heat is gen¬ 
erated in the system. It also appears to facilitate the assimilation 
of other forms of food, and there is a prevalent opinion that, if it 
is not supplied in sufficient quantity, scrofulous disorders are de¬ 
veloped. 

Starch cannot be assimilated without change; when raw, it 
passes out of the system unaltered. If it is boiled, the granules 
burst and the particles are ready for conversion into sugar. This 
conversion would take place in the mouth, under the influence of 
saliva, if the food remained there for a sufficient length of time. 
But it is usually swallowed at once, and when it reaches the stomach 
the o-astric juice arrests the action of the saliva. It then passes on 
in a semi-fluid state to the small intestine where the digestion 


496 


RELATION OF FOOD TO NUTRIMENT. 


really takes place. The intestinal secretion and the pancreatic 
juice act energetically on the starch, soften and break up the 
granules and convert the particles into sugar. 

Sugar is so easily diffused that it requires no preliminary di¬ 
gestive process to prepare it for assimilation. It passes without 
change into the circulation. If, however, it is supplied in excess 
of the requirements of the system, when it reaches the stomach it 
undergoes lactic-acid fermentation and thus occasions the acidity 
from which some dyspeptics suffer. When not in excess, the sugar 
is carried on to the liver where it undergoes certain changes which 
lead us to conclude that it contributes to the production of fat, but 
not to the production of force. 

Alcohol —Alcohol is very rapidly diffused through the sys¬ 
tem. Some portion of what is taken is evaporated through the 
lungs and expired with the breath; some is eliminated by the liver 
and kidneys, and the rest remains for a long time diffused through 
non-excreting organs wdiere it is transmuted into new compounds. 
Its actual dietetic position is scarcely determined, although many 
researches have been made, and much has been written on the sub¬ 
ject. Recent researches show that alcohol acts chiefly as a stimu¬ 
lant, with variable advantage or injury to the constitution. It con¬ 
tains no nitrogen, and has therefore none of the qualities of tissue¬ 
forming foods, nor is it capable of being transformed into them; 
hence it is not a food in the sense of being a constructive agent in 
building up the body. It is very doubtful whether it produces 
fatty matter, except by an indirect and injudicious interference with 
natural processes, though there is reason to suppose that it lessens to 
some extent the elimination of fat already existing. If there be 
any fattening, it is not confined to the external development of fat, 
but extends to a degeneration through the minute structures of the 
vital organs, including the heart, inducing what is termed its “ fatty 
degeneration.” Alcohol does not produce warmth nor sustain it; 
the glow which is felt is deceptive, for that is due to congestion, 
like the warmth of inflammation; hence the serious error of taking 
it in cold weather, when the alcohol and cold act in combination, 
producing congestion of the lungs and other vital organs and often 
leading to fatal consequences. Nor does alcohol give and sustain 
strength; there is muscular excitement, which is mistaken for 
muscular power, produced at the expense of the tissue and drawing 
upon its reserve force; there is, in fact, nervous stimulus, but 
muscular enfeeblement. There are unquestionably occasions when 
it is necessary to produce the stimulus, even at the cost of subse¬ 
quent reaction and debility; when, for instance, an enfeebled or 
fainting heart is temporarily relieved by that relaxation of the 
arterial vessels which the diffusion of alcohol through the 1 lood 
induces, or when the flagging circulation of approaching death needs 
to be quickened that life may be maintained. But the impression 
that alcohol gives permanent strength for sustained work is as 


RELATION OF FOOD TO NUTRIMENT. 


4-97 


erroneous as it is common. Alcohol taken in very moderate quan¬ 
tity increases the activity of the circulation, causing the heart to 
heat more rapidly, the pulse to become faster and fuller and the 
arteries and arterioles to dilate (thus producing a characteristic 
flushing of the face); it increases the secretion of urine, stimulates 
the appetite, aids digestion, excites the nervous system and exhil¬ 
arates the intellectual and emotional faculties. But the price to be 
paid for all this may be too high, and the habitual use of even a 
moderate quantity may lead slowly but surely to degenerative 
changes. Those who drink alcohol, with any of its various admix¬ 
tures, are in a greater or less degree injured by it, especially the 
young and “ full-blooded.” 

Taken in large quantities, the immediate effect of alcohol is 
depressing and narcotic. It produces paralysis of the minute 
arterioles of the circulatory system, so that they lose some of their 
contractility and become dilated with the flowing blood. This is 
seen in flushing of the face. But all the internal organs are simi¬ 
larly affected, so that there is general vascular engorgement and 
consequent derangement and exhaustion. Simultaneously, in conse¬ 
quence of its affinity for water, it alters the condition of the blood, 
causing arrest of chemical changes and alterations in the composi¬ 
tion and forms of the corpuscles. Then there follows an affection 
of the spinal cord, involving enfeeblement of nervous stimulus and 
a corresponding deficiency of control over certain muscles. A tot¬ 
tering gait is an indication of this. The brain-centers are then 
affected, the controlling influence of the will and judgment are lost 
and the emotions and instincts are not held in due subordination. 
This is followed by complete collapse of the nervous functions, the 
senses becoming all benumbed and consciousness lost. 

Immoderate Drinking: —The ultimate effect of immod¬ 
erate drinking is complete degeneration, and this degeneration is 
certainly not confined to those who are notoriously intemperate, or 
may be designated drunkards. Women who are accustomed to take 
wine in quantities which they would not deem immoderate and who 
would be shocked at the imputation that they were drinking too 
much, have proved unfortunately that they have really taken to ex¬ 
cess. The appetite is impaired, digestion is arrested, dyspepsia 
follows, sleeplessness is produced, muscular power, especially of the 
leo-s is enfeebled, the organic tissues suffer direct deterioration in 
their structure and a diseased state is set up in the internal organs. 
The heart is enlarged, its relative parts being thrown out of pro¬ 
portion, its orifices dilated, its valves stretched, its filamentous 
cords dilated and its walls thickened. The liver also undergoes 
structural changes; it becomes enlarged by the production of albu¬ 
minoid and fatty deposit or by the increase of connective tissue, 
and finally there' supervene contraction and atrophy of the canals 
and cells forming that gnarled condition known as “ gin-drinker’s 
liver.” The kidney is deteriorated by fatty modifications and its 

32 


498 


ANIMAL FOOD. 


functions are impeded. The minute vessels of the lungs are re¬ 
laxed and easily congested, and the molecular constitution of their 
tissue is altered; hence chronic bronchitis is common among those 
who take much alcohol, while consumption, often unsuspected, but 
of a most fatal form, carries off hard drinkers in the prime of life. 
Other organic changes also take place; the crystaline lens and retina 
of the eye are injured and the sight is impaired, an excess of salts is 
produced in the urine, and gravel and stone are deposited; 
indeed, there is not an organ that is unaffected. The brain and 
spinal cord and the whole nervous system suffer, giving rise to 
serious derangements which manifest themselves in the worst forms 
of nervous disease, such as loss of memory and speech, epilepsy, 
paralysis or insanity. -And these derangements, it should be re¬ 
membered, are more or less transmitted to degenerate offspring. 
The moral effects are too well known to need description. 

Water is indispensable as a component part of food, for it facil¬ 
itates the chemical changes which take place in the food. 

The other inorganic principles which are necessary to a healthy 
condition of the body are compounds of lime, potash, magnesia, soda 
and iron, together with phosphoric acid, carbonic acid, chlorine and 
sulphuric acid. Lime and phosphoric acid are of most importance. 

Requirements Vary —The amount of food required varies 
with different individuals; very much depends on age, sex, climate, 
season of the year, physical and mental exertion. All vital proces¬ 
ses, including the assimilation of food, are most rapid in early 
life and least rapid in old age. In childhood and youth there is 
also the necessity for making provision for the growth of all parts 
of the body, as well as the rapid discharge of functions. Man re¬ 
quires more nitrogenous food than woman. The vital processes are 
also most active in spring, least so at the end of summer; more 
energetic in cold climates than in hot, in highlands than in valleys. 
Exertion always stimulates these processes. 


ANIMAL FOOD. 

The structure of animal food is identical with that of the 
human body; hence nothing is required in addition to it in order to 
maintain life. Its chief characteristic is that it contains a large 
proportion of nitrogenous material; but with it there is usually 
mingled, either naturally or artificially, so much fat or other non- 
nitrogenous material that it is adapted both for the formation of tissue 
and for the production of heat and other force. Undue importance 
is given by some persons to animal food, as if that alone really 
nourished the system and supplied what is required for work and 
recovery of strength. No doubt it appeases hunger more thorough¬ 
ly than vegetable diet, and satisfies longer because it is digested in 
the stomach and that organ gives signs of repletion and retains this 



ANIMAL FOOD. 


499 


kind of food for a longer time than vegetable food. Animal food 
is also easily cooked and appears to be more easily digested than 
vegetable; it increases the amount of fibrin, phosphates and other 
salts, and the number of red corpuscles in the blood; it produces 
firmness of muscle, and increases the urinary secretion both in 
quantity and in amount of effete nitrogenous matter, necessitating 
the consumption of an increased quantity of fluid. Vegetable food 
has a tendency to increase the deposition of fat. Mr. Banting found 
that by lessening the amount of vegetable diet he was enabled to 
reduce his corpulence; this result might be due not only to diminu¬ 
tion of the fat-producing elements, but also to the increased oxyda- 
tion through the lungs induced by the excess of nitrogenous mater¬ 
ials. Physiological considerations and experience teach us that a 
mixed diet as a general rule is best adapted to the requirements of 
the body. 

Animal food comprises the different parts of animals; eggs, 
milk and its products. 

Comparative Values of Flesh —The flesh of young 
animals is more tender than that of old, but it is not so easily di¬ 
gested. The flesh of middle-aged animals is more nutritive and 
has a fuller flavor than that of young. The flesh of old animals, 
though nutritive, is often very tough. Young and quickly fed ani¬ 
mals have more water and fat in their flesh, whilst older and well 
fed animals have flesh of a firmer touch and fuller flavor and are 
richer in nitrogen. The former may be more delicate, the latter are 
more nutritious; animals of middle age, therefore, afford the most 
digestible and fullest flavored food. The larger the animal the 
coarser the meat. The flesh of the female is more finely grained 
and delicate than that of the male. Animals that have been de¬ 
prived of their reproductive organs are larger, fatter, more tender 
and form better food than those that have not. During the breed¬ 
ing season flesh is unsuitable for food. The flesh of wild animals 
has less fat than that of well fed domestic animals, but it has more 
flavor. The character and flavor of the meat are much affected by 
the food eaten. The fat of cattle fed on oilcake is yellow; the flesh 
of sheep fed on turnips has a flavor of the vegetable; that of the 
mountain sheep is affected by the fragrant herbage on which they 
graze. Violent exercise just before death makes flesh more 
tender than if the animal had been quiet. The removal of 
blood in slaughtering, while it involves waste of nutritive material, 
improves the flavor of the flesh and renders it more easy of preser¬ 
vation. Hanging the meat improves its tenderness. But the best 
meat may be rendered unwholesome by decomposition. Low-priced 
meat may prove very dear, for the animal may have suffered from 
disease and thus become unfit for human food. Animals that have 
been saturated with powerful medicines are also unfit for food, since 
serious disorders are often produced and been known to be suffered 
by those who have eaten the flesh of cattle so treated. 


500 


ANIMAL FOOD. 


Good Meat— Good meat lias tlie following character¬ 
istics : 

1. It is neither of a pale-pink color nor of a deep-purple tint, 
for the former is a sign of disease and the latter indicates that the 
animal had not been slaughtered but had died with the blood in it 
or had suffered from acute fever; 

2. It has a marbled appearance, from the ramifications of 
little raps of fat among the muscles; 

3. It should be firm and elastic to the touch and should 
scarcely moisten the fingers—bad meat being wet and sodden and 
flabby, w T ith the fat looking like jelly or wet parchment; 

4. It should have little or no odor and the odor should not be 
disagreeable, for diseased meat has a sickly, cadaverous smell and 
sometimes a smell of physic. This is very apparent when the meat 
is chopped up and drenched with warm water; 

5. It should not run to water nor become very wet on stand¬ 
ing for a day or so, but should, on the contrary, dry upon the sur¬ 
face; 

6. When dried at a temperature of 112° or thereabout, it 
should not lose more than from seventy to seventy-four per cent, of 
its weight; whereas bad meat will often lose as much as eighty per 
cent; 

7. It should not shrink or waste much in cooking. 

Salted meat is objectionable on several grounds. Its common 
use when fresh meat can be obtained is therefore undesirable, and 
it is unsuitable for invalids. It is deficient in nutritive value and 
natural flavor, from the extraction of a considerable quantity of the 
juices of the meat. It is deficient in tenderness and therefore to 
some extent insoluble by the digestive secretions. It also acts 
prejudicially on the system by the introduction of an excessive 
quantity of salt and saltpetre. 

Beef and mutton are the principal fresh meats. The former 
is of a firmer and closer texture than the latter, contains more red- 
blood juices, has a fuller and richer flavor, containing more iron, is 
more satisfying and more strengthening and makes greater demands 
upon the digestive powers. Yet it is a common article, not only at 
the ordinary dinner table, but even in the sick-room. In many 
cases of illness, if properly cooked, it may be eaten with impunity; 
but in typhoid fever and other diseases where the bowels are 
inflamed and tender, it produces, in its ordinary form, injurious 
effects. Even beef-tea often increases the irritation, keeps up the 
fever and aggravates the diarrhea; consequently in such cases it 
should, for the most part, be excluded from the diet list. As beef 
requires considerable effort on the part of the stomach to convert it 
into chyme, it is contra-indicated in acute maladies until convales¬ 
cence has commenced, when by allowing the patient to extract the 
juice at first, and then swallow a few shreds of the meat, daily 
increasing the amount swallowed, the digestive organs will be fin- 


ANIMAL FOOD. 


501 

ally won back to their normal condition and capability. Neverthe¬ 
less, there is a form in which beef has been most beneficial. 
Administered in a raw state, when finely divided and reduced to a 
pulp, it is very useful in some derangements of the stomach. 
Although not very palatable at first, a taste for it is soon acquired. 
In this form it has proved very valuable in cholera-infantum and 
dysentery, when everything else failed. It should be prepared by 
scraping with a spoon, and seasoning with a little salt. 

Mutton or mutton-broth is much to be preferred for delicate 
persons. Mutton-broth has less nutritive value than beef-broth, 
but having a delicate flavor it is preferred by many persons. It is, 
however, too rich in fat to be easily digested, unless a large portion 
of that substance be first removed. Lean mutton, then, should be 
selected for making broth; the scrag of the neck is a suitable joint. 
When a patient is so far convalescent as to require solids, a mutton 
chop, properly cooked, is generally most suitable. Broiling should 
be preferred to frying and to cook mutton-chops nicely a clear fire 
is absolutely necessary. The chops should be sprinkled with salt 
and pepper, and placed over the fire for six or seven minutes. 
They should not be pricked, but should be frequently turned to 
insure their being thoroughly cooked. 

Veal and lamb are more gelatinous, less stimulating, less 
nutritious and less easily digested than beef and mutton. But the 
character of the flesh varies very much in delicacy, nutritive value 
and digestibility, according to the mode in which the animal has been 
killed. Veal-broth is generally prepared from the fleshy part of the 
knuckle. It is not very palatable, and as it does not contain the 
nutritious qualities of beef-tea or mutton-broth it is scarcely 
advisable to introduce it into the sick-room, except for the sake of 
occasional variety. The lean of a lamb-chop cut from the loin is 
often a morsel which tempts the flagging appetite. 

Pork, on account of its fatness, is not so easy of digestion as 
other meats. Bacon and ham, however, do not so easily disagree 
with the stomach; and in this respect they occupy an exceptional 
position in relation to fat meats and cured meats. Fat bacon, taken 
with any substances that are rich in nitrogen, is very nourishing. 
It increases the nutritive value of eggs, poultry, peas and beans. All 
pork should be most thoroughly cooked, because it is more 
frequently diseased than any other kind of meat, and the disease, 
being due to the presence of parasites, is particularly injurious to 
man. Sucking pig is a great delicacy, but of small nutritive value, 
and unsuitable for invalids. 

Venison is lean, dark-colored and savory, having more the 
character of game than of butcher’s meat. It is very easily 
digested, and is therefore suitable to the dyspeptic and convales¬ 
cent; its rich flavor may, however, constitute an objection to it, and 
if it has been kept too long before being cooked, it is very apt to 
produce diarrhea. 


ANIMAL FOOD. 


50 


ij 


Gelatine, which forms the basis of soup, is the nitrogenous 
principle of bones. They contain a considerable quantity of 
nutritive matter, but for its extraction they should be broken into 
small pieces and boiled for many hours. Although investigators 
have found that gelatine fails to nourish animals when given by 
itself, it is now a well established fact that, in combination with 
other substances, it can be turned to account in the system as a 
force-producing element. In the form of jelly, with or without 
w T ine, when not tough, it is readily digested and serves to allay the 
feeling of emptiness and hunger when more nutritious food cannot 
be well taken. Being demulcent and possessing no irritating 
qualities, it proves very useful in inflammatory affections of the 
bowels. As it is soothing and grateful, it may be allowed where 
diarrhea is not to be feared. In the preparation of gelatine-jelly it 
is very essential to soak the gelatine, as procured in the shops, in 
cold water for some time. 

Liver of the calf, lamb or pig, when fried, is rich and savory, 
but is not suitable for those whose digestive powers are feeble. 

Kidneys and heart are as nutritious as lean meat, but are 
also unsuitable for invalids. 

Tripe, when gently boiled for about an hour, is a food of 
somewhat delicate and agreeable flavor and of very easy mastication 
and digestion, but from its fatness is rather rich. The ease and 
rapidity with which it is digested, and the considerable nutriment 
which it affords, seem to render it most suitable for the sick, but in 
practice it is found that the absence of decided flavor, its unsatis¬ 
fying character and the unusual nature of the food prevent its 
selection by the sick generally. 

Sweetbread is easily digested, and when simply cooked is not 
unsuitable for the convalescent, but when richly cooked will disa¬ 
gree with the dyspeptic and invalid. 

Head of the ox or sheep, boiled for eight or nine hours to 
extract the nutriment, makes excellent soup. 

Ox-tails are commonly employed for the same purpose. 

Tongue of all animals, especially of the ox, is a great delicacy, 
but from its being fat and eaten salted, is not adapted to weak 
stomachs. 

Sheep’s legs, as a bridge from soup to meat, are excellent when 
well boiled. 

Sheep’s brains are highly commended as a means of conveying 
phosphates, but are rather indigestible and not adapted to delicate 
stomachs. 

Preserved meat is not so nourishing as the same amount of 
properly cooked fresh meat, on account of the over-cooking 
demanded by the process. It has the recommendation, however, 
of being much cheaper than fresh meat. It may be rendered more 
palatable by being minced and warmed or stewed with vegetables, 


ANIMAL FOOD. 


503 


but to prevent further loss of nutritive properties it is best eaten 
cold. 

Extract of meat should consist of the concentrated essence of 
the juice of flesh; but a good deal that is sold as such is solidified 
soup, with the addition of gelatine. Good extract is slightly acid, 
of a pale, yellowish-brown color, with an agreeable, meat-like odor. 
It should be perfectly soluble in cold water, and should not contain 
albumen, fat or gelatine. It is a stimulant rather than a nutritious 
food. It is deficient in albumen, and, as in the case of soup and 
beef-tea, its nutritive power must be assisted by vegetables and 
other substances which are rich in nitrogenous matter. Biscuits 
are now made combining the extract with a proper proportion of 
flour. The extract may often prove a fair temporary substitute for 
beef-tea when there is not time or convenience to make the latter, 
but it must not supersede it in the sick-room. When taken during 
fatigue it has been found to be remarkably restorative, increasing 
the power of the heart, and removing the sense of fatigue following 
exertion. Mixed with wine, Dr. Parkes states, it has been employed 
with great success in rousing men in collapse from wounds. It was 
the means of saving the lives of many wounded men in the Austrian 
army in 1859, and in the war between the Northern and Southern 
States. It would, therefore, be useful after surgical operations. 

Birds occupy an important place among the sources of food, 
especially in the diet of the sick-room. Their flesh consists of deli¬ 
cate muscular tissue, without any admixture of fat, being in some 
cases white, in others dark-colored. The juices are deficient in red 
blood, and have a more delicate flavor than those of adult animals. 

Poultry, such as fowl, turkey and Guinea-fowl, is white- 
fleshed, has a delicate flavor, and is tender and easily digested. As 
the flesh is milder and less stimulating than that of ordinary meat, 
it is well adapted to those whose powers of digestion are enfeebled. 
But it is not very nourishing; it contains too little fat and needs 
pork or bacon to supplement this deficiency. Sexless birds, as the 
capon and pullet, grow larger, fatten better, and are more tender and 
delicate than ordinary poultry. 

Ducks and geese are not so well adapted as poultry for the 
sick-room, for their flesh is harder, richer and more highly flavored. 

Game— Pheasant, partridge, grouse, woodcock, snipe and 
quail—have a delicate flavor, which improves by keeping (fuller and 
stronger than that of domesticated birds), is strengthening, tender 
and easily digested. It is thus tempting to the appetite, and is well 
adapted to a weak stomach. It therefore forms a valuable diet for 
the sick-room, and can be taken when other meat and poultry are 
rejected. But the darker flesh of game requires culinary manage¬ 
ment to render it digestible. „ 

Wild-fowl, with its close, firm flesh and strong flavor, is not 

adapted for dyspeptics and invalids. 


504 


ANIMAL FOOD. 


Pigeon and smaller birds are usually tender and relishing, and 
may be eaten with safety by the convalescent. 

Pabbitt flesh has some resemblance in general and nutritive 
character to that of poultry. It is somewhat loose in texture, with¬ 
out decided flavor, and is digested with ease. It may be eaten by 
the convalescent with due caution against unsuitable accessories and 
condiments. 

Hare provides flesh of harder texture, of fuller flavor, and more 
stimulating nature than that of the rabbit. It is most nutritious; 
but as it is not very easily digested, it is a food for the healthy 
rather than for the sick. 

Fish is very valuable as food if eaten as soon as possible after 
capture. There is a prejudice against it from the belief that is has 
no nutritive value, but this probably arises from the fact that it does 
not easily satisfy hunger, and is cpiickly digested, so that the appe¬ 
tite soon returns. It is nevertheless highly nutritious. “ Fish- 
eaters,” says Dr. Davy, “ are especially strong, healthy and prolific. 
In no other class than in that of fishers do we see larger families, 
handsomer women and more robust and active men.” Fish, espec¬ 
ially white fish, is less stimulating than meat, contains little fat, is 
easily digested, and therefore forms the most suitable aliment for 
invalids, dyspeptics and those who suffer from brain-fag. Indeed, 
in consequence of the large proportion of nitrogenous matter in the 
composition of fish, abounding as it does in brain and nerve-making 
elements, it is especially adapted to all those upon whom there are 
great demands for nervous energy, and is therefore useful in some 
cases of nervous exhaustion. 

The quality of all fish is superior before spawning-time, for it 
is then “ in season.” Young fish can always be eaten. Fish caught 
from the deep seas are better than those from shallow bays. Fresh¬ 
water fish from deep, clear water, with a stony bottom, are better 
than those from muddy shallows. 

A sign of the freshness of fish is its firmnesss and rigidity. 
For the invalid it should always be boiled or broiled in oil; the fat 
added in frying renders the fish less digestible. Dried, salted, 
smoked or pickled fish should not be seen in the sick-room. A lit¬ 
tle fresh fish, well boiled, served with bread and butter, without 
sauces and seasonings, may frequently tempt the fastidious, dainty 
appetite. 

Salmon stands pre-eminent as a delicacy, and more nearly 
resembles the meat of animals than that of other fish; fat is inter¬ 
mixed with the muscular fibre and underlies the skin, particularly 
of the belly. It is too rich for invalids. The nutritive value of 
its flesh to those who can digest it is not much less than that of the 
red-blood flesh of other animals. 

Mackerel, herring and ells are also fatty in their composi¬ 
tion, and therefore less suitable than white fish for those whose 
powers of digestion are feeble. 


ANIMAL FOOD. 


505 


Haddock, whiting, flounder, cod, turbot., etc., are white lisli, 
whose flesh contains little fat, except in the liver. Whiting, the 
chicken of fish, is the most delicate and easy of digestion. Haddock 
is firmer, not so delicate nor so digestible. Flounder is tasteless, 
hut also harmless. Cod is close, firm, tough, and indigestible by a 
weak stomach. Fried cod is like veal-cutlet, but drier. Turbot has 
richer flavor, hut does not stand high as food for invalids. The skin 
when boiled, appears to be gelatinous, but though preferable as a 
delicacy for the healthy, is not suitable for the weak. 

Fish -broth contains nearly the same component parts as meat- 
brotli, and in some countries fish-soups are as much esteemed as 
those of meat. 

Isinglass, obtained from the air-bladder of the sturgeon, is a 
valuable vehicle for the administration of other ingredients of food. 

Shell-fisli, with the exception of oysters, are less nutritive 
than other kinds of fish, less digestible, and more likely to disagree 
with weak stomachs than most kinds of animal food. In some 
persons they produce gastric irritation and disorders, and in others 
nettle-rash and similar eruptions; indeed, so marked is this effect 
on some constitutions that it is necessary to forbid shell-fish alto¬ 
gether. 

Lobster and crab, though very agreeable to many persons, 
are not suitable for those whose digestive organs are weak, and con¬ 
sequently should not be introduced into the sick-room. Some per¬ 
sons in ordinary health cannot take them, because they are not 
easily digested, even when stimulants of the gastric juice are added 
in the form of vinegar and pepper. 

Shrimps belong to the same family as the lobster, and are 
somewhat more readily digested, but they are not suitable for in¬ 
valids. 

Turtle-soup is luxurious and rich, and in small quantities at 
a time is often very restorative to invalids whose digestion is in good 
order. 

Mussels and all other shell-fish, except oysters, are not suit¬ 
able for invalids. 

Oysters are nutritious, and readily digested even by delicate 
stomachs. Recent researches have shown that they are self-diges¬ 
tive. The hard muscle by which the fish is attached to the shell 
should not be eaten by invalids. They should eat them raw, and 
masticate well before swallowing. To eat them with vinegar is to 
commit a dietetic mistake. They should only be eaten from Sep¬ 
tember till May. As a means of conveying phosphates they are 
invaluable. 

Fresh oysters are most grateful in chronic dyspepsia, where 
nausea is present, in the case of consumptives, for the trouble of 
morning sickness, and in chronic diarrhea. They can be eaten with 


50G 


ANIMAL FOOD. 


advantage by tlie nursing-mother, who thus strengthens her own 
system and also that of the child at her breast. Convalescents from 
fever will find in the oyster a food both delicate and nourishing. 

Oyster-stew, prepared plain or with milk and oyster-essence, 
made by slowly simmering oysters in their liquor or a little water 
until they swell, seasoning with salt, straining the liquor, and serv¬ 
ing with dry toast or plain biscuits, are excellent methods of giving 
oysters. 

Eggs, if the shell be included, contain everything that is nec¬ 
essary for the formation and maintenance of the body. This food 
does not, however, exist, as in milk, in a state of perfect solution, 
but in a semi-liquid form; consequently some digestion is necessary 
before it can be assimilated. The white of the egg consists chiefly 
of albumen, without fat and in a condition which admits of easy 
absorption, the ease being increased if it be shaken or beaten up 
with water. The yoke contains all the fat of the egg held in sus¬ 
pension by some portion of albumen and is therefore richer than 
the white. Raw and lightly boiled eggs are readily digested. If 
the albumen be coagulated by the heat of cooking it becomes heavy 
and difficult of digestion, and sometimes produces constipation or 
irritation of the bowels. It should therefore be avoided by dyspep¬ 
tics and persons recovering from illness, before the full powers of 
digestion have been regained. If the insoluble portions of hard- 
boiled eggs are delayed in the stomach and intestines they putrefy 
and the sulphuretted hydrogen and ammonia evolved become irri¬ 
tating to the intestinal canal. But fresh, uncooked eggs are almost 
wholly free from these objections. A fresh, raw egg, thoroughly 
stirred into about half a pint of milk, forms, to most persons, a 
palatable and nourishing article of diet. One great advantage this 
preparation has over other food is that all the component parts are 
retained in their natural state, are more completely dissolved and 
consequently make less demands upon weak digestive powers than 
when the egg is eaten in its solidified form. If patients object to 
the taste of raw eggs a little sugar may be added, or if this be not 
sufficient some simple flavoring extract may be used. Eggs seem 
to be particularly useful in lung-diseases, and in cases of exhaustive 
cough seem to act as palliatives. 

Egg, with milk and sugar, forms a plain custard, which is 
often allowable and very grateful. 

Eggs undergo change by being kept. The porous shell allows 
the evaporation of water and the infiltration of air; certain organic 
changes also occur when the shell is rendered non-porous. To test 
the freshness of an egg, an ounce of salt may be added to ten 
ounces or half a pint of water; in this solution a fresh egg will 
just sink; one that has been kept for several days will float. A bad 
egg is often sufficiently light to float in pure water. Fresh eggs 
may also be known by holding them up to the light, when they will 
appear clear; if stale they will appear cloudy; fresh eggs are most 


ANIMAL FOOD. 


507 


translucent in the center, stale ones at the end. In order to pre¬ 
serve the freshness of eggs various plans have been adopted to ren¬ 
der the shells non-porous, or to exclude air, such as boiling them 
for half a minute, keeping them in lime-water, bran or salt, or cov¬ 
ering them with a coating of wax, oil, butter, gum or varnish; but 
with only variable success. No musty egg is good for food, even 
when put into puddings; it should be banished from the house if 
there be the slightest smell of old straw about it. 

Duck’s eggs are larger and have a stronger flavor than hen’s 
eggs; the solid matter and the oil in a duck’s egg exceeding those 
of a hen’s by as much as one-fourth. They are not often introduced 
into the sick-room, but there is no reason why they should be ex¬ 
cluded if the flavor be agreeable to the patient. 

Artificial fibrine, so called, has been found available when 
no other food could be taken. It is thus prepared: The white of 
an egg is poured into cold water and allowed to remain for twelve 
or more hours, during which time it undergoes a chemical change, 
becoming solid and insoluble, assuming an opaque, snow-white ap¬ 
pearance. This and the liquid in which it is immersed are heated 
to the boiling point, and the fibrin is ready for use. It is very easy 
to digest and to many is quite a delicacy. It is said that the stomach 
will retain this in many cases when everything else is promptly 
rejected, its presence creating a craving for more food, and thus 
promoting instead of diminishing digestion. 

Milk —Pure milk contains in solution, like eggs, all the ele¬ 
ments required for the growth and sustenance of the body. This 
is especially true in relation to a child. Indeed it may be regarded 
as the typical alimentary substance, since it contains nitrogenous, 
fatty, saccharine and mineral matters and water, in the proportions 
required by the animal economy, and in such a state as to be easily 
assimilated. In fact, it requires no digestion, and it is this which 
renders milk a most important and convenient article under many 
circumstances; it is already digested and prepared for absorption. 
In fever, pure milk as the main article of diet is far superior to 
anything else, especially in typhoid and other fevers involving dis¬ 
turbance of the stomach and bowels. Beef-tea, is often irritating, 
but milk, on the contrary, is soothing, cooling, and at the same 
time nourishing and strengthening. In chronic disorders of the 
stomach and bowels, milk-diet is a most valuable accessory to medi¬ 
cal treatment. It allows the stomach to have almost absolute rest, 
which in many cases is all that is required. And this quiescent 
condition can be prolonged almost indefinitely, since an adult can 
be sustained for days or even weeks on milk alone. It should, how¬ 
ever, be observed that milk would not be a suitable diet for adults 
in health, as the nitrogenous matter is in considerable excess in 
proportion to the carbonaceous. It is suited to young persons who 
have to grow, and who in order to grow must appropriate an excess 
of what is nitrogenous to form a daily addition to the body. On 


508 


ANIMAL FOOD. 


the other hand, it is not so suitable for full-grown persons, who 
have not so much to form tissue as to develop heat or other force by 
the combustion of carbon. 


The constituents of milk vary in quantity and proportion in 
different animals, and under different circumstances in the same 
animal. Woman’s milk is, of course, the standard. Cow’s milk 
more nearly approximates to it than that of any other animal and 
hence is most generally used. Cow’s milk contains. considerably 
more caseine or curd, less sugar, and a little more butter than wom¬ 
an’s milk. When the former is substituted for the latter it should 
be largely diluted with water and slightly sweetened. Goat’s milk 
is richer than cow’s; sheep’s milk still richer. Ass’s or mare’s milk 
is much poorer, but much sweeter. Indeed, so large is the propor¬ 
tion of sugar-of-milk in the last that it is fermented into a spiritu¬ 
ous liquor, known by the name of koumiss, of value in many cases 
of consumption, chronic bronchitis and chronic diarrhea. 


Cow’s milk varies very much in quality. After calving takes 
place the first fluid secreted differs considerably from ordinary milk, 
and is termed colostrum / consequently cow’s milk, for three or four 
weeks after calving, is not entirely pure nor well adapted for food; 
it has a somewhat sickly smell, and often acts as a purgative. 

The milk of the Alderney-cow is rich in butter; that of the 
long horns is richer in curd. The milk of young cows is preferable 
to that of old ones, and as a food for infants the age of the secre¬ 
tion should be less than that of the baby; that is to say, a cow with 
a calf two months old may do very well to feed a child of four 
months. The milk first drawn from the cow contains less cream 
than that which is last drawn; indeed (especially if some time has 
elapsed between the times of milking), the amount of cream in the 
latter may be two or three times as much as in the former. The 
milk of the afternoon is richer both in curd and butter than that of 
the morning. The food on which the cow is fed considerably 
affects the quality of the milk; poor diet impoverishes it; strong 
vegetables, such as turnips, cabbages and onions, flavor it; decayed 
leaves make it disagreeable; poisonous plants render it injurious; 
nothing is equal to the fresh pasture of country - fields for securing 
good milk. 


Its quality may be tested by the amount of cream it produces, 
by its weight, and by its specific gravity. The larger the propor¬ 
tion of cream, the better the milk. A quart of new milk, cooled, 
should weigh about 2 lbs., 2J- ozs., if it is of fair average quality. 
The addition of water or an excess of cream lowers the specific 
gravity. But whether or not the milk be diluted with water, it is not 
infrequently rendered unwholesome by being put into vessels that 
have not been cleansed by thorough washing-out with soda. On 
stale milk, even in minute quantities, a small blue fungus, or mould, 
very speedily forms, which soon spreads to fresh milk and causes it 


ANIMAL FOOD. 


509 


to turn sour; hence colic, diarrhea and thrush are occasioned in 
those who partake of it. 

Fifteen grains of soda bicarbonate to a quart of milk prevents 
it from turning sour and also renders it more digestible. 

Milk, though nourishing, does not agree with every one. If 
diluted with one-third lime-water it will rarely cause biliousness or 
indigestion and if taken regularly will so strengthen the system as 
to banish these disorders. It may be taken with acid of some kind 
when it does not easily digest. When milk is constipating a little 
salt sprinkled in each glassful will avert the difficulty When it 
has an opposite effect a few drops of brandy in each tumblerful of 
milk will obviate purgation. Milk drunk between meals will de¬ 
stroy the appetite. After meals a tumblerful of pure milk may be 
drunk. A pint with a biscuit makes a light supper. In fever, in 
exhausted conditions dependent on loss of blood, and in summer- 
diarrhea and other inflammatory affections of the alimentary tract, 
milk may be given scalded with excellent results; this is a sheet 
anchor in typhoid fever. Owing to outbreaks of fever which were 
traced to infected milk many persons adopted the precaution of 
boiling all milk before using it and thus the disease-germs which it 
may have contained were rendered innocuous. This is a good plan 
for persons resident in towns. 

Cream consists of the fatty constituent of milk, which, on 
account of its lightness, rises to the surface when the milk is 
allowed to stand. It forms the basis of butter. It can often be taken 
freely when nothing else will remain on the stomach, notwithstand¬ 
ing the abundance of fatty matter. It should always be fresh and 
may be diluted with water or given pure if desired. 

Clotted cream is produced by heating milk just to the point of 
simmering, which causes a scum to form with the fatty matter and 
give it more consistency. 

Skim-milk is that from which the cream has been removed and 
being consequently less rich than ordinary milk it can frequently be 
taken by invalids when the latter cannot. 

Butter-milk is what is left after the extraction of butter. It 
of course contains less fatty matter than skim-milk, but it retains the 
nitrogenous, saccharine and saline matter and is therefore very 
nourishing and useful as an article of diet. Unless very fresh it is 
generally a little acid. It is one of the most refreshing summer 
drinks that can be taken and is almost always allowable in sickness, 
especially in fevers with gastric symptoms. It appears to produce 
a gentle activity of the liver and kidneys, particularly of the latter 

organs. 

Curds are the caseine and fat of milk combined by coagulation 
of the milk They form the basis of cheese. The addition of 
an acid to the milk sets free the caseine, which is held in solution 
by an alkali, and causes coagulation. 

Whey is the liquid left after the curd has been removed, con- 


510 


ANIMAL FOOD. 


taining little caseine and fat but all the sugar and salts of milk. The 
caseine and fat being absent, there is no fear of curdling in the 
stomach and thus causing pain or diarrhea. Whey can therefore be 
taken by many persons with whom milk disagrees. It is not very 
valuable as nutriment, but it is very digestible, is easily absorbed 
and is a refreshing drink in the sick-room, especially in inflam¬ 
matory disorders. Slightly flavored with nutmeg it is very palatable. 
There is a prevailing opinion that whey causes sweat; hence wine- 
whey, alum-whey, and tamarind-whey, the milk having been 
curdled by these substances, are recommended. The method of 
preparation is given hereafter. In Switzerland whey is supposed to 
be of value in the treatment of chronic disorders of the abdominal 
organs. 

Condensed milk is milk preserved by the evaporation of a 
large proportion of its water, and the addition of cane-sugar. It 
is sold in hermetically sealed tins, in which it can be kept for sev¬ 
eral years; when the tins are opened it is found in the form of 
sirup, which will remain good for several days. It is very useful 
for the diet of invalids, in the making of light puddings, or other 
food into which milk largely enters. It requires the addition of a 
considerable quantity of soft water (three parts water to one part 
milk) to replace what has been evaporated. Being already sweet¬ 
ened, it needs no addition of sugar. Its sweetness renders it very 
agreeable to infants. 

Koumiss, fermented mare’s or cow’s milk, has been found very 
useful in consumption. The Russian plan of making it is as fol¬ 
lows : Two teacupfuls of wheat-flour are mixed with one spoonful of 
honey, one of good beer-yeast, and sufficient milk to form a not too 
thin paste; the whole is put in a moderately warm place to ferment. 
When fermentation takes place the ferment is put in a linen bag, 
and hung in a jar or keg containing sixteen pounds of fresh mare’s or 
cow’s milk, covered and allowed to stand till the milk has acquired a 
pleasant acidulous taste (about 16 to 24 hours, according to the 
temperature). The butter and cheese particles which float about 
are now skimmed off, the liquid is poured into another keg and 
shaken for one hour, after which time it is poured into bottles, 
corked and put into the cellar. A “ cure ” requires the product of 
twelve to fifteen pounds of milk daily; the best season for it is from 
May to July. The koumiss is taken early in the morning, every 
hour (a teacupful to a tumblerful at a time), and plenty of exercise 
must follow. 

Butter is the fatty portion of milk, obtained by churning the 
cream or the entire milk. This operation causes the rupture of the 
envelopes of the fat globules, which then coalesce and become in¬ 
corporated into a solid mass. Milk yields on an average per 
cent, of butter, and milk, for its favorable production, requires a tem¬ 
perature of 60°. When the butter is formed it should be worked 
and washed with water to remove the caseine, fatty acids and other 


ANIMAL FOOD. 


5U 

ingredients which would prevent its keeping sweet and fresh. Salt 
is added to preserve it. If sirup be added instead of salt, or 
sugar with which is mixed a little salt, butter is said to keep better. 
The exclusion of air also preserves it, and simply covering it with 
water renewed every day will keep it fresh for a week. But a better 
plan is that of M. Breon, who adds water slightly acidulated with 
acetic or tartaric acid and places the whole in a closely fitting vessel. 

When pure and fresh, butter is more easily assimilated by deli¬ 
cate stomachs than most other fats. It is also the form of sepa¬ 
rate fat which is less frequently disliked by consumptive people and 
invalids generally, but it should not be too bountifully supplied. 
Butter that has become stale or rancid or been exposed to heat (as 
for buttered toast), is very likely to disagree with dyspeptics and other 
invalids and cause diarrhea. Indeed, as a rule, all decomposing fats 
disagree with the stomach. There are ready means of detection 
through the senses of sight, taste and smell, when butter is adul¬ 
terated. Pure butter should be of a uniform rich yellow appearance; 
when a streaky look is imparted by quickly passing over it a clean 
knife the presence of adulterants is always to be suspected. When 
melted it should yield a clear-looking oil, with but slight deposit of 
water or other substances. When placed on the tongue it melts 
quickly and leaves the tongue perfectly smooth; while, on the con¬ 
trary, there will be a sense of roughness, a granular taste and the 
peculiar flavor of the adulterant as the results of this test when 
butter is adulterated. None of these tests are of value in oleo- 
margerine adulteration. The odor of butter is very persistent and 
therefore does not so well mark its purity or the reverse. 

Cheese is the nitrogenous portion (caseine) of milk, with a 
proportion of fatty matter, obtained by coagulation into curd by 
means of rennet or vinegar. The curd is subjected to pressure in a 
mould, of the future form of the cheese, in order to remove the 
whey. When sufficient consistence has been secured the cheese is 
exposed in a cool, airy situation to dry and ripen. During this 
process both caseine and butter undergo change, volatile, fatty acids 
are produced, flavor is developed, and in some cases fungi are 
formed. The rich and soft quality of the cheese depends on the 
amount of fatty matter in the milk from which the cheese is made; 
the richer cheeses are formed by the addition of an extra quantity 
of cream; the poorer cheeses are made from skim-milk. Poor, 
close cheeses keep the best. 

As cheese is rich in nitrogenous matter, it stands very high in 
the scale of nutritious food; one pound being equivalent to three 
and a half pounds of lean beef. Taken with bread or other veget¬ 
able diet, it is very nutritive to persons of active habits. As a relish 
or condiment it stimulates digestion. But on the whole it is not 
very digestible and therefore not suitable for persons of sedentary 
habits or invalids, especially at bedtime. The close, poor cheeses 
are less easily assimilated than the soft, brittle and strongly flavored, 


512 


VEGETABLE FOOD. 


but they may be rendered wholesome by being cut in very thin 
slices and buttered. Toasted cheese is also digestible by a healthy 
stomach, if it be new and lightly cooked with cream and butter; 
but as ordinarily prepared it is one of the most indigestible articles 
than can be eaten. 

Cream-cheese is fresh curd moderately pressed; it must be 
eaten fresh, as it will not bear keeping long. It is more digestible 
than ordinary cheese because it is softer and may be readily masti¬ 
cated and because it has a less proportion of caseine. To many in¬ 
valids it will prove a pleasant variation from other diet. 

Lard, which is derived from the loose fat of the pig, is a very 
pure fat; but it is so tasteless as to be seldom eaten except in pastry, 
or as the medium in which substances may be fried. 

Dripping, derived from roasting joints, if not burnt, is one 
of the most nutritious forms of fat, and very agreeable. Its flavor 
depends on the degree to which the flesh is roasted. It may some¬ 
times prove a welcome alternative to butter in the sick-room. Salt 
should be eaten with it. But it must be taken in moderation, and 
its action watched, or it will disorder the stomach and heighten 
fever. 


VEGETABLE FOOD. 

Vegetable products enter largely into the food of man. Even 
the more common articles of food of this class present considerable 
variety. They are consumed in the form of seeds, roots, leaves, 
herbs and preparations of different kinds. 

Farinaceous seeds, the largest portion and most extensively 
used of vegetable foods, are of great nutritive value, easy digestion, 
plentifully yielded and universally grown. 

Cereals hold the first place. Their general composition is simi¬ 
lar, but on account of different proportions of their component 
elements they have different nutritive values. Even all wheat is 
not exactly alike, especially in the relative proportions of nitrog¬ 
enous matter and starch. On an average, wheat contains more 
nitrogenous matter than other grains. Oats come nearest to wheat 
in this respect, and are of equal value to many wheats; they also 
contain a large proportion of fats and salts. Maize is rich in fatty 
matter, moderately so in nitrogenous, but poor in salts. Rice is 
very rich in starch, but poor in other constituents. 

Wheat —The constituents of wheat more nearly correspond 
with the requirements of the human system under ordinary circum¬ 
stances than those of any other grain. Life and health can be 
maintained on wheat, good water and air for an indefinite period. 

As ordinarily used, wheat is deprived of much of its nutritive 
value. The portion containing the largest amount of nitrogenous 
matter is removed to secure whiteness in the bread. Eacli grain, 



VEGETABLE FOOD. 


513 


after being thrashed out of the straw and winnowed from the husks, 
is composed of a hard, thin, outer coat, or bran, a soft, brittle, inter¬ 
mediate layer of cells, and a central white substance chiefly composed 
of starch. The outer coat is woody, indigestible, useless for nutri¬ 
tion and irritating to the alimentary canal. In some cases it may 
be advisable to retain it, to act as a mechanical stimulant to the in¬ 
testines in constipation. It is too stimulating for persons who take 
active exercise since it causes the food to pass hurriedly through the 
canal before disintegration and assimilation are completed. For 
invalids, and persons with feeble digestive organs, it is too irritating. 
The inner coat is of most value, since it is the richest part of the 
grain in nitrogenous matter, fats and salts—the food for muscle, 
bone and brain. The more thoroughly this is removed, the finer 
the flour is dressed, the whiter the bread produced, the less nutri¬ 
tious is the bread. The central, white material of the grain, chiefly 
of starch, comprises also some of the more nourishing elements, 
though the proportion is so small that the nutritive value of the 
grain is sacrificed to the appearance of the bread. Many writers- — 
notably Liebig—have pointed out the waste of nutritive material in 
white bread, and the folly of preferring it to that which contains the 
nitrogenous portion. Pavy, however, has shown that bread is not 
the only food; that what is rejected in the bread is taken in other 
forms; and that through animal diet the very elements which have 
been eliminated from the flour are replaced. To most persons 
white bread is more palatable and presents a more pleasing appear¬ 
ance, than the more nutritious bread, but this taste is probably the 
result of habit. But for the resulting dark color and soft consis¬ 
tence, a very important, soluble, nitrogenous matter, called cerealine, 
might be utilized by soaking the bran in warm water for some time 
and using the water in the preparation of the dough for bread. It 
would be better to sacrifice the appearance to more nutriment. 
Young and growing children unconsciously suffer greatly from the 
common custom. They become badly nourished, grow up with 
defective teeth and bones, weak tissues and inadequate muscular 
development, and are peculiarly susceptible to disease from resulting 
lack or vitality. 

I^reiid made with sea-water increases the appetite and stimu¬ 
lates digestion. It has an agreeable flavor, and exercises a beneficial 
influence in dyspepsia, consumption and scrofula. 

Stale bread is preferable to new, especially when weakness of 
the digestive organs is present. The softness of new bread renders it 
less easy of mastication and insalivation, more clammy and cohesive, 
and therefore less penetrable by the gastric juice. In the stomach it 
often ferments, and even in persons of good digestion produces 
heartburn. Stale bread is firm and more brittle under the action of 
the teeth, and more easily penetrated by the digestive juices than 
new bread. Bread is most digestible one or two days after it has 
been baked. The best bread grows stale most slowly. 

33 


514 


VEGETABLE FOOD. 


Aerated bread, made by forcing pure carbonic acid into the 
dough, keeps better than other kinds, is free from remains of yeast, 
does not induce the fermentative changes in the stomach which 
cause dyspepsia, flatulence and heartburn, and is more likely to be 
wholesome than ordinary baker’s bread. 

Sour bread and mouldy bread are unwholesome and may pro¬ 
duce injurious and even fatal consequences. As bread is poor in 
fat and salts (when only white flour is used), the common practice 
of eating butter, bacon, dripping or other fat with it is, therefore, 
more than the gratification of a taste; it is a physiological necessity. 

Toasting bread generally increases its digestibility, provided 
the process be properly carried out. To cut the bread into slices so 
thick that while the sides are rendered crisp the interior becomes 
spongy, and then to soak the whole with butter, is to render toast 
very indigestible. The slice should be toasted brown, not burnt, so 
that it may be crisp and firm throughout. It then constitutes the 
best form in which starchy food can be given, for much of the 
starch is changed into glucose by the heat, and in wheat-bread there 
is some little gluten which partly supplies the place of albumen. 
Toast should be buttered as eaten, so that it may not become soaked 
with butter. By some it is much enjoyed without butter, and is 
then more readily digested. Toast-water, when properly prepared, 
forms an almost indispensible article in the sick-room. If good, 
stale bread or biscuits be nicely toasted, not burnt, and then placed 
in a dish or jug, and hot water poured on and allowed to cool, the 
drink will often prove more palatable than water alone. 

Busks, zweiback and pulled bread are forms of toast. Rusks 
and zweiback are made of flour, butter, milk, eggs and sugar, baked 
and dried. Bulled bread consists of the interior only of a new loaf 
from which the crust is stripped, dried and browned in a quick oven, 
and constitutes a suitable form of bread for those whose digestion 
is weak. 

Biscuits and rusks are not likely to become mouldy and 
unwholesome. Biscuits have this further recommendation, that as 
they contain little water, they are, bulk for bulk, more nutritious 
than bread, three-quarters of a pound being about equal to a pound 
of bread. Those made without butter are sometimes not easily 
digested and patients soon tire of them from lack of varietv. 

Wheat biscuits, either sweet or plain, are made of whole wheat 
finely ground for the purpose and are most suitable for those who 
suffer from dyspepsia and constipation. They are not cloying and 
indigestible like brown bread new, nor dry and husky like brown 
bread stale, but are sweet and agreeable to the palate. They mav 
be used either at tea and breakfast or with meat at dinner, as the 
consumer pleases, and in such quantities as may be requisite. 

Biscuit-powder, made from captain’s, or ship’s biscuits, which 
consist of flour and water only, and prepared with milk, can be 



VEGETABLE FOOD. 


515 


sometimes taken by invalids who cannot bear solid food. It is also 
suitable for infants. 

Cracknels are light and easily digested. 

Sponge-cakes are also light and often tempting. They maybe 
soaked in hot milk, as also may rusks and cracknels. 

Muffins and crumpets are very indigestible. 

Gingerbread, when dry, crisp and light, is acceptable to many 
dyspeptics. 

Macaroni and vermicelli are very nutritious, but not easily 
digested on account of the closeness of their texture. 

Semolina is .made from the inner part of the wheat-grain, is 
nourishing and digestible, and is useful for puddings, or to thicken 
soups, broth or milk. 

Oatmeal—Oats, when ground, form a flour which is not so 
white as wheaten flour and when made into bread has a peculiar 
taste, half sweet, half bitter. On account of the large proportion 
of fats and salts contained in them, oats form a very nutritious 
food. AVhen deprived of their covering, oats are known as groats 
or grits; when crushed, they are in the form best adapted for gruel. 
Groats and milk furnish perfect nourishment, even for an adult. 
Oatcake-bread, in large, thin flakes, is a common article of diet in 
Scotland, and in some parts of the north of England. 

Porridge is a hasty pudding of boiled oatmeal. The oatmeal 
should be mixed, at first very thin, in boiling water or milk; while 
boiling, the meal should be sprinkled slowly on the surface and 
stirred in; when enough is added, the whole should simmer for 
half an hour or longer, with an occasional stir. If, however, the 
oatmeal be imperfectly boiled, as when prepared in haste or inten¬ 
tionally unboiled, it is extremely indigestible, and produces obstin¬ 
ate water brash and flatulence; but if well boiled, and eaten slowly 
so as to become thoroughly mixed with saliva, it is most whole¬ 
some. 

Gruel is a similar preparation, taken in a more liquid form. 
It should be boiled until every particle of the meal is cooked. It 
may be made with milk instead of water, or part water and part 
milk, and is generally better if strained, as the straining removes 
the irritating husks of the grain. Gruel appears to have been a 
favorite morning-beverage some two hundred years ago, for water- 
oruel was advertised as always ready at the Marine coffee-house in 
Birchin Lane, Cornhill, London, every morning from six to eleven 
o’clock, where as much as four to five gallons were drunk daily. 
This is a more innocent stimulant than that which finds favor with 
the revelers of the present day. 

In North Germany, oatmeal-soup mixed with fruit is a favorite 
dish the fruit greatly augmenting the nutritious value of the oat¬ 
meal. In Ireland oat meal is mixed with Indian corn-meal, and 
then stirred into boiling water, forming a compound called stirabout. 


516 


VEGETABLE FOOD. 


Whey and milk are often used instead of water. The mixture 
should be well boiled to avoid flatulence. 

Oatmeal in all its forms is somewhat laxative, and often causes 
bowel irritation, especially when not sufficiently cooked. Some 
persons suffer from acidity and eructation when using it. 

Barley is not so much employed as it used to be in the form 
of bread. When it is made up, some wheat flour is mixed with the 
meal to make it less compact and heavy, more spongy and light. 
It is, however, less palatable than wheat bread, less digestible, and 
is scarcely suitable for weak and disordered stomachs. Barley-flour 
is the best eaten in the form of gruel or stirabout, made by grad¬ 
ually sprinkling or stirring the meal into boiling water. The nu¬ 
tritive value of barley-meal is somewhat inferior to that of wheaten 
flour. Barley meal is cheaper than flour and it is almost the cheap¬ 
est article of diet. 

Scotch barley is the grain deprived of its husks. 

Pearl-barley is also the grain deprived of its husks, and 
rounded and polished by attrition. Both are employed to give con¬ 
sistence to broth. 

Patent barley is pearl-barley ground into flour. 

Barley-water is made from pearl-barley, and forms a slightly 
nutritive, bland and demulcent drink for invalids. It is made by 
taking about two ounces of pearl-barley which has been well washed 
in cold water and boiling it in a pint and a half of water for hal^ 
an hour. 

Malt is barley changed in process of manufacture, so that a 
peculiar, active, nitrogenous principle, called diastase , is developed, 
which has the power of converting starch into dextrine aud sugar. 

An infusion of malt is made by boiling four tablespoonfuls of 
ground malt in a pint of water for ten minutes. The liquid is 
poured off, diluted one-half with milk or given pure. It is very 
agreeable and nutritious and is often beneficial in some cases of 
cholera-infantum when other things are rejected. Malt is one of 
the ingredients of Liebig’s Food for Infants. 

Rye is more like wheat than other cereals, in its fitness for 
making bread; but it is not so nutritious as wheaten bread, while its 
color and acidity often render it distasteful to those who can obtain 
wheat hour. It is slightly laxative. 

Indian Corn, or maize, is not well adapted for the manufacture 
of bread on account of its deficiency in gluten unless wheat or rye- 
hour be mixed with it. The meal is cooked by either baking it in 
cakes or by stirring it into boiling water or boiling milk as with 
oat-meal, by which a thick porridge is made. It is commonly 
flavored with salt, butter or molasses. The large proportion of 'fatty 
matter renders it very nutritious. 

Rice is the food of nearly one-third of the human race. The 
best comes from Carolina. It useful as an article of diet, whether 
whole or ground into hour. It, however, requires the addition of 


VEGETABLE FOOD. 


517 


some fat to make up for its deficiency in this ingredient. It should 
he thoroughly cooked whether the grains be ground or remain 
whole. In India, rice is never prepared alone, but always with the 
addition of a certain pulse which abounds in albuminates; ghee 
(butter clarified by boiling) is also largely consumed with it. 
Boiled or baked with milk and egg, as rice pudding, it forms a 
substantial meal and is especially suitable for invalids as it does not 
make great demand on the digestive powers. Bice boiled five or 
ix hours forms, on cooling and after the water has been strained 
off, a jelly which is soluble in warm milk and makes a pleasant 
change of diet. Bice-water is made by washing an ounce of good 
rice in cold water, then steeping it for three hours in a quart of 
water kept at a tepid heat and afterwards boiling it slowly for an 
hour. 

Bice water is very useful as a drink in all irritable states of 
the alimentary tract, as in dysentery and diarrhea. Indeed, it has 
been known to arrest the latter without the employment of any 
medicinal measures. 

Vegetable Food— Dr. Chambers has classified garden pro¬ 
ducts according to the chief purposes they subserve in the animal 
economy. The place of each plant in the class indicates its average 
value; for instance, the potato stands first in value for its starch; 
cabbage as an anti-scorbutic. The classification is useful as indi¬ 
cating what should be eaten or avoided in certain diseases. 

1. Starchy and sugary plants —Potatoes, yams, chestnuts, 
beans, peas, Jerusalem artichokes, carrots, parsnips, beets, salsify, 
turnips. Each of these is a force-giver, but may prove unsuitable 
food in some disordered conditions. 

2. Stimulants —Asparagus, wild onions, artichokes, strong 
onions, garlic, aromatic herbs, mustard, cress, and a few other pun¬ 
gent salad materials. These cause increased secretion of saliva and 
gastric juice, and thus promote the digestion of a larger quantity of 
food than could be otherwise dissolved. 

3. Anti-scorbutics —Cabbages, tomatoes, and salad materials 
in general. These products contribute valuable saline materials to 
the blood; but they should be quite fresh or they will cause indi¬ 
gestion, and must be scrupulously clean, otherwise they will be 
the instruments of introducing parasites into the system. 

4. Diluents —Cabbages, spinach, turnip-tops, winter-greens, 
cauliflower, sorrel, nettle-tops, or any leaves sufficiently palatable to 
eat, soft to swallow, and green when boiled. The chief use of these 
diluents—or perhaps they might as appropriately be called disin- 
tecrrants—appears to be, not to contribute actual nutriment, but by 
be^no- mixed up in the stomach with nitrogenous food, to render 
it more thoroughly open to the action of the digestive secretions, 
and more easily absorbed by the intestinal glands. Though appar¬ 
ently not nutritious in themselves, they make other things 
nutritious. 



518 


VEGETABLE FOOD. 


Peas consumed while yet young without their pods form a 
very delicate and nutritious vegetable if they are so young that their 
skins crack in boiling and are quite tender. Unbroken skins become 
harder the longer they are boiled and are very indigestible. Old 
peas should be treated as dried peas—soaked, stewed and crushed— 
if they are to be rendered palatable and digestible. Dried peas, 
split peas, without skins, if well boiled, are excellent food for 
healthy persons. Peas-bannocks, or cakes made from the meal, are 
a favorite food, with fat and milk, in the southeast of Scotland. 
Peas with fat bacon or butter, have long been a favorite food. 

Nuts —The walnut, hickory, pea-nut and pecan contain oil; so 
also does the hazel-nut, whether the variety be the filbert, cob-nut 
or Barcelona-nut; the Brazil-nut is very rich in oil; the cocoanut 
contains about TO per cent, of a fixed fat, which is extracted and 
used under the name of cocoanut oil or butter. All these nuts 
are highly nutritious on account of the albumen and caseine they 
contain, but they are not easily digested on account of the large 
proportion of fat. They should be taken in extreme moderation at a 
time when the stomach has had some rest and can employ its 
powers for their digestion. They should be very thoroughly mas¬ 
ticated so that the saliva may act freely throughout the mass; they 
may then be taken by those whose digestion is good, but must be 
avoided by invalids. Under exposure to the air the constituent oil 
is liable to turn rancid. 

Almonds are of two kinds. The bitter almond contains ele¬ 
ments which, when brought in contact with water, develops poison¬ 
ous products, and consequently, when employed for flavoring pud¬ 
dings, cakes and liqueurs, has proven injurious and even fatal. The 
sweet almond is not injurious. On account of its irritating quali¬ 
ties the skin should be removed by soaking the almond in warm 
water before the kernel is eaten; this may then be taken by those 
whose digestion is good. If it be baked for a little while it may be 
easily broken and pulverized and thus rendered more digestible. 
Biscuits made of almond-flour have been found useful in diabetes 
and in most cases of defective nutrition, on account of richness 
in nitrogenous and fatty elements. 

Starch is also an important alimentary product, found very 
extensively distributed in the vegetable kingdom. As an article of 
diet it is useful in the formation of fat and force, but is devoid of 
nitrogen. It allays the sense of emptiness and hunger when other 
food cannot be taken. But the granules are covered with a hard 
envelope which renders them difficult of digestion, unless the 
envelope be burst by the action of heat. If they be eaten uncooked, 
they pass through the canal without yielding up their nutritive 
properties. If, however, they be boiled, the envelopes are ruptured 
and the contents are easily transformed, either by the saliva or the 
intestinal juices, into sugar and are thus easily assimilated through 
the mucous membranes. All preparations of starch should there- 


VEGETABLE FOOD, 


519 


fore be cooked before they are eaten, by stirring them into boiling 
water or boiling milk and then letting them simmer for a few 
minutes. If they be prepared with milk instead of water, wine 
should not be added. 

Sago, prepared from the pith of a species of palm, is useful for 
thickening soups and making light puddings which, with the 
addition of milk, form a light and easily digested diet for the 
invalid. 

Tapioca prepared from the root of the cassava, is similarly 
employed and similarly used. 

Tapioca-jelly makes an allowable and pleasant dish. The 
tapioca should be soaked in cold water for several hours and then 
cooked until perfectly clear, adding more water if necessary. When 
done, sweeten to taste and flavor with vanilla, lemon or wine, and 
when cold eat plain or with cream. 

Arrow-root possesses little nutritive value and little sustain¬ 
ing power; its chief merit is that it is bland and easily taken, but 
some other alimentary substance should be added to it. The true 
arrow-roots (Bermuda, Jamaica and West Indian) are to be pre¬ 
ferred for the sick room, for they will often remain on the stomach 
of an invalid when the others will be rejected. 

Potatoes —Of the vegetable products containing a large pro¬ 
portion of water, which makes them succulent, potatoes take the 
lead in importance and dietetic value. 

Potatoes are an agreeable, wholesome article of food, easily 
cultivated, easily kept, easily cooked, not always easily digested, but 
not quickly palling on the taste. They are anti-scorbutic. In this 
quality cabbages take the first place, and all succulent vegetables 
share, but potatoes have repeatedly proven of value in the preven¬ 
tion and cure of scurvy. 

The proportion of starchy constituents is large, and of nitrog¬ 
enous elements small, so that it is desirable to supply the defi¬ 
ciency in nitrogen, by meat, fish, bacon, buttermilk, etc. When 
cooked the heat employed coagulates the albumen, the starch - 
granules absorb the watery particles, swell and burst their cells, and 
thus the mass is broken down into a loose, floury or mealy condition. 
If, however, the absorption be incomplete and rupture of the cells 
imperfect, the mass remains coherent, firm and waxy. In the 
former state the potato may be easily digested ; in the latter it is 
difficult of digestion. Young potatoes being close and firm are 
very indigestible, but old, waxy potatoes are more so. 

" Preparation for the Table —The best method of cooking 
potatoes is by steaming them in the skin; by this process heat pene¬ 
trates everywhere and there is no loss of material and salts. For 
this purpose, a saucepan, one-fourth full of boiling water, is re¬ 
quired, into which a closely fitting steamer is placed containing the 
potatoes, the latter being so packed as to allow a free passage for the 
steam. If the potatoes are boiled, the skins should not be previously 


520 


VEGETABLE FOOD. 


removed, or a large amount of salts will pass out. The addition of 
common table-salt to the water is advantageous, for it helps to re¬ 
tain the natural salts. The boiling should be .thorough, otherwise 
the starchy grains are undigested. From twenty-five to thirty-five 
minutes is the time usually required, according to the kind of 
potato boiled. Potatoes should be served up immediately they are 
cooked, and not, as is too frequently the case, placed over the fire an 
hour or so before meals. Old potatoes are improved by being 
peeled overnight and put into cold water, by which process they 
regain, in a measure, their natural color and consistency. Potatoes 
are rendered more digestible by being finely mashed and mixed 
with a little red gravy as it runs from the cut surface of a joint. 

Roasted potatoes are more nutritious than boiled. Potato 
soup is rendered more nutritious by the addition of peas, and 
potato-food by being mixed with cheese and curds. 

Potatoes are spoiled by germination or growing, and by frost; 
severe frost almost invariably kills them, so that when the thaw 
comes the process of putrefaction immediately sets in. 

Choice of Potatoes —They should be large and firm to the 
touch, should present no evidence of disease or fungi, should not 
have been exposed to frost, neither should they be germinating or 
growing, for then the starch is undergoing a saccharine change. 
Further, when cooked they should not be close, watery or waxy, 
but floury or mealy. 

Jerusalem-artichoke is a vegetable somewhat similar to the 
potato, but does not become mealy when boiled. It is devoid of 
starch, but contains a considerable proportion of sugar; it therefore 
does not become brittle, but is sweeter than the potato. It is not largely 
used as an article of diet, though it has the recommendation that it 
can be kept in the ground through the winter and dug up wdien 
required, without injury from frost. It is not very nutritious nor 
very digestible; it should therefore only be eaten as an occasional 
change on account of the flavor. 

Carrots are apt in some cases to produce flatulence. The less 
they have of the central, yellow part, and the more of the outer, red 
part, the better. Carrot-pap, prepared from the juice of the root 
without the indigestible fibre, has been recommended for scrofulous 
children and adult dyspeptics. 

Parsnips possess the same general character as the carrot. 
Being sweet, they are well adapted for children’s use, but should be 
avoided when old and stringy. 

Turnips contain a very large proportion of water (91 per cent, ac¬ 
cording to Dr. Letheby), are of little nutritive value, and more 
difficult of digestion than carrots or parsnips. Young turnip-tops 
gathered in the spring are often used as “ greens.” 

Radishes are usually eaten raw and often prove indigestible. 

Greens —The leaves, shoots and stems of some plants are val¬ 
uable for food, chiefly on account of the salts thov contain, and 


VEGETABLE FOOD. 


521 


because they give variety to the diet. They should generally be 
grown quickly, in order that woody tibre may be less abundantly 
formed, and without much light, that the characteristic properties 
may not be unduly developed. Green vegetables are always more 
or less relaxing. They are consequently useful when the bowels are 
constipated and must be altogether avoided when diarrhea or dys¬ 
entery is present. They possess a high anti-scorbutic value. In all 
cases they should be eaten as fresh as possible, for with every hour’s 
delay after they have ceased to grow they become less digestible. 
When sprinkled with water after they have been kept, they may 
look well, but never regain their early freshness; hence they often 
ferment in the stomach and cause flatulence. 

Cabbages, cauliflower, etc., are of the same general char- 
acter, but as the proportion of water in their composition is very 
large they are not very nutritive. Moreover they are not easy of 
digestion and therefore not suitable for dyspeptics, while the large 
proportion of sulphur they contain causes disagreeable flatulence. 
Cabbage, however, is a most valuable anti-scorbutic, but if fermen¬ 
tation has begun its virtue is destroyed. The best sorts of cab¬ 
bage are the old, white garden variety and the summer cauliflower. 
They should be soft but crisp before being cooked. 

Sptnach is wholesome, and somewhat laxative. 

Rhubarb is eaten as a fruit rather than as a vegetable, but 
must be cooked in order to render it eatable. As it contains oxa¬ 
late of lime, it should be avoided by those who are subject to 
gravel. 

Celery is sweet and mild when cultivated, and is much ap¬ 
preciated by certain delicate stomachs if eaten in moderation. 
Stewed in beef-gravy it makes a delicious and wholesome soup. 

Green artichoke, which is the flower-head of a species of 
thistle gathered before the flower expands, is a delicate vegetable 
and when boiled till it is quite soft may be eaten freely by invalids. 

Asparagus is a young shoot gathered before it expands. It 
should be eaten as soon as possible after being cut, as it is then 
most wholesome. The greenest heads are to be preferred, as they 
contain the largest amount of the peculiar principles of the plant. 
There need be no fear that they will prove injurious to the kidneys, 
as some*persons suppose. .Rheumatism has been cured by eating 
freely of this plant, and chronic cases of rheumatic gout and gravel 
are often much benefited. 

Onions are very wholesome vegetables, whether eaten raw or 
stewed, or roasted; they are too strong, however, for invalids when 
they have not been cooked, as they possess strongly irritant and 
stimulating properties. They are sufficiently mild and sweet for 
ordinary diet, especially if they are boiled in two or three waters. 
Onions act as anti-scorbutics, and to some as a laxative. 

Leeks should be white, and have little smell; they are then 
soft and good, and very digestible. 


522 


VEGETABLE FOOD 


Lettuce is agreeable, cooling and digestible as a salad; the 
juice is mildly sleep-inducing. 

Water-cress and mustard form wholesome salad. 

Cucumbers are often eaten raw and quite fresh, and are very 
indigestible. 

Squashes and pumpkins contain much water, but little nutri¬ 
ment; they are easily digested. 

Mushrooms, generally eaten after being stewed, sometimes dis¬ 
agree with those who take them; nevertheless to most persons they 
are not injurious, though by dyspeptics they are best avoided, for 
sometimes they cause colic, vomiting and purging. Forced mush¬ 
rooms are sometimes tough and indigestible; those grown in open 
pastures are by far the best. It is not always easy to distinguish 
mushrooms from poisonous fungi, so that some caution is desirable 
in gathering and preparing them for food. A meadow mushroom 
should peel easily and it should be of a clean, pink color inside, 
like a baby’s hand, and have a frill or “ curtain ” (as botanists call 
it), attached to the stalk. When the gills are brown they are grow¬ 
ing old and dry, and losing their nutritive qualities. 

Vegetable broths, made of any of the ordinary market-vege¬ 
tables in season by boiling and straining, are useful as substitutes 
for animal foods when the latter are not allowed. Out of season, 
dried vegetables may sometimes answer the purpose. In prepara¬ 
tion of these, and in all other cookery for the sick, as far as possi¬ 
ble, non-metallic surfaces only should be allowed to come in contact 
with the materials employed. A simple method is to put them 
into an ordinary basin or bowl, placing this in a saucepan of water 
and covering the basin with a saucer. The water in the saucepan 
is made to boil, and thereby the food is duly cooked. 

Fruits are agreeable and refreshing, but as their proportion 
of water is high and of nitrogenous matter low, they are of little 
nutritive value. When taken in moderation they are very whole¬ 
some, counteracting the unhealthy condition which attends a diet of 
dried and salted provisions and promoting a somewhat relaxed state 
of the bowels. Fruit should not be taken, as is the custom, after a 
substantial dinner. It is best eaten in the morning as a lunch, 
with stale bread and a little water. When consumed in large 
quantities fruit is injurious, particularly if it be unripe or oyer-ripe, 
in the former case by the action of the fruit acids, in the latter bv 
fermentation and decomposition. Fruit is very beneficial to gouty 
and rheumatic subjects, because the alkaline vegetable salts become 
decomposed in the system and diminish the acidity of the urine, 
but all patients should avoid acid fruits if there is diarrhea present 
to contra-indicate their use. The seeds of all fruits and vegetables, 
if swallowed, prove more or less irritating to the intestines and in 
inflamed or ulcerated conditions may do irreparable mischief. 

Apples when raw are not easily digested, but when cooked are 
light, digestible and wholesome. Roasted apples are somewhat 


VEGETABLE FOOD. 


523 


laxative and may be eaten to counteract constipation. The skin and 
core should be rejected. 

Pears when ripe are more digestible than apples, but as they 
decay sooner, they are more likely to produce derangement of the 
bowels. If they are sound, juicy and soluble, they may generally 
be taken without danger. 

Oranges are among the most agreeable and useful fruits for 
the sick-room; exceedingly grateful and refreshing, and less 
likely to cause disorder than most other fruits. A heavy orange, 
with a tine thin rind, is usually the most juicy and best adapted for 
the invalid. Old oranges, with many seeds in them, are not so 
valuable. 

The lemon is too acid to be eaten alone, except that its juice is 
grateful, refreshing and beneficial in rheumatic affections; but in 
the form of lemonade it makes a cooling and wholesome drink for 
all occasions. Lemon-juice is very valuable as an anti-scorbutic; 
so also is lime-juice. Lemon is elsewhere recommended as an ad¬ 
dition to tea. 

Plums are less wholesome than most other fruits, though this 
objection to them is lessened by cooking them. They produce colic 
and diarrhea and are employed occasionally to promote relaxation 
in cases of constipation of the bowels. 

Cherries also, when unripe or over-ripe, disorder the bowels. 

Peaches, nectarines and apricots are luscious fruits, when 
quite ripe, yielding a delicious pulp for the refreshment of the in¬ 
valid; the skin should be rejected. 

Grapes are most refreshing, wholesome and nutritious in the 
sick-room, when ripe and not decayed, the skins and seeds being 
rejected. They may be safely taken and if eaten freely are some¬ 
what diuretic and laxative. 

Paisins contain more sugar and less acid than ripe grapes; 
they are consequently more nutritious, but less cooling to the 
parched mouth of a feverish patient. If eaten too freely, especially 
if the skins or seeds be swallowed, they are apt to disorder the 
stomach. Those allowed to dry on the vine are the best, because 
the quality of raisins is determined by their softness and plump¬ 
ness and tiie absence of mites. If these be present, the quantity 
of sugar, which constitutes the value of the fruit, is lessened, and 
instead thereof, feculent remains and carbonic acid are present. 

Gooseberries and currants (red, black and white) are whole¬ 
some, cooling, useful fruits, refreshing and laxative in the sick¬ 
room; but together with raspberries are generally interdicted in 
acute diseases. 

Cranberry, barberry, bilberry and elder-berry are too 
acrid to be eaten raw; the first three are made into preserves, the 
last into wine. 

Strawberries constitute one of the most delicate, luscious 
and refreshing of summer fruits and may as a rule be taken by 


524 - 


vegetable FOOD. 


invalids except when diarrhea is present. The raspberry too is 
agreeable and wholesome. So also is the blackberry when in tine 
condition. The mulberry is more acrid, and very grateful to fever 
patients; but the juice only should be taken. 

The melon is a rich, delicious fruit, but not infrequently dis¬ 
agrees with those whose digestive powers are weak. 

Pine- apple should not be eaten by invalids; the pulp should 
be rejected if the juice be taken. 

Figs are sweet and nourishing; the pulp may be eaten by 
invalids, but if eaten too freely will irritate and disorder the bowels; 
the skin is rather indigestible. 

Tamarinds are cooling and laxative, and when mixed with 
milk to produce tamarind-whey, form an agreeable drink in fevers. 

Of olives, the so-called Spanish are the best, being soft, pulpy 
and oily. Olive-oil is regarded by M. St. Cyr as the most digestible 
of fatty foods, even more so than fresh butter; it should, however, 
be thoroughly good, pale, clear and free from rancid smell to justify 
this estimate. Lucca-oil with its nutty odor is the best. 

Gum is the solidified juice which exudes through the bark of 
trees. Gum-Arabic, which flows from the acacia in Arabia, 
Egypt, etc., is what is usually employed in the preparation of 
drinks. In its preparation clear gum should be selected, washed in 
cold water and then slowly dissolved in cold water. When made of 
the powdered article or with hot water the flavor is less agreeable. 
When flavored with a little sugar it is a refreshing and nourishing 
beverage for invalids. Mucilage differs from gum-water in con 
taining a larger proportion of gum. It is admirably adapted for 
use in inflammation of the mucous membranes generally, as in 
catarrh, bronchitis, etc. 

Sugar is an important alimentary product, chiefly found in 
the vegetable kingdom. It also exists in the animal economy, and 
is there known as the sugar-of-milk. The vegetable sugar exists 
chiefly in two varieties—cane-sugar and grape-sugar. Cane-sugar is 
very sweet, and chrystallizes easily and though usually extracted from 
the cane is also obtained from the beet and is found in other vegetable 
forms. Grape-sugar, or glucose, is inferior in sweetness and chrys- 
tallizing power and abounds in grapes and other fruits and veget¬ 
ables. It may also be obtained by chemical change from cane-sugar, 
starch, gum, etc. It is chiefly used to adulterate cane-sugar. Sugar 
is valuable from a dietetic point of view, not only as rendering 
more palatable many articles of food, but also as productive of fat 
and force. As it is readily dissolved and diffused, it requires no 
preliminary digestion in order that it may be absorbed through the 
mucous membranes. In ordinary cases it does not, therefore, 
occasion any gastric derangement; but when taken in excess, or by 
some dyspeptics, it is liable to undergo acid fermentation and 
occasion acidity and flatulence. Sugar-of-milk, however, does not 
undergo this change. Coarse, brown sugar always contains dirt, 


VEGETABLE FOOD. 


525 


sand and occasionally mites; indeed, from handling it grocers get 
psoriasis jpalmarum , or grocer’s itch, a very troublesome skin- 
affection. Loaf-sugar and sugar candy are the most free from 
adulteration. It should be borne in mind that sweetened food is 
apt soon to cloy the appetite of invalids and that attention must be 
directed to what is savory to secure agreeable change. 

Molasses is the uncrystallized residue drained from refined 
and raw sugar. 

Golden sirup is molasses purified by being reboiled and 
filtered through animal charcoal. If largely taken, these products 
are laxative. They are appropriately taken with all kinds of 
farinaceous food, such as bread-pudding, porridge, etc. 

Honey is a concentrated sugar mixed with odorous, coloring, 
gummy and waxy matters, gathered from flowers by the bee for its 
own consumption, but undergoing some modification by the secre¬ 
tions of the insect. It is of the same dietetic value as sugar, is 
slightly laxative and is often used in the sick-room as a demulcent 
and emollient. 

Manna is the solidified juice of some species of ash, containing 
a peculiar saccharine principle—sweet, odorless, crystallizable, white 
—but differing from sugar in that it does not undergo alcoholic 
fermentation when brought into contact with yeast. It is nutri¬ 
tive but is chiefly used as a mild, safe laxative. 

Condiments —Such condiments as vinegar, salt and pepper 
make food more tempting to the palate, stimulate a flagging appe¬ 
tite and sometimes create an unnatural one. The constant presence 
of salt in the secretions and in the blood indicate its importance as 
a food. This is evident in the instinctive desire of animals and 
man, craving for it when it is not supplied in sufficient quantity. 
It is essential to the maintenance of health, and must not be forgot¬ 
ten in the diet of the invalid. Pepper, mustard, horse-radish, gin¬ 
ger, allspice and nutmeg, etc., are constantly mixed up with food, 
and there is scarcely a dish which does not contain more or less of 
these substances. Cooks cannot leave each individual to season his 
food as he may prefer. 

Many cases of dyspepsia and chronic inflammation of the 
stomach are caused by condiments. When taken in immoderate 
quantities, they cause an unnatural flow of the blood to the stomach, 
which increases the secretion of the gastric juice. This produces 
an excessive appetite, and the individual eats more than the system 
requires and more than the stomach can digest. This undigested 
food becomes a foreign body which causes diarrhea and various 
other stomach and bowel derangements. Parents have not the 
right to expect that their children will grow up temperate, virtuous 
and good—to say nothing of their physical health—when they are 
permitted abuse of this kind of food. Condiments render plain and 
wholesome food insipid, by destroying the natural acuteness of the 
taste. Pies, as well as many other articles of food, filled with these 


526 


LIQUIDS. 


substances, are far inferior to those without them, except it be to 
those whose tastes are perverted and unnatural. 

All alkalies, except such as are naturally contained in food, 
should be avoided during health, for they impair the power of the 
stomach to digest the food, by destroying or neutralizing the 
natural acidity of the gastric juice, without which digestion cannot 
be performed. 

Acids are less objectionable than alkalies, but if used at all, 
should be used very moderately, except in certain states of the 
system, as in scurvy, when vegetable acids are very beneficial. 
Vinegar should be used, if at all, very sparingly. 


LIQUIDS. 

Water —There is no beverage so wholesome, or to the unper¬ 
verted taste so agreeable, as pure water, the natural drink of man, 
which may always be taken in moderation when thirst is present. 
In some form or other it is essential to life. Water is requisite in 
many functions of the animal economy; for example, it favors 
digestion by promoting the solution of our food and acts as a vehicle 
to convey the more dense and less fluid substances from the stomach 
to their destination in the body. It gives fluidity to the blood, 
holding in suspension or solution the red globules, fibrin, albumen 
and all the various substances which enter the different structures; 
for the whole body is formed from the blood. Not only the soft 
parts of the body but even the very materials of the bones have at 
one time flowed in the current of the blood. Water enters into the 
composition of the tissues of the body, lubricates those tissues and 
forms a necessary part of our bodily structure. It equalizes the 
the temperature of the body by evaporation and regulates the chemi¬ 
cal changes resulting from nutrition and decay. It is the vehicle 
for the removal of effete products from the body; increased water¬ 
drinking causes increased flow of urine and thereby facilitates the 
excretion of solid particles. In this way some of the impurities 
which cause gout, gravel, etc., may be eliminated. How essential 
water is for the development and maintenance of the animal body 
is shown by the fact that a human body, weighing 154 lbs., con¬ 
tains 111 lbs. of water. A man of adult age, average size and 
ordinary employment, requires from three to four pints of liquid to 
drink in the twenty-four hours. Such facts suggest the necessity 
for obtaining pure water, and taking it unpolluted by animal and 
mineral ingredients. Notwithstanding, where strict chemical purity 
and an unlimited supply of water cannot both be secured, the latter 
should be regarded as of the greater importance. 

It had been supposed that water should not be taken with meals, 
lest it should lessen the digestive power of the gastric juice by 
diluting it. But the later view is that, while as the fluid is 



LIQUIDS. 


527 


rapidly absorbed, what is taken at the meal may facilitate the 
secretion of the gastric juice at the time it is required, an excessive 
quantity must be avoided. But where persons are exposed to great 
heat and are obliged to work with violent exercise, large quantities 
may be taken; and then nothing is better than simple water, the 
purer and softer the better, unless a little oatmeal be added. 

Water is the same substance, from whatever source it is 
derived, whether from seas, lakes or rivers. When allusion is made 
to differences between waters, it is really to various bodies mingled 
with the water. Thus a water-analysis really means an analysis of 
the foreign bodies held in suspension by the water. These foreign 
matters are exceedingly small in all drinking-waters, but in sea¬ 
water there is about one part of solid substance to thirty parts of 
water. In common waters there are only about 16 to 20 grains in 
70,000 grains, or a gallon of water. Common salt is dissolved in 
three or four times its quantity of water; but carbonate of lime is 
not dissolved in less tli^n 20,000 times its quantity. Salt occurs 
more or less in every drinking water, and is undoubtedly wholesome, 
but inasmuch as sewage is highly charged with salt, any water in 
which there is an excess is to be regarded with very great suspicion. 
Many of the worst wells in cities have been resorted to by the public 
and highly valued on account of their slight flavor of salt; the water 
was, however, prejudicial to health. Thirty grains of salt to a gallon 
of water improve it considerably for drinking purposes. The excel¬ 
lences of water are purity, softness, the presence of air and carbonic 
acid to give freshness, and of salt to make it tasteless, and to pre¬ 
vent its ready contamination by lead. 

Water is sometimes soft and sometimes hard, according to the 
appearance or non-appearance of soap bubbles when washing. 
Generally speaking, the difference depends upon the carbonate of 
lime held in solution; until this is exhausted soap-bubbles or lather 
cannot be produced. There are degrees of hardness; thus a water is 
said to have six degrees when a gallon consumes as much soap as 
will combine with six grains of carbonate of lime. Hardness is due 
to the presence of magnesia as well as lime. Carbonate of lime in 
small proportion in drinking-water is not injurious to most persons, 
since it is assimilated and aids in the formation of the phosphate of 
lime in bones; it is therefore useful for rickety children. Hard 
waters, however, are not only unpleasant in use and harsh to the 
skin, but have a tendency to dry up the mucous membranes just as 
tliev do the skin; hence they may arrest the digestion and cause 
gout, stone, gravel and goiter in districts where they are habitually 
taken. Persons may thus suffer from drinking the waters of a dis¬ 
trict; and on the other hand, if they have been accustomed to use a 
water which contains a large proportion of carbonate of lime, they 
may lose their health by drinking soft water. Attention should 
therefore be paid to the quality of the water of a district by persons 
selecting a residence; they may go where the water would be preju- 


528 


LIQUIDS. 


dicial because it is too hard, or because it is too soft; and they may 
relieve their ailments simply by removing to a neighborhood where 
they can drink a different water. 

Water now and then contains metals like iron, lead and copper. 
It ought not to be drunk if there be more than one-tenth of a grain 
of iron or copper in a gallon of water. A very minute proportion 
of lead is injurious. 

Rain-water is soft, and naturallv contains the smallest amount 

' i/ 

of solid impurity; but unless carefully collected in specially clean 
vessels in the open country, and then covered, it is likely to become 
impure. If the atmosphere be impregnated with smoke from 
crowded dwellings or fumes from chemical and other factories, it can¬ 
not be relied on for purity. If, however, it fall through a pure 
atmosphere it may be contaminated with what has accumulated on 
housetops and in water-pipes, and if collected from the roofs of 
houses and stored in underground tanks, is often polluted to a dan¬ 
gerous extent. It is therefore rarely in a fit state for drinking, 
though it may be very useful for domestic purposes. Its freedom 
from earthy salts, moreover, renders it liable to contamination from 
leaden pipes if it should be brought through them. But so beneficial 
are its effects upon the skin, that an exclusive use of rain-water for 
washing would greatly modify, if not entire remoVe many skin- 
diseases. 

Spring-water is rain-water which has percolated through the 
earth, and acquired saline elements from the soil through which it 
has passed. Chalybeate and other mineral waters are thus charged 
and to such a degree as to render them unsuitable for ordinary 
drinking or culinary purposes. They should be' taken only when 
prescribed as medical agents. 

It is a fallacy to suppose that surface-well water is purer than 
that obtained from deep wells, because it is more sparkling and often 
cooler and clearer. The sparkling of these waters is due to the 
presence of carbonic-acid gas, and that acid is derived from the de¬ 
composition of animal and vegetable substances. 

Well-water is collected spring-water. If the well be deep, 
and there is no leakage into it from some higher layer of soil, or 
from some neighboring decaying animal or vegetable matters, it 
usually affords a safe and wholesome drink. Some of the purest 
water is obtained from deep wells. Of the different varieties of drink¬ 
able water the best for dietetic purposes are deep spring and well- 
waters. Superficial well-water, however clear, bright and tasteless, 
should be regarded with suspicion, for it is frequently saturated with 
leakage or soakage from privies, drains or cesspools, often covered up 
and unknown. Water collected from uncultivated land and allowed 
to subside in reservoirs, or filtered through sand, constitutes good 
water for domestic purposes; but water collected from the surface 
or drains of cultivated land is always more or less polluted with 
organic matter, even after subsidence in lakes or reservoirs and 


LIQUIDS. 


529 


hence it is not good for drinking purposes, unless it be thoroughly 
hltered before being used. 

River-water is partly rain-water and partly spring-water, 
subject to impurity from the soil and from decaying vegetable and 
animal matters, and therefore only useful to a limited extent. The 
flow of the stream and the absorbing influence of vegetation tend 
to purify the water by oxydation. 

Distilled water is pure, but insipid from its lack of air; its 
softness makes it easily susceptible to the action of lead; but it is 
excellent for making tea or other infusions. 

Water may be impure from an excess of saline ingredients, 
from the presence of organic impurities, or from contamination 
with lead. The chief danger to health is from organic impurity. 
Cholera and typhoid fever have been traced to drinking impure 
water. Lead contaminates pure water, but if there be a moderate 
quantity of earthy salts in the water they form an insoluble 
incrustation in the pipes, which is protective. 

It is most important that the receptacles for water—tanks 
and cisterns—should be carefully examined and thoroughly cleansed 
at regular seasons, especially after a time of drought and before 
the approach of winter. Much mischief is often done and disease 
induced by allowing cisterns to All up after they have been dry or 
the water in them low; the quantity of sediment and filth is fre¬ 
quently very great and if not carefully removed becomes mingled 
with every fresh influx of water, and thus diphtheria, typhoid fever 
and other blood diseases may be set up. The deleterious conse¬ 
quences that ensue from neglect of this duty are often alarming, 
although the source of the evil be unsuspected. Boiling water 
removes some of the salts from hard water, and destroys the activity 
of any organic impurities. Filtration, especially through charcoal, 
also purifies the water by removing organic matters, but it is not to 
be relied upon. The filter must be frequently cleansed. 

Water may be administered to patients at any temperature that 
may be desired, but if very cold the quantity should be very small, 
for in some diseases it is undesirable to lower the temperature of the 
internal organs. If the stomach is in such an irritable state that no 
liquid can be tolerated, the thirst may be partially allayed by suck¬ 
ing small pieces of ice; but where ice is substituted for water its 
use must be constant, because ice tends to increase thirst rather than 
allay it; hence the desire for drink is imperfectly satisfied, so that 
where water can be borne ice should not be given. Moreover, the 
reactionary effects of its continued use are not beneficial. When 
ice cannot be procured, water may be cooled in a porous water-jar. 

Ice is a valuable medical agent, and is now extensively used both 
internally and externally, chiefly to check hemorrhage, to moderate 
inflammation, and to soothe uneasy sensations in febrile and other 
disorders. In inflammation of the brain or its membranes, and in 
the severe headache of the early stages of acute fevers, it is most 

34 


530 


LIQUIDS. 


useful applied in small pieces enclosed in a bladder or India-rubber 
bag, in the form of a cap fitted to the head. 

To relieve the severe pain and vomiting in cases of ulcer or 
cancer of the stomach a bag containing small fragments of ice 
should be laid on the stomach. 

In inflammation of the tonsils, the sore throat of scarlatina and 
other eruptive fevers and in diphtheria, the use of ice relieves pain 
and arrests inflammation. Ice also modifies the secretions from the 
throat and so obviates frequent painful efforts to detach the mucus 
from the crypts and follicles of the tonsils. For these purposes 
small pieces should be sucked repeatedly. 

In hemorrhages, ice is extremely valuable. In bleeding from 
the mouth, throat or nostrils, ice applied directly to the bleeding 
vessels or to the surface forms an efficient means of relief. When 
hemorrhage comes from the stomach or lungs, ice should be repeat¬ 
edly swallowed in small pieces, for so taken it will help to contract 
the leaking blood-vessels. 

The use of ice internally should be avoided after the fatigue 
brought on bv long-continued or violent exercise; it is then too 
lowering to the system, and instead of allowing a patient to cool 
gradually it gives a sudden check to animal heat and to perspira¬ 
tion. Drinking iced water under these conditions is even still more 
hurtful to the system. 

“ To allay local inflammation or check hemorrhages from the 
surface, ice broken into small pieces should be enclosed in a bladder 
or thin India-rubber bag. When one-third filled, the air should be 
squeezed out of the bag, which should then be tied at its mouth on 
an inserted cork, so large and long as to bear the tight pressure of 
the twine. The bag may then be made into almost any shape, and 
fitted to the irregularities of the body.”— Ringer. 

Ice is forbidden in conditions such as the following: Old age, 
especially in feeble patients; apoplexy and insensibility in persons 
with a feeble pulse; advanced stages of disease; extreme feebleness. 
In such cases the great sedative powers of ice might overwhelm the 
patient and stop the action of the enfeebled heart. It is also ad¬ 
visable to avoid too great a shock to the system in any case. 

Ice often contains impurities and should never be taken from 
stagnant pools. 

Tea affords no direct nutriment; the sugar and cream or milk 
usually taken with it yield the nutritious elements, but though 
yielding no absolute aliment it retards the waste of tissues. When 
consumed in large quantities tea acts prejudicially on the nervous 
system; it then promotes nervous agitation, muscular tremors, pros¬ 
tration and palpitation; it may also cause nausea, derangement of 
the stomach and abdominal pains. Green tea is stronger than black, 
possesses more active properties and is therefore to be used with 
more caution. Both kinds, when adulterated, are more or less in¬ 
jurious. 


LIQUIDS. 


531 


Tea is hurtful: 1, to those of spare habit and the under-fed ; 
2, to the young who are provided with the full amount of vital 
activity; 3, to those who perspire too freely; 4, early in the day, for 
it is then apt to increase tissue-waste; 5, to nervous or hysterical 
subjects, or those with weak hearts. 

On the other hand, it is frequently not injurious: 1, for the 
over-fed and sedentary, for they require increased vital action; 2, 
for the old, whose vital activity is deficient; 3, for those who have a 
non-perspiring skin; 4, during the after part of the day when the 
system is full of partly digested food, for then the process of diges¬ 
tion requires to be quickened; 5, during excessive heat, in order to 
relax the skin and relieve internal congestion; 6, for those whose ner¬ 
vous systems are firmly braced up. 

As commonly prepared, tea is often the cause of much dyspep¬ 
sia, particularly when drunk in excessive quantities or too frequently, 
that is as a rule more than once a day. In some nervous and gas¬ 
tric disorders, tea and other hot beverages are better discontinued, 
at least for a time. In this way intractable cases have often been 
cured. Dyspeptics suffering from flatulent indigestion should take 
tea in very moderate quantities only, as an excess of fluid increases 
the gaseous distention of the abdomen. Feeble patients often drink 
tea at every meal and much ill health is the consequence. Tea 
should not be taken if it cause loss of appetite, palpitation of the 
heart, mental excitement or sleeplessness. Tea should never be 
given to children. The common practice of adding a small quan¬ 
tity to milk and water begets a relish for it, leading to its use at an 
age when the nervous and muscular systems require no such aid. 
Tea taken with animal food is more liable to produce indiges¬ 
tion than when the meal consists chiefly of bread and butter. 

In the preparation of tea three principles are extracted: One 
aromatic {oil ); another nitrogenous (i theine ); the other astringent 
and bitter {tannin). The last, the cause of gastric disorder, is only 
given off after prolonged infusion, whereas the aromatic oil and 
theine are completely extracted in about two minutes. Hence to 
make tea, especially for the dyspeptic, it should be made by pouring 
on the leaves boiling water (not water that has boiled), and allowing 
it to stand for two minutes. It may then be poured off into a heated 
teapot so as to separate it from the leaves. Thus prepared, tea is 
not so likely to cause flatulence. If the tea be good the infusion 
will be fragrant, not very deep in color, nor harsh or bitter to the 
taste. The leaves should not be -boiled, or otherwise the peculiar, 
volatile, aromatic principle is dissipated, nor for the same reason 
should the infusion stand long; in this case also too much rough¬ 
ness and bitterness are added to the flavor by the extraction of 
tannin. This tannin, though it makes the tea look strong, is worse 
than useless, since it renders the food taken with the tea insoluble 
and indigestible. In an ordinary infusion the first cup of tea is also 
best, having more of the choice flavor and aroma and less of the as- 


532 


LIQUIDS. 


tringeney and color. River-water makes the best tea; soft water is 
to be preferred to hard; but soda should not be used, for it only 
extracts the astringent tannin. The water should only boil once, 
immediately before using it, and not for hours, as is sometimes the 
case; the teapot should be quite dry as well as hot when the leaves 
are put into it, and the infusion, as before stated, not allowed to ex¬ 
ceed two minutes. Teapots which retain the heat are better than 
those that allow it to pass off readily; hence black earthenware tea¬ 
pots should not be used; white glazed earthenware or porcelain, are 
suitable; but brightly polished silver teapots are the best, for they 
radiate much less heat than any other material. 

The Chinese drink their tea without any admixture; the Rus¬ 
sians add lemon-juice; the English, sugar and cream or milk. 

The use of sugar in tea. —Only a small quantity of tea should 
be used by persons who have a tendency to become corpulent. 
According to some tastes, the flavor of tea is improved by substitut¬ 
ing lemon for cream or milk—pouring out the hot tea over a slice 
of lemon cut with the rind upon it. Besides being more palatable, 
the lemon-juice more effectually allays thirst, and is especially 
valuable at those seasons of the year when fruits and fresh vegetables 
are not generally to be obtained. 

Dr. Chambers says: The best tea is that which is pleasantest 

to the taste of the educated customer, and which contains most of 
the characteristic sedative principles. The sedative principles in 
the leaf consist of an essential oil, which may be smelt strongest in 
the finest teas, weakest in the inferior sorts, entirely absent in 
fictitious teas; and of the alkaloid theine, which may be demon¬ 
strated by heating some tea, dry, in a silver pot, when the salt will 
appear as a white bloom on the metal. If there is any bouquet at 
all, or any theine at all in the specimen examined it is worth some¬ 
thing. The shortest way to test the comparative value of different 
specimens is to put a teaspoonful of each in one of the little china 
teapots or cups w T ith covers, here used as ornaments, but originally 
intended for this very purpose, which has been previously made 
quite hot; shake the tea about in the hot pot a few seconds and then 
pour on, quite boiling, a small half-cup of water on each. Cover 
them up quickly and let them stand by the fire about a minute. 
Taste them immediately, without milk or sugar, and choose that 
which has most aroma.” 

Coffee contains the same principle as tea and has an analo¬ 
gous influence on the system. It is, however, more heating and 
stimulating, heavier and more oppressive to the digestive organs 
and decidedly increases the force and frequency of the pulse. Its 
effect upon the mental faculties, quickening their energies and caus¬ 
ing wakefulness, is not so marked as in the use of tea. It, however, 
relieves hunger and fatigue. It appears to have a staying power, 
lessening the amount of waste and thus economizing other food. It is 
laxative to some and constipating to others, and is serviceable in 


LIQUIDS. 


533 


warming the body in cold weather; it is also cooling in warm 
weather by stimulating the action of the skin, though not so much 
so as tea. It has been found beneficial to those weary from travel¬ 
ing in the heat and suffering from want of food, also in diarrhea 
from overwork with anxiety. If taken in excess it produces fever¬ 
ishness, palpitation, anxiety, deranged vision, headache, wakefulness 
and nervous excitement. Taken on an empty stomach it often 
causes stomach catarrh. It relieves headache, soothes nervous 
excitability and when given strong counteracts the effect of alcohol 
and of opium. 

For ordinary dietetic purposes it is advantageous to make both 
an infusion and a decoction. The infusion, made by pouring boil¬ 
ing water on the recently ground coffee, extracts the volatile arom¬ 
atic principle: the subsequent boiling of what has been infused 
extracts the remaining ingredients; this decoction free from grounds 
when poured in a boiling state over the freshly ground coffee, takes 
up the aroma; a decoction can be made of the grounds from which 
the aromatic principle has thus been removed. Soft water acts as 
an extractive better than hard. A most important point in making 
good coffee is to use a sufficient quantity of the powder. The mini¬ 
mum that should be allowed is 1J ozs. to a pint of water. The cafe 
noir of the French contains a larger proportion than this. Cafe au 
lait consists of a decoction of strong coffee, to which an equal quan¬ 
tity of hot milk is added. It is especially necessary to remember 
that the full qualities of coffee are not obtained if water is used at a 
temperature lower than that of the boiling-point. The particles of 
ground coffee are often found suspended in the liquid and isinglass 
or white of egg is sometimes used to refine it. Nothing, however, 
is required beyond pouring a cupful out and returning it to the pot 
to effect the necessary clearing. 

The addition of boiling milk, in the proportion of one-fourth 
part, adds greatly to the flavor and virtue of the coffee. Lastly, 
when coffee is taken daily, an enameled saucepan should be used 
for this purpose exclusively. 

In the choice of coffee, the best is from Guatemala (said to be 
from Mocha), in the form of small, round beans. In the preparation 
of it, the best plan is to purchase the beans whole, with the aroma 
still clinging to them, roast them, grind them and add chicory to 
taste. When made, the coffee should not be kept boiling or the 
aromatic oil will be lost. After securing a proper quality of coffee- 
beans, the next very important object is to know that the process of 
roasting, on which the agreeable flavor of coffee very much depends, 
has been properly done. If roasted too little, the oil and burnt- 
smell constituents are not developed, or on the other hand, if done 
too much, they may be destroyed. Dr. E. Lankester states that 
coffee-beans, when roasted, may have three degrees of shade—red¬ 
dish-brown, chestnut-brown and dark-brown, and when a full-flavored 
coffee is preferred probably the darkest is the best. After roasting, 


534 


DIET FOR BRIGHT’S DISEASE. 

coffee should not be kept long before it is ground. This is usually 
done in a coffee-mill; or it is pounded in a mortar. In either case 
the mill or mortar should be used for no other purpose, as coffee 
has a marked tendency to absorb other odors and thus to acquire a 
flavor not its own. When ground it should be used as soon as pos¬ 
sible, for in this state it rapidly gives off its volatile oil. The best 
method for keeping it for a short time is in a clean, accurately 
stoppered bottle. Lead or tinfoil covering does not so effectually 
retain the virtues of the ground coffee. 

Chicory yields a drink closely allied in flavor and color to 
coffee, and is largely used in Europe. In this country it is mixed 
with coffee for economical reasons. It contains no alkaloid and has 
no nutritive value; 

Cocoa is distinguished from tea and coffee by the large 
amount of nutriment it contains. It is indeed, a food rather than a 
refreshing beverage. Of albuminous matters it contains about 
twenty per cent., and of fatty matters about fifty per cent., before 
it has been subjected to the process of manufacture. The essen¬ 
tial principle also contains much nitrogen. The fat—known as 
cocoa butter—has this excellence, that it does not become rancid 
after exposure to air. But the large proportion in which this exists 
renders cocoa heavy and oppressive to a weak stomach, and thus 
unsuitable to the dyspeptic or bilious. Its nutritive value strongly 
recommends it for general use. 


DIET FOR ALL DISEASES. 

Many patients have lost their lives by the use of improper 
food, in typhoid fever, dysentery, flux, inflammation of the stomach 
and bowels, and other diseases, while there are others wherein cures 
have been prevented or retarded from the same cause. It is there¬ 
fore deemed important to append an article here giving directions 
how food should be prepared for all diseases. 


DIET FOR BRIGHT’S DISEASE. 

The function of the kidneys is to eliminate from the blood 
products that are useless in the changes and assimilation of food, 
and materials that have become effete in the disintegration of the 
tissues, i. e., the waste matters of the body that do not pass 
through the intestinal canal or the skin. If these were allowed 
to remain in the blood they would poison it and produce death. 
When eliminated they constitute urea and pass off in the urine; 
when retained they cause uremic poisoning. If the kidneys are in 
an unhealthy condition, as in Bright’s Disease, the urea is not eli¬ 
minated. Now the amount of urinary matter to be thus eliminated 




DIET FOR BALDNESS. 


535 


obviously depends very largely on the nature of the food. Fatty, 
starchy and saccharine matters throw no work upon the kidneys; 
# their products, carbonic acid and water, pass off through the lungs 
and skin. On the other hand nitrogenous food undergoes such a 
change in the system as to lead to the production of urea, and thus 
throws much work upon the kidneys. An animal diet which 
is the richest in nitrogenous matter yields double the amount of urea 
voided from a vegetable diet. The inference from this is that when 
the kidneys are diseased, the less they have to do the better, and 
consecpiently the less should be the amount of nitrogenous food. 
Hence in Bright’s disease only very digestible animal food should 
be taken and that only in small cpiantities, while vegetable food 
should preponderate. How, although there is considerable difficulty 
in persuading those who are thus suffering to persist in a system¬ 
atic milk-diet, yet it offers the best chance for arresting the disorder. 
Schmidt savs he has obtained the most brilliant results from an 
exclusively milk-diet when all other treatment failed. It may be 
given cold or tepid, and from half a pint to a pint at a time. An 
adult will sometimes take as much as a gallon in the twenty-four 
hours. But in addition to a limitation of the nitrogenous supply 
which will be converted into urea, it is important to facilitate 
the removal of what exists in the blood as the result of disintegration 
of tissues. This effete matter fouls the blood. Hence the necessity 
for a copious use of water and watery drinks, which flow out 
readily by the kidneys, carrying with them such of the waste as 
may be soluble in water. This dilution will relieve the kidneys. 
The drinking of water is also the best means of preventing and re¬ 
lieving the dropsy which usually attends this disease. Alcoholic 
drinks are decidedly harmful. Alcohol is removed from the sys¬ 
tem by the kidneys; if then the ordinary means of excretion be 
ineffective the alcohol remains and produces insensibility, and if it 
be partially eliminated excessive labor is needlessly and injuriously 
thrown upon the diseased glands. For Bright’s disease, then, the 
most suitable diet is a preponderance of vegetables, abundance of 
water, abstinence from alcohol. 


DIET FOR BALDNESS. 

As the cause of this malady is undoubtedly exhausted nutri¬ 
tion, we must turn our attention to the restoration of the nutritive 
functions as the first step towards its cure. Abstinence from all 
stimulants is an important feature in the diet, for it is a fact that 
reparative power, especially in baldness, is encouraged by total sus¬ 
pension of wine, beer, etc., good wholesome food taking their place. 
Fat is essential, it being the great nerve restorer, besides supplying 
the scalp with the lacking material; it may be taken in the form of 
butter, cream, cheese (if it can be digested), cod-liver oil and milk; 



536 


DIET *0R CHOLERA. 


should the latter be found too heavy, it may be taken in the form 
of cafe au lait. Bacon for breakfast is also useful, its value con¬ 
sisting in the quantity of fat which it contains in a compact form, 
and when broiled in slices, which secures thorough cooking, it rarely 
disagrees even with the most delicate stomach. The lean portions 
are of less value, and when too highly cured, bacon becomes less 
amenable to the gastric juices. 

Stimulation to the scalp is also useful. Local applications of 
wool-fat, well rubbed in, will be found decidedly beneficial. 

When hair begins to grow again after failure, it is soft and 
downy, like an infant’s; it is well, therefore, to strengthen it by 
shaving; hence Dr. Godfrey’s advice, “It is a good plan to mow 
the cranial lawns once a fortnight until stubble takes the place of 
down.” 


DIET FOR CHOLERA. 

During* Prevalence— Whenever cholera is epidemic it be¬ 
hooves all persons to be very careful of their health, to be scrupu¬ 
lous about sanitary and hygienic matters, and to take only whole¬ 
some and suitable food. Every one should abstain from any article 
of food (whether animal or vegetable) which may have previously 
disordered his stomach, no matter how nutritious, digestible or safe 
to others, and avoid all manner of excess in eating and drinking. 
A light, unstimulating diet should be taken, but food difficult of 
digestion eschewed—such as pickled salmon, lobsters, raw vegeta¬ 
bles, sour and unripe fruits, cucumber, salads, pickles, etc. Whole¬ 
some varieties of ripe fruits, whether in their natural or cooked 
state, and vegetables plainly cooked may be taken in moderation by 
those with whom they agree. Water for all domestic purposes 
should be boiled and allowed to cool; drinking-water ought to be 
filtered as well as boiled, as it is quite possible it may hold in solu 
tion the material poison of cholera which would be destroyed by 
boiling and filtering. Late suppers are unsafe, for if a person is 
overtaken by the disease in the middle of the night with a full 
stomach the case is generally a serious one. 

During* Attack In every case of cholera complete abstin 
ence from even the very lightest kind of aliment should be inexor¬ 
ably enforced from the moment that the nature of the disease is 
ascertained till convalescence has become decided; in the observance 
of this rule consists the. very essence of successful treatment. The 
plan of complete abstinence from food has not invariably been 
adopted by all ranks of the medical profession, and this may ac¬ 
count to some extent for the excessive mortality from cholera dur¬ 
ing some epidemics. Relapse, with alarming effects, has followed 
from the administration of a little beef-tea or brandy and water, or 
milk and water. When favorable reaction has begun, brandy, beef- 



DIET FOR CONSTIFATION. 


537 


tea,, arrow-root or other nourishment, instead of stimulating the 
patient back to health, will only arrest reaction and send him back 
to death. It is egregious folly to attempt to force the exhausted 
alimentary organs to perform a physical impossibility, viz., prema¬ 
turely digest food. None is required and stimulants are worse than 
useless. Ice may be given freely, to be dissolved in the mouth or 
swallowed; iced water is also refreshing; enemas of warm milk often 
repeated are beneficial. When the favorable symptoms are decided, 
farinaceous preparations may be given, but only in small quantities. 
In due time broths and soups may follow, but great care must be 
taken not to arrest recovery by injudicious feeding. 


DIET FOR CONSTIPATION. 

By constipation is meant the condition due to a collection or 
impaction of excrement in the rectum—the residuum of the various 
processes concerned in the nourishment of the body—occasioning 
irregularity in the evacuations from the bowels, increase in their 
consistence and often a sense of fullness and tension in the bowels 
and surrounding parts. It is that which is consequent on the im¬ 
perfect discharge of intestinal function, which attends derangement 
of the whole system, and not of the intestinal canal alone. 

In very many cases costiveness depends on some faulty habit 
in the patient the regulation of which will probably suffice to re¬ 
move the inconvenience. Sedentary habits, drinking too much 
astringent wine, such as port or Burgundy, or black tea, dissipation, 
the exclusive use of white bread, taking food too dry and destitute 
of succulent vegetables, neglect of the calls of nature and the habit¬ 
ual use of aperient medicine, are faults which induce constipation. 
If these be corrected the disorder w T ill generally disappear. But 
more precise information may be given with regard to food, for 
costiveness may to a great extent be treated by judicious dieting of 
the patient. 

All superfluous food that has* the property of solidifying the 
excretions and arresting evacuation must be relinquished. Meals 
should be taken with regularity three times a day; animal food eaten 
sparingly; succulent, juicy vegetables and ripe fruits freely. As a 
rule persons eat too much and too often. If the stomach be over¬ 
loaded the food will be imperfectly digested; there will consequently 
be a larger quantity of feces and thus the bowels will be overloaded 
also. Franklin’s rule, “to leave off with an appetite,” is a good 
one. By doing this, in ten minutes the appetite will have departed. 
Coarse, Scotch oatmeal-porridge, made in the Scotch way, by add¬ 
ing the meal gradually to the water till thick enough, and eaten 
with molasses, should form part of the breakfast. Brown bread 
should be preferred to white. It should not be eaten new; it may 
be taken for a fortnight at a time, and then temporarily changed 



538 


DIET FOK CONSUMPTION. 


for white bread known to be free from alum. If brown bread be 
not eaten exclusively, a little should be taken with every meal; its 
effects will thus be more uniformly distributed through the alimen¬ 
tary canal than if only taken occasionally. White bread, when 
eaten, should be stale; hot rolls, muffins, crumpets, tea-cakes and 
spongy, buttered' toast are not allowable. Bread and potatoes, and 
indeed all farinaceous food, require to be thoroughly masticated 
and mixed with saliva, as, correctly speaking, digestion begins in 
the mouth. Of meats, beef and mutton, chicken and game may 
be eaten in moderation. Bacon is the most soothing of fats to the 
digestive canal and may be eaten freely. This, or tw r o teaspoonfuls 
of salad oil, taken at bed-time w T ill prevent that drying and harden¬ 
ing of the contents of the bowels which causes impaction and con¬ 
sequent inconvenience. Pork and veal are most indigestible meats; 
also boiled salt meats, wild duck and goose. 

Green vegetables, such as spinach, turnips, greens, green arti¬ 
choke and asparagus, also the heads of cauliflower, may be eaten 
freely. Lettuce, water-cress and dandelion are also useful, eaten 
raw. Care must be taken that potatoes are thoroughly boiled and 
mealy, while new, hard, waxy ones must be avoided altogether. 
Boast-apples, stewed pippins and stewed prunes are much better 
than pastry. Bliubarb, and other ripe fruits in season, or preserved, 
except such as contain small seeds, may be taken freely. Condi¬ 
ments, pickles, melted butter, highly seasoned sauces, woody vege¬ 
tables, such as celery and cheese, must be avoided by all costive 
subjects. Curds and whey are perhaps suitable when the gastric 
juice' is deficient, as the previous conversion of milk into curds 
relieves the stomach of its first digestive process. For tea and coffee, 
cocoa made from the nibs may be substituted with great advantage. 
Pure, soft water is a very valuable accessory, both as a drink and 
for use by enema. A tumbler of water .taken while dressing" is cer- 

*/ ^3 

viceable, or some may prefer a drink of weak clove-water the first 
thing in the morning—a tumblerful of w T ater made spicy by pour¬ 
ing boiling water overnight on a few cloves, and letting them stand 
till morning. 


DIET FOR CONSUMPTION. 

Adults —For older persons the diet should be digestible, 
nourishing, varied and sufficiently abundant to meet the require¬ 
ments of each case. As a general rule if should include animal 
food as fat as can be digested, once or twice a day; oysters and other 
wholesome kinds of fish, especially those varieties which are richest 
in phosphorus; good home-made bread, not less than one day old; 
puddings of arrow-root, rice, sago, tapioca, etc., taken, if preferred, 
with stewed fruit; various kinds of green vegetables and mealy 
potatoes, oatmeal and milk; good milk is a priceless article of diet; 



DIET FOR CONSUMPTION. 


539 


raw eggs, swallowed whole or beaten up with a little cold milk, are 
strongly recommended. Fresh pork, sausages, veal, fish not hav¬ 
ing scales, pastry, and all articles that give rise to irritability of the 
stomach, nausea, heartburn, eructations or any other symptoms of 
indigestion, should be avoided. If the patient be benefited by its 
use, he may take a moderate allowance of beer or wine. Burgundy, 
claret or hock, diluted with water, may in some cases be given with 
good results. 

Great discrimination should be observed with regard to stimu¬ 
lants; if they flush the face or accelerate the pulse they should on 
no account be allowed. Malt liquors are more suitable than strong 
wine or spirits. Extract of malt affords palatable fat-forming ma¬ 
terial of an unstimulating nature. 

The following dietary is suggested: In the morning take, in 
case of acidity or other forms of indigestion, two tablespoonfuls of 
lime-water with milk; or if there be much debility, a dessertspoon¬ 
ful of rum may be substituted for the lime-water; or the lime- 
water and the rum may be alternated as required. 

Breakfast. Bread and butter, and a lightly boiled egg; or 
cold boiled or hot broiled bacon, or broiled fish and a cup of cocoa or 
black tea. 

Dinner. A slice of roast mutton or beef, rich in fat; or a por¬ 
tion of a fowl, or other light meat, with vegetables; and tapioca, 
rice or other milk-pudding. A glass of malt liquor may be allowed 
if it do not, as before stated, increase the pulse, flush the face or 
make the patient feel sleepy and heavy. 

Evening- meal. At about 6, a cup of good cocoa, with a 
sandwich or bread and butter. White fish, fowl or other light meat 
may sometimes be added. Water-cresses, lettuce, etc., may often 
be allowed with great advantage. Also a small basin of toast and 
milk, oatmeal-porridge or other easily digestible farinaceous food, 
may be taken. 

Raw beef juice, if suitably administered, is a valuable adjunct 
to the food of the consumptive. Half the quantity produced, 
according to the receipt given elsewhere, may be allowed for break¬ 
fast instead of the egg or meat in the above dietary; and the other 
half at dinner, or instead of cocoa at supper, according to the 
appetite and digestive power of the patient. 

Beef-pulp has also been given to consumptive patients with 
great advantage. 

The importance of selecting digestible food is evident from the 
fact that tubercles do not arise except during a period of imperfect 
nourishment. By whatever means we can promote nutrition, in the 
same ratio the advance of consumption is prevented or retarded, an 
important sign of improvement being an increase in the patient’s 
weight. The system is invulnerable to consumption so long as it is 
welf nourished by a healthy digestive apparatus. 

“ It is clear, therefore,” writes Dr. Chambers, “ that it is the 


540 


DIET FOR CONSUMPTION. 


tendency to tubercle, and not the existing tubercle, which we have 
to fear and to guard against; and that for the successful treatment 
of consumption we must withdraw our minds from the morbid 
anatomy of the locality to the fatal propensity of the constitution. I 
know you are disposed to turn first to the lungs. But if we inquire 
into the histories of those who have lived long with vomicae {ab- 
cesses) or tubercles, they are by no means found to have taken 
special care of their chests—they have not coddled or lived indoors, 
in even temperatures, hanging their lives on to their thermometers 
for fear of coughs; they have gone on with their professions or busi¬ 
ness or work; they have not 4 laid a knife to their throat,’ but have 
eaten and drunk like other people and have enjoyed the gratification 
of their appetites. A patient of mine,” continues the doctor, 
“ over fifty, with copious pyoptysis (spitting of purulent matter), and 
condensed lungs (of probably a tubercular nature), from his youth, 
has kept hounds, broken his bones like other Nimrods, contested 
county elections, sat in Parliament, enjoyed his champagne and other 
good things, but never allows any doctoring of his chest. Leave 
the respiratory organs alone and direct your thoughts to the organs 
of nutrition—the stomach and bowels, which will receive with 
thankfulness and return with interest any care you bestow upon 
them. It is truly by aid of the digestive viscera alone that con¬ 
sumption can be curable. Medicines addressed to other parts may 
be indirectly useful sometimes, but they more commonly impede 
the recovery; whereas aid judiciously given in this quarter is always 
beneficial, and usually successful. Your aim should be to get the 
greatest possible amount of albuminous food fully digested and 
applied to the purpose of the renewal of the body, at the same time 
that the renewing agencies are brought to their highest state of effi¬ 
ciency. In this way a healthy cell-renewal takes the place of that 
morbid, imperfect cell-renewal which appears in the shape of tuber¬ 
cular matter.” 

Fatty matter, in quantities as large as can be assimilated, has 
been strongly recommended. The late Sir James Simpson observed 
the healthy appearance and freedom from scrofula and consumption 
of the operatives of woolen factories, consequent on the oil which in 
the course of their daily labor finds access to the skin. It was also 
seen that the work-people improved in appearance when they engaged 
in the more oily processes, and often lost flesh and strength after 
leaving them. So impressed was Dr. Simpson with the value of oil 
in the prevention of consumption that he laid down rules for its 
application by inunction. He recommended a bland, inodorous olive 
oil to be applied warm to the whole cutaneous surface, with a con¬ 
siderable amount of friction, which renders absorption greater. 

Cod-liver Oil may be considered as an item of food, and its 
power in checking emaciation and improving the healthy tone of 
the muscular structures is now too well known to require commend¬ 
ation. Perhaps some of its usefulness depends on the iodine and 


DIET FOR CONSUMPTION. 


541 


phosphorus contained in the oil, thus forming a natural compound 
of food and medicine. It may be advantageously given in scrofulous 
affections and troublesome cough, especially if occurring in a 
family in which consumption has been fatal. 

The best time to administer the oil is with, or directly after, 
food. If there be any difficulty in retaining the oil, it may be given 
just as the patient lies down to sleep. Tasty accessories will often 
disguise the flavor of the oil so as to prevent nausea. But when 
there exists an insuperable repugnance to the internal use of the 
oil, injections containing it may be tried; or it may be introduced 
into the system by inunction, or rubbing it into the skin, or by 
applying chamois-leather soaked in it to the chest, sides or between 
the shoulders. 

Besides cod-liver oil, there are other animal fats and oils which, 
if thev can be taken and assimilated, are certain to be followed with 
good results; such as rich milk, cream, butter, home-fed, fat bacon 
and other substances rich in fatty matter. Suet boiled in milk is 
one of the best substitutes for the oil and to some persons is not 
repugnant. Cream is often of great value; to prevent its oppressing 
the stomach, a teaspoonful of cold, strong, black tea may be mixed 
with it. Cream is, however, probably inferior to cod-liver oil and 
has not the same anti-tubercular effect, for the iodine which is 
present in the former is absent from the latter. These varieties are 
mentioned so that in the event of a change being desired, one may 
be substituted for another, as circumstances indicate. 

Cod-liver oil is a food rather than a medicine, although the 
minute amount of iodine and phosphorus it contains may account 
for some of its curative virtues. It is especially valuable in the 
various forms of scrofula, and in all diseases which require fatty 
substances as food and iodine as a remedy. 

In the treatment of consumption it stands pre-eminent above 
other remedies, for when given in suitable cases it checks emaciation 
and strengthens the muscular structures. 

The value of cod-liver oil is often very marked in the sequel of 
many acute diseases or inflammations occurring in middle aged and 
in old persons, in whom the reparative powers are less active than 
in children; also in the after-effects of acute fevers in children who 
have suffered, previously to such attacks, from impoverished health. 
Scrofula, rickets, St. Vitus’s dance, etc., are generally much benefited 
by the administration of cod-liver oil. Chronic rheumatism and 
gout, chronic bronchitis, chronic skin-diseases, and the degenerative 
diseases of the aged, are all more or less benefited by cod-liver oil. 

Cod-liver oil should, however, not be administered indiscrimi¬ 
nately. It is generally inadmissible during the persistence of acute 
febrile symptoms, congestion, bleeding of the lungs or any active 
form of disease; digestion being then impaired and the mucous mem¬ 
brane irritable, the oil is only likely to increase the disorder; not till 
the disease subsides, the pulse falls and the hectic ceases, can it be 


542 


DIET FOR CONSUMPTION. 


of value. The sphere of cod-liver oil is to supply animal heat, to 
fatten the system and arrest tissue-waste; this is best accomplished 
when active morbid processes and local irritation have subsided, for 
then the system is in a condition to appropriate a larger amount of 
nourishment. Care should be taken to avoid nausea or eructations 
which generally result from the quantity or quality of the oil. The 
larv-e quantity of oil taken in some cases occasions disorder of the 
digestive mucous membrane, or causes it to pass on with the evacu¬ 
ations. The appearance of any oil unchanged in the evacuations is 
a sign that the quantity given is too large to be digested. It is best 
given at first in teaspoonful doses twice a day, with or immediately 
after food; if the stomach be intolerant of it, a teaspoonful, or for 
young children ten or twelve drops, once a day. If there be still 
difficulty in retaining the oil, it may be given just as the patient is 
lying down to sleep. In cases of extreme irritability of the stomach, 
cod-liver oil may be introduced into the system by inunction or rub¬ 
bing the skin with the oil. 

The disagreeable effects of the oil are often due to the use of 
inferior and unpalatable kinds. It should be as free from smell, 
taste and color as possible, thus showing its careful and recent pre¬ 
paration. Freshness is of great importance to its dietetic efficacy. 
Probably the best method of rendering the oil palatable is to have it 
made up in bread, as it is then scarcely tasted. The proper propor¬ 
tion is two to four tablespoonfuls of the oil to one pound of dough. 

Coffee or milk forms a good vehicle for the oil. Some find the 
taste removed by eating herring, sardine or anchovy with it. The 
juice of half an orange may be squeezed into a wineglass, the 
requisite quantity of oil poured on the top, and the juice of the other 
half orange carefully squeezed on the top of the oil. Orange and 
ginger-wine or claret are also vehicles for cod-liver oil. The oil 
should be poured upon the wine, so that it does not touch the glass, 
but floats as a large globule; in this way it may be swallowed 
untasted. A few morsels of agreeable food should then be eaten. 
Small pieces of ice in each dose render it almost tasteless. Another 
plan to obviate taste and nausea is to take a pinch of salt immed¬ 
iately before and after the oil. By heating the oil, it is rendered 
less liable to disagree with the patient. It is also beneficial to omit 
taking it for a day or two occasionally. The glass should be care¬ 
fully washed after use, and the oil kept in a cool place. Be careful 
that none but a pure article is used. 

Children —The diet of the children of consumptive parents is 
of such importance that it should engage attention from the earliest 
period of life. If the mother be delicate and predisposed to con¬ 
sumption, a wet-nurse of a thoroughly healthy constitution should, 
if possible, be provided. If a consumptive mother nurse her infant, 
she is in danger of bringing into activity the tubercular disease in 
herself; while the child is but imperfectly nourished, and derives, 
with the supply of milk, an element of danger additional to that 


DIET FOR CORPULENCE, OR OBESITY. 


543 


which it inherited from birth. The infant should be restricted to 
healthy breast-milk until the eye-teeth are cut, after which slight 
additions of farinaceous or flour-food may be allowed once or twice 
daily, and the child weaned at about nine months. If a wet- 
nurse cannot be obtained, the nourishment should bear the closest 
possible resemblance to the mother’s milk, and the best substitute 
for this is cow’s milk modified by the addition of water and sugar- 
of-milk, for the milk of the cow contains more oil (cream), but less 
sugar than that of woman. It is prepared for use as follows: Dis¬ 
solve one ounce of the sugar-of milk in three-quarters of a pint of 
boiling water; warm to the temperature of breast-milk, when wanted, 
and mix with an equal quantity of fresh cow’s milk, and let the 
infant be fed with this preparation from the feeding-bottle in the 
usual way. After feeding, always wash the bottle with a weak solu¬ 
tion of soda, and put the teat into cold water, letting it remain there 
until wanted again. 

It is of course necessary to use cow’s milk of good quality, 
always to administer the food freshly mixed, at a uniform tempera¬ 
ture, namely, that of breast-milk, and, for the first month not 
oftener than every two hours and a half during the day and every 
four hours during the night. On no account should the babe be 
allowed to sleep with the tube of the bottle in its mouth or to suck 
as often and as long as it likes. (See also “ Diet in Infancy.”) 

About the eighth or ninth month, when the teeth usually begin 
to appear, a gradual change of diet is necessary. This should con¬ 
sist chiefly of farinaceous preparations; afterwards sop made with 
bread which contains no alum, bread-and-milk, light puddings, oat¬ 
meal-porridge, and a little mutton-broth, beef-tea or bread soaked in 
a little gravy as it escapes when cutting up a joint of meat. Feed¬ 
ing with a spoon, by favoring admixture of saliva with the starchy 
particles, will probably insure a more perfect digestion of food. 
Till the molar teeth appear, however, all preparations of animal 
food should be avoided. After weaning, great care should be taken 
and every kind of food avoided that causes irritation, or diarrhea. 
Children should be fed regularly, be taught to masticate thoroughly 
and not allowed to take too active exercise immediately after meals. 
Even thus early, should there be any symptoms of innutrition, a 
small dose (ten to fifteen drops) of cod-liver oil may be advantage¬ 
ously given. 


DIET FOR CORPULENCE, OR OBESITY. 

Some years ago considerable* interest was excited by the publi¬ 
cation of a method of treatment by which Mr. Banting had suc¬ 
ceeded in reducing his cumbersome corpulence to a condition of 
health, and his weight from 202 lbs. to 156 lbs. There was nothing 
in this result that might not have been physiologically anticipated 



544 


DIET FOR CORPULENCE, OR OBESITY. 


from the dietetic measures he adopted. But he brought into prom¬ 
inence the fact that such measures will prove most effective without 
medicinal aid. It has been judiciously pointed out by Dr. Pavy, 
that the reduction in weight is not only due to the changes made in 
the elementary constituents of the diet taken, but also in its quan¬ 
tity, and that it is unsafe to adopt his scale without discrimination, 
for it barely comes up to what is regarded as “ hospital subsistence 
diet.” 

Mr. Banting states that his original dietary table comprised 
“ bread and milk for breakfast, or a pint of tea with plenty of milk, 
sugar, and buttered toast; meat, beer, much bread and pastry for 
dinner; the meal of tea similar to that of breakfast; and generally 
a fruit-tart or bread and milk for supper.” The chief feature of 
this is the exclusion of vegetables and alcoholic drinks. Subse¬ 
quently he adopted the following scale: 

Breakfast at 9 a. m. —five to six ounces of either beef, mutton, 
kidneys, broiled fish, bacon or cold meat of any kind, except pork 
or veal, a large cup of tea or coffee (without milk or sugar), a little 
biscuit, or one ounce of dry toast, making altogether six ounces 
of solids and nine of liquids. 

Dinner at 2 p. m. —five or six ounces of any fish except salmon, 
herrings or eels, any meat except pork or veal, any vegetable 
except potato, parsnips, beet, turnip or carrot, one ounce of dry 
toast, fruit out of a pudding not sweetened, any kind of poultry 
or game, and two or three glasses of good claret, sherry or Madeira; 
champagne, port and beer forbidden; making altogether ten to 
twelve ounces of solids and ten of liquids. 

Tea at 6 p. m. —two or three ounces of cooked fruit, a rusk or 
two and a cup of tea without milk or sugar; making two to four 
ounces of solids and nine of liquids. 

Supper at 9 p. m.— three or four ounces of meat or fish, similar 
to dinner, with a glass or two of claret or sherry and water; mak¬ 
ing four ounces of solids and seven of liquids. 

Sugar, says Mr. Banting, is the most active of all fat-forming 
foods, for he has repeatedly observed that five ounces of sugar dis¬ 
tributed over seven days (less than an ounce a day) augmented his 
weight nearly a pound by the end of that time. Other prohibited 
substances do not produce such obvious results; but he made it a 
rule to avoid all roots or vegetables grown underground, all fat and 
all farinaceous matters, eating bread only when it was properly 
toasted. 

For athletic exercises it is often found necessary to reduce the 
weight and size, and from the regimen adopted in training some 
hints may be gathered for the guidance of those who are corpulent. 
For athletes the following dieting has been recommended: Break¬ 
fast at 8; the lean of mutton or beef without fat, dry toast, biscuit 
or oat-cake, a tumbler of claret and water or a large cup of tea 
without milk or sugar or with a slice of lemon. Luncheon at 1; 


DIET FOR DIABETES. 


515 


/ • 

, \ 


bread or biscuit, Dutcli cheese, salads, roasted apples, radishes; after 
eating, a little water, claret and water, or unsweetened lemonade. 
Dinner at 5 or 6; fresh meat of any kind except pork and veal, and 
without fat or skin; green vegetables, but no potatoes, pastry or 
made dishes; a jelly, lemon-ice or roasted apple; claret and water 
during dinner, one glass of Madeira or sherry after it. 

For the reduction of general obesity the preceding dietaries 
may therefore be thus epitomized. 

Admissible—Lean meat, poultry, game, eggs, milk in modera¬ 
tion, green vegetables, turnips, succulent fruit, light wines, dry 
sherry and bitter ale, all in great moderation; brown bread in mod¬ 
eration, wheaten bread in greater moderation, digestive biscuits, 
gluten-biscuits. 

Prohibited—Fat in every form, butter, cream, sugar and sweets 
of every kind, pastry and puddings, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, 
beets, rice, sago and other farinaceous articles, porter, stout, and 
sweet ales, port and sweet wines. 

Exercise and baths are essential adjuncts to dietary treatment 
in the reduction of corpulence. But the necessity for carefulness 
in the diet is increased by the fact that a corpulent person cannot 
usually take exercise sufficient to walk off the diet. If violent 
exertion be exhausting, digestion is interfered with and at the same 
time the fat that unavoidably exists in the meat is assimilated, so 
that the fatty tissue grows, while the muscular and nervous strength 
is diminished. Many stout persons are already active, and any con¬ 
siderable addition to their activity would add to their discomfort, 
and possibly prove injurious. Hence the necessity for strict atten¬ 
tion to regimen. 


DIET FOR DIABETES. 

The best treatment of this dire disease is at present open to 
question, but it is agreed on all hands that it involves very careful 
attention to diet. For the most remarkable and at the same time 
the most important pathological character of diabetes is the misap¬ 
propriation of food required for the nourishment of the body by 
converting it in a very direct manner into a form of sugar, which 
is excreted in the urine. It therefore becomes essential to deal both 
with the diseased condition of the secreting organs, most probably 
the liver, and with the character of the food from which the sugar 
is secreted. If the food be such that it cannot be converted into 
sugar by the diseased glands, organically diseased or functionally 
disordered, it is obvious that great gain is effected, not only by the 
suppression of a symptom, but also in the correction of a condition, 
for the urine being less saccharine, the blood is less saccharine, less 
impoverished, less unfitted for the purposes of nutrition. 

35 



546 


DIET FOR DIABETES. 


As soon as the actual existence of the disorder is known, an 
exclusive regimen of skim-milk is prescribed. And it must be ex¬ 
clusive so long as any traces of sugar are found in the urine. All 
cream must be very carefully removed. Beginning with four to 
six pints on the first day, the quantity must be increased gradually 
to from eight to twelve pints daily, according to the age, sex, size 
and condition of the patient. In no instance should twelve pints be 
exceeded; and if more than seven or eight be given, the remainder 
should be taken at separate meals in the form of curd produced by 
essence of rennet. The skim-milk may be taken cold, or at about 
100°, but it must not be boiled. The daily allowance must be 
divided into regular meals. The curative power of this skim-milk 
diet is altogether lost if anything be added to it. The abstinence 
thus imposed is unquestionably very trying to the patient, but it is 
the condition on which his life is lengthened. Provided there are 
no complications, great relief, if not a cure, may be expected from 
this treatment. As a general rule, it will remove the sugar from 
the urine and completely remove the disease in from twelve da} r s to 
five or six weeks, if only the hydrocarbons of the food are changed 
into sugar and in some cases if the albuminates are also thus con¬ 
verted. If this stage is somewhat far advanced and the disease is 
of long standing and attended with much emaciation, it will be 
arrested in its course and held in check, though not absolutely 
cured. It should, however, be remarked, that if, after the expiration 
of a week there is no reduction of the specific gravity and sugar of 
the urine, the disease is not amenable to skim-milk or any other 
kind of treatment. On the other hand, if the symptoms are ameli¬ 
orated and the patient gains strength, there is much encouragement 
to proceed and when the treatment has been successful the skim- 
milk diet should be rigorously continued from a fortnight to six 
weeks after the disappearance of sugar from the urine, that convales¬ 
cence may be confirmed. 

Great stress must also be laid on the careful selection of ingre¬ 
dients in the transitional diet, to be adopted when the exclusiveness 
of skim-milk diet may be lessened and some approach to ordinary 
fare may be permitted. Skim-milk and curds must still be staple 
articles; but, in addition, one or two moderate meals of lightly 
cooked, lean chop or steak, or of roast-mutton or beef, with green, 
non-starchy vegetables, are allowed. The vegetables which Dr. 
Donkin thinks may be permitted are spinach, lettuce, mustard and 
cress, the tops of radishes, greens, turnip-greens, French beans and 
scarlet runners in a very young condition before seed is formed. 
These are simply not forbidden as highly pernicious; whether it is 
judicious to take them is another matter. Beef-tea and mutton- 
broth, from which the fat has been removed after cooling, and with¬ 
out barley or vegetables, except the green leaves of the leek, may 
also be taken in moderate quantity once daily. Should the progress 
be favorable and the urine continue to be free from sugar, the fol- 


DIET FOR DIABETES. 


547 


lowing fish may be allowed at the principal meal, which should be 
early in the day; cod, whiting and haddock. Their livers, however, 
must be avoided, as also must oysters, salmon, salmon-trout, her¬ 
rings and other oily fish. In fact, all fatty or oily substances and 
all vegetable articles of food and drink containing starch and sugar 
must be avoided with the most scrupulous care, for relapse at this 
stage will frequently prove serious if not intractable. The chief 
articles of food prohibited are fat, oils, bacon, pork, butter, cream, 
milk, cheese and yolk of eggs, white or brown bread, pastry, flour in 
every form and any quantity, macaroni, vermicelli, rice, sago, 
tapioca, arrow-root, peas, pea-meal, beans, bean-meal, Indian corn¬ 
flour, potatoes, full-grown French beans and scarlet runners, turnips, 
carrots, parsnips, artichokes, cauliflower, cabbages, asparagus, 
cucumber, squash and all kinds of fruit in any form, except olives 
in pickle. All saccharine drinks must also be avoided, including 
ale, beer, stout, porter, wines ; if alcoholic drinks be necessary, the 
diabetic may have the very best pale French brandy, or finest 
Scotch whisky, or good claret or Carlowitz, but they are generally 
objectionable. Cocoa free from fat and sugar, tea or coffee without 
sugar, may be allowed for breakfast. The period during which it 
will be necessary to adhere to this transitional diet varies very much. 

A more permanent dietary is developed out of the transitional 
by the addition of a much greater variety of animal and vegetable 
food. But pork, bacon and cheese, bread, pastry, and substances 
into which flour enters, all starchy products, and sugar in every 
form must still be most carefully avoided. Indulgence in prohibited 
articles, at least before a long and indefinable period has elapsed 
after convalescence, will most certainly be followed by a return of 
the disease, which then becomes more intractable than on its first 
invasion. 

A few hints may be given in connection with dietetic treatment. 
Patients should eat slowly and masticate their food thoroughly, and 
take their meals frequently and moderately, for the digestive organs 
partake of the general weakness of the system and cannot fulfil 
their functions so readily as when in health. Their powers should 
therefore not be taxed by quick and excessive eating. 

The body should be kept warm by flannel next the skin; gentle 
exercise in the open air should be frequently taken in fine weather; 
the tendency to constipation should be counteracted by the use of 
suitable medicines. 

Dr. Oharteris has adduced some evidence to show that dieting 
is of less importance than the maintenance of the temperature of 
the lungs by preventing the access of cold external air. The tem¬ 
perature is maintained by wearing a respirator alone during the 
day and covering respirator and nostrils with a knitted woollen 
cloth during the night. The following dietary is announced: 
Breakfast; eggs, fish, one pint of tea, and biscuits. Dinner; steak, 
cabbage, biscuits. Supper; tea, milk, biscuits. Three pints of 


548 


DIETS FOR DIARRHEA AND DIPHTHERIA. 


milk during tlie day are also allowed. The biscuits must contain 
as little starch as possible in their composition. 


DIET FOR DIARRHEA. 

In recent cases of diarrhea, food should be given sparingly, con¬ 
sisting of light, non-irritating articles—gruel, rice, baked rice-pud¬ 
ding, arrow-root, arrow-root biscuits, and other farinaceous sub¬ 
stances, which should be taken cool. The temperature of food is 
very important; cold milk and lime-water will often arrest infantile 
diarrhea when warm milk would be useless. If severe sickness be 
superadded, all preparations of milk may have to be suspended for a 
few hours, and whey, veal-broth or water or barley-water substituted. 
Raw meat or juice sometimes acts favorably in diarrhea of young 
children. 

In chronic diarrhea the diet should be nutritious, but restricted 
to the most digestible kinds of food; mutton, chicken, pigeon, game 
and white fish are generally suitable, if not over-cooked. Tender 
beef is not inadmissible in many cases. Pork, veal and all tough 
portions of meat should be avoided. Starchy foods, arrow-root, 
sago, etc., are insufficient for prolonged cases of diarrhea, but are 
improved by a mixture with good milk. Old rice, well boiled in 
milk, taken directly it is prepared, forms excellent nourishment. 
Raw or half-cooked eggs, and good, sound, ripe grapes in modera¬ 
tion, may generally be taken. Mucilaginous drinks—barley-water, 
gum-water, linseed-tea, etc., are the most suitable. Beer never 
agrees. Milk and lime-water or scalded milk constitutes the best 
diet; in feverish conditions it may be iced; soda-water may be 
occasionally substituted for lime-water. Restricting a patient 
entirely to this diet is often alone sufficient to cure most cases of 
diarrhea, not dependent on any organic cause. Even in the latter 
case much temporary benefit is generally gained. The alkaline milk- 
diet may be taken in small meals at regular intervals. 

As an important accessory to the above the application of a 
moderately tightly fitting flannel bandage around the abdomen is 
very valuable. Rest in the recumbent posture is especially desir¬ 
able in acute cases. 


DIET FOR DIPTHERIA. 

One of the characteristics of this disease is great prostration. 
To counteract this, the strength of the patient must be well sus¬ 
tained by nourishment from the very commencement. He must 
therefore be urged to swallow in spite of the pain which this act 
generally occasions. Use eggs beaten up in milk, beef-tea slightly 
thickened with rice or pearl-barley, or arrow-root or sago with port 




DIET IN DISEASES OF THE LIVER. 


549 


or sherry.. A teaspoonful of pure glycerine every three or four 
hours and as much wine as the patient can take short of intoxication 
is recommended by some physicians who say it will do much to 
sustain strength. 

If vomiting occur, constantly sucking small pieces of ice tends to 
allay it. It also affords comfort to the patient by arresting the 
constant hawking up of mucus, which is usually abundantly 
secreted. As a diluent, the melted ice promotes the action of the 
kidneys. 

Children will sometimes persistently refuse to swallow because 
it gives them pain and they cannot understand the necessity for 
bearing the pain in order to nourish the system. In such cases 
nutritive injections must be employed. About an ounce of fluid 
should be given at a time. The injections should be commenced (if 
necessary) as soon as the true character of the disease is known, 
and repeated every four hours. 


DIET IN DISEASES OF THE LIVER. 

As diseases of the liver are very frequently occasioned by errors in 
diet, careful regimen fills a most important place in the treatment of 
the functional disorders of that organ. Temporary disturbance and 
chronic derangement alike call for limitation in the articles of food. 
The morbid condition which is indicated by jaundice, its yellow 
discolorations, lassitude and sense of weight and fullness, must be 
met as much by prohibitions of diet as by prescriptions of medicine. 
As the two leading causes of diseases of the liver are too abundant, 
highly seasoned, stimulating diet, and the habitual use of alcoholic 
drinks, these should be persistently avoided. Excesses at the table, 
which cause the introduction into the system of a great variety of 
noxious matters which clog the functional processes and overload 
the digestive organs, must be supplanted by moderation and absti¬ 
nence. Heavy meals, sweet and oily articles of diet, and alcoholic 
stimulants must not be allowed. A minimum quantity of albumin¬ 
ous food should be taken, in order that the quantity of uric acid 
may be lessened; and a minimum quantity of carbonaceous food, in 
order that the uric acid may be oxydized as much as possible. 
Great regularity should be observed in the hours of meals, and only 
light and nutritious food taken. When acute symptoms are present, 
chicken-broth, beef-tea, toasted bread scalded with hot water and 
flavored with a little sugar, roasted apples, and cold water ad libi¬ 
tum constitute the most suitable diet. All food, when a more 
varied regimen is admissible, should be properly cooked, and the 
(piantity taken should be proportioned to the amount of physical 
work that has to be performed; for one of the most common auxil¬ 
iaries of liver disorders is deficiency of out-door exercise and the 
maintenance of sedentary habits. 



550 


DIETS FOR DROPSY AND DYSPEPSIA. 


Those who are subject to diseases of the liver should studiously 
abstain from malt liquors, port-wine, champagne, and other strong 
wines and spirits. Entire abstinence will be attended with no 
serious results; there might be temporary inconvenience due to a 
craving for what had been habitual, which would be modified by a 
little coffee or tea and would be speedily overcome, but abstinence 
at that cost would act beneficially on the functions of the liver. 


DIET FOR DROPSY. 

In acute dropsy the diet should be similar to that in acute 
fever; in chronic dropsy the patients require nourishing diet to 
meet the exhaustion that commonly exists, but on account of that 
extreme feebleness, easily digestible food only should be taken. To 
allay the burning thirst often experienced cold water is the best 
beverage; but any other that the patient desires if not positively 
injurious may be taken. Water may be said to be a real restorative 
and may be taken ad libitum , for it increases the amount of fluids 
excreted to an extent greater than its own bulk; it also tends to 
improve the appetite and strengthen the pulse while it diminishes 
the dropsical collections. It will thus be seen that the popular 
notion that drinking water increases dropsy is entirely erroneous. 


DIET FOR DYSPEPSIA. 

Dyspepsia and indigestion are general terms employed to 
designate various disordered states of the digestive organs and par¬ 
ticularly of the stomach. 

Deficient acidity of the gastric juice constitutes one form of 
indigestion. If the acid be insufficient in quantity, the digestive 
function is but imperfectly performed, or is arrested entirely. 

Excessive acidity is another form. In this condition useless 
acids have been developed by chemical changes in the food. Hence 
we have some of the sour eructations which frequently characterize 
indigestion. 

Excessive secretion of mucus also interferes with healthy di¬ 
gestion, for it acts as a ferment and occasions the production of 
useless acids. 

Torpidity of the gastric glands retards the digestive process. 
In such cases, the irritation of the food and the stimulus of saliva 
are insufficient to excite the secretive action of the glands; hence the 
gastric juice is not poured out for action on the food. Persons who 
suffer from this form of indigestion frequently resort to spiced and 
seasoned dishes and condiments to stimulate the action of the 
glands; on the other hand, this very torpidity is induced by the 
needless use of such gastric stimulants. 




DIET FOR DYSPEPSIA. 


551 


These different forms of indigestion occasion imperfect cliymi- 
fication (the transformation of food into chyme), or afford opportu¬ 
nity for fermentation of the food; for when the vital functions are 
in abeyance, chemical affinities assert their force and produce 
morbid changes. Hence arise the various symptoms of dyspepsia. 

Then duodenal indigestion, due to derangement of the small 
intestine, occasions imperfect chylification (the transformation of 
chyme into chyle). 

The various unnatural conditions thus included under the 
common term dyspepsia, or indigestion, obviously require different 
medicinal and dietetic treatment. This is also manifest from a con¬ 
sideration of the dietetic errors which are generally the proximate 
causes of indigestion. 

Overloading* the Stomach —May occur in three ways— 
by excessive quantity, excessive variety, and different digesti¬ 
bility of food. The quantity may be so large that it may be 
difficult for the stomach to deal with it; the variety may be so great 
that what should be digested in the small intestine impedes the 
action of the gastric juice on that which it is specially designed to 
solve; and the digestibility of different foods may be such that, 
after the more digestible food has passed out, some remains in the 
stomach, an incubus upon its exhausted powers. With reference to 
these cases it should be remembered that the quantity of gastric 
juice secreted is limited and only suffices for the digestion of a 
moderate quantity of food; that different kinds of food—nitrogen¬ 
ous, starchy and oleaginous—require the exercise of different diges¬ 
tive functions; and that different articles also require different 
periods of time for their digestion, some being liquefied in an hour 
and a half, others requiring six or more hours before they are fit 
for assimilation. The capacity of the stomach is not unlimited, 
either in size or in function; hence it may be easily overloaded and 
its powers so impeded as to cause indigestion. For as soon as the 
bulk of a meal is digested, it begins at once to pass out of the 
stomach into the intestine, the other articles going with it whether 
digested or not; it is therefore obvious that if two descriptions of 
food are eaten at one time, a portion of the less digestible will pass 
along with the other into the small intestines and produce disten¬ 
tion, irritation and other inconveniences. Nothing is more common, 
for instance, than for well-to-do persons to eat a hearty meal of fish, 
flesh, game and pastry, to finish off with raw salad, dressed with 
oil and eaten with cheese, to say nothing of dessert consisting of 
dried fruits, almonds and nuts, washed down with sips of different 
wines. In such a case easily digested and indigestible articles 
mingled together, overload the stomach, and half-digested materials 
pass out with the principal portion of the meal, causing disorders 
which involve discomfort, if not injury. Indeed, it may be 
remarked once for all, that though the human stomach is wonder¬ 
fully accommodating, retribution is sure to come at last, though 


552 


DIET FOR DYSPEPSIA. 


perhaps not in the shape of immediate pain or uneasiness in the 
digestive organs themselves. Many of the complaints incident to 
persons in comfortable circumstances, though affecting other organs 
besides the stomach, such as gout, rheumatism, neuralgia, various 
affections of the skin, etc., can be distinctly traced to imperfect 
digestion or assimilation of food, though unattended with direct 
symptoms of dyspepsia. 

2. Cooling the Stomach —The natural temperature of 
the stomach is 98°. The maintenance of this temperature is essen¬ 
tial to the discharge of its functions, and to those chemical changes 
which attend digestion. Whatever lowers it interferes with the 
secretion of gastric juice, and if the depression amount to 15° or 
more, completely stops it. If the secretion be thus arrested, it is 
not resumed until by the exertion of nervous energy (so much 
waste) the temperature has again risen to 98°; and it has been ' 
found by experiment that after the stomach has been cooled, say 
30°, it requires thirty minutes for the recovery of the temperature, 
after all the water has been absorbed. The mischievous consequence 
of drinking large quantities of cold water or cold beer during a 
meal, to say nothing of the fashionable custom of eating ices at the 
termination of dinner, is that digestion is thereby immediately 
arrested and the food either remains an inert mass in the stomach, 
or, in weakly individuals and those suffering from dyspepsia, begins 
to ferment and disengage acids and gases. 

3. Stimulating the Stomach —The use of strong stimu¬ 
lants, especially alcoholic drinks, also arrests the secretion of gastric 
juice and seems to produce inflammation of the mucous lining of 
the organ. Asa general rule, any quantity of stimulants, whether 
in the shape of condiments, strong wine or spirits, delays and pro¬ 
tracts the process of digestion, instead of assisting it, as is generally 
supposed. These matters in some cases cause congestion of the 
glands, which lessens or arrests their secreting power; in other cases 
they interfere with the solvent chemical action of the gastric juice, 
if they do not actually decompose it; and if they be taken in any 
quantity they seem to act as a sort of pickle or preservative to the 
food and prevent its solution. 

4. Eating Too Soon after a Previous Meal —The 

quantity of gastric juice secreted being only sufficient to digest the 
first meal, none can be supplied for the second, which also begins 
to pass out of the stomach undigested and mixed with the first, 
necessarily occasioning more or less disturbance in the intestinal 
part of the process. The stomach also, in common with other 
organs of the body, needs an interval of repose for the recovery of 
nervous energy. The error of eating too frequently is very com¬ 
mon, especially among those who take lunch three or four hours 
after breakfast and dine again after an equally short interval. 

5. Exertion after a Meal —The well known experiment 
of feeding two dogs and allowing the one to rest while the other 


DIET FOR DYSPEPSIA. 


553 


was encouraged to hunt a hare, when it was found at the end of two 
hours that the first had fully digested its food, while in the other 
digestion had scarcely begun, is an illustration of the harm of too 
active exercise immediately after a meal. Even healthy people are 
apt to disturb their digestion by returning to business or taking 
exercise shortly after eating; and dyspeptics should rest at least two 
hours after dinner. Nor is it prudent to exert the brain in any way 
after eating; for the diversion of nervous energy from the stomach 
to the brain deprives the former of what it needs at that time, and if 
the habit be persisted in, is sure to be followed by discomfort and 
indigestion. Indeed, so important is it that nervous energy should 
be concentrated on the process of digestion, that it is unwise by 
reading newspapers and magazines during meals to divert attention 
from the food and prevent its being thoroughly masticated and 
insalivated. 

6. Eating Late Suppers —Meals should not be taken 
shortly before retiring to rest. The gastric digestion is almost com¬ 
pletely suspended during sleep, and even the intestinal digestion is 
but imperfectly performed. Hence the food remains in the 
duodenum and by pressing on the great ascending vein (vena cava) 
is apt to produce nightmare or irregular action of the heart and to 
disturb the secretion of bile, pancreatic juice, etc. For late diners 
supper is entirely superfluous; for early diners no substantial meal 
should be taken within three hours of bedtime. 

Dietetic errors such as these evidently demand something 
besides the administration of medicines; they require reformation 
of habits. Obviously, the evils attending overloading the stomach 
are to be corrected by some measure of abstinence from food or 
from that form of food which more particularly distresses the 
digestive organs. 

The quantity eaten should be always rather under than over 
what the appetite seems to require, for the appetite is apt to become 
morbid. Franklin’s rule to leave off with an appetite is a good 
one. By so doing, in ten minutes the appetite will be gone, because 
the food taken has already begun to be appropriated by the body. 
The best rule is to carefully observe the sensations after eating a 
hearty meal; if, within three or four hours there is a feeling of 
fullness and distention, accompanied with feverishness or irritation, 
it is clear that too much has been eaten and the quantity should be 
diminished till it can be comfortably digested. Dyspeptics should 
also not mix various articles of food at the same meal, but rather 
vary the diet from day to day. Many substances will be tolerated 
by the stomach, if eaten alone or with bread only, which would 
occasion distress and disturbance if mixed with other articles more 
or less digestible in themselves. Persons with weak digestive 
powers should be careful not to overload the stomach when traveling 
or otherwise exerting themselves more than usual. Many railway 
travelers, stimulated by the attendant nervous excitement, or for 


554 


DIET FOR DYSPEPSIA. 


want of occupation, eat a great deal on their journey. It is an 
error to suppose that the system requires more support when on a 
journey or a voyage. Food is then really less necessary than when 
there is active exercise. Hence the extra quantity of food and 
stimulant taken has the effect of increasing the disturbance and 
irritation which naturally arise from fatigue and excitement. In 
fact, the nervous energy is on these occasions diverted from the 
stomach, rendering the digestion less perfect than usual. 

Those who suffer from weak digestion should accustom them¬ 
selves to drink very little at their meals, especially of any cold fluid. 
The time to drink is from two to three hours after a meal, when the 
cold fluid restores the tone of the stomach and assists the digested 

cD 

food in passing out of it to undergo the duodenal digestion. The 
use of strong stimulants should also be abandoned. For young and 
healthy persons condiments are unnecessary. Alcoholic stimulants 
for children, young persons and those in perfect health, are as a rule 
worse than useless. 

Healthy persons as well as dyspeptics should accustom them¬ 
selves to do without stimulants, excepting in the rare cases when 
they are thought to be necessary by their medical adviser; and then, 
like other medicines, they should be the best and purest of their 
kind. If persons have been long accustomed to alcoholic drinks, the 
sudden and total discontinuance of their use may in some instances 
prove prejudicial, but as a rule this is not the case. 

The nature of the food for dyspeptics is of less importance than 
the quantity; still it is by no means unimportant. It should be as 
simple as possible at each meal, and varied from day to day; and, 
when variety in the kind of food cannot be secured, variety in the 
method of cooking and serving it will attain the same object. All 
articles must be avoided which possess any distinctly unfavorable 
medicinal properties, or are known to disagree with the individual. 
It must not be supposed that everything that has disagreed will 
always disagree and must therefore be utterly and forever excluded 
from the dietary. Some persons, acting on tliis erroneous supposi¬ 
tion, have reduced their diet to a repulsive monotony and have no 
relish for their food. Some make the great mistake of excluding 
solids and take nothing but liquids. Solids are necessary to stimu¬ 
late the action of the stomach, in which liquid will remain 
undigested and the organ should be encouraged, by hopeful attempts 
at variety, to appropriate articles in addition to those which have 
hitherto been taken. To many persons not a little comfort will be 
gained by taking animal and vegetable food separately, as in France* 
i. e ., taking meat at one meal, vegetables at another. Vegetables 
are less likely to cause flatulence if taken alone than if combined 
with flesh. But whatever the kind, it cannot be too simple nor too 
plainly dressed. 

Of meats, mutton is usually found to be most suitable for those 
whose digestion is weak, and will often be more easilv assimilated 


DIET FOR DYSPEPSIA. 


555 


than beef. Roasted meats are better than boiled. Meat should not 
be over-seasoned, nor baked in a close oven, nor cooked a second 
time. All fat should be rejected. Boiled chicken, venison, and soft 
boiled eggs are most digestible. Then come roast fowl, lean turkey, 
partridge and pheasant, Guinea-fowl, pigeons, followed by lamb, 
oysters and boiled white fish (except cod). The last may be ren¬ 
dered more digestible and tasty by a few drops’of lemon-juice. Rich 
and oily fishes, and those of linn texture, should not be ventured 
upon. Of all kinds of fresh meat, that which is broiled is the most 
wholesome, nutritious and easy of digestion. The lean of a tender 
round steak, about an inch and a half thick, and broiled over a quick 
lire from live to ten minutes without being cut or pricked so as to 
let the gravy out; or a loin-chop, stripped of all skin and fat and 
broiled over a quick lire from live to eight minutes, will prove a 
tempting and nourishing morsel. The usual joints of fresh meat, 
especially the juicy, lean portions, come next in digestibility; if they 
be taken the dyspeptic has a sufficient range. Greasy meats, such as 
pork, duck, goose, fatted turkey and salted or preserved meats, are 
to be avoided. Soups, and other liquid food, are only slowly acted 
upon by the stomach, and if the diet consist chiefly of them, they 
seldom fail to produce dyspepsia and should therefore be avoided or 
thickened with bread, rice or pearl-barley, in order that there may be 
something solid to stimulate the muscular coat of the stomach. 

Vegetables are more slowly digested than animal and farina¬ 
ceous food, and are therefore more likely to undergo fermentation in 
feeble stomachs and thus occasion acidity and flatulence. They should 
therefore be taken with caution and discrimination; still they should 
not be altogether omitted from the dietary, or disease in some .form 
will ensue. Potatoes should be old and mealy, not young nor waxy; 
peas and beans must be very young and soft. Spinach can generally 
be taken; of cauliflower only the head is eatable. Cabbages of all 
kinds are usually objectionable, especially where there is a tendency 
to flatulence. Rice and other farinaceous articles, either in the form 
of porridges or light puddings, are generally found to agree with 
weak stomachs; but starchy and saccharine matters, in certain debil¬ 
itated stages of the digestive organs, appear to be transformed into 
lactic acicl and to occasion acid eructations (belchings); oatmeal is in 
this respect the greatest offender, rice the least. Roasted apples 
with a little cream and a very little sugar may serve for dessert, but 
raw fruit should never be eaten at the close of a substantial meal. 
Between such meals, or as a separate meal, ripe fruits in season, 
such as oranges, strawberries, raspberries, currants, grapes, peaches, 
nectarines, apples or other freshly gathered fruit, will be found to 
ao-ree with most persons, if eaten in moderation and if skins and 
seeds be studiously rejected; indeed, if taken with a slice of stale 
bread they will often aid digestion. Plums uncooked should sel¬ 
dom be eaten by persons subject to indigestion, but when cooked the 
pulp is not objectionable. Dried fruits, whether cooked or uncooked, 


556 


DIET FOR DTSPEPSIA. 


may be taken in moderation if skins and seeds be rejected; oily 
fruits, such as nuts of all kinds and olives, are objectionable. 

Bread should be stale or toasted dry. Hot-buttered toast, made 
spongy and fat, must be rejected ; so also must hot rolls, muffins, 
crumpets, and likewise new or fatty cakes; bread-puddings are safe, 
when plain and not sweet; water-biscuits are far better than fancy 
sorts; pastry, puddings and rich cakes are condemned. Cheese 
should not be taken after dinner. 

The most innocent and useful beverage is good, pure, filtered 
water; the softer the better, if it be pure. The temperature at which it 
may be drunk should be proportionate to the temperature of the body 
and its susceptibility to heat and cold. To fermented and alcoholic 
drinks reference has already been made. Cocoa, made from “ nibs,’’ 
is the best kind of drink for breakfast; one small cup of black tea, 
infused only two minutes and a half, with a slice of lemon and a lit¬ 
tle crystallized sugar in it instead of cream or milk, is sufficient in 
the evening. Hew milk is not easily digested by some persons; but 
most people can take it better than skim-milk, whether boiled or 
unboiled; milk is, however, better not boiled as a rule. Butter is 
sometimes too rich, but good, fresh farm-butter is not often found to 
disagree; of all fatty substances it is the most easily assimilated. Very 
salt butter is often, rancid butter always, objectionable. Fruit, 
fresh or preserved, jellies or marmalade, often prove a good substi¬ 
tute for butter. Eggs are usually not only wholesome, but easily 
digested, if they are soft boiled. 

In dyspepsia the cooking cannot be too simple. Dishes fried 
in butter, rich sauces and savory compounds are cpiite out of place. 
The appetite should not be thus tempted; the natural flavor of the 
food so cooked as to make it readily soluble and digestible, and 
served attractively, should present sufficient temptation. The food 
should be eaten and the meal nearly completed before the patient 
drinks. A more objectionable practice than that of drinking 
with solid food is the too common habit of drinking before the 
meal. Food should never be taken hot; to scald either tongue or 
stomach is to injure two useful organs. 

The following dietaries are recommended for persons suffering 
from flatulent dyspepsia: 

Breakfast —Half a pint of milk, with or without soda-water, 
one egg lightly boiled, dry, cold toast, bread and butter, with beef¬ 
steak or mutton chops. 

Dinner— Roast or boiled mutton or beef, better taken warm; 
roast or boiled fowl or game, without any sauces; any kind of fish 
except salmon, without sauces; any kind of vegetable except pota¬ 
toes; a small quantity of stale, brown or white bread; salt to be 
taken freely, all other condiments to be avoided; fruit stewed with 
plenty of sugar, if more sugar be added subsequently it does not 
sweeten the fruit so well; rice-preserves in small quantities; cheese 
to be avoided. 


DIET FOR DYSENTERY. 


557 


Supper —One small cup of weak, black tea, or of cocoa freed 
from fat; dry, cold toast, crust of brown bread or oat-cake; a small 
slice of cold roast or boiled mutton or beef. This dietary is so 
ample as to include what may be selected from, rather than what 
may be wisely indulged in. Self-restraint rather than self-indulg¬ 
ence must be the universal rule with dyspeptics who wish to be 
free from the inconveniences of indigestion. 


DIET FOR DYSENTERY. 

In dysentery, diarrhea, inflammation of the bowels and typhoid 
fever, it is essential that scrupulous attention be paid to the diet. 
By maintaining the recumbent posture and abstinence from all but 
the simplest food, the bowels are kept at rest and opportunity is 
afforded for soothing inflammatory symptoms. The food selected 
should consist only of articles which are known to exert the least 
stimulant and irritant action on the mucous membrane and muscu¬ 
lar fibres. Such are cold water, toast-water, gum-water, barley- 
water, milk, soda-w r ater and milk, isinglass, rice, arrow-root and 
cocoa; then come broths, ripe grapes and other liquid forms of food; 
all to be given cold or cool. When recovery has considerably 
advanced, stale bread, eggs, white fish (particularly sole and 
whiting), white-fleshed poultry, fresh game and tender meat may be 
taken in the order recited. But the return to solid food must be 
gradual. Acid fruits, succulent vegetables, salted, dried and 
smoked meats must be avoided; a mealy potato may be allowed 
with caution. In chronic cases beef-tea and other animal broths 
may be taken; milk and soda-water, or milk and lime-water should 
be given according to the requirements of the case. Frequently, 
too, a change to a dry, mild, equable climate is necessary. 


DIET IN ECZEMA AND OTHER SKIN-DISEASES. 

Cod-liver oil is a dietetic medicine of great value in eczema, 
especially in the chronic stage and when attended with emaciation. 
Children w T ill often take it greedily in its natural state. It may be 
given with safety to the youngest infant, or it may be given in the 
form of cod-liver oil chocolate. The daily use of vegetable food is 
a point that should be rigidly adhered to, especially such as is eaten 
uncooked—lettuce, celery, water cresses, etc., for vegetables contain 
potash-salts which are needed by the blood but are abstracted in the 
process of boiling. The juice of meat is very valuable; it may be 
given alone as beef or mutton-tea or mixed with other food. Salted 
and cured meats are decidedly objectionable, except fat bacon, which 
is recommended for breakfast. For infants the cod-liver oil is 




558 


DIET FOR FEVERS AND INFLAMMATIONS. 


especially valuable; also good milk in large quantity, chicken-broth, 
etc. This provision of fresh meat and vegetables, combined with 
the use of pure, soft water for bathing, will be found very helpful 
in the relief of all cutaneous disorders. 


DIET FOR FEVERS AND INFLAMMATIONS. 

There was once an adage in vogue, “ Stuff a cold and starve a 
fever.” That was when the feverish nature of a cold was not under¬ 
stood, and when the importance of sustaining the constitution 
when in a feverish or inflamed state was not recognized. The feed¬ 
ing of fevers is now generally acknowledged to be an important 
auxiliary in the treatment of them. Indeed, the celebrated Dr 
Graves said that he desired no higher praise after his death than 
that he fed fevers. In this, however, there is nothing new, for the 
value of nutrition for those who were suffering from them was 
observed in the earliest times. Hippocrates was so decided in his 
opinion on this subject that in his treatise on the management of 
acute diseases he lays stress on the administration of wine and 
barley-gruel, and describes how the latter is to be prepared. The 
time of dietetic revival is, however, but recent, for until the last 
generation it was considered necessary to starve out the devouring 
dame of fever or inflammation by refraining from feeding it, French 
physicians going to the extreme by depriving invalids of food alto¬ 
gether. The reaction began when Dr. Graves maintained that to 
feed a fever was essential to its cure. Still it must not be supposed 
that food is to be indiscriminately or outrageously given. The great 
art of daily nourishing fever-patients consists in giving a frequent, 
almost continuous supply of liquid nutriment containing very 
soluble aliments in a dilute form. Stress must be laid on almost 
every one of these terms. The supply of food must be frequent, 
almost continuous; it must be liquid, requiring no effort of masti¬ 
cation, making as little demand as possible on the digestive func¬ 
tions; the aliments it contains must be of a concentrated character, 
of pure and highly nutritive quality, and yet in a dilute form, in 
such a condition as to be very soluble by the digestive secretions 
and easily assimilated by the vessels and glands. Such a supply 
excludes solid food and large quantities of food at a time. 

Preeminent-in the treatment of fevers is the free allowance of 
pure cold water. The patient craves it and he may take it in fre¬ 
quently repeated mouthfuls, as it is nature calling loudly for a 
simple and cooling fluid. Milk is the most suitable food. It is 
what has been provided for the weakest organism and contains all 
that is required for nourishment. It is the sheet-anchor in typhoid 
fever. If half a quarter of a pint be given every hour, or a quarter 
of a pint or even more every two hours, a fair amount of nutriment 
will be imbibed. The administration of milk will, however, require 



DIET FOR FEVERS AND INFLAMMATIONS. 


559 


watching, in case the acidity of the stomach should cause the for¬ 
mation and ejection of cheesy lumps. To avert this result a little 
lime-water or soda-water may be added to the milk. Whey will be 
found refreshing and grateful; and sour buttermilk is not to be de¬ 
spised. Beef-juice or jelly, mutton broth or beef-tea, with as small 
a quantity of the meat-fibre as possible may take the place of milk 
in many instances. If these are regularly and freely given the 
danger of starvation is averted, the emaciation which at¬ 
tends convalescence is lessened and the occurrence of serious 
secondary disorders is rendered less probable. In all cases it is 
extremely important that, from the first, small quantities of very 
nutritious food should be given regularly and persistently. 

Barley-water, water slightly sweetened, toast-water, weak lem¬ 
onade, gruel and extract of meat, are valuable variations of diet. 
When there is disrelish for food or difficulty of swallowing arising 
from the arrest of the mucous secretions of the mouth and throat, 
the parched lips and tongue may be moistened by a little lemon- 
juice and water, or other agreeable fluid, a few minutes before 
food is taken. Sometimes the mouth is so foul with slime that 
great attention is essential to keep it clean, and it may be necessary 
to wipe it out frequently with a soft rag, moist with a weak solution 
of permanganate of potash. The cleaner the mouth is kept the bet¬ 
ter and it should be invariably cleansed before giving food. 
Sucking and swallowing sinall bits of ice is both grateful and use¬ 
ful. If prostration, feeble and irregular circulation or complica¬ 
tions indicate it, wine or brandy must be given, but the quantity of 
stimulants, and indeed of nourishment, must be regulated by the 
character of the pulse and the condition of the nervous system. 
Some allowance of alcohol is indicated when there is great prostra¬ 
tion of strength, or trembling of the hands, or quivering of the 
voice, or low, muttering delirium when the patient is left quiet. It 
should always be borne in mind that alcoholic drinks are not food, 
afford no nutrition and cannot take the place of food. They are 
stimulating auxiliaries, but can never render nourishment unneces¬ 
sary and should never be administered except with the greatest care 
and discretion. Roast-apples, grapes, strawberries, oranges, pome¬ 
granates, lemons and other ripe pulpy fruit in season may often be 
given, in the absence of diarrhea, provided all skins and seeds be 
rejected. They are cooling to the mouth and pleasant to the taste. 
They are all more wholesome before other food than after. But at 
a certain stage of typhoid fever, fruits are not admissible in conse¬ 
quence of the danger of extensive ulcerations which are so common 
in this disease. 

Fresh eggs are highly nutritious and if taken raw or beaten up 
with milk or water are quickly assimilated. They may also be 
beaten up with a little wine if stimulants are advisable. If, how¬ 
ever, the eggs he stale, dr if the albumen be hardened by cooking, 
or if from the state of the stomach the digestion be slow, eggs will 


560 


DIET FOR GOUT. 


do more harm than good. Generally speaking, they had better be 
avoided till the gastric functions are restored during convales¬ 
cence. 

As a rule, the temperature of food in sickness should be as 
nearly as possible that of the natural heat of the body—about 98°. 
But in cases of fever or diarrhea, or where there is considerable 
nausea, the cooler it is the better. When there is inflammation of 
the stomach or bowels or where vomiting is present, the food should 
invariably be in a liquid form, given quite cold and only a few 
spoonfuls at a time. A very little pepsin may be helpful in such 
cases. 

When there is considerable prostration, when the patient can • 
not be raised without danger of fainting, or when he ought not to 
be moved from the recumbent posture at all, as in typhoid fever or 
cholera, the liquid food is best given by a china feeding cup and 
not by a spoon, for taking food by little spoonfuls is often a 
source of irritation to the sufferer, who prefers being left alone 
and without food rather than troubled to take it in driblets. But 
the same vessel or even another of the same appearance should not 
be used for both food and medicine. 

Sometimes it is necessary to give food otherwise than by the 
mouth, as at the height or latter end of acute fevers. Injections then 
become necessary and life may often be sustained for some time by 
nutritive injections, given by this means. Food must in such cases 
be blood-warm, diluted and slowly injected as far as possible. If the 
injection be farinaceous, as barley-water or gruel, the addition of a 
little diastase (in the shape of malt extract), will to some extent 
supply the deficiency of saliva. If it consist of broth or beef-tea 
the addition of a little pepsin will supply the lack of gastric juice. 
Not more than a quarter of a pint should be given at a time. 

Diet for Fever-Patients —Barley-water, water-gruel, rice- 
gruel, toast-water, white-wine whey, rennet-whey, alum-whey, lem¬ 
onade, linseed-tea, arrow-root, egg-soup, panada, chicken-broth, 
mutton-broth, beef-tea, malt-tea, tea, biscuit and milk, bread¬ 
pudding, rice-pudding, batter-pudding, mashed potato and enema. 


DIET FOR GOUT. 

Gout seldom attacks persons employed in constant physical 
labor, or those who live chiefly on vegetable diet. It appears to be 
probable that gout is occasioned by an accumulation of imperfectly 
changed nitrogenous matter, due either to an excessive 
nitrogenous supply, to a defective transforming capacity, to 
an arrest of transformation by alcoholic drinks, or to an imperfect 
transformation of some material in the alcoholic drink. For there 
is found to be an accumulation of oxydizable materials which are 
not naturally assimilated. Hence they remain in the system in the 



DIET FOR GRAVEL AND STONE. 


561 


form of uric acid which is convertible into urate of soda, the char¬ 
acteristic deposit of gout. At any rate, experience shows that in 
some subjects the disorder attends a highly nitrogenized diet, 
sedentary habits, immoral self-indulgence and a free indulgence in 
the heavier kinds of wine and beer. Even intellectual pursuits, by 
working the brain without exercise of the limbs, contribute to the 
development of gout. There is, therefore, perhaps no disease in 
which properly chosen and well regulated diet and hygiene are of 
greater importance. 

Those, then, who inherit a predisposition to this disorder, who 
exhibit premonitory symptoms or who have actually suffered from 
it, should abstain from rich living. The children of gouty parents 
should be accustomed to eat a large proportion of vegetables, so as 
to acquire a taste for them and be habituated to the digestion of 
them. Oatmeal-porridge for breakfast, buttermilk for drink and a 
very moderate proportion of meat at any time should form their 
diet while growing. When years of maturity are reached the diet 
should be simple, that temptation to excess may be avoided, 
limited in nitrogenous material and consisting largely of vegetables, 
especially if the habits of life be inactive. Meat should be eaten 
only once a day; soles, whiting and cod, mutton, tender beef, fowl 
and game, are suitable. Salmon, veal, pork, cheese, and highly 
seasoned or made dishes, pastry, greasy or twice-cooked meat, raw 
vegetables, articles which cause eructation or belching, or other 
symptoms of dyspepsia, and anything likely to lead the patient to 
eat more than is strictly moderate, must be avoided. The gouty 
person should be even more abstemious with regard to drink than 
to food, altogether avoiding sweet beer, strong and sweet wines. 
Port is to be particularly eschewed. The lighter wines, such as dry 
sherry, claret, Burgundy, hock or dry champagne, may be taken by 
some persons in moderation; but if the gouty predisposition is 
established even these will bring on a paroxysm. Malt liquors 
should not be used. 


DIET FOR GRAVEL (LITHCEMIA) AND STONE. 

Patients having a predisposition to the formation of stone, 
especially if they have passed gravel with their urine, require 
medical treatment and careful supervision to correct the tendency 
to such formations. But in addition to the employment of medi¬ 
cines, attention to diet will be of considerable service. A reference 
to the varieties of stone, and what produces it, will indicate those 
ingredients of food that should be avoided. 

Uric acid forms the nucleus of most urinary concretions, and 
many entirely consist of it. The small red cayenne-pepper-grains, 
{red gravel), and the brown lumps of stone are due to the excess of 
this acid. This excess is closely related to the constitutional dispo¬ 
se 



562 


DIET FOR GRAVEL AND STONE. 


sition of gout. Indeed, the uric-acid condition often alternates in 
the same individuals with gout; even in generations this may be 
observed, gout manifesting itself in one, gravel in the second, and 
gout again in the third. It is much more frequent in the United 
States than gout. The great object, then, in treating this disease 
must be the correction of the constitutional disposition and the 
prevention of the deposit of uric-acid, where this tendency is 
known to exist. Where gout is known to exist in a family and 
gravel is at any time observed in the urine, preventive measures 
should at once be taken without waiting for the actual presence of 
those symptoms which only occur at late periods of the disease. All 
then that lias been said in other parts of this work on the dietetic 
treatment of rheumatism and gout may in all cases be appropriately 
considered with reference to stone. Indeed the strict observance of 
precautionary regimen is the more urgent in this case, inasmuch as 
stone is more painful and dangerous than either gout or rheuma¬ 
tism. 

Phosphatic salts exist in the urine when in a healthy condition, 
but are then held in solution. Should the urine, however, be 
deprived of its normal acidity by inflammation of the bladder or 
kidneys, due to an anaemic or broken down state of the constitu¬ 
tion, phosphatic gravel may be deposited. It may also form a con¬ 
cretion around some irritating substance in the bladder, as a uric- 
acid stone. This form occurs chiefly in the aged. 

Oxalate of lime, it is always a morbid product. Properly 
speaking, there is no gravel or sediment; the particles of oxalate 
float as crystals in the urine, or subside if it be allowed to stand, 
but not in large quantity. When observed in children this form of 
gravel occurs in those that have been brought up the country, but 
have been underfed, are pale, feeble, and suffer from disturbed 
sleep, acidity, etc. It seems to be occasioned by their eating too 
large a quantity of acid fruits and bad vegetables, such as rhubarb 
sorrel or tomatoes, and drinking hard, unboiled water. It does not 
appear to be necessary that the food taken should contain oxalic 
acid, for by fermentation other organic acids taken into the system 
may be converted into the oxalic. When the oxalate is found in 
the urine of adults it appears to be consequent on feeble powers of 
assimilation and exhaustion of the nervous system from over-work, 
anxiety or excesses; on frequent attacks of gout, or on exposure to 
damp, cold, want of fresh air, and a low, unvaried diet. 

In the treatment of these different forms of the disease it is 
obvious that first and foremost all avoidable causes must be 
removed: high living, alcoholic liquors, insufficient exercise on the 
one hand; over-work, anxiety and excesses of all kinds on the other. 
Occasional abstinence from animal food for a time is advantageous, 
except when the oxalic constitutional disposition exists; then it is 
necessary to allow a generous animal diet of simply dressed and 
plain, nourishing meat. Restriction must be placed upon: sugar. 



DIET FOR HEART DISEASE. 


563 


in whatever form or combination this substance is presented; fatty 
matters —butter, cream and fat meat, whether simply cooked or in 
the form of pastry; alcoholic beverages, especially in the form of 
sherry, port and the stronger wines, strong beer, champagne, etc. 
Tea and coffee must also be taken in moderation. Abstinence from 
these substances is recommended on the ground that the labor of the 
liver will thus he greatly lightened and correspondingly the vicar¬ 
ious work of the kidneys will he diminished. Succulent vegetables 
and fruits when cooked should be preferred. Lemon-juice is cor¬ 
rective. But rhubarb, sorrel, apples, pears and other acid raw fruit 
and vegetables should be avoided. Water-cresses and lettuce are 
the least objectionable because they correct any scorbutic tendency 
of the blood and act as sedatives to the urinary organs. Milk-diet 
and frequent draughts of pure, soft water are also recommended. 
Filtered rain, or distilled water, rendered alkaline by soda or caustic 
potash, has a great solvent power and may be taken to the extent of 
one or two pints daily. Indeed, removal to a locality where pure 
soft water can be procured is often alone curative. 

The value of water-treatment is due to the fact that from drink¬ 
ing but little fluid the urine becomes concentrated and acid and thus 
irritates the mucous membrane, while more water dilutes the urine. 
And not only is there a real and substantial benefit through the 
diminution which the water effects as a diluent in the irritating 
qualities of the urine, but a still greater benefit is realized in the 
flushing and cooling of the congested liver. It is quite open to 
question whether the alkaline waters that are frequently recom¬ 
mended do not confer benefit as diluents rather than as medica¬ 
ments. At any rate, the free drinking of pure, soft water is of 
priceless advantage. 


DIET FOR HEART-DISEASE. 

A diseased heart is a feeble heart and its impulse is slow; hence 
the circulation of blood is sluggish and the absorption of liquids 
through the mucous membranes is retarded. The consequence of 
this is that liquids are slowly absorbed by the stomach and if any 
large quantity be taken at once this occasions considerable incon¬ 
venience and interferes with the digestion of solid food. The dis¬ 
tention of the stomach also interferes with the action of the heart, 
already too slow and labored. 

In heart-disease, then, only a moderate amount of liquid should 
be taken at once. Dry diet is accompanied by less discomfort. 
Soup should not be taken at the commencement of dinner; drink 
taken during the meal should only be sipped and should not be cold. 
Between meals thirst should be quenched by sips. Dry diet is 
especially indicated if the sufferer be corpulent, particularly if fat has 
accumulated about the chest. The diet should be nitrogenous and 



I 


564 DIETS IN HYSTERIA AND NERVOUS EXHAUSTION. 

nourishing. If dropsy supervene, it will be necessary to aid the 
functions of the kidneys and skin by imbibing a considerable 
quantity of water; but as soon as the dropsical tendency is arrested 
the dry diet should be resumed. 


DIET IN HYSTERIA. 

In this disorder the diet should be a generous, varied and highly 
nitrogenous one. Fish or bacon may be taken for breakfast, which 
will be generally more acceptable and better relished if a cold bath 
or spinal douche has been taken on rising. For the other meals the 
diet should be as nutritive as the digestive organs will permit with- 
' out causing disturbance. But the chief point to be noted here is the 
disuse of wine, beer and spirits. The daily consumption of alco¬ 
holic beverages for the debility from which patients imagine they 
suffer, should be strenuously opposed, for this, instead of conferring 
benefit, only tends to confirm the worst symptom of the complaint. 
There is, further, danger to be apprehended lest the patient should 
in time learn to enjoy the pleasurable sensations yielded by alco¬ 
hol so highly that in the end she becomes an inebriate. A feeling 
of exhaustion or faintness from defective or perverted nervous sup¬ 
plies may indeed be removed by stimulants, but the exhaustion 
quickly returns, and with it the temptation again to seek relief by 
the same means. It is most difficult to persuade the patient that 
the sensations of faintness or exhaustion are really aggravated by 
stimulants, and that if she will abstain from the delusive draught 
and adopt rational methods of cure, nerve-power will return and with 
it appetite and other normal functions. 

“The best way of breaking off the habit of yielding to the per¬ 
verted sensation which so insidiously cries for alcohol,” writes Dr. 
Chambers, “is immediately and altogether to relinquish it. Terrible 
sometimes is the struggle, yet it is a bracing and ennobling conflict; 
whereas the long-continued daily annoyance of giving it up little by 
little is on the whole quite as painful, and is often enfeebling to the 
mind. Moreover, courage is likelier to give way in a month than in 
a day.” 


DIET FOR NERVOUS EXHAUSTION. 

There is a large class of people who are ailing and whom 
neither the vegetarian diet, nor the milk diet, nor the beef diet can 
benefit. Neither are they made happy by the well man’s diet, 
“good living,” “the best of everything.” These are the brain¬ 
workers, the nervous, the neurasthenics, all, in fact, who are suffer¬ 
ing from exhausted nerve. For a number of years past the question 
has arisen as to what is the best brain and nerve food. The answer 




DIET FOR RHEUMATISM. 


565 


lias come at last from England and appears in an article entitled 
“Food in Neurosal Affections.’” The substance of it comes to this: 
Stop eating lean meat and live on iisli and bread and butter. 

“ Experience,” the author says, “ has taught us the fact, even 
before physiological chemistry could tell us why, that fat and fish 
are the foods which are especially indicated. A phosphoric fat has 
to be supplied to the nervous system.” 

It is an old fallacy, of course, that the living exclusively on fish 
is conducive to intellectuality, but although fisli-eating cannot make 
philosophers of fishermen it does not follow that this phosphorescent 
meat is not useful to recuperate exhausted nerve. The main feature, 
however, is not the fish but the fat. Lecithin, that conspicuous 
component of brain and nerve, a substance unknown to the vegetable 
world, is a fat. Butter, cream and cod-liver oil and milk, fat bacon 
and the yolk of eggs should constitute the chief factor in the combi¬ 
nation diet. Fish furnishes the phosphorus and it also furnishes 
sufficient nitrogen for support. 

“ When we consider,” says the article, “ that the pabulum of the 
nervous system is a phosphorised fat we can comprehend why the 
plan of treating cases of cerebral exhaustion by liberal quantities of 
lean meat has turned out a failure. Albuminoids do not supply the 
required material for the intended purpose, while in their metabol¬ 
ism the}" furnish matters which may be called hepatic mal-products 
or liver stuffs which possess very irritating and toxic properties 
as regards the brain, consequently a highly nitrogenized dietary is 
not only without advantages but actually possesses positive draw¬ 
backs. The brain is not fed thereby, but in its weak condition is 
annoyed and vexed by these liver stuffs.” 

An American patient is cited who lost his bilious headache by 
striking out of his diet the flesh of all animals except fish. “He 
lives on a milk and farinaceous dietary with butter plus the fish.” 
It is to be noted that the physicians’ main reliance thus far in nearly 
all cases of weakness from whatever cause has been upon the albu- 
menoids. 


DIET FOR RHEUMATISM. 

In acute rheumatism the maintenance of a steady, equable 
temperature is of far greater importance than purity of air or even 
strict attention to diet. Still nitrogenous, restorative food really 
retards recovery and if resumed too soon during convalescence will 
cause relapse. Meat taken in any form, solid or liquid, is converted 
into lactic acid, the excess of which characterizes rheumatism, and 
the acidity in the perspiration and urine is markedly increased. 
The more fleshy and red the meat, the worse for the patient. A 
non-nitrogenous diet, except in broken-down, debilitated constitu¬ 
tions, or where serious nervous or heart complications exist, has been 



56G 


DIET FOR RICKETS. 


found very successful in rheumatic fever. But while this diet 
diminishes the formation of acid and lessens cardiac power, thus 
rendering the pulse smaller and softer, this second effect renders 
extreme caution necessary in its adoption, when either heart or brain 
is seriously affected. 

Dr. Parkes has given biscuits made in the following manner 
with very good results and with satisfaction to the patients: “ But¬ 
ter was melted in a jug placed in a warm-water bath, and the liquid 
oil was poured off. Arrow-root cakes were made with a portion of 
this butter and a little simar was added. Sweetened arrow-root or 
other farinaceous jellies are also acceptable. 

Farinaceous (flour) food is not so readily and abundantly con¬ 
verted into the offending acid; this, therefore, constitutes the only 
appropriate diet. During the fever it should be restricted to water, 
milk and soda-water in equal quantities, barley-water, gruel, arrow- 
root, rice, corn-flour, panada and other preparations of bread, oat¬ 
meal-porridge, mashed potatoes, etc. Even when the pain is gone 
and all that appears to be requisite is the recovery of flesh and 
strength, nothing is gained by a too speedy return to ordinary diet; 
in fact, relapse is rendered probable by its adoption. Mutton broth, 
beef-tea and other liquid or semi-liquid preparations, and next light 
puddings, preparations of bread, white fish and fowl must for a time 
constitute the transitional diet. Malt liquors in acute rheumatism, 
sweet wines and much sugar should always be avoided. But alco¬ 
holic stimulants may be needed in depression from severe heart 
implications. Lemon-juice may be taken freely. 

In chronic rheumatism the diet should be generous but easy of 
digestion, as attacks are often occasioned by disorders of the 
stomach. Beer and strong or sweet wines must be avoided. 

A sufferer from chronic rheumatism should wear red flannel 
next to the skin, or over a cotton garment, the thickness of the flan¬ 
nel being regulated by the weather, and should have plenty of rest 
and bask in the sun. 


DIET FOR RICKETS. 

Rickets is esentially a disease of mal-nutrition and is not 
hereditary as scrofula often is. It is a disease of early childhood, 
manifesting itself as early as the seventh to the eighteenth month, 
rarely after the twenty-fourth. Every organ of the body is impli¬ 
cated, although it is most manifest in the bones, which are deficient 
in lime-elements. They are therefore gelatinous, soft and yielding. 
This deficiency in the more substantial bony particles is caused by 
improper diet and is only to be corrected by supplying what is 
proper. Rickets does not occur in children who are kept too lono* 
at the breast, but among those that are weaned too soon. It is not 
because they are supplied with milk, but because they are fed too 



DIET FOR SCROFULA. 


567 


soon on meat and vegetables. It is never so common as in babes 
that are weaned before the teeth are sufficiently forward and fed on 
pap, potatoes, bacon and beef. It occurs far too commonly in the 
great centers of population, where mothers are induced to neglect 
their children in order to go to work, and especially in large manu¬ 
facturing towns where they go to mills far too soon after babies are 
born. For rickety children nothing can take the place of milk— 
first the mother’s milk, if it be good; next comes milk diluted with 
water, and sweetened w T ith sugar-of-milk; even skim-milk is better 
than none at all. And the milk may form a large proportion of the 
diet after the age of infancy is passed. Cod-liver oil, animal broths 
and fresh meat may then be given. The administration of a moder¬ 
ate quantity of finely scraped raw beef, made into a palatable sand- 
wich, salted and peppered, is much to be recommended. Malt or 
barley food is specially suitable for rickety children. It may be 
prepared in the following manner: Four tablespoonfuls of ground 
malt should be boiled for ten minutes in a pint of water, the liquid 
poured off, and a pint of new milk added; the sediment from the 
husk, if finely ground, need not be removed, as it is very nutritious 
and rich in bone-forming materials. Cod-liver oil has a specific 
action in this disease, but should only be given in small doses, ten to 
twenty drops at first, and the quantity gradually increased to a tea- 
spoonful. During its administration the evacuations should be 
examined, for the appearance and odor of the oil in them are signs 
that the quantity should be reduced. 


DIET FOR SCROFULA. 

The most important predisposing cause of scrofula is undoubt¬ 
edly hereditary and like most hereditary diseases it is most frequently 
inherited from the mother. The mother ought not nurse her child 
if she come of a scrofulous family. If, on the other hand, she be 
healthy, and the child inherit the scrofulous tendency from the 
father, she should set herself to provide the most nourishing diet 
she can from her own breast and as long as possible. Everything 
which will nourish her, and through her the child, until the molar 
teeth appear should be perseveringly taken, and everything that will 
disagree with her, and through her the child, must be studiously 
avoided. 

When the teeth appear and more solid food than milk becomes 
appropriate, the diet should be of a light and digestible character. 
A larger proportion of animal food than is usually given to little 
children should be allowed. Cod-liver oil, as a supplemental article 
of diet, is an agent possessing such remarkable and well-known 
properties of arresting general or local emaciation as not to require 
further recommendation. It may be given in childhood to arrest 
the development of scrofulous symptoms and throughout future 



568 


DIET FOE SCUKVY AND PURPUKA. 


} T ears either to arrest or to correct them. It may be given in any 
case in which there is wasting without acute febrile symptoms, in 
teaspoonful-doses, two or three times a day, commencing even with 
half a teaspoonful if it be found to disagree or if there be reluc¬ 
tance to take a larger dose. This, or olive-oil, may also be advan¬ 
tageously employed for inunction over the chest, abdomen and back. 
Beef, mutton, venison and fowls are the best kinds of animal food; 
to these should be added preparations of eggs and milk, a due 
quantity of bread, mealy potatoes, rice and other farinaceous 
ingredients, as more suited to this class of patients than very watery 
and succulent vegetables. Everything that favors the production 
of acidity, too much fruit, very salt, sweet, fat or highly seasoned 
food, should be avoided. No food, not ever cod-liver oil, should be 
so given as to excite disgust. The variety to stimulate the appetite 
should however be in methods of simple cookery, rather than in the 
selection of what is tasty but innutritious. Alcohol may be of 
some service when prescribed as a medicine, but only under the 
watchful observation of a physician. 


DIET FOR SCURVY AND PURPURA. 

Scurvy and purpura (though the latter is called land-scurvy') 
are not the same disease, but analogous. Both are characterized by 
morbid conditions of the blood and capillary vessels which cause 
effusions of blood of greater or less extent just beneath the skin 
and in other parts, and are followed by other symptoms. Both are 
amenable to dietetic treatment in conjunction with suitable medi¬ 
cinal remedies. Scurvy gradually supervenes on the continued use 
of a dietary deficient in vegetable acids. Its occurrence is greatly 
aided by general deficiency and limited range of food, exposure to 
cold and wet, and mental and moral depression. It has been deemed 
to be inseparable from long voyages, but has been proved to be 
preventable and curable by means to be found in every inhabited 
country. It is very prevalent in Iceland, especially on the western 
coast, where the inhabitants depend chiefly on fishing and where 
the pastures are limited in extent and inferior in produce. 

The corrective is obvious, viz , the supply of those articles of 
food, fresh vegetables , milk and good diet generally, which contain 
ingredients the absence of which has led to the diseased condition. 
Cabbage is perhaps the most valuable anti-scorbutic we possess. 
In slight cases of scurvy or purpura, where bleeding from the veins 
is almost the only symptom, it is very successful both in producing 
a cure and in preventing other members of the family from suffer¬ 
ing from it. The vegetable should be fresh; if it iias been kept 
and then wetted to freshen it up again it is not nearly so efficacious, 
and if fermentation has taken place it is positively injurious. The 



DIET FOR TYPHOID. 


569 


concurrent testimony of many observers shows that the potato is 
very efficient in preventing scurvy; eight to twelve ounces a day 
are sufficient for this purpose. Oranges, lemons, limes, lettuce, 
onions, water-cress, mustard and cress, dandelion, grapes, may like¬ 
wise be used as preventives. Vinegar, good lemon-juice and other 
vegetable acids are also excellent anti-scorbutics. In severe cases, 
citrates, tartrates, lactates, and malates of po ash should be used as 
drinks and added to the food. An ample supply of those acids, as 
well as of preserved vegetables, should be provided for ships which 
are engaged in war, or have to make prolonged sojourn where fresh 
vegetables cannot be obtained. The legal supplementary allowance 
in emigrant vessels is eight ounces of preserved potato, three ounces 
of other preserved vegetables (carrots, turnips, onions, celery and 
mint), besides pickles and three ounces of lemon-juice for each 
person weekly, and this is found to be sufficient to prevent the 
occurrence of the disease. The commencement of the administra¬ 
tion of lemon or lime-juice should not be delayed beyond fourteen 
days after putting out to sea. 


DIET FOR TYPHOID IN CHILDREN AND ADULTS. 

Dr. R. W. St. Clair, of Brooklyn, writing in the Medical 
Summary , on this subject says: ‘-There is, perhaps, no disease in 
which the skill of the physician is shown so much as in typhoid, or 
where great care and vigilance is more needed, and while it is true 
that it is a self-limited disease, it is also true that a certain amount 
of medication is needed. As soon as I am sure that malaria plays 
no part in the disease, I give turpentine in small doses in nearly 
every case, particularly where there is tympanites, tenderness of the 
abdomen, with dry tongue. If there is a falling temperature 1 give 
quinine in full doses. If diaphoresis is marked, cold sponging will 
be grateful to the patient, and tepid sponging if the skin be dry 
and harsh. This lowers the temperature and seldom if ever pros¬ 
trates the patient. If chalk mixed with kino does not check any 
trouble with the bowels, opii. with camphor or tannic acid will 
(bearing in mind always that opiates should be given with care to 
children). Supportive treatment is the key note in typhoid com¬ 
plications watched and treated, but the diet needs to be very care¬ 
fully attended to. When the physician remembers the tender con 
dition of the ulcerated glands of his little patients he will not imperil 
their lives by giving indigestible food. A single error of diet may 
prove fatal by bringing on severe diarrhea. “ What shall I give the 
patient to eat?” is a question asked, perhaps, as often as any in the 
sick room, and it is not always easy to determine what is best in 
each individual case, and if stated, is quite often forgotten by the 
nurse. 



570 


DIET IN WORM AFFECTIONS. 


“ The diet should be plain, simple and nourishing. Beef tea, 
chicken and mutton broth, milk, etc., are the articles generally put 
down, and what is the result? The little sufferer goes down, weaker 
day by day, till you fear he will die from starvation, and I am sure 
they do , if fed on extract of beef and beef tea, for I have seen beef tea 
that a quart would not give a child any more nutriment than water. I 
have seen the little patient with that starved look till my heart 
ached, yet what could I do? I tried all the liquid foods with no 
good results. 

“ But this has all changed. I now feed my patients, from the 
first, on Beef Peptonoids. I can truly say I have not seen one 
patient, where Beef Peptonoids was given from the first, that bore 
that starved, pinched, once-seen-never-forgotten look. The sordes 
of the teeth and lips are not so bad, and often none to be seen, 
showing the condition of the stomach to be better. In health the 
saliva contains sulpho cyanide of potassium. In typhoid the 
parotid, submaxillary and sublingual glands secrete very little, the 
mouth becomes dry, hot, feverish and sordes collect on teeth and 
lips. Anything that will cause these glands to secrete is grateful 
to the patient and prevents sordes forming. Beef Peptonoids will 
do this; so will the mother’s milk, and the action of both are very 
alike. 

u Beef Peptonoids is a concentrated food more easily digested 
than milk, as it will not coagulate, and is highly nutritive. It 
contains 95 per cent, of flesh forming principles, composed largely 
of musculine, albumen and caseine. The nitrogenous principles are 
brought to a partially soluble condition by means of pancreatine. 
Beef Peptonoids contain very little inert matter, are partially 
digested, leaving but a small amount of excrement.itial substance. 

u It is not enough that food is taken into the stomach; it must 
assimilate. Nature can generally dispose of an excess of nutritive 
material, but she cannot make up a deficiency. If the food does 
not assimilate there will be all the symptoms of inanition. The 
eye will glitter with a feverish light; the pupil, enormously dilated, 
remains fixed upon you without winking, and with an interrogative 
astonishment, mingled with fear. The breath is extremely fetid; 
the tongue thin, pointed, elongated and tremulous, often aphthous. 

“ As I said before, I have never seen these symptoms when 
Beef Peptonoids were given from the first, and I have seen them 
disappear soon after the patient was put on this diet.” 


DIET IN WORM-AFFECTIONS. 

It should be distinctly understood that these parasites are not 
found when the alimentary canal is in a healthy condition; they 
require thick mucus for their home and nourishment and unless 
this be secreted they cannot exist. There can be little doubt that 



DIET IN WORM AFFECTIONS 


571 


their presence occasions excessive secretion, but there must be a 
previous secretion in which they are developed. In scrofulous con¬ 
stitutions there is a tendency to this excessive secretion. Food in a 
partly digested state also favors their development. When worms 
are known to exist, measures should not only be taken for their 
expulsion, but also for the correction of that unhealthy condition 
of the alimentary canal which favors their existence. Injections 
expel them, but only medicinal and hygienic treatment can be relied 
on for improving the patient’s health and preventing the reappear¬ 
ance of the parasite. Open waters should not be drunk nor used in 
the preparation of food without being previously boiled or filtered; 
raw or underdone meat, especially pork, ham, bacon or sausages, 
should be avoided; fruits and vegetables, such as lettuce, water 
cress, etc., eaten raw, should be first washed in salt-and-water and 
then fresh water and examined, for by eating raw, unwashed vegeta¬ 
bles the eggs of worms find entrance into the body. Cooks and 
butchers are more liable to be affected with tapeworm than other 
persons, and in countries where uncooked flesh, fowl or fish is con¬ 
sumed, intestinal worms abound. 

To correct the excessi ve and morbid intestinal secretion consid¬ 
erable changes of diet are also generally necessary. The food should be 
taken only at regular hours and selected with special reference to its 
digestibility. It may include properly cooked animal food—mutton, 
beef, fowl and white fish. Cakes, pastry, sweetmeats, sweet-made 
dishes, new, waxy, half-cooked potatoes, butter, veal and pork 
must be forbidden. Salt as a condiment should be taken freely 
with the food, but salted meats should be avoided. 

The following scale of diet is recommended by Dr. Eustace 
Smith for a child over two years of age, to be given in four separate 
meals in the course of the day: 

“ First meal —Fresh milk diluted with a third part of lime- 
water. A small slice of toast, or of dry, stale bread. 

“ Second meal —A small mutton chop, or a slice of roast-beef 
or mutton, without fat; dry toast or stale bread. 

“ Third meal —A cup of beef-tea or mutton-broth, free from 
grease; the yolk of a lightly boiled egg; dry toast. 

“ Fourth meal (if necessary )—The same as the first. 

It is not always easy to persuade children to submit readily to 
the deprivation of starchy food, for which, and especially for pota¬ 
toes, there is often in these cases a great craving. So long however 
as a slimy appearance of the evacuations continues to be observed, 
the above diet should if possible be adhered to. When potatoes are 
once allowed, they must be well boiled and should be afterwards 
carefullv mashed with a spoon. Steaming is generally the best 
method^of cooking potatoes. Gravy may be poured over them 
before they are eaten. In cases where the appetite is lost and there 
is disgust for food children often show an especial reluctance to take 
meat which it is very difficult to overcome. A small bird, as a 


572 


DIET FOR DIFFERENT STAGES OF LIFE. 


lark or a snipe, will however often tempt them, for their fancy is 
pleased by the idea of eating a whole bird and this means frequently 
succeeds when all others fail. 

“ The above scale of diet need not be literally followed in the 
case of all children troubled with worms, but may be varied accord¬ 
ing to circumstances. In general, three meals are better than four; 
but whichever arrangement is adopted no food should be allowed 
between the meals.” 


DIET FOR DIFFERENT STAGES OF LIFE. 

Though not properly coming under any heading of “ disease,” 
there are stages of life when special rules for the government of 
the diet may be advantageously observed, and which if followed will 
result in the most beneficial effects. Such are the natural periods 
of the feebleness of infancy and of the decay of old age; the 
transitions from one division of life to another; maternity in woman¬ 
hood, etc. At each of these periods of life the general health may 
be greatly conserved, and both the length and enjoyment of life 
prolonged by judicious application of the dietetic rules given in the 
following chapters: 

Diet in Infancy —Infancy is not naturally a period of sick¬ 
ness; but it is a time in which sickness is often induced by errors 
in diet. Indeed, there is no more fruitful source of suffering and 
death at this period than unsuitable or excessive feeding. 

Milk is the natural food of infants, and nothing can altogether 
take its place. If the mother’s milk be withheld, unless the milk of 
another carefully selected mother be substituted, the child will 
suffer. This alone contains the elements suitable for the growth 
of the infant, and should be given in such proportions as can be 
digested, for during the first period of infancy all the digestive 
functions are not in operation. There are no teeth for the mastica¬ 
tion of food, there is no saliva to dissolve it and facilitate its assimi¬ 
lation, while the stomach and intestines are in such a susceptible 
and delicate state that they are easily deranged, even by the unsuita¬ 
ble food which may be eaten by the mother. There are thus physi¬ 
ological indications that the digestive capacity is limited and that no 
other food is suitable besides that which the Creator has provided 
in the mother’s milk. When the teeth begin to appear and the 
maternal milk begins to fail, this may be supplemented by light 
farinaceous diet. 

If the mother’s milk fail and a substitute cannot be provided, 
the milk of the cow should be used, as it approaches most nearly 
to woman’s milk in its constituent elements. It is of course impor¬ 
tant that the milk should come from a healthy cow or from a dairy 
where the cows are healthy and well cared for. Where practicable it is 
desirable that the milk should be always obtained from one particu- 



573 


DIET FOR DIFFERENT STAGES OF LIFE. 

lar cow, but it is essential for the health of the infant that the milk 
be supplied from cows fed on wholesome food; it is also essential that 
the cow has not very recently calved. And the fresher the milk the 
better; for as the mother’s milk deteriorates by remaining in the 
breast after the draught comes on, so the cow’s milk is deteriorated 
by standing. New milk warm from the cow is the best for children 
at any age. 

When given to the child cow’s milk should be assimilated as 
nearly as possible to that of the mother. It should be diluted in 
the proportion of two-thirds of milk to one-third of soft, pure, tepid 
water, to each pint of which should have been previously added a 
drachm of sugar-of-milk (which being extracted from milk is far 
preferable to cane-sugar), and two grains of finely powdered phos¬ 
phate of lime. If the milk has been skimmed, a large tablespoon¬ 
ful of cream should be added to each pint of milk; if not skimmed, 
the addition of two teaspoonfuls will suffice. After a time the 
proportion of water may be lessened. It is of importance that after 
the child has been fed the bottle be washed in a weak solution of 
soda, and that the teat be put in cold water, there to remain till 
wanted. 

Condensed milk is now used to a large extent as a substitute 
for fresh milk. Its recommendations are that it is cheap and 
always ready to hand for the preparation of a meal. But it is doubtful 
whether in such preparations sufficient water is usually added, 
whether the milk is not too much sweetened and whether infants 
fed on it do not acquire a plumpness due to the increase of fat 
rather than of tiesh. It is hard to say that it ought not to be used, 
especially when there is difficulty in obtaining a supply of fresh and 
pure cow’s milk. In using it, it should be remembered that it is to 
be diluted not merely to the consistence of ordinary cow’s milk, but 
to the substitute for woman’s milk. 

When dribbling commences and the teeth begin to appear, the 
■infant may be fed on bread-sop, sweetened with sugar of milk, 
bread-crusts which he can suck and gnaw, plain biscuits, biscuit- 
powder, parched flour and rusks, or Nettle’s farinaceous food; but 
fancy-biscuits are objectionable. It is not till the glands secrete 
saliva that the child is able to digest starchy food. Oat-meal boiled 
in milk and then strained, the resulting liquid being properly 
diluted, is an excellent food. 

And it may be observed that not only is the maternal milk the 
very best diet that a mother can give to her child, but the best part 
of it is when “the draught comes in.” The reason for this is that 
it has just been secreted, and is therefore in the most refined and 
perfect condition. Every minute that it remains in the gland after 
secretion it deteriorates^ for particles are separated which never 
reunite; and thus the assimilation by the child is less easy. 

A little mutton-broth, weak beef-tea or chicken-soup may be 
occasionally added. But these additions to milk-diet should be only 


574 


DIET FOR DIFFERENT STAGES OF LIFE. 


gradually made towards the approach of weaning. Premature 
weaning is to be most strongly deprecated; its advantages are super¬ 
ficial, its evils lasting. Too early weaning is a most fruitful cause 
of rickets. The child may appear to be well, his muscles firm; he 
may be active and desirous to walk; but the bones have not grown, 
the limbs yield and become distorted. The bow-legged children so 
common in manufacturing districts suffer thus in consequence of 
neglect in infancy. 

There are circumstances, however, which justify early weaning. 
If the mother be a feeble woman, if she be subject to any acute dis¬ 
ease or chronic affection, or if she show signs of suffering from 
continued lactation or nursing—such as headache, dimness of sight, 
shortness of breath, palpitation or niglit-sweats—the maternal nurs¬ 
ing should be discontinued. And the discontinuance may be 
desirable at the end of the sixth month, or even of the first or second; 
for persistence in nursing is then prejudical to both mother and 
child. 

But the period of weaning should under ordinary circumstances 
be determined by the growth of the teeth and by the child’s age. 
Milk should be the predominant food till the eye-teeth are cut; it is 
then not difficult to resume a diet of milk altogether, if in connec¬ 
tion with dentition, or teething, there be diarrhea, convulsions or 
other ailments. From seven to twenty months of age farinaceous 
matters (flour-foods) may be mixed in gradually increasing quanti¬ 
ties with the milk; but they should be well cooked first by being 
baked and then dissolved bv boiling. 

Prof. Buckingham is of opinion that a healthy mother should 
nurse her child until the first sixteen teeth are cut, and that if she 
cannot nurse it so long it should have no other diet but milk. He 
states that careful observation has confirmed him in this opinion, 
for although early deaths may be produced by other causes, the 
great majority of infants who die fall victims in their second sum¬ 
mer when the changes due to teething are going on and their 
stomachs have been loaded with indigestible food. Up to three 
years old, the quantity of flours may be increased and given as pud¬ 
dings with a little egg. Bread and butter may also be given, and 
towards the end of that time a well-boiled, mealy potato with a 
little red gravy may be given for dinner. 

But no child should be allowed to touch animal food of any 
kind until its eye-teeth and first molars are developed. An Eno- 
lish physician has said that the frequent infraction of this rule was 
worth $50,000 a year to him; his practice lying chiefly among the 
children of the wealthier classes. After that age the quantity and 
quality of meat allowed should be carefully graduated according to 
the constitution of the child, those of a sanguine temperament 
requiring less animal and more farinaceous food, while the more 
robust and less sensitive need more solid nutriment. 

One of the greatest mistakes committed in feeding children 


DIET IN DIFFERENT STAGES OF LIFE, 


575 


consists in giving them too frequent meals, or allowing them to be 
continually eating, particularly in allowing them sweatmeats and 
other indigestible articles to be consumed between meals. After 
two years of age an interval of four hours between meals is rarely 
more than enough, and to give biscuit, fruit-bread or sweetmeats in 
the meantime is just subtracting so much from the digestive powers 
of the stomach which, like every other organ, requires an interval of 
repose after action. 

And here we may add a very strong protest against the practice 
of giving, even occasionally, alcoholic stimulants to infants and 
children. The ignorance which prompts some parents to give their 
children beer, wine and even spirits is marvelous as it is culpable. 
Such drinks are quite unnecessary, an immediate injury is inflicted 
on the child, and tastes and habits are formed which will prove 
baneful in after life. In proof that immediate injury is inflicted, 
the following fact may be cited: An ingenious surgeon tried the 
following experiment: he gave to two of his children, for a week 
alternately, to the one a full glass of sherry and to the other a large 
orange. The effects that followed were sufficient to prove the injur¬ 
ious tendency of various liquors. In the one the pulse was quick¬ 
ened, the heat increased, the secretions morbidly altered and the 
flow of bile diminished; while the other had every appearance that 
indicated high health. The same effects followed when the experi¬ 
ment was reversed, when the orange-girl took wine, and the wine- 
girl had an orange. The injury cannot be less decided when 
infants, with their delicate and susceptible organizations, sip beer 
and wine. 

Diet in Olcl Age —With the decline of life there is a dimin¬ 
ution of the activity of the secretions and of the assimilative func¬ 
tions. Disintegrated cell-tissue is but tardily repaired and the muscles 
become soft, flabby and pale from an insufficient supply of blood; there 
is therefore a diminution of physical strength. The nervous func¬ 
tions are also only imperfectly performed. Hence it is necessary 
that there should be some modifications in the diet when a person 
has passed middle life. Very old people and those who have lost 
their teeth are in danger of swallowing food before it has been 
sufficiently broken up and moistened with saliva thus giving rise 
to indigestion and imperfect assimilation. 

Indigestible and innutritions articles of diet should therefore 
be studiously avoided. The items which were harmless in the 
vigor of life are now harmful, and must be eschewed. Heavy pud¬ 
dings and pastry overload the stomach. Meat should be tender and 
nutritious, with the gravy in it; flesh firmer, of tougher fibre and 
dried pieces should be left to younger consumers. Still there should 
be in flesh and vegetable sufficient solidity and tenacity to compel 
mastication and thus promote the secretion of saliva and gastric 
juice. Soups and broths are nutritious, but they should not con- 



576 


DIET IN DIFFERENT STAGES OF LIFE. 


tain solid vegetables which might be swallowed without previous 
solution by the salivary secretion. 

If sleeplessness be troublesome, an egg, a sandwich or a' few 
biscuits, with a little warm wine and water or a glass of bitter ale, 
the last thing before going to bed, will be found serviceable. 

Attention should be paid to the teeth. These little organs of 
mastication perform a very important part in the preparatory pro¬ 
cess of digestion. Those that are sound should be preserved; those 
that are beginning to decay should receive the immediate care of 
the dentist. Artificial teeth are very valuable substitutes for lost 
natural teeth, and when a set has been procured they should be 
examined every few months by the dentist so that they may be 
fitted to the shrinking gums and their grinding surfaces kept in 
apposition. The roughness of those surfaces also becomes worn 
down and consequently the trituration of food is incomplete. 
Teeth should be obtained not merely to improve personal appear¬ 
ance but also to promote mastication and healthy digestion. 

Diet in Maternity —The expectant mother should make few 
changes in her diet, if it be simple, nutritious and easily digested. 
It is an error to suppose that she should eat and drink excessively. 
Quality is to be considered rather than- quantity. Rich food does 
not nourish the infant, and may be productive of serious conse¬ 
quences. Whatever is taken should be thoroughly masticated, and 
accompanied by a little cold drink, as milk and soda-water. Animal 
food, plainly cooked, once a day, well boiled vegetables, ripe fruit 
and farinaceous puddings, will afford sufficient variety and at the 
same time not disagree with the stomach. Highly seasoned dishes, 
salted and smoked meat, pastry, rich sauces and much raw fruit are 
objectionable. Strong tea and coffee and stimulants are usually 
injurious to mother and child. Everything likely to produce con¬ 
stipation should be avoided, while such food as small quantities of 
brown bread, biscuits and cooked fruits should be taken to maintain 
a healthy action of the bowels. 

The recently delivered mother should be allowed as much good 
nutritious food as she can easily digest and assimilate. As soon 
after delivery as the appetite returns, substantial, nourishing diet 
may be given. If the appetite be poor (perhaps from exhaustion 
or want of fresh air, or want of exercise), it may be at once tempted 
by some simple but palatable food, without waiting for it to 
become stronger. A mutton-chop or the breast of a chicken, oat¬ 
meal-porridge, cold toast buttered, bread and butter, light farinac¬ 
eous puddings, gruel, cocoa, or black tea, may be given. Many 
women have suffered from low, inflammatory symptoms and 
serious womb disorders from a too exclusive use of liquid food, the 
system being insufficiently strengthened to rally from the physical 
exhaustion attending parturition, or, labor. It should be distinctly 
understood that wholesome food is the best preventative of inflam¬ 
mation. Too much liquid food is likely to produce flatulence, 


DIET IN DIFFERENT STAGES OF LIFE. 


\ 


577 

distention and constipation, and to retard those physiological 
changes which take place after parturition. 

The nursing mother should abstain from whatever disagrees 
with herself or may be productive of discomfort to her infant. 
She should feed well, exercising discrimination in her choice of food, 
but not over-feed herself. Her meals should be regular, mastication 
complete, and natural appetite satisfied. If she be a small woman 
and be habitually a small eater and have small children, she will 
not require so much as a larger and more robust mother. Highly 
seasoned or indigestible food, late dinners or heavy suppers, strong 
wines and spirits should he avoided. It is by no means necessary 
that a very sparse and limited diet should he adopted, but there 
•should be a judicious abstinence from whatever would disagree 
with herself or deteriorate her milk. Some self-denial must be 
practised for the sake of the child; while such kinds of food as 
goose, duck, salted meats, shell-lish, rich dishes and pastry should 
not be taken, good meat, fowl, game, farinaceous vegetables and 
puddings may be eaten. To provide good milk, nothing is better 
than cocoa, cow’s milk or milk and water; to satisfy thirst, barley- 
water, toast and water or plain water should be taken. 

Diet for Travelers —A common error of ordinary travelers 
is to eat and drink too much. For want of occupation, and under 
the excitement of traveling, more is eaten than is demanded by a 
healthy appetite, more than the stomach can properly digest, and 
more than the system actually needs. In the course of a long 
journey it is sometimes necessary to time the refreshments by the 
stopping places at which they can he obtained, hut as nearly as pos¬ 
sible the ordinary periods for taking meals should be observed. Sand¬ 
wiches, or some other light repast, will allay the appetite and meet all 
the requirements of the system in a state of repose and when no 
physical or mental demands are made upon it. Warm coffee or 
tea is much to be preferred as a beverage to beer or whisky. The 
warmth is grateful to the consumer in cold weather and the per¬ 
spiration induced is cooling in hot weather, care being taken in the 
latter case not to sit in a draught. The stimulating effect of 
alcoholic drinks is undesirable for the drinker, while the exhalations 
therefrom are obnoxious to other travelers. 

Invalid travelers are more in danger of eating too little than 
too much. They have to guard against the exhaustion of fatigue 
as well as to maintain the tone of a system already enfeebled, and 
they are often so injudicious as to tax their powers of endurance to . 
the utmost by attempting too much in the course of a day. In 
traveling to some distant locality the eager haste to reach the end 
of the journey often results in needless, injurious fatigue. The 
day-journeys are often too long, the night-rest is often too short; 
and "if the invalid travels by “ easy stages,” he is often guilty of the 
indiscretion of attempting a little sight-seeing, incompatible with 
the conservation of strength which is really needed. Too much 

37 


578 


ARRANGEMENT OF MEALS. 


should not be attempted, and some friend should relieve the invalid 
of all charge of baggage, tickets, etc., and secure prompt entrance 
into the waiting-rooms. Arrangements should be made before 
starting for an ample supply of what may required by the invalid 
and in such form and manner that it may be taken when the appe¬ 
tite calls for it. An invalid should not have to wait for what may 
happen to be the next station, with its hurry and excitement. A 
basket should be tilled with essentials—a chicken, pheasant, ox¬ 
tongue, a plain cake, plain biscuits, butter, grapes, and whatever 
the patient may and can take. Rolls can always be obtained at the 
hotels. The basket should also be replenished on the way. A 
little forethought will provide whatever is suitable, tasty, and 
easily handled in a railway train. The demands of appetite can 
thus be met when they are most keen, and the invalid is saved from 
irritation and exhaustion. The modern palace cars afford much 
assistance in this particular. 

Travelers by sea should prepare themselves a few days 
before the voyage for the new conditions to which they will be sub¬ 
ject. Besides taking such medicines as may improve the digestion, 
over-repletion, irregularity in taking food, rich and indigestible diet 
and everything likely to disagree should be avoided. During the 
early part of the voyage, unless the weather be very fine or the 
traveler be used to the sea, he should remain in his berth in a hori¬ 
zontal posture, and take chiefly liquid food, such as beef-tea, chicken- 
broth or such light diet. Champagne—iced if possible—is the best 
beverage if it suit the stomach. Soda-water, with a small quantity 
of brandy, often suits well. Drinking a tumbler of tepid fresh 
water facilitates sickness and thus brings prompt relief. When the 
sickness subsides and the appetite returns, a cup of good coffee 
without milk or sugar, with a plain biscuit or a small slice of toast, 
is often grateful. 


ARRANGEMENT OF MEALS. 

Three times a day is as often as we can safely take food, especi¬ 
ally substantial food, like bread, meat, potatoes and the like, and this 
rule should be followed in health or sickness. The habit of eating 
often and but little at a time, during sickness, has resulted in the 
death of many persons. Taking food oftener than three times a 
• day is not allowable with patients, except sometimes in case of 
slightly nutritious fluids. It is surely unreasonable to suppose that 
the stomach of a sick man can stand an amount of abuse that would 
make a well man sick. It takes about three hours for the stomach 
to dispose of an entire meal and carry it into the upper portion of 
the intestines, after which an hour or more should elapse before tak¬ 
ing the next meal, in order to let the organs of the stomach rest and 
recuperate. Therefore no two meals should be nearer together than 



ANIMAL FOOD AS A DIET. 


579 


four hours. Food taken into the stomach before this organ has got 
rid of the preceding meal must, of course, to a greater or less extent, 
mix with that already digested and is liable to be hurried along into 
the intestines undigested, there to ferment and lead to diarrhea, 
flatulence, colic, etc. Many of these troubles among children, as 
well as adults, originate from nursing or feeding them every hour 
or two. Some people breakfast in the morning from eight to nine 
o’clock, lunch from twelve to one, and dine from four to five in the 
afternoon, thus bringing their three meals within about eight hours 
and taking nothing during the remaining fifteen or sixteen hours. 
In some places in the United States this custom is very common. 

Regular Eating’ —Half of all ordinary diseases would be 
banished from civilized life if everybody would eat but three times 
a day at regular times and not an atom between meals, the interval 
being live hours, four of which are required to digest a full meal 
and pass it out of the stomach. If a person eat between meals, the 
process of digestion of the food already in the stomach is arrested 
until the last which has been eaten is brought into the condition of 
the former meal; just as if water is boiling and ice is put in, the 
whole ceases to boil until the ice has been melted and brought to 
the point, and then the whole boils together. But it is a law of 
nature that all food begins to decay after exposure to heat and mois¬ 
ture for a certain time. If a meal is eaten, and in two hours 
another, the whole remains undigested for seven hours, before 
which time the rotting process commences and the man has his 
stomach full of carrion—the very idea of which is horribly dis¬ 
gusting. As then all the food in the stomach is in a state of fer¬ 
mentative decay, it becomes unfit for the purposes of nutrition and 
for making good, pure blood. 

The hands and feet must have rest and so with the muscles of 
the stomach; they can only rest when there is no work for them to 
do—no food in the stomach to digest. Even at five hours’ interval 
and eating three times a day, they are kept sufficiently at work from 
breakfast until the last meal is disposed of, usually ten o’clock at 
night. But multitudes eat heartily within an hour of bedtime; thus, 
while the other portions of the body are at rest, the stomach is kept 
laboring until almost daylight and made to begin again at breakfast¬ 
time. Ho wonder it is that the stomach is worn out—has lost its 
power of action. Many girls become dyspeptic before they are out 
of their teens in consequence of being about the house and nibbling 
at everything they lay their eyes on that is good to eat. 


ANIMAL FOOD AS A DIET. 

It is probable that the time has been, in the far distant past, 
when man did not use meat. And men exist, who, from their 



580 


METHODS OF PREPARING FOOD. 


childhood, have never used meat, or even butter, and yet their sys¬ 
tems are well developed, and they are robust, muscular men. 

Some medical writers condemn the use of meat as unnec¬ 
essary and injurious. But most people of our country have eaten 
meat, and their parents for many generations before them have done 
the same, so that their digestive systems are accustomed and accom¬ 
modated to the use of it, and therefore it is not every one who can 
leave off eating meat and continue to enjoy good health. 

Some physicians claim that they have been compelled to rec¬ 
ommend the use of meat to their patients and that its use resulted 
in a salutary effect. But there is no doubt that many will find them¬ 
selves better in body and clearer in mind if they will use less meat 
than they do. 

There is hardly a question that the human family would be 
better off to-day, in the aggregate, had they never used meat at all 
than they are while using it in that excessive degree which is now 
common. But, in its use, we would doubtless do better to abstain 
from eating the flesh of those animals which the Jews were prohib¬ 
ited from eating. 

The Hindoos are a healthy people, yet they live to a great extent 
on rice and are capable of enduring strong, muscular exertions, 
while the flesli-eating foreigner suffers from the heat of the day and 
air of the night, and is troubled more or less with diseases of the 
liver and digestive organs. The native races of Sierra Leone sub¬ 
sist on fruits and boiled rice and are found to be long-lived and 
healthy, notwithstanding they live in one of the worst climates. 

The inhabitants of Mexico and South America who subsist 
almost entirely on vegetables are remarkably exempt from disease. 


METHODS OF PREPARING FOOD. 

The preparation of food by cooking subserves several very 
important purposes. It removes some things that might prove 
injurious, destroying any parasitic germs that may exist. It ren¬ 
ders food more pleasing to the sight, more fragrant to the smell, 
more agreeable to the taste and more digestible by the stomach. 
Flavor is developed and the cohesion of tissues is lessened so that the 
digestive juices can act more freely upon them. Previous beating 
and bruising of flesh facilitates the loosening process and makes the 
meat more tender; hence the custom of beating chops and steaks. 
Warmth also aids digestion. 

Cleanliness is the very first principle of cooking; tact in arrang¬ 
ing and setting off the food is no mean accomplishment. In the 
preparation of food for the sick, greater care, if possible, should be 
exercised than in similar operations for the healthy. The slightest 
error in cooking may cause the loss of appetite at the very time 
when it is most needed. The fastidious taste and weakened stomach 



METHODS OF PREPARING FOOD. 


581 


turn in disgust from what may be the most appropriate nourish¬ 
ment, often compelling doctor and nurse to seek some other which 
may be less suitable and less easily provided. Food prepared with¬ 
out the knowledge of a patient will generally he better relished than 
if he is first consulted as to what he will have and how it is to he 
dressed. The cooking should be done at such a distance that no 
odor from it can come to the sick-room. The room itself is the last 
place in which food should be prepared if it can be done elsewLere. 

Roasting’ on a spit is by far the best method of preparing 
food for the table. To retain the nutritive juices, the joint should 
be placed close to a clear, strong fire for five minutes at first, and 
then removed to a greater distance until the last five minutes, when 
it should be brought near the fire again. The albumen and extrac¬ 
tive matters are thus hardened into a case, which keeps together 
the valuable fibrinous particles till they have undergone the desired 
changes by slow heat, while objectionable oils generated by the char¬ 
ring of the surface are carried off. The dripping is wholesome for 
the healthy, but (especially if at all burnt) is indigestible if the 
stomach be at all weak. When the joint is thoroughly roasted the 
retained gravy will flow out freely at the first incision, and the meat 
while yet red, will have lost all purple color even to the bone. The 
time of roasting depends partly on the kind of meat, partly on the 
size and weight of the joint. Beef, mutton and goose require a 
quarter of an hour for each pound; veal and pork require an addi¬ 
tional five minutes; poultry and game require less than this 
proportion. Lamb, veal, pork, chicken and the flesh of all young 
animals is better roasted, because it contains a larger proportion of 
albumen and gelatine in the tissues, which is partly lost in boiling. 

Broiling is roasting applied to small portions of meat. A 
beefsteak or mutton-chop should be done quickly on a gridiron over 
a clear, hot fire, free from smoke, so as to retain the juices; it should 
therefore not be pricked with a fork. Fish is best broiled. 

Baking meat at a high temperature is but an imperfect 
method of roasting—imperfect, because it takes place in an 
oven, from which there is usually no escape for the volatile fatty 
acids which are generated. The meat is therefore richer and 
stronger than when roasted before an open fire and less adapted for 
weak digestion. If, however, the meat be enclosed in a thick pie- 
dish, a crust of some sort or a coat of clay (as Gipsies, Indians, etc., 
cook their joints and fowls), it is delicious. No charring then takes 
place, but all the fat and gravy which generally ooze out assist in 
the cookino*. The process still goes oil after the dish is removed 
from the oven, if it is kept hot by being enveloped in thick flannel 
or put in a “ Norwegian nest,” or “ self-acting cooking-apparatus.” 
The “ nest ” is a box thickly padded inside with felt, so as to retain 
the heat in the enclosed vessel. It would often be very useful as an 
appurtenance of the sick-room. Yegetables and fruit should be 
likewise slowly baked. Eggs should be only sparingly used in baked 


582 


METHODS OF PREPARING FOOD. 


dishes, because their albumen becomes more solid and indigestible 
with prolonged cooking. 

Frying is usually objectionable because the fat in which the 
meat is cooked produces an excess of volatile acids; moreover it is 
often burnt and thus changed in character and rendered indigestible, 
•causing flatulence and heartburn. If, however, it be skillfully done, 
frying is a wholesome form of cooking food. The skill consists in 
frying “ lightly,” quickly and evenly and with constant motion, so 
that the oil is not allowed to burn. A perfectly clean frying-pan, a 
clear, smokeless lire, good, pure, clean fat or clarified dripping or a 
small quantity of oil or genuine fresh butter, are essential. The fat 
should actually boil, the meat, fish and vegetable be turned about 
till they are lightly cooked without a scorch, then served hot with 
all the oil drained away; they are then nice and wholesome for most 
persons. 

Boiling —There is a vast difference between boiling meat 
which is to be eaten and meat whose juices are to be extracted for 
soup. In the former case the juices have to be kept in; in the latter 
drawn out. Slow boiling of a joint makes excellent nourishing soup, 
but spoils the meat by extracting all the goodness. Quick boiling 
also spoils the joint by hardening all the fibres. It should be plunged 
into boiling water and kept at at boiling temperature for five or ten 
minutes; cold water should then be added to reduce it to about 165° 
(which may be ascertained by putting any thermometer into the 
water), at which it should be maintained for the whole period of 
cooking. By the contraction and coagulation of albumen caused by 
the first plunge, the internal juice is prevented from escaping into 
the surrounding water, or from being diluted by its entrance through 
the pores. Mutton and fish are best boiled in hard water, water to 
which salt has been added or sea-water. The scum which rises on 
the top of the water while meat is being boiled is always useless and 
unwholesome and should be removed as completely as possible. 
Vegetables are best boiled; they should be thoroughly cooked, so as 
to become soft, then strained in a cullender and served as free from 
water as possible. Cabbages and carrots can hardly be boiled too 
long. Soft water is essential for vegetables; steaming them is a form 
of boiling them in soft water. 

Stewing 1 occupies a middle position between roasting and 
boiling. The meat should be covered with cold water, then heated 
up and kept simmering, not boiling, till thoroughly done. The 
nutritive materials are diffused through the solid and liquid, which 
are then served up together. Hashing is the same process with 
meat previously cooked. But hashed, or otherwise twice-cooked 
meat, is very unwholesome. 

There is another method of cooking, by which the meat is 
stewed in its own vapor alone. The meat is placed in a covered jar, 
the jar is put into water in a saucepan and the water is made to s'im- 


METHODS OF PREPARING FOOD. 


583 


mer, and when a sufficient time has elapsed the meat is done, quite 
tender and well adapted to the invalid. 

Soups, Broths, Etc. —If it is desirable to extract the nutri¬ 
ment so that it may be given in the form of broth, the meat should 
be finely chopped or minced, put into cold water, soaked for a short 
time, then gradually heated to a temperature just below boiling 
point, at which it should be kept for half an hour or more. But if 
soup be wanted, the heating should go on to boiling point, and be 
maintained there, in order that the gelatine may be extracted to 
solidify the soup. It should be carefully observed that the minced 
meat be put into cold water for a time, never into boiling water at 
first. The leanest meat is the best for soup-making; the least parti¬ 
cle of fat is out of place in broths or soups, and indeed renders it 
absolutely unwholesome as well as nauseous. Bones which require 
long boiling, yield abundant gelatine. 

Salting meat makes it less nutritious, not by the addition of 
salt, but by the removal of the fluids and salts by the brine. The 
dried flesh is difficult of solution by the digestive secretions. Soak 
ing in water softens it and removes the salt, but does not restore the 
nutritive value. The longer the salt remains in the tissues, the 
harder they become. 

Drying is less prejudicial to the meat; when the process is com¬ 
pleted the meat becomes no worse until the decomposition sets in. 

Smoking imparts a flavor to dried meat which many prefer. 

Meat preserved in tins is too much cooked to be very digest¬ 
ible. It contains a good measure of nutritive elements and is 
economical, but is not agreeable to every palate. It is best eaten 
only warmed up, not cooked again, and served with macaroni and 
vegetables. 

The utensils employed in the preparation of food should be 
kept scrupulously clean. Cooks do not seem to be aware how often 
their dishes are unpalatable, and therefore unwholesome, solely from 
being prepared in a vessel which has a disagreeable flavor remain¬ 
ing in it. Those lined with porcelain should always be used in 
preference to those of plain iron or tin, which are not so easily 
cleaned and are therefore likely to affect the flavor of the dishes. 
Still it must be admitted that they burn more easily, so that without 
close watching it is very difficult to boil milk in them. Soap is 
sometimes employed in washing pots instead of soda and it is 
deemed sufficient to wipe out a saucepan with a dish-cloth when it 
should be scrubbed out with a hard brush or metal shavings. The 
crease of the soap and cloth adhere to the metal and its rankness 
spoils the delicate flavor of something intended to tempt the appe¬ 
tite or satisfy the fastidious digestion of an invalid. Especially is 
it important that anything with strong and persistent odor, such as 
onions and other condiments, should be cleansed from vessels, 
knives, and other utensils before they are used for another purpose. 
Food is the only thing that should come unexpectedly to the 


584 


METHODS OF PREPARING FOOD. 


patient; it is always more enjoyed when it is thought to come from 
a neighbor or a friend. Great care should be taken that no unpleas¬ 
ant flavor adheres to the food and especially should scorching be 
avoided; volatile extracts or oils should not be employed for flavor¬ 
ing; the juice of stewed or preserved fruits are far preferable. 

In cooking animal food about one-fourth of the weight is 
usually lost by the process; but the loss varies with the quality of 
the meat and the process employed. The following estimate of the 
percentage of loss by cooking has been made: 



BOILING. 

BAKING. 

ROASTING. 

Beef, generally.. 

.. .20 

.29 

.31 

Mutton, generally. 

.. .20 

.31 

.35 

“ Legs. 

.. .20 

.32 

.33 

“ Shoulders. 

.. .24 

32 

.34 

“ Loins. 

. .30 

.33 

.36 

“ Necks.. 

.25 

.32 

.34 

Average. 

.23 

.31 

.34 


The loss arises principally from evaporation of water, the 
escape of fat and nutritive juice and the destructive action of heat. 
It is least in boiling, greatest in roasting, because in the former 
process there is no evaporation of water. This suggests that in the 
baking and roasting endeavor should be made to prevent evaporation. 
Indeed, the perfection of cooking is to retain as much as possible of 
the constituent elements of the meat, and this is accomnlished in 
the different methods adopted by subjecting ihe meat at first to a 
strong, quick heat, which contracts the fibres, coagulates the albu¬ 
men at the surface and thus closes up the pores by which the 
nutritious juices would escape. A lower and less rapidly acting 
heat will then suffice, for thereafter the cooking goes on through the 
agency of the natural moisture of the flesh. Converted into vapor 
by the heat, a kind of steaming takes place, so that whether in the 
oven, on the spit or in the midst of boiling water, the meat is in 
reality cooked by its own steam. When properly prepared, instead 
of being dried up or insipid, the meat will be full of its own juice 
which will flow forth as rich gravy at the first cut. 

Liebig’s Extract of Meat— One small teaspoonful dis¬ 
solved in a pint of boiling water forms a substitute for beef-tea 
when there is no time to make the tea or convenience for making it 
properly. But to it should be added broth in which bones have 
been boiled or some farinaceous substances, such as arrow-root, sago 
or tapioca, which have been thoroughly boiled. By itself the extract 
is more stimulating than nourishing and is especially beneficial in 
cases of muscular exhaustion. It may prove useful in exhausting 
fevers or debility of the heart. Its stimulating effect is not followed 
by the reaction which attends alcoholic drinks. 

A teaspoonful of Liebig’s extract in a pint of barley-water, 
with a pinch of salt and flavoring, is very nourishing. A teacupful 












METHODS OF PREPARING FOOD. 


585 


of milk in addition will make it more so. And a greater improve¬ 
ment is made when for the milk are substituted the whites of two 
eggs beaten up with two tablespoonfuls of milk and stirred in when 
the barley is sufficiently cool to be eaten. 

Beef-tea —1. Half a pound (or a pound, according to the 
strength required) of rump-steak should be cut up into small pieces 
and put into a covered enameled saucepan with one pint of cold 
water. Let this stand in a cool place for several hours and let it 
then simmer gently for two hours. Skim well and serve. If grease 
be specially repugnant, the last traces may be removed by lightly 
skimming the surface with pieces of white blotting-paper. If there be 
time it is better to let the beef-tea get quite cold and then remove 
the cake of fat. 

2. The same proportions of beef and water placed in an 
earthen vessel, lightly covered and allowed to stand in a saucepanful 
of hot water near the fire for several hours is a plan much com¬ 
mended. 

3. Heat the meat and water gradually to the boiling-point, 

and then strain immediately. 

«/ 

4. In order to make beef-tea or any extract of meat quickly, 
economically and of a certain required strength, some physicians 
recommend the use of a receiver having an air-tight screw-cover, 
with safety-valve and a boiler. A small quantity of the beverage 
may be prepared as follows: One pound of beef, divested of fat, 
bone and gristle and cut into very small pieces should be put into 
the receiver, adding eight ounces of water, the cover screwed tightly 
on, and the receiver placed in the boiler, which has been filled with 
water. It should boil for three hours, when the receiver should be 
removed and when sufficiently cool, the cover unscrewed. After 
squeezing the meat, now a tasteless mass, thirteen ounces of beef- 
tea, without any loss of aroma and three times stronger than that 
prepared in the ordinary wav, will be obtained. As experiments 
prove that one pound of beef will yield five ounces of meat-juice, 
the extract can be more or less concentrated by regulating the pro¬ 
portion of water. The preparation can be made in one-tliird of 
the time if salt be added to the water in the boiler. The extract of 
course becomes gelatinous and consolidates on cooling, when bones 
or the sinewy parts of meat are used; but gelatine, contrary to the 
popularly received opinion, is comparatively unimportant in nutri¬ 
tion. 

5. Shred a pound of beef (with sausage-machine if possible); 
place it in a jar and add a saltspoonful of salt; place the jar in a 
saucepan so large that it may be covered with the lid. Mix exactly 
equal quantities of boiling and cold water, and of this put half a 
pint into the jar which contains the meat and so much in the sauce¬ 
pan around tile jar as to reach as high as the water inside the jar. 
Cover the saucepan with the lid and place it on the hearth or where 
the heat of the water will be maintained, but not on the fire or stove 


586 


METHODS OF PREPARING FOOD. 


where it will be increased. Stir the meat every ten minutes or 
quarter of an hour, and in three-quarters of an hour to an hour (if 
the meat has been minced in the machine) or longer, according to 
the fineness of the shredding, the first process of extraction will be 
completed; the jar should betaken out, the juice strained off through 
a hair sieve or muslin and set aside. The albumen which coagu¬ 
lates at 135°, is thus secured. The meat left in the sieve should 
now be put into the saucepan with a quart of boiling water, covered 
and slowly simmered for three hours; then boiled up and strained 
at once. The liquor strained off should be boiled down to half a 
pint and when cooled down mixed with the other half-pint set aside. 
The result is a pint of strong beef-tea, with all the soluble portion 
of the meat and the albumen uncoagulated, ready for use. The 
fat may be removed while warm by white blotting-paper or when 
cold in the solid cake. The beef-tea should be warmed up by plac¬ 
ing what is required in a cup and setting the cup in a basin of boil¬ 
ing water; but water should not be mixed with it (except to dilute 
it) nor should it be put on the fire to boil. Flavoring may be added to 
taste. Coloring may be given by putting a thin slice of brown toast 
or a small piece of burnt onion in the saucepan when the meat is 
set on to boil. 

The meat used in any preparation for invalids should be as 
fresh as possible and should be divested beforehand of all fat or 
gristle. If this precaution be neglected, a greasy taste is given to 
beef-tea which cannot afterwards be completely removed. In 
re-warming beef-tea which has been left to cool, care must be taken 
to warm the tea up to the point at which it is to be served and no 
higher; this is best done, not by putting it on the fire, but in a cov¬ 
ered vessel placed in hot water. When once allowed to get cold it 
never regains the agreeable flavor it possessed when fresh. 

Rice (whole or ground), pearl-barley, vermicelli, sago or tapioca 
may often be advantageously added to thicken beef-tea. 

Beef-Juice —1. Take a pound of rump-steak or leg of beef, 
cut up into pieces the size of dice; put it into a pint of cold water, 
into which previously mix twenty drops of hydrochloric acid and 
half a teaspoonful of salt. Cover up and let it stand in a cool place 
for two hours. Strain off the liquor (pressing the meat) and gently 
simmer for ten minutes. A tablespoonful will give more nourish¬ 
ment to a patient than a cupful of ordinary beef tea. In extreme 
cases it might be given without being cooked. Beef-juice combined 
with albumen (white of egg) yields much sustenance in typhoid 
fever. 

2. Shred the beef and put it into a jar (no water); tie up close 
and put the jar into a saucepan of water, and let it simmer. Give 
the invalid one or two spoonfuls at a time; keep the jar in hot water. 
Make fresh when all goodness is extracted. 

Beef-Essence —This is prepared as follows: A pound of 
lean beef, free from skin, bone and fat, should be cut up into small 


METHODS OF PREPARING FOOD. 


587 


squares, put into a large earthern jar with cover, the edges cemented 
with flour-paste or the cover tied down tight with several thicknesses 
of paper; tied up tightly in a cloth; put into a saucepan so that 
the top of the jar is not reached by the water, and boiled from one 
to two hours; the liquid essence should be poured off from the 
coagulated muscle, let stand till cold and the fat skimmed off. This 
contains a large quantity of nutriment, is generally pleasant to the 
palate, and is particularly valuable in extreme exhaustion. A few 
teaspoonfuls may be given every one, two or four hours. 

Beef-Pulp —Instead of raw, minced beef, often recommended, 
scraped beef is far more easily digested, as it is free from sinews 
and it is more palatable. It may be prepared as follows: Take a 
piece of steak cut like a little block, scrape the surface with a silver 
spoon until all the pulp is extracted, then cut a slice off the steak 
and scrape the newly cut surface again. One or two tablespoonfuls 
of the pulp may be given at a time to an adult. A dessertspoonful 
may be given for one meal to children, mixed with red-currant jelly, 
or spread as a sandwich between bread. In the latter case it requires 
a sprinkling of salt and some pepper. Pulp thus prepared has been 
taken with great benefit in dyspepsia, chronic diarrhea and weakness 
following a long illness. It has also been given to consumptive 
patients with great advantage. 

Mutton-Broth —1. This may be made in a similar manner 
to beef-tea, either plain or thickened. For this purpose, the best 
part of the sheep is the scrag-end of the neck, free from skin and 
fat, bruised and cut into small pieces. 

2. Mutton-broth may be made either plain or thickened, ac¬ 
cording to the taste of the patient. Bermuda arrow-root is an 
agreeable ingredient for thickening. Take half a pound of the 
scrag end of neck of mutton; strip off all fat and skin; bruise 
thoroughly the meat and bone together with a chopper; then place 
the meat in a hollow dish with just enough cold water (from a vessel 
previously containing a pint) to moisten the solid matter; add a 
teaspoonful of salt; cover over with a flat-dish and set aside for 
three-quarters of an hour; then remove the liquor and meat into a 
stewpan and add the remainder of the water; place the stewpan 
close to the fire until the contents just simmer, when begin to skim 
by passing three sheets of clean white paper over the surface. 
Maintain the simmering heat for an hour and a half and strain 
through a hair sieve. 

Veal-Brotli —Veal-broth is barely palatable, without the addi¬ 
tion of a few vegetables. Take twelve ounces of good knuckle of veal, 
quite fresh; strip off all skin and fat; bruise the meat and bone 
together with a chopper; place in a hollow dish and add a teaspoon- 
ful of salt and just cold water enough to moisten the meat (from a 
vessel previously containing a quart); cover over and set aside for 
twenty minutes; then add the remainder of the water (from the 
vessel just mentioned); put the whole into a stewpan close to the 


588 


METHODS OF PREPARING FOOD, 


fire; watch until it simmers and skim as directed for mutton-broth. 
Maintain the liquor at just simmering heat for an hour and a half* 
skimming cautiously; then pour off, strain through a hair-sieve and 
prepare the vegetables. (If no vegetables are to be used, cut up 
two very thin, crisp slices of dry toast into small pieces; put them 
into a large breakfast-cup or small broth-basin, fill up with the hot 
liquor, add ten drops of lemon-juice and serve). 

Calf’s Foot Brotli —Put a thoroughly cleaned calf’s foot 
with a little lemon peel in three pints of water; simmer for three 
hours; then boil down to a pint and strain. Remove the fat when 
cold. For use, melt half a pint of the broth; add an egg well 
beaten up with a little white powdered sugar, not more than half an 
ounce of butter and a little grated nutmeg; stir these in the broth 
till it thickens, and serve at once. It should not boil. 

Chicken-broth —Chicken-broth may be either served plain 
or thickened. If plain, it will always require a few slips of thin* 
crisp, dry toast to render it palatable, for otherwise it is exceedingly 
insipid. Take a full-grown young chicken, picked or skinned, and 
dressed; cut in halves and to one half add half a pint of water; 
place in a hollow dish or basin; cover over and set aside for twenty 
minutes; then add a teaspoonful of salt and a pint more wvater; 
place the whole in a clean saucepan near the fire; watch till it 
simmers and immediately begin to skim as directed for mutton - 
broth. Maintain at a simmering heat for an hour and a half, 
skimming continually; pour off and strain through a hair-sieve. 

Veal-Soup —A knuckle of veal, two cow-heels, a glass of 
sherry, two quarts of water and twelve pepper-grains. Stew in a 
covered earthen jar for six hours. Do not open it till cold, then - 
skim off the fat and strain. Serve very hot. 

Gravy-Soup —Take a little carrot, turnip, onion and celery, 
with a clove and pepper; boil the whole gently, and strain and for 
each half-pint of liquor add a tablespoonful of extract of meat with 
a little salt. 

Barley-Soup —One pound of shin of beef, four ounces of 
pearl-barley, one potato, salt and pepper to taste, one quart and a 
half of water. Put all the ingredients into a pan and simmer gently 
for four hours. Strain, return the barley and heat up as much as 
required. A small onion may be added if not objected to. 

Sardinian Soup —Take two eggs, beat them up and put in 
a stewpan, add a quarter of a pint of cream, one ounce of fresh 
butter, salt and pepper to taste and as much flour as will bring it to 
the consistency of dough. Make the mixture into balls the size and 
shape of a nut, fry in butter and put them into any sort of broth or 
soup, to which they make a very nice addition. 

Baked Souj> —Cut a pound of lean beef into slices, add one 
ounce of rice, pepper and salt to taste, place in a jar with a pint and 
a half of water, cover closely and bake for four hours. If preferred 
pearl-barley may be substituted for rice. 


METHODS OF PREPARING FOOD. 


5S9 


Egg-Soup—Over a slow fire beat up the yolks of two eggs, 
a piece of butter as large as a big walnut and sugar to taste, with 
one pint of water, the water being gradually added as the ingre¬ 
dients become intimately mixed. As soon as the preparation begins 
to boil, pour it backwards and forwards to and from the saucepan 
and jug till it is quite smooth and frothy. 

Lentil-Soup —Mix a tablespoonful of lentil-flour and a tea¬ 
spoonful of corn-flour with a little milk, till as thick as cream. Boil 
three-quarters of a pint of milk sweetened and flavored to taste; 
pour this slowly on the flour and milk, stirring meanwhile. Boil 
altogether for ten minutes, still stirring. A whipped egg after¬ 
wards added will improve the soup. Salt may be substituted for 
sugar. This is a most nourishing albuminous food, and a good 
substitute for beef-tea. 

Eggs, Cream and Extract of Beef —Wash two ounces 
of the best pearl-sago until the water poured from it is clear; then 
stew the sago in half a pint of water until it is quite tender and 
very thick; mix with it half a pint of good boiling cream and the 
yolks of four fresh eggs and mingle the whole carefully with one 
quart of good beef-tea which should be boiling. This broth is very 
useful in cases of lingering convalescence after acute disease. 

Egg and Wine — 1 . Beat an egg with a fork till it froths, 
add a lump of sugar and two tablespoonfuls of water; mix well, 
pour in a wineglassful of sherry and serve before it gets flat. Half 
the quantity of brandy or whisky may be used instead of sherry. 

2. Beat one egg to a froth with a tablespoonful of cold water; 
make a glass and a half of water and a glass of sherry, hot but not 
boiling; pour this on the egg, stirring all the time; add sufficient 
sugar to sweeten. Put all into a lined saucepan, set it on a gentle 
fire and stir it one way until it thickens, but do not let it boil. 
Serve in a glass with crisp biscuits or “ fingers ’’ of toast. 

Eg*g-Pudding —Beat up one egg with a teaspoonful of flour 
and sufficient milk to fill a basin rather larger than a teacup; tie the 
basin and contents in a cloth and boil for twenty minutes. Milk, 
sugar or red gravy may be added when served. 

Minced Fowl and Egg* —Bemove all skin and bone from 
a cold roast-fowl, mince the flesh; put bones, skin and trimmings 
into a stewpan, with one small onion if agreeable to the patient, and 
half a pint of water, let this stew for an hour, then strain the 
liquor. Chop a hard boiled egg small and mix with the mince; 
salt and pepper to taste; three tablespoonfuls of new milk or cream, 
half an ounce of butter, one tablespoonful of flour and a teaspoonful 
of lemon-juice; to this add the gravy, let the whole just boil and 
serve with toasted bread. 

Panada —Take the crumbs of a stale French roll, soak it in 
milk for half an hour, then squeeze the milk from it; have ready an 
equal quantity of cold cooked chicken or lean sirloin of beef or loin 
of mutton scraped very fine with a knife; pound the bread crumbs 


590 


METHODS OF PREPARING FOOD. 


and meat together in a mortar; season to taste ; cook either with 
veal or chicken-broth, in a tin put in a warm oven or poach like an 
egg. Serv§ on mashed potato. 

Potato-Surprise —Scoop out the inside of a sound potato, 
leaving the skin attached to one side of the hole, as a lid. Mince 
up line the lean of a juicy mutton-chop, wdth a little salt and pepper, 
put it in the potato, pin dowm the lid, and bake or roast. Before 
serving (in the skin) add a little hot gravy if the mince seems too 
dry. 

Stewed Eels —Wash and skin an eel, cut it in pieces two 
inches long, pepper and salt them and lay in a stewpan; pour on 
them half a pint of strong stock and half a glass of port wine; stew 
gently for half an hour; lift the pieces carefully onto a very hot dish 
and place by the lire; strain the gravy and have ready two table¬ 
spoonfuls of cream mixed with sufficient flour to thicken it; stir 
this into the gravy, boil for two minutes and then add a little Cay¬ 
enne. Pour over the eels and serve. The addition of a little lemon- 
juice is gratifying to some palates. 

Fried Flounders —Skin them, wash and wipe them ary, 
dip them in beaten egg, then strew over with bread crumbs. Have 
ready a pan of line olive oil and be sure it boils before you put in 
the flounders; fry a light brown and then turn over once; lay them 
on napkins for the oil to drain off; serve with plain, melted butter. 

Broiled Flounders —Skin them, wash and wipe dry; broil 
on a gridiron over a clear fire; a very little butter may be smeared 
over the surface to prevent it catching too quickly; serve with 
melted butter. 

Stewed Oysters —Half a pint of oysters, half an ounce of 
butter, flour, one-third of a pint of cream and salt to taste. Scald 
the oysters in their own liquor, take them out and strain the liquor. 
Put the butter into a stewpan, dredge in sufficient flour to dry it up, 
add the oyster liquor and stir it with a wooden spoon over a sharp 
lire. When it boils, add the cream, oysters and seasoning and 
simmer for one or two minutes, but not longer, or the oysters will 
harden. Serve on a hot dish, with toasted bread. A quarter of a 
pint of oysters, the other ingredients being in proportion, make a 
dish large enough for one person. 

Suet and Milk — 1 . Put a tablespoonful of shredded beef- 
suet into half a pint of fresh milk; warm it sufficiently to com¬ 
pletely melt the suet, skim it, then pour it into a warm glass or cup 
and drink before it cools. This recipe will be found valuable in 
cases where fat is essential, for weakly children, neuralgic patients, 
and also in falling off of the hair. 

( 2 . Chop an ounce of suet very fine, tie it loosely in a muslin 
bag and boil it slowly in a quart of new milk; sweeten with white 
sugar. 

Suet and Barley-water —Chop an ounce of suet very 
fine, tie it loosely in a muslin bag; place this in a pint of thin 


BREAD AND ITS COMPOSITIONS. 591 

barley-water, with a quarter of an ounce of isinglass or gelatine 
and a little sugar, and boil all together for an hour, adding warm 
water occasionally as it boils away; pour the barley-water on a 
dozen sweet almonds pounded fine, and mix well; then strain. 

Lime-water and Milk —Lime-water, two teaspoonfuls to 
half a tumblerful of milk; add a little sugar to taste. This com¬ 
pound will often be retained when the stomach rejects all other 
kinds of food. The same may be said of milk and soda-water in 
equal proportions. 

Artificial Ass’s and Goat’s Milk —Take half an ounce 
of gelatine, and dissolve it in half a pint of hot barley water; then 
add an ounce of refined sugar and pour into the mixture a pint of 
good, new, cow’s milk. 

Milk, Rum, and Gelatine —Dissolve in a little hot water 
over the fire a pinch of the best gelatine; let it cool; mix with it in 
a tumbler a dessertspoonful of rum and fill up the glass with warm 
new milk. 


BREAD AND ITS COMPOSITIONS. 

Value of Unbolted Flour —By our system of grinding, 
bolting and separating wheat our fine flour contains but a little over 
half the quantity which has been provided for the wants of our 
systems in this important grain. The almost universal use of fine 
flour, instead of unbolted flour, is doubtless a fruitful cause of not 
only disease, but imperfect development of the system and its 
organs; in fact it is quite certain that here is to be found one of the 
most fruitful causes of consumption. And it would be far better 
if physicians would feed their patients with unbolted flour and 
thereby supply the phosphorus that is found in this kind of flour, 
than to give them the various phosphates directly from the mineral 
kingdom for preventing and curing consumption. 

In the process of bolting flour, the dark portion is separated 
almost entirely, and yet this is the nutritious portion of the grain 
and that which in a great measure nourishes the muscles and gives 
strength to the system; whereas the white or starch-portion of the 
grain is of but little use except as a heat-producing agent; and in 
this respect it is far inferior to fat or oil, and most of the oil in 
wheat is contained in the dark or external portion of the kernel. 

Dr. Bennett says: u Now, if there is a well established fact 
emanating from experimental analysis, it is this: that superfine or 
very finely bolted wheat-flour will not alone sustain animal life. 
This fact lias been repeatedly demonstrated by Magendi, the great¬ 
est physiologist who ever lived. Having ascertained that the 
muscular and nervous tissues, including the whole brain or 
cerebral mass, was composed of nitrogenous matter, he readily con¬ 
cluded that starch or the fecula of wheat, would not alone sustain 



592 


BREAD AND ITS COMPOSITIONS. 




animal life, for tlie reason that it contains not a particle of nitrogen¬ 
ous matter. Consequently, he found by experiment that animals 
fed exclusively on very finely dressed flour died in a few weeks; 
whereas those fed on the unbolted thrived. 

“ Then again by the repeated analyses of botli American and 
European chemists it is abundantly demonstrated that the portion 
immediately beneath the external covering contains a very large per 
cent, of nitrogenous matter, which should be mixed with the 
internal, or non-nitrogenous, in order that the muscular and nervous 
systems be properly nourished. Add to this well known fact that 
tlie inhabitants of Scotland, Germany, Russia, as well as families 
and individuals in all parts of the world, who use almost exclusively 
unbolted flour, are seldom troubled with dyspepsia or indigestion, 
enjoy better health generally and are possessed of much greater 
powers of endurance, and we have an array of facts, which, if 
universally heeded, would consign the use of superfine flour, 
unmixed with this most nutritious or nitrogenous part, to oblivion. 
The worst cases of scurvy sometimes occur in persons who live 
almost principally on toast and bread made of superfine flour. In 
fact, we feed to our domestic animals the most nutritious and 
important part of the grain and retain for our own use an inferior, 
lieat-producing material, with a less amount of nutritious matter 
than was intended for our benefit. We also lose the sweetest por¬ 
tion of the grain, and all of this is sacrificed to simple fineness and 
whiteness, notwithstanding our teeth are perishing for want of use. 
Many of the most important aliments of our blood, brain and bone 
are found in the greatest abundance in the colored, outward part of 
the wheat, which we deem fittest for pigs; so we fatten them and 
suffer ourselves. 

Raising* Dough —Different methods are employed for this 
purpose and some very objectionable ones. Dough is rendered 
spongy and light by the formation of gas through the mass, distend¬ 
ing it and forming small cells. In the process of raising bread bv 
the aid of yeast-leaven, salt or milk-risings, carbonic-acid gas is 
generated by the commencement of fermentation, which process is' 
checked by baking. The use of leaven, or a portion of sour dough 
kept from a former baking, almost always gives a sour taste to the 
bread, caused by the presence of what is known as lactic acid; its 
use is therefore objectionable. The employment of chemical sub¬ 
stances is likewise objectionable and they should never be used for 
raising bread or biscuit. Bicarbonate of potash or saleratus and 
sour milk should not be employed, as it is difficult to get the exact 
quantity necessary to neutralize the acidity of the milk; and if 
enough is used to prevent a sour taste, an excess is very sure to 
remain in the biscuit, often sufficient to change the color and affect 
the taste. Yeast and salt or milk-risings are far preferable to 
either of the above. The mineral substances used for raising bread, 
such as bicarbonate of soda, that is, the baking-powder, cream of 


BREAD AND ITS COMPOSITIONS. 


593 


tartar, etc., are more or less impure, being adulterated with sul¬ 
phurous acid, lime, alum, chalk, bisulphate of potash and various 
other preparations. These poisons have no business in the kitchen, 
and should be speedily banished. 

Toast is rarely made well. Bread burnt on both surfaces, 
with the inside spongy, is unwholesome food. It should be of mod¬ 
erate thickness, slowly and thoroughly baked through, nicely 
browned on the outside—in short, not toasted too fast. Such toast 
is wholesome to eat or to soak in water. 

Bread-crumb Pudding —Put a thin slice of bread into a 
cool oven and when perfectly dry roll it till it becomes a fine dust. 
Beat up one new-laid egg with a dessertspoonful of powdered loaf- 
sugar ; add three tablespoonfuls of new milk, put in the crumbs and 
beat the mixture up well for ten minutes. Put the pudding in a 
basin previously rubbed with butter; now tie a cloth tightly over> 
place it in boiling water, and boil for thirty minutes. 

Bread-Pudding — 1 . Part of a stale loaf of bread, boiled 
and served with butter and salt, or with preserves, affords a change 
of wholesome food. Bread-puddings made with eggs and milk, 
either boiled or baked, may be made according to the receipt used 
at Westminster Hospital: Bread, \ lb.; milk, \ pint; sugar, J oz.; 
flour, \ oz.; 1 egg for every 2 lbs. Puddings made in the same 
way of stale sponge-cakes or rusks, diversify the diet. 

2. Pour half a pint of boiling milk on a French roll; cover 
close and let it stand till it has soaked up all the milk; tie up 
lightly in a cloth and boil for a quarter of an hour; turn it out on a 
plate and sprinkle a little sugar-candy over it. The addition of 
burnt sugar or tincture of saffron will give it the orthodox yellow 
color. 

Macaroni —Wash two ounces of macaroni, boil it in a quar¬ 
ter of a pint of milk and the same quantity of good beef gravy till 
quite tender; drain, and put the macaroni on a very hot dish and 
place by the fire; have ready the yolk of an egg beaten with two 
tablespoonfuls of cream and two tablespoonfuls of the liquor the 
macaroni was boiled in; add half an ounce of butter; make this 
sufficiently hot to thicken, but do not allow it to boil; pour it over 
the macaroni, and strew over the whole a little finely grated cheese. 
The macaroni may be served as an accompaniment to minced beef, 
without the cheese, or it may be taken alone with some good gravy. 

Macaroni-Pudding —Three ounces of macaroni should be 
soaked for forty minutes in cold water, well mashed, then added to 
a pint of boiling milk. This should be stirred occasionally, while 
it simmers for half an hour; then two eggs added, beaten up with a 
dessertspoonful of sugar; also, if desired, a flavoring of lemon. 
This may then be baked in a pie dish for twenty minutes. Yermicelli 
may be used instead of macaroni, but requires only twenty minutes 
soaking. 

Boiled Bice— Put one teacupful of rice into a sauce-pan 


594 


BREAD AND ITS COMPOSITIONS. 


with one-fourth of a cupful of water, cover, and place it over a good 
fire; after an hour the water will be evaporated, and the rice 
cooked tender but dry, and with the grains distinct, not in a paste. 
Sufficient salt should be added in the first place and care should be 
taken not to disturb the rice when cooking. By adding a little 
butter and allowing the rice to dry a little more, a more delicate 
dish is prepared. 

Ground-rice Pudding— Boil half a pint of new milk with 
two ounces of loaf sugar; moisten two tablespoonfuls of ground rice 
with three of cold milk. When this is well mixed, then stir the 
boiling milk into it; put into a clean saucepan and stir over the fire 
for twelve minutes, and then let it get cold. Beat three new-laid 
eggs, yolks and whites separately; stir the yolks with the rice, and 
if allowed by the medical man, two teaspoonfuls of cream. Beat 
the whites to a stiff froth, add them and beat the mixture for five 
minutes. Bub a pie dish with butter, pour in the mixture and 
bake in a quick oven for some eighteen minutes; then serve at 
once. 

Rice-Cream —To a pint of new milk add a quarter of. a 
pound of ground rice, a lump of butter the size of a walnut, a little 
lemon-peel, and a tablespoonful of powdered sugar; boil them 
together for five minutes, then add half an ounce of isinglass which 
has been dissolved, and let the mixture cool; when cool add half a 
pint of good cream, whisked to a froth; mix all together, and set it 
for a time in a very cool place or on ice; when used, turn it out of 
the basin into a dish, and pour fruit-juice round it, or some stewed 
apple or pear may be served with it. 

Pearl-Barley —1. It should be boiled for four hours, so 
tied in a cloth that room is left for the grain to swell. Only so 
much water should added from time to time as to feed the barley 
and supply the waste of evaporation, lest the goodness of the barley 
should be boiled out. It may be served with milk, or (if the patient 
can digest them) with preserves or butter. 

2. Put the barley with water in a stone jar with a lid, place 
the jar in the oven and let the contents boil gently until the barley 
is very soft; then strain. 

Gruel —1. A dessertspoonful of prepared groats or fine oat¬ 
meal to be moistened with a tablespoonful of cold water, and stirred 
till smooth; then add by degrees three-quarters of a pint of boiling 
water and stir over the fire till it boils; then let it simmer for eight 
or ten minutes. A little salt or sugar and butter may be added 
according to the taste of the invalid. Boiling milk may be added 
instead of water, but it must be constantly stirred. 

2. Beat up an egg to a froth, add a wineglassful of sherry, 
flavor with a lump of sugar and a strip of lemon-peel and have 
ready some gruel, very smooth and hot; stir in the wine and egg, 
and serve with crisp toast. Arrow-root may be made in the same 
way. 



BREAD AND ITS COMPOSITIONS. 


595 


Porridge —Always use coarsely ground oatmeal. Mix two 
tablespoonfuls of it with a small teacupful of cold water till it is of 
uniform consistence; then pour in a pint of boiling water, and keep 
boiling and stirring it for forty minutes. It is then lit for use, but 
may be kept simmering till wanted, if more boiling water be added 
as the other steams away. It should be served in a soup-plate quite 
hot; cold milk may be taken with it. Butter may also be added to 
taste, if not contra-indicated. 

Arrow-root —Moisten two teaspoonfuls of arrow-root with 
two tablespoonfuls of cold milk. When it is quite smooth pour in 
half a pint of boiling milk; then place it in a bright saucepan and 
stir over the tire for three or four minutes. Two or three teaspoon¬ 
fuls of powdered loaf-sugar may be added to sweeten it. Wine or 
brandy will frequently be prescribed with arrow-root; it must of 
course be added in the proportions ordered. 

Sago —Put a dessertspoonful of sago into three-quarters of a 
pint of cold milk and simmer gently, stirring frequently, for an 
hour and a quarter; skim as it approaches boiling, and sweeten with 
a dessertspoonful of powdered loaf-sugar. 

Tapioca and Cod-Liver —Boil a quarter of a pound of 
tapioca till tender in two quarts of water; drain it in a cullender, 
then put it back in the pan; season with a little salt and pepper, 
add half a pint of milk and one pound of fresh cod-liver cut in eight 
pieces. Set the pan near the tire to simmer slowly for half an hour 
or a little more, till the liver is quite cooked. Press on it with a 
spoon, so as to get as much oil into the tapioca as possible. After 
taking away the liver, mix the tapioca. If too thick, add a little 
milk, then boil a few minutes, stir round, salt and pepper to taste. 
Tapioca thus cooked is nourishing and easily digested. 

Carrot-Pap —In Bednar’s “Kinder-Krankheiten” the follow¬ 
ing formula occurs for carrot-pap, which is strongly recommended 
for children suffering from scrofula, rickets and worms, and is also 
suitable for patients recovering from acute diseases, and for dyspep¬ 
tics. 

An ounce* of finely grated carrot should be put into half a pint 
of cold, soft water and should stand twelve hours, being frequently 
stirred; it should then be strained through a sieve, and all the juice 
pressed out. This juice is then to be thickened with grated bread 
or arrow- root and to be set upon a slow fire. After boiling up once 
or twice it should be sweetened and is then ready for use. 

The juice of the carrot combined with plain water, biscuits or 
crusts of bread, contains all the material that is necessary for the 
nourishment of weaned children or weakly persons—albumen, 
starch, gelatine, sugar, fat and salt, and finally even the phosphate of 
lime and phosphate of magnesia. In the preparation of this food 
the greatest cleanliness must be observed. The juice must be pre¬ 
pared fresh every day, and must, moreover, be carefully watched, 


596 


BREAD AND ITS COMPOSITIONS. 


lest fermentation ensue. Tiie large and full-grown carrots are pre ■ 
ferable to tlie young and small. 

Bread-Jelly —1. Take the crumb of a loaf, cover it with 
boiling water and allow it to soak for some hours. The water, con¬ 
taining all the noxious matters with which the bread may be adul¬ 
terated, is then to be strained off completely and fresh, added; place 
the mixture on the fire and allow it to boil for some time till it is 
perfectly smooth. The water is then to be pressed out and the bfead 
on cooling will form a thick jelly. Flavor with anything agreeable. 
A good food for infants at the time of weaning; also for children 
with acute diseases. 

i 2. Cut off the top of a small loaf of bread. Cut the remain¬ 
ing part into thin slices and toast them of a pale brown, very hard. 
Put the bread thus toasted into nearly three pints of water and boil 
very gently, until you find it well set, which you will know by 
holding a little in a spoon; strain it off very carefully, without 
breaking the bread or the jelly will be thick; sweeten to your taste. 
It never disagrees with and is very good for infants. 

Pearl-Barley Jelly —If pearl-barley be boiled for six 
hours, then strained off, the water on cooling will form a nutritive 
jelly which dissolves readily in warm milk. It is very well adapted 
to infants. 

Nutritive Jelly —Isinglass, 1 oz.; gum-Arabic, oz.; white 
sugar-candy, 1 oz.; port-wine, 1 pint; J- nutmeg, grated. These 
should be put in ajar to stand twelve hours, covered tightly to pre¬ 
vent evaporation ; then placed in a saucepan with sufficient water to 
simmer till the contents of the jar are quite melted; the whole 
should be stirred; then allowed to stand till cool. A teaspoonful 
occasionally is reviving. 

Orange or Wine-Jelly —A small packet of prepared gel¬ 
atine should be soaked in one pint of cold water for an hour or 
more; three pints of boiling water should then be added with a 
pound and a half of sugar, the juice and grated rind of three or 
four oranges; the whole should be stirred together until the gelatine 
is dissolved and intermixed, strained through a clean cloth (jelly- 
bag), and allowed to cool. . 

If wine jelly be preferred, it may be made in the same manner, 
adding sherry, Madeira or other pure wine instead of oranges, and 
proportionately lessening the quantity of water. 

Invalid’s Jelly —Soak twelve shanks of mutton in plenty of 
water for some hours, clean well, put them into a saucepan with one 
pound of lean beef, a bunch of sweet herbs, pepper and salt to taste, 
one onion and a crust of bread toasted brown; add three quarts of 
water and let them simmer gently for live hours; strain the broth; 
when cold take off all the fat. 

Tapioca-Jelly— The tapioca should be soaked in cold water 
for several hours and then cooked until perfectly clear, adding more 


RELISHES FOR INVALIDS. 


5 97 


water if necessary; when done sweeten to taste, and flavor with va¬ 
nilla, lemon or wine. When cold serve plain or with cream. 

Cliicken-Jelly —Half a raw chicken pounded with a mallet, 
hones and all together; cold water to cover it well; heat slowly in a 
covered vessel and let it simmer until the meat is in white rags and 
the liquid reduced one-half; strain and press through a coarse cloth; 
season to taste, return to the fire and simmer five minutes longer; 
skim when cool. Give to patient cold, with unleavened wafers. 

Arrow-root Jelly —One cup of boiling water, two tea¬ 
spoonfuls of Bermuda arrow-root, one teaspoonful of lemon-juice, 
two teaspoonfuls of white sugar; wet the arrow-root in a little cold 
water and rub smooth; then stir into the hot water, which should be 
on the fire and actually boiling at the time, with the sugar already 
melted in it; stir until clear, boiling steadily all the time, and add 
the lemon; wet a cup in cold water, and pour in the jelly to form. 
Eat cold with sugar and cream. 

Arrow-root Wine-Jelly —One cup of boiling water, two 
teaspoonfuls of arrow-root, two teaspoonfuls of white sugar, one 
tablespoonful of brandy or three of wine. Proceed as with preced¬ 
ing recipe. An excellent corrective for weak bowels. 

Jelly-Water —One large teaspoonful of blackberry-jelly, one 
tumbler of ice-water; beat up well. Excellent for fever patients or 
those suffering from gastric irritation. 

Iceland-Moss Jelly —One handful of moss well washed, 
one quart of boiling water, the juice of two lemons, one glass of 
wine, one quarter of a teaspoonful of cinnamon; stir the moss 
(after soaking it an hour in a little cold water) into the boiling 
water, and simmer until it is dissolved; sweeten, flavor and strain 
into moulds. Good for colds, and very nourishing. 

Oatmeal-Tea —Pour a pint of boiling water on a table¬ 
spoonful of oatmeal, sweeten with honey and flavor with the rind 
of a lemon, cut very thin; stir it up, and let it stand till cool and 
clear. It can be warmed for drinking if required. 

Barley-Water —Wash a tablespoonful of pearl-barley in 
cold water; then pour off the water and add to the barley two or 
three lumps of sugar, the rind of one lemon, and the juice of half a 
lemon; pour on the whole a quart of boiling water, and let it stand 
covered and warm for two or three hours; then strain it. Instead 
of lemon, current-jelly, orange-juice or sliced licorice may be used 
to flavor. Barley-water is a valuable demulcent in colds, affections 
of the chest, etc. 

Gum-Water —One ounce of gum-Arabic, half an ounce of 
loaf-sugar, to one pint of cold water; should stand near the fire so 
as to be kept warm, and be occasionally stirred until the gum is 
all dissolved, and should then be allowed to cool, and will form an 
agreeable and nourishing drink in fevers. Lemon-peel or fruit- 
sirup may be added to flavor. 

Linseecl-Tea —1. This is often a useful drink for soothing 


598 


RELISHES FOR INVALIDS. 


irritation set up by the cough of consumption, bronchitis or pneu¬ 
monia and for the irritation of diarrhea, dysentery, inflammation 
of the bowels. It is prepared by adding one ounce of bruised lin¬ 
seed and a half-ounce of sliced licorice-root, to two pints of boiling 
water and boiling in a covered vessel near the fire for two or three 
hours; it should then be strained through a piece of muslin and one 
or two tablespoonfuls taken as often as necessary. Sliced lemon 
and sugar-candy will make it more palatable. 

2. Linseed one ounce, white sugar one ounce, licorice-root half 
an ounce, lemon-juice two tablespoonfuls. Pour on the ingredients 
two pints of boiling w T ater, let them stand in a hot place for four 
hours, then strain. 

Malt-Tea— Boil three ounces of malt in a quart of water. 
In fever cases where mouth is very dry. 

Rice-Water —The best Carolina rice should be washed with 
cold water, then boiled in a good measure of water for ten minutes, 
the water strained off and more added, and so on until the goodness 
is boiled out of the rice. The water is ready to drink when cold. 
Cream may be added if there be not high fever; a pinch of salt 
also, if desired, or flavoring as for barley-water. 

Toast-Water — 1 . This is not often well made. A slice of 
stale bread (crust is better) should be slowly baked through (not 
burnt), then put in a jar with a quart of boiling water poured over 
it and allowed to stand covered till cool. It may be flavored with 
lemon-peel. 

2. Toast slowly a thin piece of bread until it is extremely 
brown and hard, but not black, put it in a jug of cold water and 
cover it for an hour before using. 

Wliite-Wine Whey —Put two pints of new milk in a 
saucepan, and stir it over a clear fire till it is nearly boiling; then 
add a quarter of a pint of sherry and simmer for a quarter of an 
hour, skimming off the curd as it rises. Then add a tablespoonful 
more sherry and skim again for a few minutes till the whey is clear; 
sweeten with loaf-sugar, if required. 

Tamarind-Wliey —Stir two tablespoonfuls of tamarinds in ’ 
a pint of milk whilst boiling; when the curds are formed, strain off. 
It is a cooling and slightly laxative drink. 

Whey may also be made by heating milk till it almost boils, 
then adding the juice of an orange or lemon, or a couple of juicy 
apples cut in slices, or a large tablespoonful of vinegar, molasses or 
honey; or sufficient powdered alum or cream of tartar, or tartaric 
or citric acid, to cause curdling; finally, straining and sw'eetenino’to 
taste. 

Iceland-Moss and Milk— Soak an ounce of Iceland-moss 
in half a pint of hot water for a quarter of an hour; strain; then 
boil the moss in a quart of water till it is reduced to a pint; strain 
again and boil the liquor (without the moss) down to a third of a 


RELISHES FOR INVALIDS. 


599 


pint; mix this with half a pint of hot milk; sweeten and flavor to 
taste. 

Rice-Milk —If milk be plentiful, the rice may he boiled in 
milk; if not, boil it in water to plump and soften it and when the 
water is wasted put in the milk, taking care that the rice in thick¬ 
ening does not stick to the saucepan. Season with sugar and a 
piece of cinnamon. A bit of lemon or orange-peel will give zest. 

Sago-Milk —Soak the grains in water for an hour before 
boiling or boil first in water for two or three minutes, which water 
pour off. Boil a large spoonful in a quart of new milk; sweeten 
and season to taste. Ground rice may be prepared in the same way 
and smaller quantities used. 

Milk and Meal —Mix a large teaspoonful of either parched 
flour or corn-flour or arrow-root or other farinaceous food, as may 
be indicated by special symptoms, in a little cold milk; heat a pint 
of milk and when it is about to boil add to it the farinaceous 
preparation and keep stirring while all boils together for five min¬ 
utes; sweeten with sugar and flavor with lemon or nutmeg, accord¬ 
ing to taste. This is very useful when beef-tea, eggs and light 
puddings cannot be taken; the milk is more nutritious than when 
taken by itself and is less liable to turn sour. The quantity of flour, 
etc., may be raised. The ordinary proportion is a large dessert¬ 
spoonful to half a pint of milk. 

Lemonade —1. Bub two or three lumps of sugar on the rind 
of a lemon, squeeze out the juice and add to it nearly a pint of cold 
or iced water, or better, one or two bottles of soda-water. 

2. A lemon should be cut into slices and put into a jar with 
several pieces of loaf-sugar; add a pint of boiling water, cover 
and allow it to cool. After straining, it is fit for use. This bever¬ 
age is recommended to allay thirst, irritation of the throat, etc. It 
may be made to effervesce by the addition of a very little carbonate 
of soda. 

3. Three pounds of loaf-sugar, 1-J pints of water, 2 ozs. of 
citric acid, 60 drops of essence of lemon-peel. Put the sugar into 
an enameled saucepan, and pour the water on it; just boil it. When 
half cold put in the citric acid, stir with a silver spoon, and add the 
essence of lemon-peel. A tablespoonful to a tumbler of water. 
When the lemonade is cold bottle it. 

Linseed Lemonade —Four tablespoonfuls of whole linseed, 
one quart of boiling water, juice of two lemons. Pour the boiling 
water upon the linseed and steep three hours in a covered vessel; 
sweeten to taste; if too thick add cold water with the lemon-juice. 
It is admirable for colds. 

Nitric Lemonade —Twenty to thirty drops of dilute nitric 
acid should be added to eight ounces of pure cold water, and flavored 
with honey or loaf-sugar; from a teaspoonful to a tablespoonful, 
according to age, may be given two or three times daily. Nitric 
lemonade modifies sickness in whooping-cough, and is useful in 


600 


RELISHES FOR INVALIDS. 


some cases of bronchitis, consumption, coughs from relaxed palate, 
night-sweats, etc. Lemonade made in the same way with sulphuric 
acid, if taken daily will prevent the lead poisoning of painters. 

Eg , g-Nog‘—The yolks of two eggs and half an ounce of sugar 
should be thoroughly rubbed together; then add four ounces of the 
best French brandy and four ounces of cinnamon water, and mix 
well. 

Flummery —To any quantity of oatmeal you like to infuse 
put double the weight of warm water; stir well, and let the mixture 
infuse for four or hve days in a warm temperature; add more water, 
stir up and strain. Let the liquid stand till the starch falls down 
in a white sediment, pour off the water and mixing as much of the 
starch or sediment as is wanted with water to thin it, boil, stirring 
briskly for a quarter of an hour till a jelly is formed. It is eaten 
with milk, butter or cream and by convalescents with wine or milk 
as prescribed. 

White Caudle —Mix two large tablespoonfuls of finely 
ground oatmeal in water two hours previously to using it, strain it 
from the grits and boil it, sweeten and add wine and seasoning to 
taste; nutmeg or lemon-juice answers best. 

Apple Water —To juicy apples sliced, add a little sugar and 
lemon-peel; pour over them boiling water; strain when cold. 

Cream for Stewed Fruit —Boil an ounce and a half of 
gelatine in a pint and a half of water over a slow fire till there is 
only half a pint. Strain and sweeten, add a glass of sherry and 
stir in half a pint of good cream; stir till cold. 

Fruit Cream —Gooseberries, apples, rhubarb or any fresh 
fruit may be used. To every pint of pulp add one pint of milk or 
cream; sugar to taste; prepare the fruit as for stewing, put it into a 
jar with two tablespoonfuls of water and a little good, moist sugar; 
set the jar in a saucepan of boiling water and let it boil until the 
fruit is soft enough to mash; then beat it to a pulp and work this 
pulp through a cullender. To every pint stir in the above propor¬ 
tion of milk or cream; if obtainable the latter is of course prefer¬ 
able. 

Cocoa from Nibs —To produce cocoa from nibs, one of the 
most wholesome and nutritious of beverages, the following method 
is recommended. For two persons, take of Fry’s No. .1 nibs a small 
teacupful and soak them in one quart of water over night; next 
morning boil briskly for two hours, then strain off and use directly 
with boiling milk. It should not be re-warmed as it loses its flavor, 
just as tea does when warmed up again. 

The best way of boiling it is in a block-tin, three-pints wine- 
muller, over a small gas-stove; or, better still, the new French milk- 
saucepan, which consists of white ware fitted into an outside tin 
casing. The cocoa nibs, already soaked as previously directed, 
should be put with a proper quantity of water into the white ware, 


HOW TO BECOME FAT OR PLUMP. 


601 


the outside vessel being also filled with water and boiled for two 
hours. 

Nutritious Coffee —Dissolve a little gelatine in water, then 
put half an ounce of freshly ground coffee into a saucepan with a 
pint of new milk, which should be nearly boiling before the coffee 
is added, boil both together for three minutes, clear it by pouring 
some into a cup and dashing it back again, add the isinglass and 
leave it to settle for a few minutes. Beat up an egg and pour the 
coffee upon it, or if preferred drink it without the egg. 

Nutrient Enema —Take of beef-tea half a pint and thicken 
it with a teaspoonful of tapioca. Reduce If ozs. of raw beef to a 
fine pulp, pass it through a fine cullender and mix the whole with 
twenty grains of acid pepsin and four grains of diastase (or a des¬ 
sertspoonful of malt-flour); where the latter is used the tapioca may 
be omitted. It should have a bright rose-tint and exhale a rich, 
meaty odor. Not more than a quarter of a pint should be used at 
a time and that slowly. Pending the arrival of the pepsin and the 
malt, the other portions of the liquid may be administered alone. 

Egg* and Sugar Enema —Beat up the yolks of two eggs 
with two wineglassfuls of hot water in which an ounce of lump- 
sugar has been dissolved. 

Oil and Sugar Enema —Gradually rub up half an ounce 
of gum-Arabic with two tablespoonfuls water; then gradually add 
and rub in two tablespoonfuls of olive-oil or cod-liver oil; then stir 
in a wineglassful of hot water in which an ounce of lump-sugar is 
dissolved. 

Panada —Slice the crumb of a loaf very thin and soak or 
boil it gently in water. When soft, beat it up well and add sugar 
and if allowed, wine; a little butter may also be added. Panada 
may also be made of chicken-broth instead of water and seasoned 
with, a little mace, and is excellent for invalids. 


HOW TO BECOME FAT OR PLUMP. 

Activity of mind or body prevents fattening. Sufficient rest 
and sleep must be taken. Persons who desire to become plump 
and remain so should retire about 9 or 10 p. m., and sleep until 6 or 
T a. m. A brain-worker needs more sleep than a muscle-worker. 
Pleasure or recreation, before going to bed at night, is desirable. A 
drink of water should be taken immediately on rising. It should 
be fresh water, and not that which has stood in lead pipes or in a pail, 
nor should it be too cold. The breakfast should be plain and sub¬ 
stantial, the year round, especially in summer. A course of fresh 
ripe fruit should first be eaten, then potatoes, meat or fried mush, 
or oat-meal porridge, bread and butter. The drink may be cocoa 
or milk-and-water, sweetened. If tea or coffee is used, it should be 
weak, and taken with plenty of milk. A drink of water may be 



602 


•CHEWING GUM. 


taken an hour or two after a meal; it aids digestion. If one become 
faint before dinner, a cracker should be taken with a glass of water. 
The hearty meal of the day should not come later than five hours 
after breakfast. Soup should be taken at this meal; it helps diges¬ 
tion. There are certain Brahmins or Priests in Asia who are very 
corpulent. Their diet consists of vegetables, milk, sugar, sweet¬ 
meats and “ ghee.” Dr. Fotliergill states that a strict vegetable 
diet produces fat more certainly than any other means. Condi¬ 
ments, spices and stimulants should not be taken, unless they are 
very mild. Much cold water, at meal-tiines, should be avoided. 
It chills the stomach. Every meal should be eaten slowly and with 
pleasant company, and a half hour, at least, of rest taken after¬ 
wards, if possible. If a full, hearty meal lies heavily on the stom¬ 
ach, as it often does, with dyspeptics, a drink of hot water, sweet¬ 
ened or salted to the taste, aids much to complete digestion. About 
3 or 4 p. m., a drink of water should be taken. Supper should be 
light; bread-and-butter and tea, with some mild sauce. Children 
and old people should retire early. 

Another method of becoming plump is a free diet of oysters. 
They may be taken in any form, raw or cooked, but they should be 
eaten without vinegar or pepper. To sum up, then: to become 
plump, one must use plenty of water, starchy food, oysters, fats, 
vegetables, sweets, and take plenty of rest. 


CHEWING GUM. 

The habit of chewing spruce or any other gum is not only 
filthy and unpleasant, but is also destructive to health, and parents 
cannot be too careful to guard their children against it. If the 
chewer spit the saliva from his mouth its loss weakens and 
exhausts his whole system and seriously impairs his digestion; 
for the saliva contains important properties which are all 
needed and are essential in the process of digestion. If the 
saliva be swallowed, impregnated as it is with the stimulating 
properties of the gum, it causes inflammation of the stomach, and 
often serious and troublesome diseases of this character are thus 
caused. It also not infrequently leads the young to the use of 
tobacco. 





The index finger on engraving in¬ 
dicates the place where, if pressure 
is made, the bleeding from wound is 
stopped. Always remember that 
blood comes from the heart, and 
pressure should be made, with 
thumb or fingers, over the line of 
the artery between the heart 
and the wound, as indicated in 
the engraving. 

To stop cramp in a limb, bind for 
a few minutes a cord or bandage 
around itabout three inches above 
the knee, as shown in the illus¬ 
tration, C. 

To stop an approaching attack of 
Epilepsy, bind a cord for a few 
minutes around the thighs and 
arms, as shown in engraving, E, 
and repeat two or three times at 
intervals of a few minutes. 



THE ABOVE ENGRAVING shows the veinous and arterial circulation 
in the human body. The red lines indicate the arteries that convey the blood 
from the heart to the extremities and the blue lines, the veins which take up 
the blood from the arteries at the extremities, and bring it back to the heart 
and lungs to be again sent out through the arteries. 



















THE ABOVE ENGRAVING shows the position of the principal organs 
in the human body: heart, lungs, diaphragm, liver, stomach, spleen, large and 
small intestines, etc. 























THE ABOVE ENGRAVING 
dition. 


represents the stomach in a healthy coil* 





THE ABOVE ENGRAVING shows the inflamed and ulcerated condition of 
a stomach diseased from the frequent use of strong drug remedies, or from the 
continued moderate use of spirituous liquors. 






DIVISION TENTH. . 


MEDICAL PLANTS, OR MATERIA MEDICA. 


PREFATORY. 


In this division we give directions for preparing and using all 
the medical plants now known, together with their botanical 
description and with the addition of a large number that are new, 
and have not as yet been commonly employed in medical practice. 

During the past ten years there have been more discoveries of 
medical plants and greater progress made in applying them to the 
cure of disease, than during any previous similar period of time. 
We are, therefore, now enabled to give about one hundred more 
medical plants than have heretofore been offered to the public. If 
the acquisition and presentation to the public of new and import¬ 
ant remedies is a matter of worth and merit, then we may justly 
claim a superior excellence for this department of the book, over 
anything heretofore presented. 

For our knowledge of many of the Hew Remedies, we are 
largely indebted to the publications of Parke, Davis & Co., of 
Detroit, Michigan, prominent among which are Oascara Sagrada, 
Grindelia Robusta, Grindelia Squarosa, Yerba Reuma, Berberis 
Aquifolium, Rhus Aromatica, Jamaica Dogwood, Kava-Kava, and 
many others. Any further information with regard to these medi¬ 
cines may be obtained from the printed circulars of this firm. 


ACHILLES—Milfoil (Yerba De San Juan.) 

Part vised —The plant. 

The whole herb is medicinal. The active principle, extracted 
both by water and alcohol, is commonly used as an infusion 
for suppression of hemorrhages and profuse mucous or catarrhal 
discharges; hence much used in uterine diseases. It is an active 
remedyTor flatulent colic. In fevers as a cooling drink it assimi¬ 
lates Aconite. It is prepared by the infusion of an ounce of the 
dried leaves5 pour on them one pint of boiling water*, let it 
stand covered till cool; strain. Drink a swallow or two when 
thirsty. 






604 : 


ACONITE. 


Description —A perennial lierb from a foot to eighteen 
inches high; double pinnate, downy, minutely divided, leaves 
whitish, flowers blossom in June, July and August. 

Indigenous in Europe and United States. Procured only at 
drug stores. 

ACONITE—Monk’s Hood (Aconitum Napellus). 

Part used —The whole plant. 

This is one of the most valuable remedies in the Materia Med- 
ica, in all cases of fever. It is an invaluable remedy in neuralgia, 
nervous affections, inflammatory rheumatism, some forms of palsy, 
dropsy, etc.; being more frequently useful in the treatment of 
disease than any other drug in the whole list of remedies. The 
tincture is the preparation of the root; it is most commonly 
employed, and should only be used when bought at a reliable drug 
store where it will have been accurately prepared. It is too pois¬ 
onous to admit of inexperienced handling. l)ose, from half a drop 
to four drops every two or four hours. It is a poison and should 
never be given in large doses. 

The tincture diluted with water and applied externally, and at 
the same time administered internally, acts very promptly in 
quinsy, and other forms of inflammatory sore throat. 

It is a native of Europe and is cultivated in gardens in this 
country. 


ACETIC ACID (Acidum Aceticum). 

Its vapor inhaled into the nostrils, is valuable in headache. It 
will cure warts and corns when applied to them. 

One pint, added to six of water, makes a valuable article of 
vinegar. 

It is a very sour liquid, clear and colorless; strong taste, and 
rather agreeable odor. 


ALOES (Aloe Perfoliata). 

Part used —The inspissated juice of the leaves. 

Some of the principal diseases for which Aloes is employed are 
constipation, suppressed menstruation, dyspepsia, thread-worms, 
diseases of the liver and headache. Dose, in constipation, from 
one-half to two grains; for obstructed menstruation, five to ten 
grains twice a day. Dissolving the aloes in warm water, then 
using as an injection, will expel the thread-worm. Aloes should 
never be used in pregnancy, nor by any one afflicted with the piles. 

Found only in drug stores. 





/ 


\ 


AGRIMONY. 605 

AGRIMOKY, Cocklebur, Stickwort (.Agrimonia 

Eujpatoria). 

Part used —The entire plant. 

The leaves are very useful in jaundice and scurvy. It is rlso 
recommended in fevers and asthma, taken in a strong decoction, 
sweetened with honey. A tea of the root and herb is reputed to be 
a cure for scrofula by its free and persevering use. 

Description —This plant has a yellow blossom, growing on a 
long terminal spike, which is a continuation of the main stem; 
producing a small green burr which sticks to clothing that comes in 
contact with it. It grows from one to two feet high. It is found 
in most parts of the United States, yet it is not what is generally 
known as the troublesome “ cocklebur.’’ 


ALUM (. Alumen ). 

A strong solution of alum is valuable as a gargle in sore throat, 
and falling of the palate. The solution in powder is useful for 
checking bleeding of the nose, not alone that but also any hemor¬ 
rhage where it can be directly applied, and given with equal parts 
of molasses or honey in teaspoonful doses, repeated every ten or 
fifteen minutes, is an admirable remedy for croup. Dried or burnt 
alum sprinkled on proud flesh will remove it. It is prepared by 
being placed on a hot shovel, or any metallic substance, and allowed 
to remain until the ebullition or boiling ceases, after which it is 
pulverized. A solution of alum is an excellent remedy in almost all 
cases of itching piles, applied twice a day. The solution is used also 
as a wash for preventing venereal diseases. As a remedy for the 
cure of falling of the womb, it has few equals. It is also very excel¬ 
lent in leucorrhea. In these diseases, it is to be employed as an 
injection. It is very astringent, and often used with success in 
diarrhea and dysentery, and also in night-sweats, given in doses of 
twelve or thirteen grains, or fourth of a teaspoonful, repeated every 
four hours. It makes a good mouth wash. It is an emetic if given 
in large doses, but should not be used for that purpose as it destroys 
the teeth. 


ALUM-ROOT (Heuchera Americana). 

Part used —The root. 

The decoction is useful in ulceration of the mouth and throat, 
and as an injection in bleeding piles and leucorrhea; it has also been 
given internally in diabetes. The powdered root is a good applica¬ 
tion to foul ulcers and wounds. The extract is used in diarrhea and 
dysentery. Dose of the decoction, a wineglassful three times a day. 




606 


ALLSPICE. 


Description —It lias a rose-colored or purplish-white flower. 
The root has a powerful astringent taste, is knotty, and of a yellow¬ 
ish color. 


ALLSPICE (Myrtus Pimento). 

Allspice is an excellent, agreeable and safe remedy for bowel 
complaints. It is very frequently combined with other preparations 
for this purpose. To two tablespoonfuls of it, add one of cinnamon 
bark, two teaspoonfuls of cloves and one pint of water, boil half an 
hour, and while hot, add three tablespoonfuls of sugar. It is to be 
given cold, in doses of from one-half to a tablespoonful, according 
to age, every three or four hours. This remedy will seldom be 
found to be surpassed in the treatment of these diseases. For 
hoarseness, boil two tablespoonfuls of cloves for twenty or thirty min¬ 
utes, in half a pint of water; use as a gargle frequently, and at the 
same time take a small portion of it internally. It is usually prompt 
and effectual. 


ALVELOZ (.Euphorbia Heterodoxa). 

Part used —The milky juice of the plant. 

The prepared juice is supplied in th'e six-ounce vials in which 
it was imported, and is used as a remedy for the cure of cancer. At 
Pernambuco after it has been well painted on the tumor it is cov¬ 
ered with a tobacco leaf. It may be used with a sublimate or vase- 
line-and-borax dressing. The application to be repeated once in 
three days. 

Supplied by Parke, Davis & Co., Detroit. 


AMBER ( Succinum ). 

This is regarded as a fossil resin, the product of an extinct 
plant. There is an oil prepared from it called the oil of amber, 
which has been successfully used in whooping-cough, and in painful 
menstruation; it is also employed in kidney disease, and in hysterics. 
Dose, from five to ten drops, repeated every hour or oftener, when 
necessary. Amber is common to both this country and Europe. It 
is a translucent, resin-like substance, brittle and of a yellowish color, 
and may be had at any drug store. 


AMERICAN SARSAPARILLA {AraUa Nudicaulis ). 
Part used —The root. 

This is a substitute for the foreign sarsaparilla. It is a very 






AMERICAN HELLEBORE. 


607 


valuable remedy in all constitutional diseases, as a blood purifier. 
In syphilis, scrofula, skin diseases, etc., it is used with success. 
Dose, of the decoction or sirup, from two to four tablespoonfuls, 
three times a day. 

Description —Height, one to two feet; roots large, long and 
soft, with sweetish, aromatic taste; bearing several bunches of yel¬ 
lowish-green flowers, followed by clusters of .small berries resem¬ 
bling, to some extent, the common elder-berry. 

Found in rich soils and rocky lands in all parts of the United 
States. 


AMERICAN HELLEBORE, Swamp Hellebore, 
Indian Poke (Veratum Viride). 

Part used —The root. The tincture is a good remedy in 
erysipelas and inflammatory rheumatism, neuralgia and gout. It is 
also used in in active pneumonia, bronchitis, pleurisy and enlarge¬ 
ment of the heart. But it should never be given in the latter stages 
of pneumonia. It has often cured convulsions in child bed fever, 
and in such cases where the pulse is full and hard, it may be relied 
on as a positive remedy. Dose, one to two drops, every two or three 
hours. Large doses continued may produce dangerous conse¬ 
quences. In administering this medicine the patient should be 
closely watched, and when the pulse begins to recede, or if nausea 
or vomiting occurs it is a signal of alarm, when the administration 
should be stopped. Thus given, it is a prompt remedy in inflam¬ 
matory diseases. Dose, for children, one-fourth to one-half a drop, 
according to age. 

Description —This is a perennial plant, growing in moist 
places, and having numerous yellowish-green flowers, from May to 
July. The roots should be collected in autumn. As the name 
would imply, it grows in abundance throughout the United States. 


AMERICAN IVY, False Grape, Virginia Creeper 

(Ampelojpis Quinquefo lia). 

Parts used— Bark, leaves and twigs. 

This plant is reputed a remedy for dropsy, and has been used 
with success in scrofula, diseases of the skin and bronchitis. 
Dose of the fluid extract, from fifteen to thirty drops three times a 
day; of the saturated tincture, from thirty to sixty drops; of the 
decoction, from one-half to a wineglassful. This vine is found run¬ 
ning along fences and climbing trees in most parts of the United 
States. 


/ 




608 


AMERICAN IPECAC. 


AMERICAN IPECAC, Wild Ipecac, Spurge. 

{Euphorbia Corollata). 

Part used —The root. 

This is said to be a speedy and certain remedy for bilious colic, 
taken every half hour, in doses of ten to twelve grains, until relief is 
obtained. It has been effectively used in dropsy. Dose, five to ten 
grains, three times a day. It is employed also in suppressed menses, 
dyspepsia and fevers. 

Euphorbin is the active principle of this plant; in night- 
sweats and lung-diseases it is given in very small doses—about one- 
twentieth of a grain, four times daily. In diabetes, it is used 
combined with helonine; dose, as an emetic, five to eight grains; as 
a cathartic, three to five grains. As an alterative and diaphoretic in 
diabetes, from one-fourth to one-half a grain. 

The American Ipecac is common to most of the States. 


AMERICAN SENNA ( Cassia Marilandica). 

Part used —The leaves. 

These are a safe and certain cathartic and may be substituted 
for the foreign senna, in one-third larger doses. 

This is a perennial plant, common to the United States and 
growing in low. moist situations. 


ANGELICA {Angelica Archangelica). 

Parts used —The roots, stems and seeds. 

The tea of the root is very useful for allaying nervous headache 
and relieving the pain caused by flatulence, or wind in the stomach. 
It is also recommended for pains in the breast and feeble digestion. 
The infusion may be drunk freely. 

Usually found cultivated in gardens, from Canada to Carolina. 


ANISE SEED {Pimpinella Anisum). 

These are very efficacious in dyspepsia, and to expel wind from 
the stomach and relieve colicky pains and griping. A tea may be 
given, in doses of from one teaspoonful to a tablespoonful, and 
repeated often. This is one of .the ingredients in the much used 
Paregoric. 

For dyspepsia, the oil, dropped on sugar, is preferable to the 
tea. Dose, two or three drops. Of the essence, five to ten drops. 

It is found commonly cultivated in gardens. 





ANTI-EMETIC ROOT, ADRUE. 


609 


ANTI-EMETIC ROOT, ADRUE, (Gyperus Articularis ). 
Part employed —The herb. 

A strong infusion or decoction is used in Jamaica as a specific 
in restraining vomiting in yellow-fever. It has a fine aromatic 
flavor, and produces a feeling of warmth and comfort in the stomach. 
Dr. Cowen, M. R. C. S., recommends its use as a fluid extract, con¬ 
taining as little alcohol as possible, in doses of 20 to 30 drops in a 
little water. In atonic dyspepsia this will be found a safe and 
pleasant remedy. 

Found only in drug-stores. 


APPLE TREE BARK (Pyrus Malus). 

The fluid, as well as the solid extract of this bark, possesses 
power to alleviate the paroxysms of ague or other periodic forms of 
fever. It is not equal to the other barks employed for this purpose, 
yet it may often be used when they cannot be obtained. Dose, of 
the tincture, from five to thirty drops every two hours during the 
chill; of the fluid extract, about the same, or perhaps a little less. 


ARNICA (Arnica Montand). 

Tincture of arnica is commonly employed for external purposes, 
as for wounds, bruises and sprains. Add one teaspoonful to a tumbler 
of cold water, mix well, and occasionally apply this to the wound. 
It will be found one of the best remedies for relieving pain. For 
internal bruises, give the patient two or three drops of the tincture, 
every three hours, and continue as long as the symptoms seem to 
require it. It is often applied with success in rheumatism of the 
joints, and pains of the feet caused by walking. 

Arnica is a poison and should therefore never be used internally 
in large doses. 

Obtained only at drug-stores. 


ARBOR VITiE {Thuja Occidentalis). 

Part used —The leaves. 

Fluid extract of the leaves, dose, one-fourth to one fluid drachm. 
This drug seems to have given excellent results as a substitute for 
calisaya in the treatment of malarial diseases. Dr. Schoepf rec¬ 
ommends it for intermittent and remittent fevers, coughs, scurvy 
and rheumatism. Bandages soaked in the fluid extract (diluted) 
and applied to venereal excrescences, will often remove them if fre¬ 
quently renewed. The same treatment will be of value for cancer- 

39 





610 


ARLANTHE ELONGATA 


oits affections. The extract made into an ointment with vaseline is 
good for rheumatism. 

An evergreen tree, which grows in America. 


ARLANTHE ELONGATA ( Matica ). 

Part used —The leaves. 

It is employed in catarrh, gonorrhea, excessive menstruation, 
catarrh of the bladder and leucorrhea. For catarrh it is very 
superior and regarded by some practitioners as almost an infallible 
remedy. The infusion is to be snuffed up the nostrils, and at the 
same time the tincture should be taken internally. For gonorrhea, 
excessive menstruation and catarrh of the bladder the infusion is 
employed by injection, and usually with good success. It is 
a very prompt remedy in arresting catarrhs and bronchitis, and like¬ 
wise for external wounds, in which case the under side of the leaf 
is to be applied to the wound, or the finely powdered leaves applied. 
Dose, of the tincture, one to two teaspoonfuls three or four times a 
day; of the infusion, one tablespoonful, of the fluid extract twenty 
to thirty drops, three times a day. 

Procured only at drug stores. 


ASAF(ETIDA-PLANT (.Ferula Asafoetida). 

Part used —The gum. 

When spasms and constipation have weakened the powers of 
life and the functions are performed in a languid manner, asafoetida 
generally affords effectual relief, as it promotes digestion, enlivens 
the spirits and increases the natural motions of the intestines. Its 
action on the bowels is quick and penetrating, affording great and 
speedy relief in hysterics and convulsions, and especially when the 
bowels are constipated. It has been used in hooping-cough and 
to expel worms. It may be employed by enema. Dose, one pill 
the size of a pea; of the tincture, ten to fifteen drops, and repeated 
as the circumstances of the case may appear to require. The tinct¬ 
ure is found prepared in drug-stores, or can be made by dissolving 
an ounce of asafoetida in a gill of alcohol, and then filtering. The 
tincture, employed by enema, is reputed an effective means of 
expelling the thread or pin-worm. 

Found only in drug-stores. 


BAEL-FRUIT (.Belce Fructus). 

It is a remedy that is very useful in diarrhea and dysentery 
with debility of the mucous membrane, and other diseases of the 





BALM. 


611 


Dowels, which it relieves without producing constipation. In its 
native country, India, it is largely used in acute and chronic cases 
of these diseases. Dose, of the fluid extract, one-half to one tea¬ 
spoonful. 

Found only in drug-stores. 


BALM ( Mellissa Officinalis). 

Part used —The tops. 

A tea of this plant is useful in painful and obstructed menstru¬ 
ation, and is valuable in fevers, and as a cooling drink. The tea 
may be drunk freely, and especially in febrile diseases, as it causes 
perspiration and promotes the action of other diaphoretic medicines. 

Cultivated in gardens. 


BALM OF GILEAD ( Populus Candicaus). 

Parts used —The buds and bark. 

It is used, mainly in affections of the lungs, coughs, and kid¬ 
ney-complaint and also employed in scurvy, and said to be a cure 
for piles. Dose of the tincture, from two to four teaspoonfuls, 
three times a day. The tincture of the bark is useful in rheuma¬ 
tism and gout. The buds are commonly employed for making heal¬ 
ing salve for all wounds. 

Balm of Gilead trees grow in many parts of this coun¬ 
try, from fifteen to thirty feet high, bearing buds that contain a 
balsamic gum, of a bitterish taste but an agreeable odor. 


BALMONY, Snake-Head, Turtle-Head, Bitter 

Herb ( Chelone Glabra). 

Part used —The tops. 

It is a valuable vermifuge, and is regarded by some physicians 
as having no superior in expelling worms. One ounce of the dry 
herb should be made into an infusion and drunk during the day, and 
may be followed by a suitable purge. A tea of the leaves is given 
for jaundice, piles, boils and sores. It is a bitter tonic and among 
the best medicines there are to promote the appetite. This forms 
the foundation of “ Kennedy's Medical Discovery .” It is also 
used as a remedy in the cure of dyspepsia and is thought to be bet¬ 
ter when employed with sugar-of-milk. Dose of the saturated 
tincture, ten to thirty drops two or three times a day. 

Description —It grows from two to four feet high, with a 
square stem; the flowers are generally white, though of different 





612 


BALSAM OF PERU. 


colors in different varieties, as white spotted with red, and purplish; 
and of a singular shape, resembling the head of a snake with its 
mouth open. The leaves are of a dark-green color and intensely 
bitter. 

It grows everywhere in low, wet situations and on the banks 
of streams. 


BALSAM OF PERU (Balsamo del Peru). 

Part used —The resinous juice. 

When this is made into an ointment with equal parts of tallow, 
it forms an excellent addition to simple liniment for sore breasts, 
ring-worms and indolent ulcers. 

It is used in coughs and chronic diseases of the lungs, and is 
also valuable in leucorrhea, gonorrhea and gleet. 

It acts specially on the mucous membranes of the system, and 
is successfully used in chronic mucous inflammation of the 
stomach and bowels. Dose, fifteen to thirty drops three times a 
day. 

Found only in drug-stores. 


BALSAM OF FIR (Pinus Balsamea). 

Part used —The resinous juice. 

This balsam is in high repute for diseases of the lungs and for 
coughs. It is very valuable for strengthening the nervous system 
and especially good for cleansing and healing internal ulcers. It 
will cure leucorrhea and venereal complaints when taken in the first 
stages, and is applied externally, for healing wounds and ulcers. 
Dose, internally, from twenty to thirty drops, two or three times a 
day. For coughs, five to ten drops three times a day, given on a 
little sugar. 

The fir-tree from which this gum is obtained grows very 
plentifully in most parts of the Northern States and on the Pacific 
Coast. 


BALSAM COPAIBA (Copaifera). 

Part used —The resinous juice. 

This Balsam is often a most effectual remedy in leucorrhea and 
gonorrhea, being usually combined with such articles as sweet 
spirits of nitre, oil of almonds and spirits of turpentine in about 
equal parts and taken in teaspoonful doses three or four times a day. 
It is also employed in chronic dysentery, irritation of the bladder 
and bronchitis. Dose, twenty to forty drops, three times a day. It 





BALSAM OF TOLU. 


613 


is an admirable remedy for croup, especially membranous croup. 
As an external application, it is useful in fistulous ulcers; also in 
indolent ulcers and chilblains. It is also used internally in chronic 
catarrh and painful piles. 

Found only at the drug stores. 


BALSAM OF TOLU (Myrospermum Toluiferum ). 

Incisions are made on this tree, from which the juice exudes, 
somewhat similar to the sap of the sugar-tree. Continued 
-exposure of it to the atmosphere renders it hard and brittle, like 
rosin. It is employed in coughs, chronic catarrh, bronchitis, 
asthma, gleet and diseases of the lungs of long standing. It is 
generally combined with other medicines. The dose is from ten to 
twenty-five grains. 

Found only in drug stores. 

/ _ 


BARBERRY (Berberis Vulgaris). 

Parts used —Bark and berries. 

A tea of the bark mixed with hard cider, taken in doses of 
three or four tablespoonfuls three times a day, is an admirable 
remedy for jaundice. The juice of the berries taken freely will 
generally cure the bloody flux and diarrhea that often accompany 
typhus fever. Attacks of putrid fever attended with diarrhea have 
been entirely cured by simply eating the berries and drinking the 
juice. The juice is also an admirable remedy for checking heat, 
quenching thirst, keeping up strength and preventing putrefac¬ 
tion in malignant fevers. 

The shrub grows in various parts of United States and has 
bark of a yellow color, bitter to the taste. The berries have a 
pleasant acid taste and ripen in June. 


BAYBERRY (Myrica Cerifera). 

For the typhoid dysentery that is so prevalent at some seasons 
of the year this is generally a successful remedy. Give a drachm 
of the powder every three or four hours. Used as a snuff it will 
cure polypus of the nose. It is successful in the treatment of 
jaundice and scrofula. It has been used as a remedy in scarlet 
fever with good success, and also as a gargle in putrid sore throat. 
For dysentery and diarrhea it has been administered with success 
in the form of a decoction, in teacupful doses, three times a day. 
The decoction applied externally, for ulcers and sores, is very 
efficacious. 





614 


BAYCURU. 


Description —Rayl)6rry is on© of the most valuable medical 
plants of our country, and is found growing in almost every state. 
Height, from four to twelve feet; flowers appear in May, followed 
by berries, green at first, but in the fall they assume a dull-white 
color. The leaves are narrow and tapering at the base; the upper 
part of the leaf is a glistening green. The stems are covered with a 
grayish bark, thickly branched at the top. 


BAYCURU (Statice Bmsiliensis). 

Part employed —The root. 

Recently introduced from South America. Is one of the most 
powerful astringents in the vegetable kingdom. May be used for 
all the purposes for which kino and catechu are employed, but its 
special indication is as an application to apthous and ulcerative 
affections of the mouth and pliarnyx, to ulcers and scrofulous sores, 
and as an injection in leucorrhea. Dose, of fluid extract of the root, 
five to thirty drops. 

Procured only at drug stores. 


BEAR’S FOOT (Polymnia Uvedalia). 

Parts used— The root and top. 

This is one of the most important remedies in use for the treat¬ 
ment of white swelling. It had been used with uniform success for 
years, during which time it was kept a secret. It has effected 
cures, in many instances, after all other means had been tried in 
vain. The mode of preparing it is to boil the root in lard and 
make it into an ointment, with which the swelled parts are to be 
anointed two or three times a dav, and at each time cover them with 
flannel and heat the parts with an iron, in order to facilitate the ab¬ 
sorption of the ointment. 

Attention has been called to it as a remedy for enlarged spleen 
and as an alterative in scrofula. It is a good remedy in old, chronic 
cases of rheumatism, given internally and used as ointment; it is 
also a good alterative. Use a saturated tincture made by adding 
eight ounces to one pint of alcohol (96°). Dose, from ten to thirty 
drops every four hours. 

Description —Roots very abundant, large and long, enlarg¬ 
ing as they proceed from the common head so as to resemble in 
some degree a small sweet-potato, blackish outside and whitish 
within. Stems frequently several together, growing five or six feet 
high, bearing leaves the size of a man’s hand and very much re¬ 
sembling in shape the foot of a bear, whence its name. 




BEBEERINE. 


615 


BEBEERINE, from the Bebuructra (Beburina Sulphas). 

It is prepared in glittering scales of a brownish-yellow color, 
possesses a direct effect upon the womb and is invaluable for con¬ 
gestion of that organ which results in profuse hemorrhage. It is 
said to act more promptly in checking excessive flow of the menses 
than any article in the materia medica. It not only controls the 
hemorrhage, but if taken in small doses in the interval, prevents 
its recurrence. For this purpose two or three grains, in pills, may 
be given every two or three hours. As an antiperiodic it may be 
given in five-grain doses every two hours, until twenty to thirty 
grains have been taken. 

Found in drug stores. 


BEET. 


Part used —The root. 

For most forms of gravel the common garden-beet is an infal¬ 
lible remedy. It is prepared by boiling a quantity of the beets un¬ 
til the juice is thoroughly obtained. Then remove and boil this 
liquid down to almost a sirup and drink freely of it four or five 
times a day. 

Beatin is the active medical principle of the beet. To be had 
at drug-stores. It is said that it will bring on menstruation, in 
most difficult cases of suppression. It will act very mildly, but 
quite efficiently, in all cases of these obstructions. The dose is from 
three to five grains, three or four times a day. The fluid extract of 
the beet is a convenient article and so is the essential tincture, given 
in one to three teaspoonful doses three or four times a day. These 
preparations are regarded by some physicans as preferable to the 
beatin. 


BEECH-DROPS, Cancer-Root (Epifagus Americanus). 

Parts used —Tops, stems and roots. 

This plant has been successfully used in that terrible scourge 
of mankind,' the cancer. Hence the name. An infusion of the 
tops and roots is to be used both internally and externally. Dose, 
a wineglassful three times a day. 

It is used with success when applied to obstinate ulcers and 
will be found valuable in sore mouth, erysipelas, diarrhea, and es¬ 
pecially in asthma. The decoction or infusion may be taken very 
freely every one to three hours. Dose of the powder, twelve to 
fifteen grains. 

Descrijdion —This has more the appearance of a fungus- 
growth than a living plant. It appears in stems, eight to sixteen 
inches high, divided into numerous branches, having no leaves, but 




616 


BELLADONNA. 


a few scales. The whole plant is of a yellowish, or light-brown 
color. The root has a bunch of short, crooked fibers at the bottom. 
It is usually found under beech-trees. 


BELLADONNA, Deadly Night Shade ( Atropa 

Belladonna). 

Part used —The leaves. 

It is exceedingly valuable in nervous diseases, as well as many 
others. It is considered a preventive of scarlet fever by some prac¬ 
titioners and is invaluable for this purpose. Give, of the extract, 
from one-eighth to one-lialf a grain, once or twice a day; of the 
powdered leaves, one grain. Belladonna will be found a very use¬ 
ful remedy in neuralgia, spasms, convulsions, St. Vitus’s dance, 
whooping-cough, rheumatism and all nervous affections. Dose of 
the extract, from one-eiglitli to one half a grain; cf the powdered 
leaves, one to two grains, once or twdce a day. The symptoms 
should be carefully observed and the medicine administered with 
caution, as it is a narcotic poison. 

Found in drug stores. 


BENNE LEAVES ( Sesamum Indicum ). 

Part used —The leaves. 

They are exceedingly good in bowel complaints, diarrhea and 
flux. The leaves form a nutritious, healing mucilage on being 
soaked in cold water, half a dozen leaves to one quart of water, 
then used as a drink. Whenever there is any predisposition or ten¬ 
dency to bowel complaints, either in children or adults, it will at 
once prevent its further development. This mucilage is to be 
drunk in all forms of this disease. If its virtues were more gener¬ 
ally known it would be employed to a much greater extent than it 
is. It is easily administered to children for it is not unpleasant to 
the taste. 

The plant is cultivated in gardens. 


BETH-ROOT, Read Leaf, Ground Ivy, Cough Root 

(Trillium Latifolium). 

Part used —The plant and root. 

An infusion of this and equal parts of blood-root is said by 
some physicians to be a certain cure for inflamed carbuncles and 
ulcers, applying at the same time a poultice of the former. 

An infusion of the root is employed in various hemorrhages, 
such as bleeding from the kidneys, bladder and uterus, also spitting 





bishop’s root. 


617 


of blood, etc. It is good in coughs, asthma, diarrhea and night- 
sweats. The infusion is made by adding a pint of boiling water to 
a tablespoonful of the powder; of this use freely. Dose of the pow¬ 
dered root, one teaspoonful, repeated often. 

Description —Height, six to twelve inches, three leaves at 
the top and one terminal flower, either white, red, purple or mixed 
color; the root is thick, wrinkled, somewhat like that of the ginseng. 

It is found growing in rich soils and bottom lands in most 
parts of the country. 


Bishop’s Root (Ptychotis Ajowan) 

Part used —The fruit. 

.Carminative, antiseptic, used in flatulence, colic, diarrhea and 
atonic dyspepsia; also in Asiatic cholera. Dr. Waring recom¬ 
mends it in dipsomania and chronic alcoholism. Dose of fluid 
extract of the fruit ten to thirty drops. 

Found only at drug stores; supplied by Parke, Davis & Co., of 
Detroit. 


BITTER-ROOT, Milk-Weed (.Apocynum AndroscBini- 

folium). 

Part used —Bark of the root. 

This is a celebrated remedy among the Indians, for the cure of 
venereal diseases, and is regarded as almost infallible. And it has 
been very effective in dyspepsia and chronic affections of the liver. 
It usually acts promptly in constipation. Dose of the powder, 
twenty to thirty grains. If it cause too great action of the bowels, 
the dose should be lessened. A wash made by steeping the root in 
water is good for scald-head and ulcers. When used as an altera¬ 
tive to act on the liver, or for dyspepsia, give ten grains twice a day; 
of the extract, five to six grains. This remedy has been latterly 
employed by some practitioners for nervous headache, for which it 
is said to be one of the most prompt and effectual remedies in use. 
It is also highly praised for rheumatic gout of the joints. Dose of 
the fluid extract, ten to twenty drops, repeated every three or four 
hours. 

Description —Height, from three to four feet; stalk, of a 
reddish color; flowers, white and in loose clusters. The root is 
usually larger than the stalk, running deep into the ground. It is 
of common growth, has a thick bark, which is the part used as a 
medicine, and is of a disagreeable, bitter taste. 




618 


BITTER-SWEET. 


BITTER-SWEET, Woody Nig'lit-Sliade (-Solarium 

Dulcamara). 

Parts used —Root and twigs. 

It is employed in jaundice, rheumatism, syphilitic affections, 
kidney troubles, scaly cutaneous diseases, and in obstructed menstru¬ 
ation. A very valuable sirup for scrofula is prepared from the 
twigs of bitter-sweet, stillingia and yellow-dock root, each equal 
quantities. Made into an ointment with lard, it forms an excellent 
remedy to scatter painful tumors, and is among the best preparations 
available for application to ulcers. 

Description —Stem shrubby, zigzag, climbing along trees, 
slender, vine-like, seldom exceeding seven or eight feet in length, 
with leaves of a dull-green color. When fresh these stems have an 
unpleasant odor, which they lose by drying. It bears clusters of 
elegant purple blossoms. It is a common growth in hedges and 
thickets, especially in moist situations. 

There is another vine called Bitter-sweet , a description of 
which will be found under “ Staff-Vine.” 


BLACK LOCUST (Robinia Pseudacacia). 

Parts used —Bark of the root and the leaves. 

The bark is cathartic and the leaves emetic. Steep a half¬ 
ounce of the leaves in a half-pint of water; if this be given in doses 
of half a teaspoonful every fifteen minutes, it will act as an efficient 
emetic. To one ounce of the root add a quart of water; boil down 
to nearly one pint: a tablespoonful of this given night and morning 
acts as a cathartic, and is frequently used as a substitute for butter¬ 
nut. 

This is a well-known indigenous tree found in most of the 
States. 


BLACKSNAKE ROOT—Sanicle (Sanicula Marilandica). 

Part used —The root. 

The Indians regard this as a sovereign remedy for rattlesnake 
bites. They take a handful of the roots and boil them in about a 
pint of water and drink it in divided doses in the course of a half- 
hour. At the same time they prepare a decoction of the leaves, and 
apply to the bitten parts. It is universally regarded as a great 
blood purifier and often taken as spring bitters. It is also valuable 
for the cure of hives, sore throat and croup. It has been very suc¬ 
cessfully used in St. Vitus’s dance and intermittent fevers. Dose of 
the decoction from half to a pint taken during the day; of the 




BLACKBERRY. 


G19 


powdered root, from half to a teaspoonful three times a day, accord¬ 
ing to age. It is excellent to cpiiet and strengthen the nerves. 

Description —It is found in thick woodlands growing from 
one to three feet high. The root is small, fibrous and black. The 
leaves grow at the top of the long, naked stem, and five in whole 
general stem rise from the same root. The flower-stem rises higher 
than the leaf-stem, and bears a few white flowers. 


BLACKBERRY (Rubus Villosus). 

Parts used —The berries, leaves and roots. 

This plant is exceedingly valuable in chronic diarrhea, dysen¬ 
tery, cholera-infantum and summer-complaints of children and often 
cures when all other means fail. The decoction of the root may be 
used freely, four or five times a day. The ripe fruit makes an 
excellent sirup. In preparing it add a little cinnamon and after 
simmering for a short time add white or loaf-sugar; while hot, 
strain, and when cool add a few tablesponfuls of brandy. Dose, 
from one teaspoonful to two tablespoonfuls according to age, four or 
five times a day. Blackberry-jelly and jam are both valuable for 
all bowel-complaints. The decoction is exceedingly valuable as an 
enema, in falling of the womb, leucorrhea, gleet and hemorrhage of 
the womb. Water flavored with the sirup is a very salutary drink 
for patients during fevers as well as in the convalescent stage. 


BLACK HAW ( Viburnum Prunifolium.) 

Part used —Bark of the root. 

A decoction of this plant will generally cure chills and fever. 
It is an almost infallible remedy in cases of threatened abortion, 
and is, therefore, of especial value for women who are subject to 
miscarriage, acting, as it does, as a specific tonic on the womb. 
Tablespoonful doses of the decoction should be used three times a 
day. Its use for this purpose should be Commenced two or three 
weeks before the expected recurrence of the misfortune and contin¬ 
ued for about two weeks beyond the period. It usually gives speedy 
relief in palpitation of the heart and is a valuable agent in diarrhea 
and dysentery and as a gargle in ulcers of the mouth and throat. 
It is frequently administered internally to allay the severity of after- 
pains. Dose of the decoction, a tablespoonful three or four times a 
day; of the tincture, a teaspoonfnl. 

Description —It is a small tree, ten to twenty feet high, 
found in most of the States, bearing the fruit known as black haws, 
which are of a jet-black color, and hanging in bunches. 




620 


BLACK-ROOT. 


BLACK-ROOT, Culver’s Physic, Bowman Root 

(Leptandra Virginica). 

Part used —The root. 

It is celebrated as an efficient purgative medicine. It operates 
with mildness and certainty, without producing that depression of 
the powers of the system so common to other purgative medicines. 
In fevers, it removes the morbid matter from the bowels without 
weakening their tone, or leaving behind that poisonous sting so 
often remaining after the use of calomel. It is used very effectually 
in the cure of pleurisy and also in some forms of dyspepsia. As 
a cathartic in dysentery, it is one of the best medicines known, 
when given in moderate doses. It would be well to combine it with 
a little rhubarb in such cases. It should be given in decoction, in 
doses of three or four tablespoonfuls, and repeated every three hours 
until it operates. Dose of the powder, as a cathartic, twenty to 
forty grains. 

Leptandrin —Is the extract made from this root, and may be 
used in all cases in its stead, and is generally preferable to it. It is 
regarded by some practitioners in medicine as a complete substitute 
for blue-mass in case of liver complaints, without producing any of 
its injurious effects. It is almost a sure cure for bloody flux and 
dysentery. Dose for a grown person, about one grain, and repeat in 
eight to twelve hours. Generally two or three doses will effect a 
cure for children, from one fourth to three-fourths of a grain. 
Dose as an alterative, for liver-complaint, one grain, once a day; as 
a cathartic, four to five grains. 

Liver Medicine —In dyspepsia and torpid and diseased 
liver, take one ounce of black-root, ten ounces of golden seal and 
two of senna, to a quart of water, and boil to a pint. Of this, from 
one to two tablespoonfuls may be given three or four times a day, 
and the quantity increased if it fail to operate gently, or diminished 
if it operate too much. The action on the bowels should not be 
more than perceptible. In this you have a remedy very far 
superior to most of the popular medicines. 

Description —It is found in rich soils, rising three to four 
feet high, smooth stalk, with four to seven leaves coming out oppo¬ 
site each other at different points on the stalk; when in bloom it 
has a number of l6ng tassels on its top, resembling corn-tassels. 


BLACK-WILLOW, Pussy-Willow (,Salix Niger). 

Parts used —Bark of the roots and stems, the leaves and 
twigs. 

A tea made of a handful of the bark of the roots and drunk 
freely will cure almost any case of bloody-flux or dysentery. It is 
very effectual for chills and fever, and often used in dyspepsia and 




BLACK WALNUT. 


621 


general debility. The bark, bruised or in powder, in combination 
with charcoal powder, makes a very superior remedy in all cases of 
gangrene or mortification, to be applied in the form of a poultice; 
at the same time taking a small portion of the tea internally. This 
poultice is also very efficient for foul and indolent ulcers. When it 
becomes necessary to suppress sexual desire, the buds and twigs 
made into tea or decoction and drunk freely will accomplish this 
purpose. The decoction of the willow has cured the most inveterate 
cases of erysipelas, and as an application in this disease it is seldom 
surpassed. Dose of the decoction, from two to three tablespoonfuls 
three times a day; of the powdered bark, one teaspoonful. 

Salicin in Rheumatism —Salicin is the active principle 
of the willow. In reference to its use in rheumatism, Dr. J. II. 
Haley, of San Francisco, says that it is one of the most valuable 
remedies we have for this disease, when given in ten-grain doses, 
three times a day. It is often employed as a substitute for quinine, 
and can be had at all drug-stores. 

Description —Height, from five to twenty feet; has a dark, 
rough, outside bark, while the branches are of a light-yellow color. 
It is found along the banks of water courses, small streams and 
wet lands. Some authors make a distinction between the black and 
the pussy-willow in this; that the former is of a darker color, and has 
longer branches than the latter. But as regards the practicability 
of this distinction, it is immaterial, as both varieties contain the 
same medical properties. 

White Willow (Salix alba )—This species contains the same 
medicinal properties as the black willow given above, which see. 


BLACK WALNUT (Juglans Nigra). 

Parts used —The bark, leaves and green nuts. 

A strong tincture of the leaves and nuts is highly extolled as a 
remedy in the treatment of bilious and cramp colic. Dose, one to 
two teaspoonfuls every twenty or thirty minutes until relieved. 

An infusion of the leaves is a sovereign remedy in scrofula and 
many cases have been cured with it. Two handfuls of the leaves 
should be used to one quart of water, in preparing the infusion, and 
a gill of this, after being sweetened with sugar, should be drank 
during each day. It may be necessary to continue using this for 
several months. The dry leaves may be used when the green cannot 
be had. A tincture of the nuts or leaves applied externally, is said 
to be almost a certain cure for tetter, and at the same time a portion 
should be taken internally. The rind of the walnut applied to the 
parts is also used for this purpose. 

Found in almost all parts of the United States. 



622 


BLACK COHOSH. 


BLACK COHOSH, Squaw Boot, Blacksnake Root, 
Rattle Weed (Cimicifuga Racemosa ). 

Part used—The root. 

This plant is regarded by some physicians as one of the best 
agents in use for whooping-cough. Two tablespoonfuls of the tinct¬ 
ure, together with the same amount of the tincture of blood-root and 
lobelia and sirup of squills, constitute one among the best cough- 
medicines in use. Dose, one teaspoonful every three or four hours. 

The tincture has been successfully employed in St. Vitus’s 
dance, and in asthma and delirium tremens. It is likewise employed 
in neuralgia, consumption, acute rheumatism, scrofula and leucor- 
rhea. It is used in female complaints. Dose of the tincture, twenty 
to sixty drops, three times a day; of the fluid extract, from a half to 
two teaspoonfuls. 

Equal parts of the extract of high-cranberry bark and the fluid 
extract of black cohosh will promptly cure persons afflicted with 
cramps. It is used b} r the Indians as an antidote for the bite of 
snakes, for which purpose it is bruised and applied to the wound; 
and at the same time a little of the juice is to be taken internally. 
It is very highly extolled for the treatment of small-pox. For facili¬ 
tating child-birth it is almost equal 
same effects. 

In nervous rheumatism there is, perhaps, no remedy more 
prompt in its action than black cohosh. Its eliminating tendencies 
make it an admirable remedy for scarlet fever and measles. The 
tincture should be made from the fresh root, or that which has 
recently been dried, two ounces to a half-pint of alcohol ( 96 °). The 
dose is from five to fifteen drops, four times a day. 

Description —The root is black, with a large head, and many 
long fibres; stem from three to six feet high, terminating in a spike 
of white blossoms, which appear in June and July. It is found in 
rich, open woods, particularly on rich liill-sides and adjoining fields. 

Macrotin —This is the concentrated active principle, and 
made from the root of this article. For the measles, scarlet fever 
and small-pox, it is one of the best preparations known to keep the 
eruption to the surface, and also to determine or cause it to come to 
the surface of the skin. Dose, from one-half to one grain, two or 
three times a day. 


to the blue cohosh, having the 


BLESSED THISTLE, Holy Thistle (Centaurea 

Benedicta). 

Part used —The leaves. 

It is valuable to strengthen the digestive organs in dyspepia and 
intermittent fevers. Dose, of the infusion, half a teacupful, three 
times a dav It should be taken cold. 

•j 



BLACK BIRCH. 


623 


Dr. Liedbeck reports cases of the enlargement of the liver, and 
also of gall-stones in jaundice, cured with this plant. Dose, of 
the saturated tincture, from ten to fifteen drops, three times a day. 
Grows in gardens. 


BLACK BIRCH, Sweet Birch, Spice Birch 

(j Betula Lenta). 

Part used —The bark. 

This is an excellent tonic, and made into a sirup or tea, is one 
of the most valuable remedies there is in restoring the strength and 
tone of the bowels after dysentery. It should be drunk freely four 
or live times a day. It will also remove female obstructions. 


BLACK ALDER, WINTER BERRY (Prinos 

. Verticillatus). 

Parts used —Bark of the root and stalk. 

The decoction has been successfully used in jaundice, liver- 
complaint and intermittent fever, taken in wine,glassful doses, three 
times a day. A decoction of black alder, made into a poultice with 
powdered elm bark, is among the best preparations in use for foul 
ulcers and sores. It is combined with sarsaparilla, burdock or sas¬ 
safras, to form an alterative sirup. An infusion of the bark of the 
root of black alder and golden seal is a superior remedy in dyspep¬ 
sia. Of this infusion, take four ounces of the former and one of 
the lattei-, mix, take a wineglassful cold before each meal, and one 
on going to bed at night. 

Description— It is a small shrub, of a crooked shape, grow¬ 
ing usually live or six feet high, with a bluish-gray colored bark. 
It has small white flowers during the month of July, followed with 
small red berries about the size of a pea in the fall and winter. 
It is found by the sides of marshy streams, ponds, in swamps 
and marshy woods. 


BLOOD ROOT, Red Puccoon, (,Sanguinaria Canadensis). 

Part used —The root. 

The powdered root is a sovereign remedy for croup. An infu¬ 
sion of the fresh root is used with great success in curing tetter, 
warts and ringworm. The powder will remove proud flesh.. When 
used as a snuff, it has removed polypus of the nose. It is said to be 
valuable in coughs, colds and disease of the lungs, and consump- 






624 


BLUE FLAG. 


tion in its incipient stages. It is successfully used in diseases of the 
liver, combined with equal parts of dandelion and mandrake. It is 
a curative agent in scrofula, and in all cases of impure conditions of 
the blood. It is also useful in the first stages of pneumonia or lung- 
fever and in jaundice. Dose of the tincture, from twenty drops to a 
teaspoonful, three times a day; of the powder, three to five grains; 
as an alterative, one to two grains, twice a day. It is an excellent 
snuff, in case of headache and cold in the head. The tincture has 
been used with success in dyspepsia and dropsy of the chest. The 
fluid extract has been used with benefit as an injection in vaginal 
leucorrhea. For tetter, warts, etc., a strong decoction should be 
used externally, while using the same internally. The herb is nar¬ 
cotic, and should never be taken in large doses. 

Description —It is a perennial plant, and early in the spring 
rises but a few inches high, with several smooth stems coming up 
together, and a large smooth leaf, with one white flower to each 
stem. The root is bulbous, as thick as the little finger, and usually 
three or four inches long, red and full of juice of the same color. 


BLUE FLAG {Iris Versicolor). 

Part used —The root. 

It is employed in syphilis, scrofula, dropsy of the chest, 
chronic rheumatism, liver-complaint, diseases of the spleen, dis¬ 
eases of the kidneys and dyspepsia. It is a very good vermifuge 
and is now regarded by some practitioners as one of the most posi¬ 
tive remedies in secondary syphilis. It is a valuable remedy in all 
diseases of the blood. Internal and external application has been 
known to cure bad cases of hip disease. The tincture should be 
made of the fresh root bruised, four ounces to half a pint of 
alcohol (76°). Dose of the tincture, from fifteen to thirty drops; 
of the extract, one to four grains, three times a day. 

Description —The Blue Flag is a perennial plant, growing 
in wet lands and meadows and along the edges of creeks, having 
blue and whitish flowers. 


BLUE COHOSH, {Caulophyllum Thalictroides). 

Part used —The root. 

This herb is especially valuable in epileptic fits and ulceration 
of the mouth and throat. In the latter it may be used alone or in 
combination with golden seal. It is of especial service for render¬ 
ing child-birth less painful and tedious. It imparts tone and vigor 
to the womb. A tea of it should be drunk for the last three or 
four weeks of pregnancy, when it has been found in many cases to 
almost entirely relieve the patient of pain in child-birth. A 




BLUE GUM. 


625 


decoction is also used for colic, cramps, hysterics and rheumatism. 
The dose of the decoction is from half to two-thirds of a teacupful 
three times a day; of the tincture half to a teaspoonful. 

Description —This is a perennial plant, growing in low, 
moist, rich land, attaining a height of two or three feet. It is 
divided at the top in two or three branches, each branch supporting 
three leaves, in the center of which come out the flowers, which are 
small and of a yellowish green color. 


BLUE GUM, Health-Tree ( Eucalyptus Globulus). 

It is a new remedy, and has proved to be an important acquisi¬ 
tion to the materia medica. Among the diseases in which it is 
employed are croup, diphtheria, bronchitis, asthma, piles, neuralgia, 
malarial diseases, catarrh, in sub-acute or chronic inflammation of 
the genito-urinary organs, ulcers and sores. It has proved an 
effectual remedy in some cases of rheumatism. In the section of 
country where it grows it is a popular remedy with the inhabitants 
for chills and bilious fever. The mode of using it in asthma is 
to smoke the leaves after being dried. For the piles, the parts are 
washed with a decoction of the leaves. Dose, of the tea of the 
leaves, from one-half to one teacupful three times a day. A favorite 
preparation is the fluid extract. Dose, from thirty drops to a tea¬ 
spoonful, three times a day; of the solid extract, from three to ten 
grains; of the sugar-coated pills, from one to four, three times a 
day. In reference to the eucalyptus, Dr. A. B. Woodward observes, 
“ As a local application for ulcers and wounds, it has no equal, and 
for suspicious leucorrheal discharges, it is one of the best articles; 
say one to two drachms in one-half pint of tepid water, injecting it 
slowly; and for toning up weakened and prolapsed uteri, there is no 
better remedy than eucalyptus—equal parts of fluid extract euca¬ 
lyptus and spice-bush leaves and bark, used in the strength above 
mentioned. ” 

This tree possesses, in a great measure, the power of destroying 
miasmatic influence in fever-stricken districts. Medical journals 
give account of pestilential fevers being entirely abated in different 
parts of Europe by the cultivation of groves of these trees. 


BLUE LOBELIA ( Lobelia Cardinalis). 

Part used —The root. 

This herb is most valuable as a remedy in the treatment of 
diarrhea and dysentery. The dose is from a half to a teaspoonful 
of the pulverized root, taken in water and repeated if necessary. 
This is said by some who have used it to be a certain remedy in the 
above complaints. Some western physicians report it as a decided 
success in the cure of dropsy. It is used as a cough mixture taken 

40 




626 


BOLDO-LEAVES. 


in sirup or honey, and physicians give it a high reputation for the 
cure of cancer of the breast. The patient should take four table¬ 
spoonfuls of the decoction, three times a day and the cancer should 
be poulticed with the powdered root wet with this decoction. It 
should be made warm and used as the wash in changing and renew¬ 
ing the poultices. In all ulcers and wounds which have a tendency 
to terminate in gangrene and mortification the application of this 
plant in decoction is one of the foremost remedies. 

Description —The roots are white, fibrous, and ten inches 
long; stem erect, hairy towards the top; from one to three feet 
high, terminating in a spike of large, pale-blue blossoms; leaves 
large, finely indented on the edge, with unequal teeth. 

It is found growing generally in wet or moist lands. 


BOLDO-LEAVES (.Penmus Boldo). 

The new South American tonic. In France this remedy has 
been especially employed in cases where there had existed chronic 
torpor of the liver, and in cases of atony of various organs, where 
quinine could not be tolerated. Dr. Baremba recommends boldo 
in gonorrhea, rheumatism and dyspepsia. Dose, of the fluid 
extract, one to five drops, to be increased. 


BONESET, Thorough wort, Feverwort, Indian Sage, 
Ague-Weed, (j Eupatorium Perfoliatum). 

Parts used —Top and leaves. 

For bilious colic, especially when it is attended with obstinate 
constipation, it is usually a speedy and reliable remedy. Give a 
teacupful of the cold infusion every half hour, until it acts on the 
bowels. It is said to be a valuable antidote for the bite of snakes; 
and a tea of it, taken freely, will relieve colds and rheumatism in 
its first stage. It is very efficacious in fevers, remittent, intermit¬ 
tent and typhoid, and is perhaps more effective and valuable in 
fever and ague than in any other. It has been used with success in 
dyspepsia and general debility. In domestic medicine Boneset 
ranks above all other indigenous growths, possessing such a variety 
of merit that it should be constantly kept in every family. Dose of 
the infusion, from one-fourth to a teacupful three times a day; of 
the extract, two to four grains, in which form it is more pleasant 
to take. If taken warm, in large doses, it will produce vomiting; 
in small doses, perspiration; taken cold, in large doses, it acts as a 
mild purgative, and in small doses, as a tonic. 

Description —Boneset grows very plentifully in all parts of 
the United States, in low, moist and damp lands; growing from two 




BORAGE. 


627 


to five feet high. The leaves are so formed as to give the stem the 
appearance of penetrating them through the center and standing 
out crosswise. When in bloom, it has a large, bushy top of white 
flowers. 


BORAGE {Borago Officinalis). 

Parts used —The leaves and flowers. 

It is employed as a blood-purifier and in putrid and malignant 
fevers. It is used as a gargle for canker-sore mouth and inflamed 
tonsils and throat. Decoction of the flowers or leaves or both may 
be used, and drunk freely. 

Description —It commonly grows in old fields and waste 
lands, bearing very beautiful blue flowers, and is often cultivated in 
gardens. 


BORAX {Sodce Boras). 

Two parts of borax and one of cream of tartar, for some forms 
of gravel, is one of the best remedies known. They should be pul¬ 
verized and two # ounces of the former, and one of the latter added to 
one and a half pints of soft water. Dose, two tablespoonfuls, four 
or five times a day. Its use must be avoided during pregnancy. 


BROMIDE OF AMMONIUM. 

Prof. Goss says, “ This article seems to exert a very kindly 
influence upon certain disorders of the nerve-centers. In that 
peculiar, irritable condition of the brain, originating from over¬ 
work, in which the patient cannot sleep, this is the remedy jpar 
excellence. It will be found efficient, also, in asthma. It acts 
promptly in early stages of epilepsy and convulsions of children. 
It is frequently prescribed by physicians in any form of nervous 
excitation from whatever cause and its happy quieting effects are 
marvelous. Dose, from five to twenty grains. 


BUCHU {Diosma Crenata). 

Part used —The leaves. 

In inflammation of the bladder, kidneys or urethra, or irrita¬ 
tion of these organs, it is a very useful remedy. It prevents the 
tendency to formation of stone in the bladder. It is used in the 
treatment of catarrh of the- bladder and in dropsy. It possesses the 
peculiar power of removing from the cavities superfluous fluid, 






628 


BUGLEWEED. 


which makes it useful in all forms of dropsy. Prof. Wilson says, 
u I have frequently used the tincture, or fluid extract, in chronic 
gonorrhea and gleet with most prompt success.” Its chief excel¬ 
lence is in its curative effects upon the genito-urinary organs. Its 
medicinal merit places it above praise. Dose of the fluid extract, 
ten to twelve drops, every four hours; of the powder, ten 
to fifteen grains, three times a day; of the infusion, half a tea¬ 
cupful. 

Found in drug stores only. 


BUGLEWEED, Water Bugle, Water Hoar hound, 
Sweet Bugle (Lycojpus Virginicus). 

Parts used —The leaves and stems. 

It has been successfully used in checking hemorrhages both 
from the lungs and stomach and has the reputation of curing con¬ 
sumption in its first stages. It is employed in diabetes or excess¬ 
ive discharge of urine and has cured this complaint when other 
means failed. It is also used in diseases of the heart, chronic diar¬ 
rhea and dysentery. Dose of the infusion, one-fourth to a half a 
teaspoonful three times a day; of the powderedlea^s, from one to 
two teaspoonfuls. 

Description —When fresh, it has a smell somewhat like tur¬ 
pentine, and a slightly bitter and disagreeable taste, and is of com¬ 
mon growth near water-courses, swamps, etc. 


BUCKTHORN (Rhamnus Catharticus). 

Parts used —The bark and the berries. 

The berries are an active cathartic, rather severe, and not 
much used for that purpose. The strong tincture of the bark is a 
valuable alterative in scrofula, syphilitic affections and skin dis¬ 
eases. Dose, twenty drops, three times a day; of the fluid extract, 
from five to ten drops. 

Naturalized in America and sometimes found cultivated. 
Procured at drug stores. 


BUCKTHORN-BRAKE (Osmunda Regalis). 

Part used —The root. 

It is mucilaginous and tonic. The mucilage mixed with 
brandy is a very common and usually successful remedy for sprains 
and weak back; to be applied externally, three times a day. It is 
said to be almost a certain cure for the rickets, prepared as follows: 





BURDOCK. 


629 


Place two or three roots in a quart of hot water and infuse for half 
an hour, when it will become a thick mucilage or jelly, and of this 
give a wineglassful four times a day. It is also valuable in leucor- 
rliea. It is very good in coughs and diarrhea. 

This herb grows in moist lands and is rather a beautiful fern, 
and should be gathered in the latter part of the summer. 


BURDOCK (. Arctium Lappa). 

Parts used —The root and seeds. 

An infusion of the seeds or of the roots of burdock, drank 
freely, is an excellent remedy for boils, stys and felons. It has been 
very effective in curing scurvy, scrofula, early stages of syphilis 
and diseases of the kidneys. A pint of the infusion may be drunk 
in the course of twenty-four hours. The pulverized seeds, taken 
in doses of two teaspoonfuls, three time a day, have cured dyspep¬ 
sia. It is valuable in rheumatism, dropsy and all diseases of the 
skin and blood. The leaves will be found very useful in fevers, by 
bruising and applying to the forehead and bottoms of the feet. 
The seeds are a very valuable blood purifier, either when used alone 
or combined with sarsaparilla, in equal parts. This plant is used 
with good success in curing all forms of tetter, but especially dry 
tetter. Dose, of the tincture, from thirty to sixty drops, four 
times a day. 

Description —Its height is from two to three feet, with 

very large leaves and purple flowers; having burs which stick to 

clothing when it comes in contact with them. 

© 


BURGUNDY-PITCH. 

This is the concrete juice, hardened and purified, of the Nor¬ 
way pine. A pure article is difficult to obtain. It is an excellent 
application for the whooping-cough, applied in the form of a plas¬ 
ter over the chest and stomach. For rheumatic swellings and weak 
back, it is highly useful as a plaster, which should be spread on a 
large piece of soft leather and worn as long as it will stick. This 
plaster is often used with great advantage for pains in the chest. 

Found in drug-stores. 


BUSH-HONEYSUCKLE (Diervilla Trifida). 

Parts used— The root, leaves and twigs. 

They have been employed with benefit in inflammation of the 
bladder with gravelly deposits in the urine, disease of the kidneys 





630 


BUTTERNUT. 


and gonorrhea. The root has been recommended in syphilis, in the 
form of a decoction. The cold infusion may be drunk freely. 

It grows in almost all parts of the country. 


BUTTERNUT (Juglans Cinerea). 

Parts used —Bark, bark of the root and leaves. 

Some medical authors say it is the best cathartic that can he 
employed for dysentery, diarrhea and worms, leaving the bowels 
in better condition than almost any other medicine. It is usually 
employed by adding water to a quantity of the bark and boiling it 
down until it is reduced to a thick, soft extract and then made into 
pills by mixing, if necessary, a little wheat-flour with it in order to 
render it of the proper consistence to be made into pills. 

Dose as a cathartic, three or four ordinary sized pills; as a lax¬ 
ative in costiveness, one or two pills twice a day. As a cathartic it 
is somewhat harsh and drastic, though effective, and should not be 

used by delicate invalids. 

& 

A sirup made by boiling the bark and sweetening to the taste may 
be used; dose, two or three tablespoonfuls every hour, until it oper¬ 
ates on the bowels. 

For tetter and other chronic skin-diseases it is reputed an effect¬ 
ual cure. The tincture is to be applied externally, at the time of 
taking it internally. 

When the fluid extract is used, the dose is thirty drops. The 
use of large doses of this medicine should not be persisted in, as it 
is liable to produce inflammation. 

Juglandin —This is the active principle of the butternut. It 
is one of the most certain and efficient cathartics, but giving it in 
over-doses it is liable to produce griping. 

It is a mild and certain remedy in consumption, when combined 
with Apocynum (Bitter Root). This combination has proven an 
effectual remedy for expefling the thread or pin-worm. The dose is 
one-fourth to one-half a grain. 

The tree grows in nearly all parts of the United States. 


BUTTON-BUSH (Cephalanthus Occidentalis). 

Part used —The bark. 

This is very useful in coughs, colds and diseases of the throat 
and lungs generally. Dose of the fluid extract, twenty to forty 
drops; of the infusion, one-fourth of a teacupful three times a day. 




BUTTON-SNAKE ROOT. 


631 


BUTTON-SNAKE ROOT, Backache Root, Devil’s Bit, 

Gray Feather (.Liatris Spicata). 

Part used —The root. 

It forms an excellent gargle in sore throat, and is valuable in 
affections of the kidneys and pain in the back. It is to be used freely 
in decoction, and is good in gleet and chronic leucorrhea. The dose 
of the decoction is half a teacupful three times a day. In some 
parts of the country it is considered a sovereign remedy for snake¬ 
bite, in which case the fresh root is bruised, moistened with water 
and applied to the wound, while the patient drinks freely of a 
strong decoction. 

Description —Stem straight; height, from three to four 
feet; near the top there are buttons or flower-heads, half an inch or 
more in diameter, to which are attached the flowers, which are 
small, of bright purple or bluish-red color. 

It is found on open lands and prairie countries. 


CALIFORNIA LAUREL (Umbellaria Cerifera ). 

Part employed —The root. 

Fluid extract of the leaves, in doses of f rom ten to thirty drops, 
is highly recommended in nervous headaches, cerebro-spinal menin¬ 
gitis, neuralgia, rheumatism, atonic diarrhea, and bilious head¬ 
aches. 

Found in California; also in the drug stores. 


CAMPHOR (Camphora). 

It is used to allay nervous excitement and to induce sleep in 
wakefulness and often in disease. In many cases it will cure head¬ 
ache, by taking a piece the size of a pea every half-hour. Its 
vapor will sometimes arrest the headache and will relieve faintness. 
It is of much utility in spasms, neuralgia, gout, rheumatism, 
typhoid fever and in all diseases of debility. The tincture is invalu¬ 
able for external uses such as pains, soreness of the flesh, sprains, 
chilblains, bruises, etc. It is made by adding one ounce of the 
gum to one pint of spirits. The spirits of camphor will check 
cholera in its first stages, when taken in drop-doses every five, ten 
or twenty minutes, according to the severity of the symptoms. 
Dose of the powder, from one to ten grains. 


CANCER-ROOT (Orobanche Virginiana). 

Part used —The wdiole plant. 

This plant has proved an effective remedy for diarrhea, dysen¬ 
tery, and bleeding of the lungs and nose. Dose of the fluid extract, 
from ten to thirty drops, three times a day. 





632 


CARDAMOM-SEED. 


CARDAMOM-SEEDS (Elettaria Cardamomum). 

They are chiefly used for wind-colic, either in infusion or tinc¬ 
ture. They are also used with other medicines to render them more 
agreeable to the taste, and frequently chewed to destroy bad breath. 
Dose of the powdered seeds, from a fourth to one-half a teaspoonful. 
The oil is more commonly used, the dose of which is from two to six 
drops. It tends to promote the process of digestion. 

Found only in drug stores. 


CARNAUBA (Corypha Ceriferd). 

Part employed —The root. 

Used as an alterative. Dose of fluid extract of the root, 
one-half to two teaspoonfuls. Is a more pronounced alterative than 
sarsaparilla and stillingia, and may be substituted for them with 
advantage. 

Found at the drug stores. 


CAROBA (Jacaranda Procerd). 

Part used —The leaves. 

An alterative, diuretic-sudorific and tonic, of value in the treat¬ 
ment of syphilis in all its forms. In cases distinguished by pain 
in the limbs may be combined with iodide of potassium with good 
effects. Dose of fluid extract of the leaves, fifteen drops to a tea¬ 
spoonful. 

Found only at the drug stores; imported by Parke, Davis & 
Co., Detroit. 


CASTOR-OIL (Oleum Ricini). 

In consequence of the mildness of its action, this oil is regarded 
as a good cathartic for delicate persons. For those who are 
troubled with piles, rupture, inflammation of the bowels, chronic 
dysentery, it is better than active purgatives, for they are injurious 
in such cases. There is no better domestic cathartic in common 
use or known in the entire list than castor oil, except where contra¬ 
indicated, as for dyspeptics for whom it is oppressive to the diges¬ 
tive powers.. It should not be given to little children who have 
weak digestive organs. Dose for an adult, from one to two table¬ 
spoonfuls. (See Table of Doses for Children). 

This oil is made from the seeds of the castor bean; a native of 
India, but extensively cultivated in the United States. 






carpenter’s square. 


633 


CARPENTER’S SQUARE, Figwort, Square-Stalk 

(Scrophularia Nodosa). 

Part used —The root. 

The root is used in scrofula, liver affections, dropsy, obstructed 
menses and in restoring the lochial discharge when it has too sud¬ 
denly ceased, taken in the form of a tea or infusion, three times a 
day. The leaves, either fresh and bruised, or if dry softened with 
warm water, are very superior application for wounds, bruises and 
old sores. It makes an excellent healing salve, stewed in lard, with 
a small portion of beeswax added. 

Description —This is a common plant and grows from four to 
five feet high. It has an erect square stalk, with branches coming 
out at the joints. The flowers are of a greenish-purple color. 


CATNIP (.Nepeta Cataria). 

Parts used —Leaves and stems. 

A tea of this plant is a very valuable drink in fevers, to pro¬ 
duce perspiration and induce sleep. It has proved efficacious in 
nervous headache, painful and suppressed menstruation, and will 
generally relieve children of wind or flatulent colic. Equal parts 
of warm catnip-tea and saffron are excellent in scarlet fever and 
small-pox; also, in colds and hysterics. It will relieve painful 
swellings when applied in the form of a poultice or fomentation. 
The tea may be drunk freely, but if taken in very large doses when 
warm, it frequently acts as an emetic. The better way to use it for 
suppressed menstruation, is to express the juice of the green herb, 
and take it in tablespoonful doses, three times a day. 

Found in all parts of the country. 


CASCARA AMARGA {Picramnia Antidesma). 

Part employed —The bark. 

Of great value in the treatment of constitutional syphilis, and 
has been employed with most satisfactory results in cases that have 
resisted all the ordinary remedies. It may be used with advantage 
in combination with the usual mercurial treatment. It should be 
given in teaspoonful doses three times a day for at least a month, in 
obstinate cases, if it does not sooner effect a cure. Dose of fluid 
extract, one-lialf to one teaspoonful; of powdered extract, five to 
ten grains. 

Found only in drug stores; supplied by Parke, Davis & Co., 
Detroit, Mich. 




634 


(JEDRON-SEED. 


CEDRON-SEED (>Simaruba Cedron). 

This is used in bilious fever, ague, dyspepsia, and all derange¬ 
ments of the digestive organs. Dose of the fluid extract, one to 
eight drops, three or four times daily; of the tincture, the same. 


CASCARA SAGRADA, Cliittim Bark, (Rhamnus 

Purshiana). 

Cascara has become thoroughly established as a sovereign rem¬ 
edy for habitual constipation, dyspepsia, indigestion and hemor¬ 
rhoids, and is regarded as one of the most valuable of recent addi¬ 
tions to our materia medica. In speaking of it, C. G. Polk, M. D., 
Philadelphia, says: “Thus far the accumulated testimony goes a 
long way in demonstrating its efficacy in obstinate and habitual con¬ 
stipation. No agent heretofore employed has ever given the high 
degree of satisfaction that has been accorded to this one.” The 
same meed of praise is likewise given for its curative effects in 
dyspepsia. Dr. C. S. Wright says: “ Of cascara sagrada my opinion 
is that it is the best remedy I ever used for constipation. 1 have 
used it in about one hundred cases of constipation, with invariably 
good results. What I wish to note particularly is in the constipation 
attendant upon cancer of the stomach. I have prescribed for two of 
these cases. One of them has been under my observation nearly a 
year, and the cascara acts like a charm in relieving the bowels.” 

Dose of the fluid extract, from ten to thirty drops, three times 
a day. 

Cascara Cordial, prepared by Parke, Davis & Co., and sold at 
drug stores, is a most excellent preparation of this remedy, and more 
pleasant to the taste than the ordinary extract. 


CHAMOMILE (Anthemis Pobilis). 

Part used —The flowers. 

The cold infusion is a good bitter tonic, and taken two or three 
times a day is valuable in dyspepsia and in all debilitated conditions 
of the stomach, and useful in female weakness. The herb, bruised 
and moistened with vinegar, is an excellent application for sprains 
and bruises. 

Dose of the tea, from two to three tablespoonfuls, two or three 
times a day. The oil of this plant is a good remedy in cramp of 
the stomach, colic and hysterics. Dose, from ten to fifteen drops, 
twice a day. 

Grows commonly in gardens. 




CHAULMOOGRA OIL. 


635 


CHAULMOOGRA OIL {Semen Gynocardice). 

This oil is prepared from the seeds of gynocordia odorata, and 
is administered in doses of ten to thirty drops, gradually increased 
according to toleration. It is an Asiatic remedy which has been 
tested during the past three years in England and America, demon¬ 
strating its alterative tonic properties in cases of consumption, and 
its value in scrofula. Its most prominent effects have been observed 
in its employment in leprosy, psoriasis, eczema and allied skin affec¬ 
tions. It is pronounced by all odds the most successful agent yet 
employed in leprosy, for which it is given internally as well as 
applied locally. 

Procured from Parke, Davis & Co., Detroit, Mich. 


CAYENNE PEPPER, Capsicum, Red Pepper 

{Capsicum Annuwrn). 

This is an important remedy in the cholera; when combined 
with equal parts of salt, say one-lialf ounce of each to one pint of 
good vinegar, given in tablespoonful doses, it will stop vomiting, in 
both cholera and cholera-morbus. 

The u Cayenne gargle ” is used with admirable success in 
scarlet fever. Dr. Stephens says that he employed it in nearly four 
hundred cases with surprising success. He asserts Unit the ulcers in 
the rrioutl; soon began to heal and the vital powers assume a more 
healthy condition. It is to be prepared in the following manner: 
u Two teaspoonfuls of common Cayenne pepper, and two teaspoon¬ 
fuls of fine salt; mix them together; pour upon them one-half pint 
of boiling water; strain, and add one-lialf pint of good vinegar; 
when cold, give from half to a tablespoonful to a grown person, 
every hour, and gargle the throat frequently with it. See “ Table 
of Doses for Children.” 

The cold infusion is very useful in colds, catarrh and hoarse¬ 
ness and is the best remedy known for catarrh of the stomach. 

Dr. Howard says he has found it to be effective in removing 
female obstructions. 

It is employed in fevers, inflammations, piles and liver-com¬ 
plaint. 

The tincture or infusion will be found efficacious as a gargle in 
chronic quinsy. It is often employed to very great advantage 
sprinkled on foul ulcers, or steeped in vinegar to bathe parts affected 
with rheumatic pains, as well as all inflamed parts. A weak tea is 
a very superior wash for sore eyes, applied four or five times a day. 
When it is desired to produce perspiration, this is one among the 
best of agents. The warm tea should be given to the patient on 
retiring at night. Mixed with spirits of turpentine, and applied to 
kernels or tumors, it will disperse them. A weak infusion is also 





\ 


636 CENTAURY. 

valuable in aiding digestion in persons having dyspeptic stomachs. 

For colds, it may be used in the form of a tea, or a teaspoonful 
of Cayenne mixed with molasses, taken in broken doses, during a 
period of four to five hours. An ordinary dose of the tincture is 
half a teaspoonful; of the powder, five to six grains. 

Of both foreign and native growth. 


CENTAURY, Rose Pink, American Centaury ( Chironia 

Angularis). 

Parts used —Leaves and flowers. 

It is very effectual in preventing fevers if taken daily in the 
form of bitters. A decoction of the leaves will expel worms. 
Dose, one or two tablespoonfuls, according to age, two or three 
times a day; repeat for several days. Centaury is tonic and restor¬ 
ative, and is esteemed very highly as a bitter tonic for strengthen¬ 
ing the stomach and promoting digestion. 

Description —Height, from one to two feet. The flowers 
are of a beautiful rose-color, an inch or more in diameter and some¬ 
what in the shape of a pink-blossom. Commonly found in meadows, 
moist lands and fields. 


CHARCOAL {Carlo). 

In many cases of headache, two teaspoonfuls of pulverized 
charcoal, in half a teacupful of milk, will effectually relieve the 
patient in a very short period of time, more especially when there is 
acidity of the stomach. And in cases of costiveness many persons 
are cured by taking a tablespoonful three times a day. It is of 
great utility in arresting mortification of the bowels, taken in large 
doses. It is serviceable in bleeding from the stomach, in intermittent 
fever, dyspepsia and dysentery. It will usually regulate foul breath. 
Dose, from one to three teaspoonfuls, three times a day. In urgent 
cases it may be used every two or three hours. In nausea and vom¬ 
iting attending pregnancy, half to a teaspoonful, once or twice a 
day, will afford much relief. It is used with good effect in old 
sores, where there is an acrid and offensive discharge, mixed with 
flaxseed meal. It is also sprinkled over sloughing ulcers, to pro¬ 
mote separation of the decayed parts. Mixed with corn-meal and 
wet with a strong ooze of oak-bark, it is a good application to parts 
in a state of gangrene or mortification. Charcoal, prepared from 
the young shoots of willow, is preferable for most medical purposes. 
This preparation can now be found in all drug stores. 




CINNAMON. 


637 


CINNAMON ( Laurus Cinnamomum). 

Part used —The bark. 

For hemorrhages from the womb the tincture of the bark 
can as a general rule be relied on, given in teaspoonful doses about 
every ten minutes. The oil is used in toothache. Moisten lint 
with the oil and insert into the cavity of the tooth. Colicky pains 
of children are usually relieved by rubbing along the spine a heated 
mixture of one part of the oil with four parts of olive-oil. A tea of 
cinnamon will generally relieve ordinary colic and cramps or pain 
in the stomach. It is also excellent for checking vomiting and 
sickness of the stomach. Being an important astringent, it is an 
admirable remedy in all bowel-complaints, as dysentery, diarrhea, 
cholera-inf an turn, etc., either alone or in combination with cloves, 
allspice or blackberry-root. Dose of the tea, two or three table¬ 
spoonfuls; of the tincture, from one to five drops. 


CHEESE-WEED, MALLOW (. Malm ). 

Parts used —The plant and the roots. 

A decoction of the roots and tops of this plant, taken freely 
three times a day, is a very prompt and etfectual remedy for the 
cure of water-brash and also in fevers. In acute forms the decoc¬ 
tion should be drunk every three or four hours and at the same 
time bind the herb as a fomentation on the bottoms of the feet and 
palms of the hands. The Spanish people assert that they can 
“ break up ” almost any case of fever with it. This is a remedy 
among them for the cure of venereal diseases. The tea is to be 
drunk freely, four or live times a day. It is an excellent remedy 
for healing purposes. The better mode of preparing it for this 
purpose is to make a salve, by stewing it with fresh lard. 

It is found in all parts of the country, growing in the 
greatest abundance. 


CHEKAN, AROYAN. 

Part used— The leaves.. 

A Chilian product, the fluid extract of the leaves of which have 
been introduced as a remedy in catarrhal inflammation of the 
respiratory mucous lining. Dr. Murrell, of London, especially 
commends it in winter cough, that annoying and intractable affecta¬ 
tion of elderly people. Its value as an addition to the list of 
remedies for chronic bronchitis, has been established. Dose of the 
fluid extract, one to three teaspoonfuls. If not found at the drug 
store, may be procured from Parke, Davis & Co., Detroit, Mich. 




638 


CHEWSTICK 


t 


CHEWSTICK ( Gouinia Domingensis). 

Part employed —The bark. 

The fluid extract of the bark, in doses of from one to three 
teaspoonfuls is a light and grateful aromatic, bitter tonic, useful in 
cases of debility and as a stomachic in feeble digestion. Used as 
a gargle it is at once astringent and soothing in its effect. Diluted 
in water, it may be employed as a mouth-wash in cases of saliva¬ 
tion, or other diseases of the gums, or as a dentifrice imparting 
tone to the gums. 

Found at the drug stores. 


CHINESE TEA ( Camellia Thea .) 

Fluid extract of the leaves of good common tea, through the 
caffeine it contains is a sustaining and restorative agent, decidedly 
astringent, and in China is employed mixed with vinegar as a remedy 
for diarrhea. It is valuable in nervous diseases and exerts a remark¬ 
able influence as a restorative in all conditions of fatigue and 
exhaustion. It is one of the best antidotes in cases of opium 
poisoning. Diluted with water, it may be employed as an astring¬ 
ent gargle or wash. 

Found in drug stores. 


CHRISTMAS-ROSE, Black Itellebore (. Ilelleborus Niger). 

Part used —The root. 

This plant is chiefly used in the various forms of dropsy, 
especially dropsy of the brain, in the cure of which it is a justly 
celebrated remedy. Dose, of the fluid extract, three to five drops; 
of the essential tincture, five to ten drops, three times a day. 

Description —This plant flowers from December until 
March, hence its name, “Christmas Hose.” It is an elegant plant, 
with large, concave flowers, white with a tinge of blush color which 
are finely contrasted with the ample, dark, shining foliage. The 
roots are perennial, creeping, very black externally, with numerous 
long, simple, perpendicular fibres. From this root we obtain a 
brownish, straw-yellow tincture. It grows on rocky and woody 
mountains and is cultivated in gardens as an ornamental plant. 


COCKLEBUR (Xanthium Strumarium). 

Fluid extract of the leaves, dose from one to two teaspoonfuls, 
is held in high repute as a domestic remedy for bites of poisonous 
insects and snakes, given freely internally and applied locally to the 
wound. It is an active styptic and is used internally in hemorrhagic 
diathesis. In epistaxis ajid post partum hemorrhage it has been 
employed as an injection with prompt relief. 

Found at drug stores. 





COLCHICUM. 


639 


COLCHICUM (Colchicum Autumnaie ). 

Parts used —The roots and seeds. 

In reference to this plant. Dr. I. J. M. Goss, says, “ In gout 
and rheumatism, it is an old and reliable remedy. I now use the 
essential tincture made by adding six ounces of the seeds or the 
conns to one pint of alcohol (76°). Dose, from five to fifteen drops; 
the dose of the fluid extract, five to ten drops.” It is also employed 
in dropsy, palpitation of the heart and diseases of the blood. It 
should be used with caution, for in large doses it is a narcotic 
poison. 

Found only at drug stores. 


CORN SILIv (Stigmata Maidis). 

Part- used —The green pistils. 

The United States Dispensatory, 15th Ed., p. 1506, says: “Atten¬ 
tion has been called by Prof. Castor, of Montpelier, to the diuretic 
properties of the stigmata of the maize. Although testimony to the 
contrary has been given, the evidence is so strong as to demand fur¬ 
ther t^ial. The stigmata or silk should be taken when the corn has 
well shed its pollen. It is said to yield 20 to 30 per cent? of watery 
extract, of which half a drachm or more may be given daily in 
dropsy. Dr. Vauthier affirms that the active principle is inaizemc 
acid , and that the remedy is especially valuable in uric or phosphate 
gravel. 


CLEAVERS, Goosegrass (Galium Aparine). 

Part used —The whole herb. 

There are several species which contain similar medical prop¬ 
erties and are used generally in the form of an infusion. 

It is an excellent and speedy remedy in suppression of the urine 
and gravel. It is made by adding three ounces of the herb to two 
pints of water and letting it stand three or four hours, when it may 
be freely drunk. 

It is regarded as a solvent of stone in the bladder, and a very 
popular remedy in the treatment of gonorrhea. The cold infusion 
will remove freckles when it is drunk two or three times a day, for 
two or three months, and the parts frequently washed with it, and 
has recently been used with decided success in treating children for 
incontinence of urine (wetting the bed). It should be drunk three 
times a day. 

Description —This plant grows from two to four feet high; 
stem square, slender, having many joints; leaves pointed; flowers 
small and white. Grows in the woods and on the roadsides. 




640 


CHIRETTA. 


CHIRETTA ( Gentiana Chirayta). 

Chiretta is recommended in dyspepsia, in the debility of con¬ 
valescence and generalty in cases where corroborative measures are 
indicated. It has been successfully employed in India in the treat¬ 
ment of intermittent and remittent fever. Dose of the fluid extract, 
from fifteen to thirty drops. 

Found only at drug stores. 


COCA LEAVES ( Erythroxylon Coca). 

This is a powerful nerve-excitant, resembling tea and coffee, 
giving great vigor to the muscular system, sustaining the human 
frame under extreme exertion and fatigue. It is of value in cases of 
despondency, debility and broken-down constitutions; also for public 
speakers and young persons affected with timidity in society. Dose, 
of the fluid extract, two to three teaspoonfuls; of the solid extract, 
six to twelve grains; of the sugar-coated pills, two to three. The 
medical properties of this drug are still under investigation, and it 
should only be employed under direction of an experienced physician. 

Found only at drug stores. 


COMFREY {Symphytum). 

Part used —The root. 

The root of this plant, bruised and made into a poultice, is an 
excellent application for bruises, painful swellings and sore breasts. 
It is slightly astringent, and therefore very serviceable in diarrhea 
and dysentery. It is good in bronchitis, coughs, bleeding of the 
lungs and leucorrhea. A sirup made of equal parts of comfrey and 
elecampane-roots is a most valuable remedy for coughs, consumption 
and all affections of the lungs. It may be boiled in water or wine, 
or made into sirup. Dose, from half to a wineglassful, or more, 
three times a day. 

Grows commonly in gardens. 


COLOCYNTH, Bitter Cucumber, Bitter Apple 

(Cucumis Colocynthis) 

Part used —The pulp. 

This is a very harsh medicine and is not much used now, except 
in the form of a compound extract, which may be obtained at drug 
stores. It is employed in congestion of the brain and liver and often 
used as a cathartic, especially in dropsy. Dose, from five to eight 
grains. 

Found only at drug stores. 





CLOVES. 


641 


CLOVES (Eugenia Caryophyllata). 

The oil of cloves is used to cure the toothache; a little of the oil 
may be put on cotton or lint and introduced into the cavity of the 
tooth. Boil for a short time two or three tablespoonfuls of cloves 
in half a pint of sweet milk, and give a tablespoonful of this as hot 
as can be borne every fifteen to twenty minutes and it will very 
promptly cure cholera morbus. It is very useful for checking 
vomiting and for allaying nausea, and will relieve wind colic. It is 
also used to aid digestion. Also employed, with other medicines, to 
prevent griping, or sickness of the stomach. It may be used freely 
in the form of an infusion. Bose of the powder, two or three grains; 
of the oil, one or two drops. 


CORN SMUT (Ustilago Maidis). 

This is used as a substitute for ergot of rye, to increase the 
regularity and power of the pains in child-birth. It gives less pain 
to the mother, less danger to her in its administration, and also less 
danger to the child. It has been pronounced superior to ergot in 
some kinds of hemorrhages, and is also very efficient in spermator¬ 
rhea and some forms of skin-diseases. Bose, ten to twenty drops. 


COLUMBO ROOT, Yellow Gentian, Meadow Pride 
American Columbo (Radix Columbcd). 

Part used —The root. 

It possesses tonic properties and is used in dyspepsia, chronic 
diarrhea and dysentery, convalescence from exhausting diseases and 
muscular debility of children. Prof. Rafinesque says, “ It has cured 
a wide-spread gangrene of the lower limbs, by internal use and 
external application.” For the oppression caused by an overloaded 
stomach, so common with dyspeptics and other weak patients, the 
powered root is an admirable remedy. Bose, a teaspoonful in water. 
Taken with cold water adds to the efficacy and prevents any tendency 
to nausea and vomiting. As a laxative, it is especially valuable for 
children and the costive habits of pregnancy. 

It is often combined with wild cherry, golden seal, or bitter- 
root, for making restorative bitters. 

It may be used in powder in doses of twenty grains to a tea¬ 
spoonful, two or three times a day, and in infusion, in doses of half 
to a wineglassful three times a day, as a tonic and stomachic. 

Description —Root, rough, spindle-shaped and yellow. The 
stem is from five to ten feet high, smooth and with but few branches, 
except near the top, and has numerous yellowish-white flowers. 
Found mostlv in open woods, barrens and meadows. 

41 




642 


CORN SNAKEROOT. 


CORN SNAKEROOT, Rattlesnake’s Master, Bear- 

Grass (Agave Virginica ), 

Part used —The root. 

There are several species of this plant which possess similar 
medical properties. It is most celebrated for its speedy cure of the 
bite of snakes. It was once heralded as the “Great Indian Snake¬ 
bite' ’ remedy. It should be bruised or chewed and applied to the 
wound, and a portion of the juice swallowed at the same time. A 
tea of the root forms an excellent gargle for sore throat. It is em - 
ployed in leucorrhea in the form of an injection. A decoction of 
the plant has effectually cured gonorrhea. Dose of the decoction or 
tea, from one fourth to half a teacupful, three times a day. It is 
also reputed a good remedy in gravel and dropsy. Some physicians 
regard this plant as a positive remedy for influenza or catarrh. Dose 
of the fluid extract, from twenty to thirty drops; of the saturated 
tincture, thirty drops to one teaspoonful. 

Description —It grows about two feet high, bearing on its 
top large balls covered with white bloom. The root is about two 
inches long, and bulbous. 


COLLODION. 

It is usually applied to abrasions of the skin, cuts, wounds, 
sore breasts, “ big neck,” burns, etc., over which it forms a film or 
thin scale, protecting the parts from the action of the atmosphere. 
It is a good application to cure corns. A fine brush should be 
employed for the purpose of applying it, and if the first coating is 
not thick enough, additional layers can be applied as soon as the 
previous one has become dry. AVhen one becomes broken or worn 
off, renewed applications should be made. 

Description —It is a solution of gun-cotton in ether and 
should be kept in well stoppered bottles; otherwise, it will become 
unfit for use. 

Found only in drug stores. 


COLUMBO AFRICAN (Cocculus Palmatus). 

Part used —The root. 

The infusion or tincture of this plant is excellent for weak di¬ 
gestion, dyspepsia and in weak and debilitated conditions of the 
system. It is an important ingredient in restorative bitters. It is 
said to be useful in chronic diarrhea and dysentery, and will usually 
control the vomiting in pregnancy. It is a good tonic in all cases 
when such is needed. Dose of the bitters or infusion, from half 
to a wineglassful twice a day; of the tincture, one teaspoonful; of 
the powder, eight to fifteen grains. 

Found only in drug stores. 





COTO BARK. 643 

COTO BARK. 

Dr. Yon Guk, of Hamburg, says, “This is almost a specific 
for the cure of diarrhea in its various modifications.” It is also re¬ 
commended in dysentery, cholera morbus, colic, gastric catarrh, 
neuralgic toothache, gout and rheumatism. Prof. Gietl, of Mu¬ 
nich, administers it in doses of 0.5 grammes of the fine powder four 
or six times a day. Of the tincture, he usually gives ten drops 
every two hours. In Bolivia, whence the plant was sent, it is re¬ 
garded as a remedy for the cure of rheumatism and gout. Dose of 
the fluid extract, from one to three drops, four to six times a day. 

Found only in drug stores. 


COUCH GRASS ( Triticum Repent). 

Part used —The root. 

This is an efficacious remedy for irritation of the bladder, 
where there is excessive pain and frequency in passing urine. It is 
very extensively used, both in this country and in Europe, for this 
purpose. Dose of the fluid extract, from one to two teaspoonfuls in 
water, three times a day. This remedy is highly recommended by 
Dr. Thompson for lessening the frequency and pain in cases of 
excessive irritation of the bladder from any cause. For this purpose 
great quantities have been consumed in the hospitals of Paris. 

Found in drug stores. 


COTTON-PLANT ( Gossypium ). 

Parts used —The bark of the root and seeds. 

The inner bark of the root is used with excellent effect to re¬ 
store menses when they are suppressed. For this purpose, add a 
quarter of a pound of the bark to one and a half quarts of water 
and reduce by boiling to one pint. This quantity should be taken 
in the course of the day. As a parturient—to facilitate child-birth 
—it may be given in doses of half a wineglassful every half-hour. 
In obstructed menstruation its use should be continued daily until 
the desired effect is produced. A strong decoction of the seed is 
reputed to be an effectual cure for fever and ague. The bark of the 
root tinctured in sweet spirits of nitre is very effectual, both in 
painful and suppressed menstruation. 

This the common cotton of commerce. 


COWHAGE ( Mucuna Pruriens). 

Part used —The hairs of the pods and root. 

An infusion of the pods, ten to the quart of water, is usually 
a certain remedy in dropsy and likewise for worms. For the latter 





644 


COWSLIP, DUNGWORT. 


purpose the pods are dipped into sirup or molasses and the hairs are 
scraped off and kept for use. The dose of this liquid is a table¬ 
spoonful for an adult and a teaspoonful for a child, night and morn¬ 
ing for several days, then followed by a cathartic. It acts like the 
tilings of tin, that are used also to cut up the worms, especially the 
tapeworm. It is convenient to give with the oil of male fern. The 
cowliage may be given for the threadworm. Twelve hours after the 
medicine is taken, a mild purge should be given to carry them off. 

Obtained only in drug stores. 


COWSLIP, DUNGWOKT (Pulmonoria Officinalis). 
Part used —The leaves. 

It is used for bleeding of the lungs and in all lung-affections; 
also in dysentery and diarrhea. The infusion may be drunk freely. 
Found in wet, boggy lands and cultivated in gardens. 


COW-PARSNIP, Wild Angelica, Masterwort ( Uerac - 

leum Lanatum). 

A strong decoction of this plant has often cured epileptic fits 
and nervous fevers. It should be perseveringly used. The seeds 
are very useful in the treatment of dyspepsia and flatulence, or 
wind-colic, used in the form of an infusion. It is also reputed to 
be good in asthma and palsy. The dry root should always be used, 
as the green is said to contain certain poisonous properties. 

Description —Height, from three to four feet; stalk, hollow 
and covered with a sort of down. It bears large bunches of white 
flowers; the leaves are jagged, large and hairy. The root is large, 
spindle-shaped, and has an unpleasant smell when fresh. 

Usually found in moist soils and meadows. 


CRANBERRIES (Vaccinium Macrocarpon). 

Part used —The fruit. 

Cranberries are the best cure in recent erysipelas ever known. 
If applied early this dangerous malady yields at once 

Pound the berries and spread them in a fold of old cotton 
cloth and apply over the entire diseased surface and the inflamma¬ 
tion speedily subsides. Its usefulness is universally acknowledged. 
Grows wild and is cultivated in marshes. 







CRAWLEY. 


645 


CRAWLEY, Coral Root, Dragon’s Claw {C orallorhiza 

Odo). 

Part used —The root. 

It is usually employed in low stages of fevers, as typhoid and 
inflammatory fevers, in doses of twenty to twenty-five grains, and 
repeated every two hours. It promotes perspiration without 
increasing the heat of the system or action of the heart. For 
cramps this plant is perhaps unsurpassed. It is a most excellent 
remedy in the early stages of child-bed fever. Some medical 
authors regard it as unsurpassed for after-pains, when combined 
with blue cohosh, and also for restoring suppressed lochial dis¬ 
charge. 

Description —Resembles the beech-drops; growing from ten 
to twenty inches high; leafless, with coral-like stalks; of a pale yel¬ 
low color, with a covering of a sort of sticky wool and scales, 
answering for leaves. 

Found usually in rich woodlands, and about the roots of trees. 


CROTON OIL (Croton Tiglium). 

In early conditions of consumption, racking pain in the lungs, 
it is one of the best counter-irritants, giving relief and in many 
instances actually effecting a cure. It is often used to produce irri¬ 
tation of the skin, instead of a blister-plaster. A few drops rubbed 
on the affected part will be sufficient to effect such a purpose. One 
drop will act on the bowels very actively and usually in less than an 
hour. It is useful in rheumatic and neuralgic affections, and in 
diseases of the throat, when one part of it combined with four parts 
of olive-oil and applied externally to the affected parts, three or 
four times a day. The dose, internally, is from one to three drops, 
on sugar, and repeated every two or three hours, until it operates. 
It has been employed in coma or stupor, mania, dropsy, and in obsti¬ 
nate obstructions of the bowels, as in cases of severe colic, when all 
other means have failed. It is well adapted to cases in which the 
patient is unable to swallow, as a drop on the tongue will be 
absorbed into the system, and produce the cathartic effect. 


CUCUMBER (Cucumus Sativus). 

Part used —The fruit. 

A salve made of the cucumber will cure vesicular eruptions of 
the face and hands. It is made by taking the grated cucumber and 
expressing the juice; of this take one part to three parts of vaseline, 
heat to perfect liquefaction in a vessel set in boiling water. Then 
pour into a cooler and whip until cold. 

The common garden vegetable. 




646 


CUBEBS. 


CUBEBS {Piper Cubebd). 

Parts used —The berries and the oil. 

They are found useful in catarrh of the bladder, whites, gleet, 
and are highly recommended by some in advanced stages of gonor¬ 
rhea. For this disease a teaspoonful of the powdered cubebs, with the 
same amount of balsam of copaiba, is often employed, gi ven three times 
a day; but the cubebs are usually employed alone, in teaspoonful 
doses. When the oil is used, a dose is from from fifteen to twenty- 
five drops, three times a day; of the tincture, use one teaspoonful. 
Cubebs are also frequently employed in the treatment of colic, kid¬ 
ney-disease and pain in the bowels. They should never be used in 
cases of active inflammation. 

To be had only at drug stores. 


CUTTING ALMOND (Parthenium lntegrifoliurri). 

Part used —The root. 

It is useful in diseases of the kidneys, gravel, scalding of urine 
and affections of the bladder. The root is to be sliced into cold 
water and of this drink about a pint in the course of the day. 

Description —The stem rises from eighteen inches to two 
feet high. They are round, very hard, and of a dark red color. 
Flowers grow at the extremities of the branches and are a kind of a 
white button. The root starts out at first quite small, and finally 
terminates abruptly, as though it had been cut off. This plant is 
common to most of the States. 


DAMIANA {Turnera Ajphrodisiaca). 

This is a Mexican drug, w r ith strong aphrodisiac powers, for 
which is claimed great efficacy in sexual debility, or lethargy of the 
sexual organs, whether the result of abuse or senility. Many cases 
of total or partial impotence have been cured by the use of this 
drug, where the usual remedies have given no relief. As there are 
three varieties of this drug on the market, it is better to ask for 
Parke, Davis & Co’s, preparation, which is of the variety here 
referred to, and a reliable remedy for the above purposes. This 
plant is also employed in nervous diseases in general. Dose, of the 
fluid extract, from fifteen drops to a teaspoonful; of the solid 
extract, three to six grains; of the sugar-coated pills, one or two. 

W. H. Myers, M. D., of Philadelphia, writes, concerning dam- 
iana: “ I have given it quite an extensive trial in my practice, and, 
as a result, I find that in cases of partial impotency or other sexual 
debility, its success is universal. I pronounce it the most effective 
and only remedy that in my hands produces a successful result in 




DANDELION. 


647 


all cases. The only objection to its use is its liability to produce 
disorders of the digestive system, but by combining it with cin¬ 
chona and sherry-wine it partially obviates that tendency. 


DANDELION (Taraxacum Dens Leonis). 

Part used —The root. 

It is employed in cases of dropsy, which are accompanied with 
indigestion, in nervous dyspepsia, and in some forms of constipa¬ 
tion. As a cure for liver complaint it is invaluable; also very use¬ 
ful in chills, diseases of the kidneys, spleen and skin. Dose of the 
decoction, from two to three tablespoonfuls, three times a day; of 
the extract, five to twenty grains. The fresh root, gathered in 
autumn, is the best. 

Description —It has bright-green leaves, flowers of a golden- 
yellow color, on stems about six inches high, and it abounds in a 
milky juice while fresh. 

This plant grows in open lands in all parts of the country. 


DEWBERRY (Eubus Trivialis). 

Part used— The root. 

It is similar in its properties and effects to the root of the com¬ 
mon blackberry, and employed in all bowel complaints, as dysentery, 
diarrhea, cholera-infantum, etc. The infusion may be taken freely. 

Description —This is a small vine, which runs on the ground, 
bearing a sweet, dark-red or black berry, very similar to that of the 
high blackberry. 


DITA BARK (.Alstonia Scholaris). 

Part employed —The bark. 

The fluid extract of the bark is used in India and the Phillipine 
Islands as a valuable anti-periodic and tonic. It has been pro¬ 
nounced a perfect substitute for cinchona bark and quinine, and 
may prove useful in cases of remittent and intermittent fever which 
do not yield to the ordinary remedies. Warner says it has proved 
valuable in chronic diarrhea and in the advanced stages of dysentery. 
It is also prescribed during convalescence from fevers and is no 
doubt a valuable general tonic. Dose of the fluid extract, two to 
eight drops. 

Found at drug stores. 





648 


DWARF-ELDER. 


DWARF-ELDER (.Arabia Hispida). 

Parts used —The bark, root and flowers. 

It is employed in diseases of the urinary organs, such as gravel, 
suppression of the urine, kidney affections and in dropsy. An 
infusion of the bark of the root is the best preparation. Dose, a 
wineglassful three times a day. An extract of the bark mixed with 
vaseline makes one of the best healing salves. 

Description —It is a shrub, growing from one to two feet high, 
along roadsides and on rocky land. The berries hang in bunches, 
and when ripe are round in form and have a black color and an 
unpleasant taste. It is a species of the common elder. 


DITTANY, Mountain-Dittany, Mountain-Mint 

(Cunila Mariana). 

Part used —The whole plant. 

This is a popular remedy in many sections of the country for 
colds, fevers, headaches, hysterics, and in all cases in which it is 
desired to excite perspiration. The warm tea is to be drunk freely. 
The Indians employ it to heal wounds. 

Description —Height, from twelve to eighteen inches. It 
has a slender, smooth stem, of a yellowish or purplish color; 
branches opposite, or nearly so; leaves small, smooth, deep-green 
on the upper and bluish-green on the under surface. 

Usually found among rocks and on dry knobs. 


DOGWOOD (Cornus Florida). 

Parts used —Bark of the tree and of the roots. 

It is a valuable tonic and somewhat astringent. It is an excel¬ 
lent remedy for fever and ague and useful in typhoid and periodical 
fevers. It is regarded as a good substitute for Peruvian bark, from 
which quinine is made and many use it in place of quinine in these 
diseases. Dose of the powdered bark, from half to a teaspoonful; 
of the extract, five to ten grains. 

Description —This is a small tree and usually from fifteen 
to twenty feet high. The flowers have a beautiful, clear-white 
color, presenting a very fine appearance. 


DOG-FENNEL, May Weed (.Anthemis Cotula). 
Parts used —Flowers and tops. 

This is a valuable plant; very useful in colds, asthma, dropsy, 
fevers and rheumatism. Taken warm in small doses it produces 





< 


DOGTOOTH VIOLET. 649 

copious perspiration. Externally this herb combined with hops or 
smart-weed or with both makes a very valuable fomentation, applied 
hot to the abdomen in inflammation of the bowels. A cold infusion 
taken in doses of two wineglassfuls three times a day has often cured 
fever and ague. Those needing a tonic will And this to be a valua¬ 
ble one. When taken in large doses it is emetic. 

This is a common plant in all parts of the country. 


DOGTOOTH VIOLET, Yellow Snowdrop, Rattlesnake 
Violet, Adder Tongue (Erythronium Americanuin). 

Parts used — The leaves and root. 

This plant is unsurpassed for healing scrofulous ulcers. The 
fresh root, or {he root and leaves combined, are to be boiled in 
sweet milk or cream and applied in the form of a poultice; at the 
same time a decoction is to be taken internally. 

Description —This is a small plant, having but two leaves 
(but one the first year), which are smooth, lance-shaped, about five 
inches long and covered with dark purple spots. From between the 
two leaves rises a stem, several inches in length, on which appears a 
single yellow flower. 


EVENING PRIMROSE {(E not her a Biennis). 

This is an efficient remedy as a nervine and sedative, to quiet 
nervous sensibility. Hence it is well adapted to painful and neu¬ 
ralgic affections of the lungs, stomach, heart, liver, bowels and the 
womb; also in whooping-cough, spasmodic asthma, and cough of a 
nervous or spasmodic character. Prof. Davis has employed this 
plant in more than twenty cases of asthma, conjoined with irrita¬ 
bility of the stomach, and reports its use as being very successful. 
Dose, from half to one teaspoonful of the fluid extract every four to 
six hours, or more frequently as the case may seem to require. 


ELECAMPANE {Inula Helenium). 

Part used —The root. 

It is a celebrated remedy for the cure of coughs and incipient 
consumption, and has often been used with good success in the 
treatment of dyspepsia, torpor of the liver, asthma and obstructed 
menstruation. Externally it forms a good application for tetter and 
the itch. Dose, from half to a teacupful three or four times a day. 
It gently loosens the bowels, and possesses the general properties of 
a strengthening and restorative medicine. It is sometimes used to 
expel worms. 





650 


ELDER. 


Description —A very common plant, growing about houses 
and in cultivated grounds, producing large leaves and yellow 
blossoms. 


ELDER (Sambucus Canadensis). 

Parts used —Inner bark of the stalk, the root, flowers and 
berries. 

The bark, infused in wine, is very efficacious in dropsy. A tea 
of the flowers is good in all bowel complaints of children and liver 
affections, and is a good blood purifier; hence useful in eruptive 
diseases, erysipelas, syphilis and scrofula. A salve formed by 
stewing the fresh bark in lard is excellent in burn&, cuts, sores, etc. 
Since vaseline has become so extensively known and valuable in 
cerates it has been adopted instead of lard and is measurably prefer¬ 
able. 

Description —Height, from eight to ten feet; the flowers 
small, white, and of a fragrant smell. The berries are small, hang 
in large bunches, juicy, slightly acid, and of a dark color when ripe. 
The stock contains a large spongy pith. Grows in waste places, 
thickets, along fences on uncultivated lands. 


EGG {Ovum). 

The egg is nutritious and slightly laxative, and will, on account 
of its easy digestibility, be found useful in dyspepsia, consumption 
and other diseases, where lax food is required. Equal parts of the 
white of egg and salt will always disperse a felon, if applied in 
time. The lining membrane of the shell is used sometimes for the 
same purpose. When taken raw, they are an excellent remedy for 
jaundice; one should be taken before each meal. White of egg is 
very valuable as an antidote for poisons. The yolk, boiled hard and 
compressed, yields a fixed oil that has been found useful as an 
application to sore breasts. The white of an egg has been found 
one of the most efficacious remedies for burns. Seven or eio-ht 
successive applications of this substance soothe pain and effectually 
exclude the air from the burn. This simple remedy seems prefer¬ 
able to collodion or even cotton. Extraordinary stories are told of 
the healing properties of a new oil which is easily made from the 
yolks of hens’ eggs. The eggs are first boiled hard, and the yolks 
are then removed,.crushed and placed over a fire, where they are 
carefully stirred until the whole substance is just on the point of 
catching fire, when the oil separates and may be poured off. 




EVAN-ROOT. 



651 


EYAN-ROOT, Throat-Root, Chocolate-Root (Geum 

Virginianum). 

Part used —The root. 

The root of this plant is very useful in dyspepsia and in 
bleeding at the lungs, consumption, diarrhea, dysentery, colic, sore 
throat, etc. Said by Dr. Jones to restore to health the most feeble 
and shattered constitutions. The root is used boiled in milk, or in 
water, sweetened, and makes a palatable drink, or in powder. The 
dose is a pint of the decoction daily, or two or three teaspoonfuls of 
the powder mixed with honey or sirup. 

Description —Height, about three feet, stem round, hairy, 
and surmounted by a few white flowers. The root small, brown, 
horizontal and crooked. 


IODO-Bromide of Calcium. 

This preparation is highly praised, on account of its curative 
effects in scrofula and all kindred diseases. It is superior as a 
blood-purifier. The dose is one teaspoonful, three times a day. 


FALSE HELLEBORE (Adonis Vernalis). 

Part employed —The herb. 

Like Digitalis this drug is used in cases of dropsy and heart 
disease. Investigation of its properties in St. Petersburg hospitals 
shows that under its effects the heart’s action becomes slower and 
more regular and forcible, the urinary secretion being increased. 
Dr. Bubbnow who made these experiments believes this drug posi¬ 
tively preferable to digitalis, and not cumulative in its action. 
Used in fluid extract of the herb; dose, one to two drops. 

Found in drug stores only. 


FENNEL-SEED (. Feniculum ). 

This makes an excellent infusion for colic, cramps of the 
stomach and griping. It is often combined with other medicines to 
render them more agreeable. Dose of the infusion, from one-fourth 
to a teacupful; of the powdered seed, from ten to twenty grains. 

Found in gardens and at drug stores. 


FERN ROOT, Female Fern, Rock-Brake, Polypody. 

(.Polypodium Vulgare.) 

Parts used —Hoots and tops. 

A strong decoction will expel worms, but is especially cele- 








652 


FIELD-BALSAM. 


brated for its prompt action in relieving patients afflicted with the 
tape-worm. A sirup made of this plant is very efficacious in pul¬ 
monary diseases. Combined with liverwort it is said to have 
restored patients severely afflicted with diseases of the lungs. 

Very common on rocky lands and mountainous sections of 
country. 


FIELD-BALSAM, Indian Balsam, White Balsam, Bal¬ 
sam Weed ( Guaphalium Polycephalum). 

Part Used —The leaves. 

A warm tea drunk freely is a very good remedy in quinsy and 
sore throat. Those that are troubled with sore mouth will gener¬ 
ally obtain relief by chewing the leaves. It is employed in bleed¬ 
ing of the lungs, diarrhea and dysentery. It is valuable for healing 
purposes. Sores, swellings and bruises are very much benefited by 
the application of a fomentation of this plant. Many recommend 
it in lung-diseases. It may be used freely in infusion. 

Description —Height from two to three feet, stalk erect and 
branched, leaves alternate, green on the upper side, whitish and 
fuzzy beneath, flowers yellow, pleasant, balsamic smell, and slightly 
bitter and rather agreeable taste. 

Found growing generally in dry, barren places. 


FEVERFEW (Pyrethrum Parthenium .) 

Part used —The leaves. 

This is an admirable remedy for the cure of St. Vitus’s dance. 
It should be given for several days in succession; two or three tea¬ 
cupfuls of the infusion during each day, divided in half-teacupful 
doses. It is very useful in irregularity of the menses, colds and 
suppressed urine. The infusion is to be drunk warm, four or five 
times a day. It is an excellent tonic and nervine and also very 
useful for promoting perspiration in fevers. 

Description —Height from one to two feet, leaves grayish- 
green color, flowers white and appearing in June and July. 

Grows wild and is cultivated in gardens. 


FIVE-FINGER ( Potentilla Canadensis). 

Part used —The root. 

It is used in the treatment of bowel-diseases, excessive men¬ 
struation and hemorrhages from the womb. A decoction taken 
freely three times a day is an admirable remedy for night-sweats 
and forms an excellent gargle for ulcerated sore throat. Dose of 





FIRE-WEED. 


653 


the infusion, from one fourth to one-lialf a teacupful, three or four 
times a day. 

j 

Descrii>tion —It is vine-like in form, growing from one to 
two feet high and having five leaves in a bunch and yellow flowers; 
found usually in meadows and on the borders of streams. 


FIRE WEED (.Erechthites Hieracifolia.) 

Part used —The leaves. 

It is a prompt and efficient remedy in bloody flux, adminis¬ 
tered either in a strong decoction or the alcoholic extract. It is an 
important remedy as a purifier of the system in diseases of the 
blood, etc. It is highly recommended for cholera morbus and for 
summer-complaints of children. Of the infusion or tincture, take 
a tablespoonful three times a day. 

Description —It has a large, rough stalk, three to six feet 
high, with light-green leaves and white flowers. The plant has a 
strong, unpleasant odor and bitter, disagreeable taste. Found in 
moist lands and open woods, especially where the ground has been 
burned over. 


FIRWEIN. 

This comparatively new medicine is prepared from several dif¬ 
ferent medical plants, with a definite quantity of phosphorus, iodine 
and bromine added to each pint. It can usually be found in drug 
stores. 

This is one among the best remedies in lung-diseases; and in 
catarrh it has proven very successful, and likewise in bronchitis, in 
which its use has been attended with the best results. It is highly 
praised in nervous headache, and also in diabetes. But it is more 
celebrated for the cure of consumption and bronchitis, so far as it 
has been tested, than perhaps in any other disease. The dose is from 
one to two teaspoonfuls three or four times a day. 


FLAXSEED (Linum Usitatissimum). 

Some of the worst cases of piles have been cured with the oil 
in less than a month, taken in doses of two tablespoonfuls twice a 
day, and an injection of the tea once a day. For coughs and dis¬ 
eases of the lungs, it is a very superior remedy. Two ounces of 
the seeds should' be infused in a quart of water, and the half, and 
in severe cases the whole of it, should be drunk in the course of 
twenty-four hours. It may be sweetened with loaf-sugar or honey, 
in order to make it more palatable. Equal parts of linseed oil and 





654 


FOLIA CAKOBiE. 


lime water is a very effectual remedy in burns. The infusion is 
highly useful in flux and dysentery. For this purpose add two 
ounces of the ground seed to a quart and a half of boiling water, 
and infuse for an hour, skim and drink half of this during the day. 
For ulcers, inflammations, etc., flaxseed makes a very effectual 
poultice, by boiling it with water or sweet milk. The oil of flaxseed, 
called linseed-oil, is a good substitute for castor-oil, as it is much 
milder in its action. 


FOLIA CAROBiE (Pacamnda Procera). 

Part used —The leaves. 

The results of the employment of this drug are very favorable 
in all forms of syphilis, but remarkably so in all old syphilitic 
eruptions and for patients who have taken large quantities of mer¬ 
cury. It is employed in the treatment of scrofula, ulcers and all 
diseases of the blood. Dose of the fluid extract, from ten to forty 
drops, three times a day. 

Found only in drug stores. 


FOXGLOVE, Digitalis (Digitalis Purpurea ). 

Part used —The leaves. 

It is valuable in diseases of the heart and useful in dropsy of 
the chest, rheumatism, inflammatory fevers, spitting of blood, 
whooping-cough and in asthma. Dose, of the powdered leaves, one 
grain, or of the tincture, four to eight drops, three times a day, in 
chronic forms of disease. In acute diseases the frequency of the 
administration of the dose must depend on the circumstances of 
each case—such as the violence of the disease, the age, sex, temper¬ 
ament and strength of the patient. It is a powerful poison, and 
should therefore be employed with the greatest caution. 

Found growing in gardens and at the drug stores. 


GAMBOGE ( Gambogia ). 

This is a powerful cathartic, and in large doses it has proved 
fatal. It often vomits in large doses and sometimes in small doses. 
It is employed in constipation and in dropsy, combined with jalap 
and cream of tartar. It should be given with care, as it is, like 
aloes, very liable to produce piles. It enters, like aloes, into most 
patent pills, to make them certain to purge, and thus thousands of 
cases of piles are produced annually. The dose is from two to four 
grains. 

Found only at drug stores. 





GARDEN NIGHTSHADE. 


655 


GARDEN NIGHTSHADE {Solarium Nigrum). 

Part used —The whole plant. 

As a remedy in scarlet fever, this is equal to belladonna and as 
effectual in preventing it. It should be given in small doses, in 
order to insure its medical effects. In consequence of its peculiar 
power over the nerve centers, it is an appropriate remedy for epilepsy, 
spasms and cramps of the extremities. In angina pectoris (one 
form of heart disease), it is said it often acts admirably, and likewise 
in inflammation of the eyes. In small doses it relieves headache of 
a nervous, congestive character. It is also a remedy for erysipelas 
of the face, and for inflammation of the stomach and bowels it will 
prove a valuable remedy. The tincture is made from the fresh plant 
and berries in alcohol, eight ounces to one pint; the dose, then, 
would vary from one to live drops, but from the fraction to one 
drop will be the ordinary dose. 

Description —This plant grows in gardens, around yards and 
near walls; has a low stem, much branched and spreading, with 
small white flowers and black berries, when ripe of a sweetish 
taste. During the summer we often see ripe berries, green berries 
and flowers on the same plant. It resembles, in some degree, the 
tomato plant. It has often been mistaken for belladonna, from the 
fact that it bears a great resemblance to that plant; but it may be 
distinguished from it by the smaller stems and the purple color; 
the stems being smooth, not hairy, as those of the belladonna. 


GARLIC (Allium Sativum). 

Part used —The root or bulb. 

The juice of garlic is a very excellent remedy in hoarseness, 
catarrh, whooping-cough and worms, and also a very superior 
remedv for nervous coughs. If garlic-juice be stewed in an equal 
quantity of sweet oil and strained, and a few drops of it, from a 
warm teaspoon, be inserted into the ear, it will be found to be one 
of the best remedies for deafness, as well as for earache. In pneu 
monia or lung-fever, it is good applied over the chest and spine; in 
inflammation of the brain or brain-fever of children, it has been ap¬ 
plied to the feet and stomach with effect; in retention of the urine, 
applied over the region of the bladder, it has been found efficacious; 
and in cases of severe croup a poultice of garlic (or garlic and on¬ 
ions), prepared by first roasting them, will always give immediate 
relief, if not effect a cure. A decoction of garlic, made with sweet 
milk, has cured stone in the bladder. When it is stewed in sweet 
oil and honey, it is considered, by many, an infallible remedy for 
coughs. An ordinary dose of the juice is about a lialf-teaspoonful; 
of the decoction, from one to three tablespoonfuls. 

Grows wild and in gardens. ' 



656 


GARRYA LEAVES 


GARRY A LEAVES {Garry a Freemontii ). 

Part used —The leaves. 

This plant is well-known to the ranchmen and wood-choppers 
of California as the “California Fever Bush.” The leaves have an 
intense, persistent, bitter taste, and have been used as a cure for 
chills and fever since the occupation of California by Americans. 
Dose of fluid extract of the leaves, ten to thirty drops. As a tonic 
it is valuable in scrofula, dyspepsia, and hemorrhages. 

Procured at drug stores, or from Parke, Davis & Co., Detroit, 
Mich. 


GENTIAN (Gentiana Lutea), 

Parts used —The root and berries. 

It is an excellent restorative, especially for fever and ague; also 
in dyspepsia, scrofula, gout, diarrhea and worms. It should not 
be given in large doses, or in irritable conditions of the stomach, 
as it is liable to cause vomiting. Dose of the infusion, one table¬ 
spoonful ; of the powdered extract, from five to ten grains. There 
are several species of this plant, all of which possess similar med¬ 
ical properties. The five-flowered gentian is a very common plant, 
and very useful in liver complaint, jaundice and headache. It is 
intensely bitter, and this property, as is supposed, gives it a medi¬ 
cinal value. 

Description —This is a perennial plant found in woods and 
pastures in almost all parts of the country. The root is not over 
an inch thick, reddish-yellow externally, grayish-yellow or reddish 
at the center and intensely bitter. 


GERANIUM Crow-Foot, Cranes-Bill (Geranium Ma - 

culatum .) 

Part used —The root. 

The decoction of this plant is a cure for bleeding piles and 
should be employed twice a day as an injection. The powder is 
valuable to check the bleeding of wounds, nose-bleed, etc. Those 
who have employed this remedy for summer-complaint in children 
regard it as very superior. A good way to prepare it is to boil the 
root in sweet milk, sweetened with white sugar. It will be made 
still better if a little cinnamon and cloves be added. Dose, one- 
fourth to one-half teacupful five or six times a day; or, if not pre¬ 
pared in this way, the decoction may be used in like doses. It is 
useful in diarrhea, cholera-infantum and ulceration of the throat. 

Description— It grows on the banks of creeks and hillsides. 
It is thick, rough, of a brown color and has a sourish taste, puck- 




GINGER. 


657 


ering the moutli like alum. The plant grows from twelve to fifteen 
inches high, smooth stalk, with a bunch of two or three ragged 
leaves at the top. The flowers are large and of a purple color. 


GINGER ( Zingiber Officinale). 

Part used —The root. 

This is employed in cholera, cholera-morbus, diarrhea, dysen¬ 
tery, cramp-colic, flatulence, indigestion and to check vomiting. 
In bowel complaints it is often combined with other astringents. 
An infusion is made by adding half an ounce of the powder to a pint 
of boiling water. Dose, two to three tablespoonfuls; of the tinct¬ 
ure or fluid extract, one-fourth to half a teaspoonful as often as may 
be necessary. 


GINSENG ( Panax Quinquefolinm ). 

Parts used —Leaves and roots. 

A tea of the root will usually afford relief in colic. Dose, one- 
half teacupful every one or two hours. For nervous dyspepsia, it 
is one of the best remedies in use. It should be taken in half-tea- 
cupful doses three times a day. Wonderful powers are attributed 
to it by the Chinese. They regard it as a panacea. It is employed 
with good effect in treatment of palsy, asthma and dysentery and 
is also valuable in promoting digestion and increasing the appetite. 
Dose of the decoction, from a fourth to a half-teacupful three times 
a day; of the powdered root, one to two teaspoonfuls. 

Description —The stem is from ten to eighteen inches high, 
divided at the top into three branches; flowers small and white, 
producing a large, red berry. The roots are bulbous, have a pleas¬ 
ant, camphorated smell, a slightly bitter, aromatic taste. 


GOLD-THREAD {Coptis Trifolia). 

Parts used —The root. 

It is an excellent remedy for sore mouth and canker of the 
mouth and is valuable in feeble digestion and in debilitated condi¬ 
tions of the system generally. It is a good thing to give children 
occasionally as a tonic; it invigorates the stomach and is a pre¬ 
ventive of pin worms. Dose of the tincture, one teaspoonful three 
or four times a day. It has been successfully employed in dyspep¬ 
sia. 

Description —It is found in moist woodlands and swamps. 
Roots creeping, with many fibres, color bright yellow. Leaves 

42 





658 


GOLDEN SEAL. 


evergreen, on long, slender foot stalk, growing three together. 
Flowers white and yellow, growing on a separate stem, rising to the 
same height with the leaves. 


GOLDEN SEAL, Yellow Puccoon, Yellow Root, 

(Hydrastis Canadensis):' 

Part used —The root. 

For some forms of dyspepsia, the golden seal is one of the 
most certain remedies known. Dose of the decoction, one table- 
spoonful three times a day; of the tincture, one to two teaspoonfuls 
three times a day; of the powder, fifteen to twenty grains, or half¬ 
teaspoonful. A decoction, made of two ounces of golden seal and 
one ounce of geranium, in a pint of water, taken in doses .of two 
tablespoonfuls four or five times aday, will cure chronic gonorrhea. It 
is extremely valuable as a wash in sore mouth and chronic sore eyes. 
A strong decoction of equal parts of golden seal and geranium is a 
valuable injection for chronic leucorrliea. As a restorative, it is 
employed in cases of recovery from bilious and typhoid fevers; its 
usefulness is becoming more known every day. It is a specific for 
piles, used as an injection. 

Hydrastin is a concentrated preparation made from the golden 
seal, used for the same purposes as the root, and generally found in 
drug stores. 

Description —It is rough, wrinkled and knobby, half as 
thick as the little finger, of a yellow color inside and of a bitter 
taste. The stem is round, growing from fourteen to fifteen inches 
high, commonly bearing two rough leaves at the top, in the center 
of one of which appears the flower followed by a fleshy and many- 
seeded berry. 


GRAVEL-WEED, False Cromwell, Wild Job’s Tears 

(Onosmoidium Ilispidum). 

Part used —Roots and seeds. 

This plant is most celebrated as a remedy for gravel. It was 
first introduced by Dr. A. Robinson of Indiana, as a solvent of the 
stone. Its medical properties had been discovered by Indians of 
Tennessee, by roasting and eating the roots for food. Both the 
roots and seeds are employed for curing gravel. They are used as 
follows: 

Take half a pound of the bruised roots and two tablespoonfuls 
of the pulverized seeds, steep the roots in three pints of boiling 
water until the strength is extracted, then pour the decoction on the 
seeds, and drink a teacupful once in two hours for twelve hours, or 




GRAPE VINE. 


659 


until it operates on tlie bowels as a cathartic, when the sediment or 
seeds must be taken. This finishes the process, which, it would 
seem, is relied upon to effect a cure. 

Description —Height of stems, from two to three feet, sev¬ 
eral growing from the same root; leaves larger on the stems and 
smaller on the branches; flowers yellowish-white, producing whitish 
seeds, about the size of hempseed; roots large, dark on the outside 
and yellowish within. 

Grows usually on hill-sides and in open situations, and espec¬ 
ially on rich limestone soil. 


GRAPE VINE ( Vitis Vinifera). 

The juice or sap of the vine is a very excellent remedy for cur¬ 
ing sore and weak eyes, and also valuable for stone in the bladder. 
It is a celebrated remedy for the dropsy. For this purpose, the 
ashes of the bark and small limbs or twigs are to be employed; of 
these, give a heaping teaspoonful three times a day, in two or three 
tablespoonfuls of catawba wine. It is an excellent gargle for sore 
throat. The wild and cultivated grape-vines possess similar medi¬ 
cinal properties. In cutting or making an incision in the vine, in 
the spring or summer, the juice or sap exudes. This is to be used 
in the form of an eye-water for sore eyes. 


GREEK VALERIAN, Abcess Root, Sweat Root, Blue 

Bells ( Polemomeum Reptans). 

Parts used —The root and tops. 

This plant is very excellent for pleurisy and fevers also; to 
cleanse the blood in case of boils and for producing perspiration. 
It is a very popular medicine in some localities for lung difficulties. 
It is not only highfy valuable for consumption, but is _ also very 
useful in other chronic complaints, particularly scrofula, scrofulous 
and other ulcers, and for the bites of snakes. Consumption has 
been cured by it after other approved means had been perseveringly 
tried but failed. For use, take a small handful of the roots to 
three pints of boiling water, steeped down one-half. Dose, half a 
teacupful every four hours. In chronic complaints, after using a 
short time, it often produces a singular sensation on the surface of 
the body—a kind of prickling. 

For snake-bites, take the roots and tops, bruise them in a mor¬ 
tar and mix with new milk to the consistence of a poultice, and 
apply to the bitten part. The tea is also to be taken internally at 
the same time. 

Description —Height of stalk one to two feet; flowers small, 
blue, and appear early in the spring; the roots small, numerous, 
fibrous, and of a dirty-white color. 





660 


GREAT LAUREL. 


GREAT LAUREL (Rhododendron Maximum). 

This is a valuable remedy in coughs, consumption and influ¬ 
enza. Add twenty drops of the fluid extract to a tumblerful of 
water; of this give a teaspoonful every one or two hours. 


GUACO LEAVES (.Mikania Guaco). 

This is a good remedy in chronic rheumatism, cholera, diar¬ 
rhea, dysentery and cholera-infantum. Dose of the fluid extract, 
from one-half to a teaspoonful every two or three hours. 


GROUND IVY (Glechoma Hederacea). 

Part used —The leaves. 

The fresh j uice, snuffed up the nostrils, is a valuable cure for 
headache. An infusion of the leaves will afford effectual relief in 
painters’ colic. It should be taken in half-teacupful doses or more, 
three times a day. It is also regarded as a preventive of this dis¬ 
ease. It is very good in jaundice, asthma, diseases of the lungs and 
for cleansing the blood. Dose of the infusion, half a teacupful 
three times a day. 

Description —It is a low, creeping herb, growing generally 
along fences, orchards and shady places, and sometimes in gardens. 
The flowers are of a bluish-purple color. 


GROUND CENTAURY (.Polygala NuttalU). 

Part used —The herb. 

This plant has the reputation of being almost infallible as a 
remedy in fever and ague. It is useful as a tonic and alterative, 
and very effectual in boils and erysipelas. It is prepared for use by 
adding one drachm of the plant to a gill each of alcohol and water. 
Of this, give a tablespoonful three times a day. 

Description —The stem is eight to ten feet high; flowers, rose- 
purple; seeds, black. It is frequently found growing in bunches of 
fifteen to twenty stems, from one root. It grows in very poor 
soils. 


GUM MYRRH. 

This is a powerful medicine for checking all tendency to mor¬ 
tification, and for relieving sponginess of the gums, gangrenous 
conditions and ulcers. Also in wounds and injuries, when there is 






GUARANA. 


661 


a tendency to mortification, it is used as a wash or mixed in a poul¬ 
tice, and at the same time a small portion is to be taken internally. 
It is also valuable in putrid fevers and green sickness. Dose of the 
tincture, one to two teaspoonfuls, three times a day; of the powder, 
ten to twenty grains; a few drops in water makes an excellent 
mouth-wash for sore teeth and gums. 

Description —Gum myrrh is the concrete juice of a tree grow¬ 
ing in the East Indies. It is hard, brittle, and of a reddish-yellow 
color. 


GUARANA (Pavllinia Sorbilis). 

This is an excellent remedy for sick headache and also for 
chronic rheumatism, and may be employed advantageously in 
bov/el complaints and neuralgia. Dose of the fluid extract, from 
ten drops to a teaspoonful. In headache, the dose may be repeated 
every half-hour or hour, until the pain ceases, though one dose is 
often sufficient. Prof. Bundy, of the California Medical College, 
says, “ When you have the headache, don’t forget to take guarana.” 
It is a favorite remedy with him, and he regards it as almost sure 
to relieve most forms of headache. Dose of the solid extract, from 
one to five grains; of the sugar-coated pills, from one to two, three 
times a day. This is a comparatively new remedy and to be had 
now at almost all drug stores. The firm of Parke, Davis <fe Co., of 
Detroit, manufactures the fluid extract and other preparations of 
this plant. 


GUM GUAIAC (Guaiaci Resina ). 

It is useful in scrofula, diseases of the skin and venereal dis • 
eases, and in small doses it is good in the first stages of dysentery 
and in obstructed menstruation. It is also a celebrated rheumatic 
remedy, for which purpose it is often used in the form of bitters, 
made by adding one ounce of the gum to one quart of the best rye 
whisky. Of this, take one to two tablespoonfuls three times a day. 
Dose of the tincture, from one to three teaspoonfuls, two or three 
times a day; of the powered resin, five to fifteen grains. This is 
also a valuable remedy for the effects of poison oak. In taking this 
medicine for any purpose, if irregularity of the bowels or sickness 
occur, its use must be discontinued. The ammoniated tincture of 
gum guaiac will almost invariably relieve painful menstruation 
which originates from taking cold. Dose, from thirty to sixty 
drops, every three hours, in simple sirup. 




662 


GUM ARABIC. 


GUM ARABIC (Acacia Arabicd). 

This is the concrete juice of the Arabian acacia. It is very 
useful in catarrh of the bladder, coughs, hoarseness, sore throat, and 
in all irritations and inflammations of the mucous surfaces, bowels 
and urinary passages. It is especially serviceable in irritating 
and inflammatory diarrhea, dysentery, gonorrhea and strangury. 
Hemorrhage from small wounds, razor-cuts, etc., may be readily 
checked by applying equal parts of powdered gum arabic and alum. 
Dissolve from four drachms to an ounce in a pint of water; it may 
be taken freely—a tablespoonful or more every hour. It can be 
rendered more palatable by adding a small quantity of loaf-sugar. 


HAIR-CAP MOSS, Robin’s Rye, Ground-Moss, Bears’s 

Moss (Polytrichum Juniperium ). 

Part used —The plant. 

It is very useful in gravel, dropsy, fevers and inflammations. 
The infusion or decoction may be used freely. 

Prof. King, of Cincinnati, says: “A strong infusion of this 
plant, taken in doses of four tablespoonfuls every half-hour, has 
removed from dropsical patients from twenty to forty pounds of 
water in the space of twenty-four hours.” 

Description —Stem slender, of a reddish color, and from 
four to seven inches high; leaves lance-shaped and somewhat spread¬ 
ing. The fruit is a four-sided oblong capsule. It grows in high, 
dry places, along the margins of dry woods, mostly in poor, sandy 
soil. 


HARDHACK (Sph 'cea Tomentosa). 

Part used— The herb. 

The green herb, boiled in milk, makes a very efficacious remedy 
for chronic diarrhea. An infusion, or tea of this plant, is reputed 
prompt in arresting cholera-inf an turn. It is deservedly a popular 
remedy in summer-complaint of children. The infusion may be 
drunk freely. Dose of the fluid extract, from three to fifteen drops. 

Description —This is a beautiful, green shrub, with leaves 
of a dark-green color above and white underneath. 


HEMLOCK, SPRUCE (Pinus Canadensis), 

Parts used —The bark and the gum. 

This tree produces a gum, called Canada-pitch or hemlock- 
gum, which makes a good strengthening plaster for weak back. It 
is a safe and valuable counter-irritant and relieves chronic aches of 





HIGH CRANBERRY. 


GGd 

any kind. The fluid extract makes a very valuable injection for 

chronic gonorrhea. The essence of hemlock, in doses of five to 

eight drops, has proved effectual in checking vomiting of cholera- 

morbus. A strong decoction of the bark is good in the whites, 

falling of the womb, and as an external application in gangrene. 

The oil of hemlock is often used externally in the treatment of 
- _ # •/ 

croup, and to relieve rheumatic pains. A strong decoction, used as 
a wash, will cure itching piles. Use the fluid extract when it can 
be got. Brof. Bundy says, “This medicine has no equal for hem¬ 
orrhages, whites, cuts, diarrhea and dysentery.” Dose of the 
infusion, one tablespoonful, two or three times a day; of the fluid 
extract, fifteen to twenty drops. In uterine and venereal diseases, 
it is used by injection. The fresh tw T igs in infusion cure coughs 
and colds and should also be used in baths. Taken for these com¬ 
plaints it produces profuse sweating. 

The tree is a species of pine and grows in the northern part of 
the United States and Canada. The bark and gum can always be 
found at drug stores. 


HIGH CRANBERRY ( Viburnum Opulus). 

Part used —The bark. 

This is a very prompt and effectual remedy in relieving 
cramps, asthma and spasms of all kinds. It is said that, if it is 
used during the last two or three months of pregnancy, it will 
entirely prevent the convulsions which sometimes occur at that 
period and in parturition. Dose, one tablespoonful, once a day. 
It is employed in the treatment of hysterics. Dose of the extract, 
from one to five grains, three times a day. A decoction or infusion 
of the bark, in wine, may be used in doses of a tablespoonful, two 
or three times a day. 

This is a shrub, growing in rich soils in the Northern States 
and Canada. 


HOARHOUND ( Mamibium). 

Part used —The leaves. 

Hoarhound is much used in colds, coughs and is also valuable 
in asthma and jaundice. A cold infusion is a very useful tonic in 
dyspepsia. It is sometimes employed for the removal of worms 
and for the cure of mercurial salivation. The infusion may be used 
freely. 

It is found growing in all parts of the country. 


HOLLYHOCK (Althea Rosea). 

Parts used —The leaves and roots. 

This is a very fine remedy in all cases of inflammation, such 





as inflammation of the stomach, lungs, bowels, bladder, etc. It is' 
employed with good effect in colds, coughs, leucorrhea and gonor¬ 
rhea. It is harmless, and the tea may be drunk freely five or six 
times a day. 

It is of common growth found in gardens. 


HOPS (Ilumulus Lupulus). 

Hops are extremely useful to relieve the pain and inflamma¬ 
tion of internal organs in the form of fomentations or poultices. 
Such pain may result from pleurisy, inflammation of the stomach 
and bowels, tumors, etc. For wakefulness, a pillow of hops may be 
used; it will generally induce sleep. The yellow powder, called 
lupulin, obtained by threshing the hops, is preferable for internal 
use. It is employed to prevent chordee, and in delirium tremens, 
to allay nervous irritation and to mitigate the pain attending gon¬ 
orrhea. It is also employed to suppress venereal desires. Dose of 
the powder, five to ten grains; of the tincture, from one to three 
teaspoonfuls. In making a fomentation, they can be boiled either 
alone in water and vinegar, or with other bitter herbs. 


HORSE-RADISH (Cochlearia Armoracia). 

Part used —The root. 

A sirup made of grated horse-radish and honey or sugar and 
water, will cure ordinary cases of hoarseness. Dose, a teaspoonful 
every one or two hours. Prof. King says, “ A warm infusion of the 
fresh root in cider, drunk in sufficient quantities to produce perspir¬ 
ation and repeated every night, has cured dropsy in two or three 
weeks.” It has proved beneficial in rheumatism, neuralgia, paraly¬ 
sis, and in weak digestive organs. Hoarseness from colds may be 
removed by chewing a small piece of horse-radish the size of the 
little finger. 


HORSE-CHESTNUT (zEsculus Ilipjpocastanum). 

It has proven a good remedy for the piles when they are hard, 
sore and attended with itching and burning. When they are 
attended with a sensation of fullness and a desire to strain and 
there is looseness of the bowels, this remedy will usually prove 
effectual. It seems to act directly on the veins of the rectum. 
Dose, from three to five drops of the tincture, three times a day. 

Description —The horse-chestnut is a lofty forest-tree, cov¬ 
ered with rough, brown bark; the leaves large and composed of 
seven leaflets, from a common center. It bears a pricklv fruit. 





HORSEMINT. 


665 


HORSEMINT (Monarda Punctata). 

Parts used —The leaves and flowers. 

A strong infusion is very useful in disease of the kidneys, sup¬ 
pressed urine and to allay vomiting, and may be drunk freely. The 
volatile oil is employed in neuralgia, rheumatism, paralysis and 
cholera-infantum. The essence is a very efficient preparation to 
remove nausea and vomiting. 

It grows in all parts of the country, in dry soils; height from 
two to three feet. 


HOUND’S TONGUE ( Cynoglossum ). 

Part used —The leaves. 

The fresh leaves bruised, or the tincture, will remove the dis¬ 
coloration and swelling of parts caused by bruises or blows. In 
case of excoriation of the feet from long marches, a poultice of the 
leaves will give speedy relief. It is likewise valuable in scrofulous 
tumors, giving complete relief. A tea is good in catarrh, coughs, 
dysentery and spitting of blood. 

The leaves have a very unpleasant odor, and a bitter taste. It 
grows wild in almost all sections of the country, and may be had 
at drug stores. 


HYDRANGEA, Seven Barks (Hydrangea Arborescens). 

Parts used —The root. 

It is an admirable remedy for gravel, and relieves that excru¬ 
ciating pain experienced when the gravelly formations passthrough 
the ureters from the kidneys to the bladder. Its curative qualities 
for inflammation of the kidney as well as other affections of the 
urinary organs are now generally recognized. A sirup or decoc¬ 
tion of the root may be taken in teaspoonful doses several times 
a day, but not to cause dizziness or other unpleasant symptoms. 
.Dose of the decoction, one teaspoonful several times a day. 

This shrub is common to almost all parts of the United States. 


HYOSCIAMUS, Black Henbane, (.Hyosciamus Niger). 

Part used— The leaves. 

It is used in rheumatism, neuralgia, gout, asthma,'nervous and 
spasmodic affections and chronic coughs, to allay nervous excita¬ 
bility, to relieve pain and to promote sleep. It is frequently used in 
place of opium, as it does not produce constipation. It should be 
used with caution, for in large doses it is a narcotic poison. Dose 
of the tincture, from ten to fifteen drops; of the powdered leaves, 





G6G 


HYSSOP. 


five to ten grains; of the alcoholic extract, from one-sixth of a grain 
to two grains. The extract is the form in which it is generally used. 

Grows wild in most parts of the country and may be had at 
drug stores. 


HYSSOP (Ilyssopus Officinalis). 

Parts used —Leaves and stems. 

It is useful in sore throat and quinsy, in the form of a warm 
gargle. Its value is very much improved when combined with 
alum and sage. It is good taken internally for colds and affections 
of the chest. The fresh leaves are valuable when bruised and 
applied to wounds, to relieve the pain and also for removing black 
spots caused by bruises. 

Grows in gardens. 


ICELAND-MOSS {Lichen Islandicus). 

This plant has been used with good success in dyspepsia and as 
a nutriment and tonic in low stages of consumption. As a demul¬ 
cent, it is used in coughs, bronchitis and affections of the lungs. 
In these difficulties its value may be increased by adding an equal 
proportion of liverwort. It is prepared by adding a handful of 
the moss to a pint of boiling water; after standing two or three 
hours, strain, sweeten with honey and drink freely. It is only used 
when cooked, and forms what is termed blanc mange. It is good 
for food. 

Found in drug and grocery stores. 


ICE-PLANT, Pipe-Plant (Monotrojpa Uniflora ). 

Part usecl —The whole plant 

The root of this plant is regarded as almost an infallible rem¬ 
edy for fits in children, and has been used with great success in St. 
Vitus’s dance. The juice, diluted in cold water, is useful in sore 
eyes. It is very valuable in nervous restlessness, pains and irrita¬ 
bility. It is used instead of opium, and without any of the object¬ 
ionable influences of that drug. The juice of the plant is an 
excellent remedy in gonorrhea and ulceration of the bladder, 
used as an injection. Hose of the powdered root, half a teaspoon¬ 
ful, two or three times a day. 

Description —Height, from four to eight inches. The whole 
plant, including the stem and flowers, is of a clear white color. It 
is very juicy, and when rubbed a little, it will melt almost like ice. 
The flowers have some resemblance to a pipe; hence its name, pipe 
plant. 





INDIAN FEVER-ROOT. 


667 


INDIAN FEVER-ROOT ( Helianthus Occidentalis). 

Part used —The root. 

It is a celebrated remedy among the Indians for the cure of 
fevers, and employed by them as a great sweating agent. The 
decoction should be drunk freely. 

Description —Height of stem from two to three feet, sending 
up several stems from the same root; flower-heads yellow, one to 
two inches in diameter; root dark and of a strong, rich taste. 


INDIAN ARROW, Walioo, Bitter Ash, Spindle-Tree, 
Burning Busli (Euonymus Atropurpureus). 

Part used —The root. 

It is used in diseases of the stomach, bowels and liver, for 
indigestion, colic, dyspepsia and bilious fever. The decoction has 
been used with success in liver complaint, dropsy, constipation and 
lung difficulties. Dose of the tincture, from two to three table¬ 
spoonfuls of the powder (ten to twenty grains). When this is com¬ 
bined with equal parts of wafer asli ( ptelia trifoliata ) it can be 
relied on to cure old, long-standing cases of chills, which have 
resisted quinine. It may not be quite as speedy in controlling this 
disease as is this latter medicine in some cases, but the disease is 
less liable to return when broken with wahoo than with quinine. 

Description —This is a shrub, growing from ten to fifteen feet 
high, bark smooth, dark-gray and spotted; leaves, deep-green on 
upper and light on under side. Flowers very small, dark, reddish- 
brown with red fruit or berries in the fall. 

It grows principally on bottom lands and on the borders of 
streams. 


INDIAN HEMP, Dogs’ Bane, Black Silkweed (. Apocy - 

num Cannabinum). 

Part used —The root. 

The decoction of this plant is an admirable remedy for dropsy 
and numerous cases have been cured with it. It should be taken 
in tablespoonful doses, three times a day; of the extract, four to five 
grains. It is an infallible remedy for the cure of thread or pin- 
worms. For this purpose, take twenty drops of the tincture three 
times a day for three successive days; then use an injection of cold 
water and the worms will be dislodged. 

Description —Height about two feet. It is one of the several 
species called Indian hemjp, and resembles very much the bitter- 
root (Apocynum Androscemifoliuni). They both grow in the same 
kinds of soil, often together, and both have a tough bark like hemp, 
and pods somewhat alike, but may be distinguished by their leaves 




668 


INDIAN CUP. 


and flowers. The leaves of this species are oblong and sharp, or 
pointed at both ends, while those of the bitter-root are pointed only 
at the outer end, and quite round at the end next the stalk. In this 
species the flowers are greenish-yellow, slightly pink or purple 
inside, while those of the bitter-root are white, tinged with red. It 
grows in meadows and low, moist lands. 


INDIAN CUP, Ragged-Cup, Wild Sun-Flower (Silphium 

Perfoliatum). 

Part used —The root. 

This will remove ague-cake. The Indians use it for curing 
fevers and attribute to it a very remarkable virtue; namely, that of 
“ making an old man young.” It is employed effectively in bruises 
and ulcers, used very freely in the form of a tea. It requires long 
steeping in order to extract its virtue. It is esteemed a good remedy 
for liver-complaint, used in the form a decoction, taken in wine- 
glassful doses, three times a day. 

The fluid extract of the Indian cup alternated with bromide 
of ammonium has effectually cured cases of asthma of long stand¬ 
ing. Dose of either the fluid extract or essential tincture thirty to 
sixty drops. The latter may be made from the fresh bark of the 
root; four ounces to one-half pint of alcohol (76°). It should 
always be made fresh, for it soon loses its virtue. 

Description —It has a large, square stalk, from four to six 
feet high; leaves from nine to twelve inches long and four to five 
wide, growing in such a shape as to form a cup; flowers yellow, 
resembling a sunflower. 


INDIAN TURNIP, Dragon-Root, Wake Robin (Arum 

TriphyUum). 

Part used —The root. 

The fresh root has been used in colic, asthma, whooping-cough, 
chronic catarrh, chronic rheumatism, bronchitis and in low stages 
of typhus fever. Externally, it has been used in scrofulous tumors, 
scald-head, and other diseases of the skin. Dose of the grated root 
in honey, sirup or mucilage, eight to ten grains, three times a day. 
Eor coughs and colds, tincture the root in vinegar, and give from 
one to two teaspoonfuls three times a day. It will often afford 
relief. For scrofulous swellings the pulverized root is to be mixed 
with honey or sirup and applied in the form of a poultice. 

Description —The root of this plant is round, flattened, with 
many white fibres; externally it is dark and wrinkled; internally, 
white. Leaves, three in number, growing at the top of the stalk, 




IPECAC. 


6Gl> 


and a single blossom of the same color as the leaves, producing a 
roundish cluster of red berries. Grows everywhere; found in drug 
stores. 


IPECAC, Ipecacuanha {Cephcelis Ipecacuanha). 

Parts used —The roots and leaves. 

This is one of the mildest and most certain vegetable emetics. 
In small doses the tincture is a soothing tonic, and is often required 
in nausea and vomiting of many diseases. It is found very useful 
in dysentery, in one-lialf to one-grain doses. As an emetic, the 
dose is fifteen to thirty grains. It is useful in fevers, hemorrhages, 
inflammatory diseases and dyspepsia. Hlie wine or tincture of 
ipecac is a good remedy in coughs and an important ingredient in 
many of the cough mixtures. Dose, one-fourth to one-half a grain 
once in four hours. 

Found only in drug store.-. 


IRON WEED ( Vernonia Fasciculatd). 

Parts used —The root and leaves. 

This plant is particularly useful in female complaints. It is 
considered a certain remedy for chills and intermittent and bilious 
fevers, and is also valuable in scrofula, diseases of the skin and in 
constitutional syphilis. Dose of the decoction, half a wineglassful or 
more; of the tincture, two or three teaspoonfuls, several times a 
day. A decoction of the leaves is esteemed a good gargle in sore 
throat. It is employed by some physicians in the treatment of dys¬ 
pepsia. 

Description —Height, from four to eight feet, stalk straight 
and of a purple color, leaves coarse and flowers of a bright purple 
color. Grows in rich timber and prairie lands and especially along 
water-courses. 


IRON WOOD (Astrya Virginica). 

Part used —Heart of the tree. 

It has been used very effectively in neuralgia, dyspepsia and 
scrofula, and is by some regarded as an infallible remedy in chills 
and fever. The wood is cut into small pieces or chips and a tea 
made of them, a dose of which is four to six tablespoonfuls three 
times a day. 

Description —This is a small tree, growing from ten to forty 
feet high, the wood of which is very hard. The bark of the tree is 
fine and of a dark-gray color. 





670 


JALAP. 


JALAP (Ijpomca Jalapa). 

Part used —The root. 

It is a powerful and certain cathartic, especially employed 
when copious evacuations are required. It is somewhat drastic, 
producing large, watery discharges, with more or less griping, with 
nausea and vomiting. It is often used in dropsy with cream of tartar 
added. Dose of the tincture, from one to two teaspoonfuls; of the 
powder, ten to twenty grains. 

Found only in drug stores. 


JABORANDI (Pilocarpus Pennatifolius). 

This is a sovereign remedy for breaking fevers when adminis¬ 
tered in the first stage. It will cure a cold when employed at the 
beginning of the difficulty. It has been employed with good suc¬ 
cess in pneumonia, acute rheumatism and chronic Bright’s disease. 
Whenever a diaphoretic or sweating medicine is needed it is perhaps 
unequaled. It is, therefore, very excellent in the treatment of 
dropsy, bronchitis and diabetes-mellitns. Dose of the fluid extract, 
from fifteen drops to one teaspoonful, every half-hour, until thor¬ 
ough sweating is produced, then in one-fourth to one-half the quan¬ 
tity and at longer intervals. In cases where profuse perspiration is 
required it may be given in teaspoonful doses. When the solid 
extract is employed the dose is from three to fifteen grains. 

Found only in drug stores. 


JAMAICA DOGWOOD (.Piscidia Erythrina). 

Part used —Bark of the root. 

This is a new remedy and is proving a superior substitute for 
opium. Commencing dose, thirty drops of the fluid extract. 

Its action seems to be on the nerve-centers; it causes sleep 
without producing the cerebral liypersemia which succeeds opium 
and the active principles extracted therefrom. The sleep is tranquil 
and refreshing; it soothes bronchial cough and moderates the 
paroxysm in asthma and nervous coughs. It has also been pro¬ 
nounced an excellent remedy for chronic hepatitis and obstructions 
of the liver. 

Dr. William Hamilton, of Plymouth, England, in a communi¬ 
cation to the Pharmaceutical Journal , speaks of this plant as a 
powerful narcotic, capable of producing sleep and relieving pain 
in an extraordinary manner. As an anodyne in toothache a saturated 
tincture is found exceedingly efficacious, not only affording relief 
when taken internally, but uniformly curing the pain when intro¬ 
duced into the decayed tooth. 

«/ 


\ 




JUDAS-TREE. 


071 


When employed for taking fish, it is thrown, coarsely powdered, 
into the deep still part of some stream, when the water soon ac¬ 
quires a reddish shade ami in a few minutes the fish begin to rise to 
the surface, where they float. In most states in the Union the law 
prohibits its use for this purpose. 

Found only in drug stores. 


JUDAS-TREE (Gerois Canadensis ). 

This is useful in the treatment of diarrhea and dysentery when 
it has become chronic, as it can be administered where there is an 
irritable condition of the stomach without increasing the trouble. 
It also makes an excellent injection for leucorrhea and gleet, where 
there is a debilitated condition of the mucous membranes. Dose 
of the fluid extract, from fifteen to twenty-five drops, two or three 
times a day. 

Found only at drug stores. 


JUNTPER BERRIES (Juniperus Communis). 

Juniper berries are valuable in dropsy, as they act directly on 
the kidneys and bladder. They are also, sometimes, employed in 
skin diseases and in scurvy, and frequently given in combination 
with other medicines for various other complaints. An oil is 
obtained from the berries which has been used in catarrh of the 
bladder, in doses of from two to five drops, in spirits or mucilage 
• A native plant, which grows wild. 


KAMEELA (Rottlera Tinctoria). 

This is a great tape-worm remedy. Dose, from two to four 
teaspoonfuls of the fluid extract, the patient having previously 
fasted twenty-four hours. This should then be followed by two 
tablespoonfuls of castor-oil. 


KAYA-KAYA (Piper Methysticum). 

The fluid extract of this plant is used with success in gonorrhea, 
gleet and leucorrhea and all excessive mucous discharges. It is also 
employed in inflammation of the bladder and rheumatism. Dose, 
from thirty to sixty drops, three times a day, in a glassful of water. 

Found only in drug stores. 






672 


KINO. 


KINO (Pterocarpus Marsupium). 

It is useful in dysentery and diarrhea, and in many cases in 
which a pure astringent is needed. A decoction is sometimes em¬ 
ployed as a gargle in sore throat. It is most frequently used in the 
form of a tincture, the dose of which is from one-half to a tea¬ 
spoonful; of the powder, three to five grains. 

Found only in drug stores. 


KOOSO (Brayera Anthelmintica). 

Careful experiments have proved the extraordinary efficacy of 
this drug in the destruction and expulsion of the tape-worm. Dose 
of the fluid extract, from two to six teaspoonfuls; the patient having 
previously fasted twenty-four hours. The medicine should be fol¬ 
lowed with a dose of castor oil. 

Procured at drug stores. 


LADY’S SLIPPER, NERVINE, American Valerian 

( Cypripedium Pubescens). 

Part used —The root. 

This plant should be used in the form of the fluid extract in 
doses of fifteen to twenty-five drops, or the tincture made by adding 
eight ounces to one pint of alcohol (86°). The dose is one-half to 
one teaspoonful. 

This medicine is an excellent nervine, and acts as a tonic to the 
exhausted nervous system. Hence it is adapted to cases of nerv¬ 
ous irritability and sleeplessness, and gives rest and refreshing 
sleep, and for this purpose, is one of the best among domestic reme¬ 
dies. In the restlessness and wakefulness occurring in the latter 
stages of typhoid fever, it is one of our best remedies. It may be 
used alone or combined with a scull cap, in the various nerv¬ 
ous affections, such as hysterics, headache, St. Vitus’s dance, 
or in other diseases. Whenever a mild and safe nervine is needed, 
lady’s slipper root is very generally used in the form of infusion, 
made by steeping about one ounce of the root in a pint of boiling 
water. Dose, from a half to a teacupful every hour or two, or 
oftener, according to symptoms. 

Description —It rises to the height of one or two feet; leaves 
three to four inches long and two to three wide, and attached by a 
sort of sheath around the stalk. Flowers large, showy, and moc¬ 
casin-shaped, either pale yellow or white, with red or purple spots. 




LEEK. 


673 


LEEK, House-Leek (Sejnpervivum Tectorum ). 

Parts used —The root and leaves. 

The leaves, bruised and applied twice a day, are reputed to 
effectually remove warts and ringworms, and also to cure shingles. 
The fresh leaves, when bruised, are very useful and cooling when 
applied to the parts stung by insects; likewise for erysipelas, ulcers, 
and inflammation. 

This is a perennial plant, and generally well known. 


LOBELIA, Indian Tobacco (Lobelia Inflata). 

Parts used —Leaves and stems. 

For an antidote to poisons of all kinds, whether animal or 
vegetable, lobelia is a good remedy. It is regarded by some practi¬ 
tioners as efficacious in hydrophobia, in which cases have been 
reported as cured with it. Bites and stings of insects, spasms of the 
limbs and severe pains may be readily relieved by an application of 
a poultice of lobelia and weak lye. An external application of the 
tincture is very effectual for relieving sprains, bruises and for the 
poison from poison ivy or poison dog-wood, and likewise often 
effectual in rheumatic pains. The ethereal tincture of lobelia, which 
can be purchased at any drug store, will relieve almost instantly the 
violent paroxysms of asthma. Some physicians regard it as a good 
remedy for the bite of snakes. For an emetic, two teaspoonfuls of 
the powder are to be added to half a pint of hot water (but not boil¬ 
ing). After standing a few minutes it is ready for use. It may be 
given in half-teacupful doses every eight or ten minutes, along with 
pennyroyal balm, composition or some other warm herb-tea; and it 
is often well to drink freely of the tea of some one of these herbs 
before commencing the use of lobelia. When the tincture is used 
for an emetic, the dose is from one to two tablespoonfuls, repeated 
as before directed. It can be sweetened and made cpiite palatable. 
The lobelia should be continued until the patient has vomited two 
or three times. In sudden attacks of croup it is an admirable rem¬ 
edy. Dose for a child is one teaspoonful, given with some of the tea 
and repeated as before directed until thorough vomiting is obtained. 
It can be given in molasses or honey. * The throat and chest should 
be bathed with it at the same time. Ten or fifteen drops will pro¬ 
duce sickness in some persons. In asthma, give of the tincture a 
teaspoonful and repeat every half-hour during the paroxysms. It 
may produce sickness and vomiting or it may not; if it does, it is 
perhaps all the better for it. 

In reference to its power of controlling asthma, Dr. Cutler, a 
distinguished physician, makes the following remarks: 

“ It has been my misfortune to be an asthmatic for about ten 
years. I have tried a great variety of remedies, with but little 

43 



674 


LIVERWORT. 


benefit. Last summer I had the severest attack I ever experienced, 
for eight weeks. The tincture of lobelia gave me immediate relief, 
and I have been entirely free from the complaint since that time. 
My breathing at one time became so difficult I thought I should 
suffocate.” 

Description —It grows one or two feet high; the stem is 
hairy; the leaves are tapering, hairy above and below, bordered with 
small, irregular teeth; the flowers are palish blue, thinly scattered 
along the branches and upper part of the stem. The blossoms are 
followed by small pods which contain a large quantity of very small 
black seeds; when you break the plant a milky juice exudes. This 
plant grows throughout all parts of our country. 

The Oil of Lobelia is valuable in catarrh. In the commence¬ 
ment of this disease a few drops, added to a teacupful of ginger- 
tea and taken until perspiration results, will generally relieve the 
attack in a few hours. 


LIVERWORT, Tree-Foil, Silver-Leaf (Hepatica Triloba). 

Part used —The whole plant. 

This plant is recommended in lung-affections, ceughs, bleeding 
of the lungs, liver-complaint, and in the early stages of consump¬ 
tion. It is an innocent herb, and may be taken freely in infusion 
or sirup. 

Descrij)tion —The plant is small, rising only six to ten inches 
high, having a sort of three-lobed leaf on each stem, and purplish- 
white blossoms; found in timber lands, usually growing on the 
south side of hills. 


LIME {Calx). 

For dysentery and chronic diarrhea, lime-water is a very effi¬ 
cient remedy, and has performed cures when all else had failed. It 
is prepared by putting an ounce of unslaked lime in a quart of 
water. After standing two or three hours, pour off the clear liquor, 
as it may be wanted for use. Dose, from two to four tablespoon¬ 
fuls, three times a day. If the lime-water is added to a wineglass- 
ful of sweet milk, it is far more pleasant to the taste. Lime is a 
very convenient article to produce perspiration, when the patient is 
unable to be moved, or where it is desirable he should not be dis¬ 
turbed. Use in the following manner: Take half a dozen pieces 
of lime, each about the size of an egg, and wrap a moistened cloth 
around them; place them, thus prepared, on each side of the pa¬ 
tient and by both thighs, when free perspiration will be rapidly 
produced. Lime-water is a valuable application for burns, and its 
virtue is increased when mixed with linseed-oil. 




lion’s tOOT. 


675 


LION’S FOOT, White Lettuce, Rattlesnake Root 

(Nabalus Albus). 

Parts used —Roots, leaves and juice. 

^ This is a new remedy, but from limited nse it is satisfac- 
torily proven to be a good remedy in dysentery and summer-diar¬ 
rhea. It has been used with success also in leucorrhea. It has ac¬ 
quired some reputation in the bites of serpents, for which purpose 
it is applied locally as a poultice, while the tincture is given inter¬ 
nally. A saturated tincture of the root and plant may be made by 
adding four ounces to a half-pint of alcohol. The dose is from two 
to ten drops, according to the urgency of the symptoms. As a 
remedy for dysentery, from four to live drops may be given every 
two hours; for diarrhea, one to two drops, every four hours. 

Myricin is the active principle of this plant, which can be 
procured in the drug stores. In gleet, one or two grains of this medi¬ 
cine, given every three or four hours, and one grain dissolved in 
two tablespoonfuls of rose or rain-water and injected every four 
hours, will speedily relieve the disease. In leucorrhea, live or six 
grains, dissolved in a gill of warm water, may be used as an injec¬ 
tion with happy effect. The usual dose of this medicine is from 
one to two grains, three times a day. 

Description —This is a perennial plant, has a smooth stem, 
stout, of a purple color; height, two to four feet. The leaves are 
mostly lance-shaped and irregularly toothed. It grows in moist 
woods throughout the country. 


LEMON (Citrus Limonum). 

Lemon makes a very useful and grateful drink in all fevers and 
inflammatory diseases. One tablespoonful of lemon-juice taken 
three times a day is a certain cure for scurvy, and is also a preven¬ 
tive of it. Lemon-syrup or citric acid maybe used in its stead when 
the fresh lemon cannot be procured. A tablespoonful of the juice 
of roasted lemons, sweetened to the taste, taken every two or three 
hours, is an admirable remedy for coughs and colds. 

Diphtheria has often been cured with lemon-juice. The throat 
should be gargled with it every hour or two, and at the same time 
swallow a teaspoonful of it. Cases apparently in the last stages of 
the disease were saved by this remedy. The juice of two or three 
lemons, added to a gill of brandy and used as an external applica¬ 
tion, has cured erysipelas when all other means had failed. And 
there have been many cases of asthma permanently cured by the 
patient’s taking the juice of from one-half to a whole lemon a day. 
In a bilious attack, the juice of half a dozen lemons is worth more 
than all the pills you can carry, or more than you want to swallow. 
See page 80 for mode of using it. It will cure almost any case of 
headache, if prepared and used as follows: To the juice of two 



676 


LAUREL. 


large lemons add one quart of common table-tea, made from the 
best green tea. Add the juice to the tea when the latter is at boil¬ 
ing heat, and when cool bottle for use. Dose, one teacupful, 
repeated in two or three hours; but one dose is usually sufficient for 
a cure. It has cured chills and fever where all other remedies 
failed. The Spaniards regard it as an almost infallible remedy 
for this disease. For the mode of using it, see Chills and Fever. 
Most forms of sore throat can be cured with lemon juice. Use it as 
a gargle, and swallow a small portion in gargling. It is likewise 
effective in hoarseness. Some of the most hopeless cases of dropsy, 
that have been pronounced incurable by physicians, have been cured 
by the use of lemon juice. See Recipes. Lemon juice is one of 
the most effective remedies known for the cure of rheumatism. 
See article on Rheumatism. It will cure heart-burn when other 
remedies fail. One dose, of a half tablespoonful, diluted with a 
little water, is usually sufficient for a cure. 


LAUREL, Big Ivy, Calico Bush (.Kalmia Latifolia). 

Part used —The leaves. 

They are employed in dysentery, hemorrhages and inflamma¬ 
tory diseases, and said to be a valuable and efficient remedy in syph¬ 
ilis. Dose of the decoction, from one to two tablespoonfuls three 
times a day; in acute diseases every two or three hours. This is a 
vegetable narcotic, and must therefore be used with caution. When 
dangerous symptoms appear the dose should be lessened or discon¬ 
tinued. Dose of the tincture is ten to twenty drops three times a 
day, beginning with ten drops and increasing one or two drops each 
day until twenty are reached, carefully watching the symptoms. 

Description —This is a shrub growing on rocky hills, moun¬ 
tain sides and in damp soils, rising from four to ten feet and often 
forming dense thickets, and bearing red or rose-colored flowers. 
The shrub is often mistaken for the sheep-laurel (kalmia angusti- 
folid). 


LILY OF THE VALLEY (Convallaria Majalis). 

Parts used —The roots, the flowers and the herbs. 

This remedy is used as a substitute for digitalis, with the object 
of lowering the frequency and increasing the tone of the heart-beat, 
while avoiding the dangers which are inseparable from the use of 
that drug. Dose, of fluid extract of the root, five to ten drops; 
fluid extract of the flowers, five to ten drops; fluid extract of the 
herb, fifteen drops to a half teaspoonful. 

Found only at drug stores. 





MAIDEN HAIR. 


677 


MAIDEN HAIR (.Adiantum Capillus Veneris). 

Part used —The leaves. 

This is a good remedy in asthma, and also in erysipelas, colds, 
coughs, hoarseness, chronic catarrh, pleurisy and jaundice. It is 
a valuable cooling drink in fevers. The decoction may be used 
freely, as well as the sirup. 

Description —This is a native perennial fern, found mostly 
in shady soils, from twelve to fifteen inches high, with a smooth, 
slender, black stalk.* 


MALE FERN (Aspidium FUix Mas). 

Part used —The root. 

This is a celebrated remedy for expelling the tapeworm. The 
oil of this plant, which may be obtained at any drug store, is to be 
taken in doses of ten or fifteen drops, twice a day, followed by an 
active cathartic. Dose of the powder, two teaspoonfuls. If the 
infusion is used, one pint is to be taken, followed in a few hours 
by a cathartic. This plant is also employed in the itch. The infu¬ 
sion is to be used both internally and externally, followed by ap¬ 
plications of soap and water. 

Description —This plant has no stalks, but a number of 
large, featlier-like leaves, ascending from the root, from one to two 
feet high. 


MANNA. 

It is used mostly for delicate women and children, and in 
cases where there is a tendency to piles. It is remarkably agreeable 
and pleasant to the taste, and children usually relish it. Dose as a 
cathartic one or two ounces, for an adult; and for children, from a 
drachm to half an ounce. The flake-manna is the best variety, and 
may be dissolved in warm milk or water before taking. It is a far 
better remedy for little children than castor-oil, which is ruining 
the digestion of thousands. 

Found only at drug stores. 


MAGNOLIA TREE (.Magnolia Grandifiora). 

Part used —The bark of the root. 

It is useful in chills and fever. It is a good restorative tonic, 
used in dyspepsia and for convalescence from fevers, especially 
miasmatic fevers. It is employed in the form of a decoction, or 
bitters, taken in doses of two or three tablespoonfuls three times a 
day. 





678 


MANGO FRUIT. 


Description —It is an evergreen, cultivated as an ornamental 
tree in the southern portions of the United States. It has beautiful 
white flowers, possessing a delicious odor. 


MANGO FRUIT (Garcinia Mangostana). 

The fluid extract of the rind of the mango fruit, in doses of fif¬ 
teen drops to a teaspoonful, is employed as an astringent in the treat¬ 
ment of nasal catarrh, diarrhea, dysentery, leucorrhea; as a gargle 
in tonsilitis, and properly diluted as a lotion for foul ulcers and for 
prolapse of the rectum or vagina. 

Procured at drug stores. 


MAURANITA (Arctostaphylos Glaucd). 

Part employed —The leaves. 

This plant is a native of California, and the fluid extract is used 
as an astringent and tonic, but chiefly in treating gonorrhea and 
gleet, vesical catarrh, incontinence of urine and in leucorrhea. Dose, 
twenty drops to a teaspoonful. 

Found in drug stores. 


MARSHMALLOW {Althcea). 

Parts used —The root and leaves. 

It is employed with good results in the treatment of acute gon¬ 
orrhea, and all affections of the mucous membrane of the lungs 
and bowels, inflammation of the kidneys and bladder, retention of 
urine and strangury. The infusion should be drunk freely. Its 
effects are improved when equal parts of spearmint are added. It is 
useful for the prevention of gangrene, when used in the form of a 
poultice made of the powdered root and leaves, and is also excellent 
for bruises and inflammatory swellings. 

Description —It is cultivated in gardens and growls wild, 
generally about wet, marshy land, from three to six feet high; 
light, pink-colored flowers, followed by little capsules or buttons, 
each containing a single seed. 


MARIGOLD (Calendula Officinalis), 

Parts used —The leaves and flowers. 

The tincture of this plant is good, applied to old ulcers and 
sores, to cause them to heal. It is useful applied to fresh bruises 
and contused wounds. It is generally diluted with water; to a 






MARSH ROSEMARY. 


679 


tumbler of water add a tablespoonful of the tincture and apply by 
means of muslin saturated with it. 

Description —It bears beautiful yellow flowers and is culti¬ 
vated in gardens as an ornamental plant. 


MARSH ROSEMARY, Sea-lavender (Statice Caroliniana). 

Part used —The root. 

The decoction of this herb is used as an injection, three times a 
day, for falling of the womb, gonorrhea, gleet and leucorrhea. A 
gargle of the same is good for sore throat and as a wash for old 
ulcers. The decoction, taken in one or two tablespoonful doses every 
two hours generally checks bowel-disease in children. Combine the 
infusion of this herb with equal parts of the infusion of black 
cohosh and golden seal, and you have one of the best injections for 
falling of the womb. 

Description —This plant grows in salt-marshes along the 
sea-coast. It has a large and somewhat fleshy root; stalk one to 
two feet high and flowers of a bluish-purple color. 


MAY APPLE, Mandrake (Podophyllum Peltaturri). 

Part used —The root. 

This plant is most commonly known as mandrake, and is, per¬ 
haps, more highly esteemed as a purgative medicine and a remedy 
for acting on the liver, than for other purposes. In chronic affec¬ 
tions of the liver it has few superiors for arousing this organ to a 
healthy action, and finally effecting a cure in torpid conditions of 
this organ. For a cathartic, give of the powdered root fifteen to 
twenty grains; of the tincture, twenty to fifty drops. When it is 
not designed to act as a cathartic but to produce an alterative effect, 
give five to ten drops of the tincture, or one to three grains of the 
powder twice a day. Dr. Lobstein says, he never knew its employ¬ 
ment to fail of procuring immediate relief in cases of incontinence 
of urine. Used in the form of a powder and sprinkled on the 
affected parts, it will destroy proud flesh without injury to the 
sound parts, and applied likewise to all ill-conditioned ulcers it dis¬ 
poses them to heal very rapidly. With some persons it is an 
effective remedy for constipation, and many women regard it as one 
of the foremost remedies in suppressed and painful menstruation. 

Podopliyllin is the concentrated principle of the May-apple, 
and is very extensively used in place of the crude article, but gen¬ 
erally in combination with other medicines. The most effective 
manner of administering is in the form of pills, obtained in any 
drug store. In cases of determination of blood to the brain, this 




680 


MILK WEED. 


article, given in cathartic doses, is prompt and will soon restoi e the 
equilibrium of the circulation. It should never be given without 
being mixed, one grain to ten, with sugar-of-milk, as it is so power¬ 
ful that it has an irritating effect on the mucous coat of the 
alimentary canal. Thus prepared, the usual dose is from one to 
four grains, two or three times a day; as an alterative, give from 
one-lialf to one grain. In old cases of mercurial poisoning it acts 
promptly; as a tonic and alterative, the tincture of May-apple is 
generally preferred to podophyllin, in doses of ten to fifteen drops. 

It is a native plant of common growth. 


MILK-WEED, Common Silk-Weed (.Acclepias Syriaca). 

When this plant is cut, or an incision made in it, a milky juice 
exudes which is reputed a cure for warts. The root acts on the 
kidneys and is a valuable remedy in dropsy, retention of urine, dys¬ 
pepsia, scrofula and rheumatism. It is given generally in decoc¬ 
tion. Bruise four ounces of the root and boil in three quarts of 
water dowrn to one quart or less, and take half a teacupful three 
times a day. Dose of the saturated tincture, from one to two tea¬ 
spoonfuls, three times a day. 

Description— Height, two to four feet, with large, smooth 
stalks and large, oblong leaves, two opposite each other on the stalk; 
having large, whitish-purple flowers; with large, oblong pods tilled 
with a sort of fine cotton and seeds. 


MISTLETOE (Phoradendron Flavescens). 

Dr. Long recommends this as a remedy to ameliorate the trou¬ 
bles of parturition and claims for it many advantages over ergot, 
particularly that it acts more promptly and surely, and that it is 
equally effective in delayed menstruation. Dose, from half to a 
teaspoonful, every twenty or thirty minutes, until the desired etfect 
is produced. 


MOUNTAIN SAGE (.Artemisia Frigida). 

Part employed —The herb. 

This herb grows in the Western United States and is used as a 
substitute for quinine, as a fluid extract, dose one to two teaspoon¬ 
fuls. In the treatment of periodic fevers a teaspoonful of the fluid 
extract is given in a glass of hot, strong lemonade, one hour before 
the expected chill, and repeated in thirty minutes if the stage of 
perspiration is not exhibited. In rheumatism, scarlet fever, diph¬ 
theria, etc., it is given hot as above and repeated every half-hour 
until perspiration and urination are established. 

To be had at drug stores. 





MOTHERWORT. 


681 


MOTHERWORT (Leonurus Cardiaca). 

Parts used —The leaves and the tops. 

The extract of this plant is valuable for nervous complaints of 
females, such as neuralgia, spasms, nervous fevers and wakefulness. 
The warm infusion of the tops and leaves is beneficial in suppressed 
menstruation from colds and suppressed lochial discharge. Dose 
of the decoction, from one to two wineglassfuls, every two or three 
hours; of the extract, three to live grains. 

Description —Height, from two to three feet, bearing some 
resemblance to hoarhound, but has much longer and darker-green 
leaves. It is found growing usually along road-sides and about old 
buildings, generally in bunches. 


MULLEIN ( Verbascum Thapsus). 

Part used —The leaves. 

A decoction of the leaves is used in catarrh, coughs, dysentery, 
piles, inflammation of the bladder and bleeding from the lungs. 
Used externally they are an admirable remedy in quinsy, malignant 
sore-throat and irr mumps, and afford immediate relief in acute 
rheumatism, to be applied in the form of a fomentation with hot 
vinegar. When made in the form of a poultice they are good 
applied to ulcers, sores and tumors. A decoction made of equal 
Darts with horsemint and drunk freely three times a day is an excel¬ 
lent remedy for disease of the kidneys. 

Description —Mullein is a very common plant growing 
in all parts of the country, in old fields and open grounds. It has 
a straight stalk, from three to seven feet high. The leaves are soft 
and velvet-like, and at the top it has a spike of yellow flowers. 


MUSTARD (Sinapis Alba). 

Part used —The seeds. 

The bruised seed or the powder, mixed with Indian meal or 
flour to form a plaster, is excellent to relieve inflammation, nervous 
headache, sickness at the stomach, or soreness of the lungs from a 
sudden cold. Dyspepsia has often been cured with the seeds, par¬ 
ticularly when it"was accompanied with constipation. Dose, a tea¬ 
spoonful three times a day. It is often used externally to relieve 
rheumatic pains. Mustard applied to the nape of the neck often 
relieves nervous headache. Neuralgia is sometimes relieved by it. 
And in eruptive diseases that have left the surface it is an admir¬ 
able remedy for bringing out the eruption again. In those cases it 
should be applied to the extremities. Mustard foot bath is excellent 
to allay fever, relieve headache, promote perspiration, and for sup¬ 
pressed menses. In administering mustard as an emetic for poison- 





(U2 


NETTLE. 


ing, give the patient a teaspoonful mixed with a glassful of warm 
water, and repeat the dose in fifteen minutes. 

Mode of Preparing* the Poultice —Take a sufficient 
quantity of powdered mustard to make a thin paste, mix with 
boiling water, with a small quantity of vinegar added when a very 
strong poultice is required, and spread on brown paper or cloth, 
with a piece of thin muslin over it. Apply for ten to twenty min¬ 
utes. If the skin is very irritable afterwards, a little flour should 
be sprinkled over it, or cream applied to the inflamed surface. If 
the white of an egg be used to mix the mustard with, it will prevent 
blistering; sirup or molasses may be used for the same purpose, but 
is not so efficacious. 


NETTLE (Urtica Dioica). 

Part used —The entire plant. 

For spitting of blood and all hemorrhages of the lungs, 
stomach and urinary organs, this is one of the most powerful agents 
in the vegetable materia medica. It has also been employed suc¬ 
cessfully in diarrhea and dysentery. It should be drunk freely in 
the form of a decoction. For hemorrhages, the’expressed juice of 
the fresh leaves is regarded as more effective than the decoction, 
given in teaspoonful doses every hour or as often as the nature of 
the case demands. It is a favorite remedy among the Germans for 
neuralgia, to be taken in doses of four tablespoonfuls of the decoc¬ 
tion three times a day, and at the same time bruise the leaves and 
apply as a poultice to the affected parts. When ten or twelve of 
the seeds are taken at a dose, three times a day, they are said to be 
a very effectual remedy for goiter, or “ big neck.” 

It may be found growing plentifully in almost all parts of the 
United States, and is sometimes known as the “ stinging nettle.” 


NIGHT-BLOOMING CEREUS (Cactus Grandiflorus). 

Parts used —The young branches and the flowers. 

This plant is now regarded as an effectual cure for one form of 
the heart-disease, medically called angina pectoris. It must be 
given in small doses two or three times a day and its use persever- 
ingly employed. The saturated tincture should be used. It is made 
by adding two ounces of the fresh bloom to half a pint of alcohol. 
Dose, one to five drops, every one, two or three hours, according to 
the urgency of the symptoms. But after these have passed it may 
be administered regularly three times a day in two or three-drop 
doses. This medicine is also recommended in dropsy and rheuma¬ 
tism. 

This plant grows plentifully in Mexico, but seldom found in 
the United States, except in drug stores. 




NUX VOMICA. 


683 


NUX VOMICA {Dog Button). 

In the administration of this medicine, great care must be 
observed, as it is a powerful poison. 

It is used in paralysis, neuralgia, in all forms of neurosis and 
nervous debility, dyspepsia, obstinate constipation, painful and sup¬ 
pressed menstruation, chronic dysentery, chills and fever, St. Vitus’s 
dance, mania, chronic inflammation of the spleen and rheumatism. 
Dose of the extract, from one sixtieth, to one thirteenth of a grain. 
Nux vomica must not be used in local inflammation of the brain or 
spinal cord, where there is determination of blood to the head, nor 
for apoplectic or corpulent persons. 

Lt is an efficacious remedy in cholera-morbus and diarrhea, in 
cases which are attended with much debility, and likewise in cases 
of congestion of the liver. It is a valuable medicine in indigestion, 
accompanied with pain and flatulence of the stomach. For this 
purpose, from one to three drops of the tincture may be taken in 
water. One dose will ordinarily be sufficient, but if not, a second 
may be taken in an hour or two. A strong tincture may be prepared 
by adding four ounces of powdered nux to half a pint of alcohol 
(96°). The dose of this is from one to five drops. 

Brucine —From Nux Vomica is obtained another and valuable 
alkaloid called brucine, which possesses the powers of strychnia, 
but in a far safer degree, as it is not so powerful an agent. It is 
being investigated and some sanguine practitioners entertain high 
expectations of seeing it very prominent in the list of remedies for 
nervous debility and neurosis generally. 

It is from this article that strychnine—one of the most deadly 
poisons known—is obtained, half a grain of which will frequently 
cause death. 

Found only in drug stores. 


NUTMEG ( Nux Moschata). 

It is generally used in combination with other medicines and 
to flavor articles of diet and drink, but as a general rule, the less 
it is used for the latter purpose the better. When charred it has 
been used with success in the cure of chills and fever, taken in doses 
of ten to twenty grains, twice a day, and at the time the chill 
comes on. Grated nutmeg mixed with lard is often used as an 
application to the piles. It is used to remove flatulency, but should 
be taken in small doses, as from five to ten grains, for in large doses 
it will produce stupor and delirium. 


NUT-GALLS (Gallo). 


These galls are used in bowel-complaints and are especially 
good in chronic diarrhea. For children it is best to boil in milk. 




G84 


ORANGE. 


Dose of the infusion, two tablespoonfuls; of the tincture, ten to 
twenty drops, to be taken two or three times a day. Add a half¬ 
teaspoonful of alum to one pint of the strong infusion; this makes 
a valuable injection in leucorrliea, falling of the womb and gleet. 
Three of the galls are sufficient to make a pint of the strong infus¬ 
ion. Because of their astringency they are useful in bleeding from 
the lungs, stomach and bowels, and can be given in the form of 
powder in doses of from one to ten grains every three hours. 

Found in drug stores. 


ORANGE (Citrus Aurantium). 

The juice of the orange is a good remedy for the scurvy, and 
useful in measles, small pox, etc. It is used freely in fevers, when 
there is a dark brown coat on the tongue. The rind or peel should 
not be taken into the stomach, as it is very difficult of digestion. 
Orange juice is mildly tonic, but should not be used in large quan¬ 
tities, as it has produced injurious symptoms. The oil of orange is 
prepared from the rind, and the oil of neroli from the flowers. 


OREGON OR WILD GRAPE (Berberis Aquifolium). 

This plant possesses extraordinary powers as a combined altera¬ 
tive and tonic. It is said to be a very reliable remedy in syphilitic 
and scrofulous diseases, and salt rheum. Dose of the fluid extract, 
from fifteen to thirty drops, three times a day. A decoction of the 
root may be drunk freely. 

Dr. R. Leonard, of Chicago, uses the following language in 
reference to this shrub, or plant, in the treatment of syphilis: 
“ During the past year, having considerable venereal practice, I have 
used berberis aquifolium for syphilis, almost to the exclusion of 
other internal remedies, with very gratifying results. Occasionally 
I have combined five gr. doses of iodine of potassium, and in nearly 
one hundred cases have had the pleasure of seeing the disease 
disappear more promptly in every case than it ever did when I 
relied upon the old forms of treatment.” 

Prof. Bundy, of the California Medical College, thus speaks 
of this plant: “ It was first brought to my notice by a gentleman 
who had been suffering for years from syphilis and after using the 
root of this shrub for eleven months every vestige of the disease 
had disappeared.” And he further says, u It will break chills, as 
certain as quinine. Its power as an alterative is certainly marvelous 
and not only as an alterative but a tonic also. The root is the part 
used; it is extremely hard and tough and of a bright golden yellow 
in color, and of intense but pleasant bitter taste. As a general 
tonic I know of nothing that can excel it.” 




OPIUM. 


635 


Description —It is a slirub from two to six feet high, bearing 
acid berries, containing from one to three seeds. 

Parke, Davis & Co.’s preparations of this plant are regarded by 
physicians as superior to those found elsewhere. 


OPIUM (Papaver Somniferum). 

This is the concrete juice of the unripe seed vessels of the 
white poppy, which is cultivated in gardens, as a flower. It is used 
in all forms of disease where pain, nervous irritability, spasms and 
morbid mucous discharges are present. It is employed to allay 
pain and lessen nervous excitability in nearly all diseases. 

The dose of opium varies according to the susceptibility of the 
patient to its influence; from one fourth of a grain to two grains, 
and in extreme cases as many as three grains may be given, two or 
three times a day. For the purpose of producing sleep and relief 
from pain, under ordinary circumstances, the dose is one grain; of 
the tincture ten to forty drops; twenty-five drops is the usual 
dose for a strong, healthy adult. Externally, in the form of a lini¬ 
ment or plaster, it is used to relieve pain and subdue inflammation, 
as in rheumatism, neuralgia, erysipelas, etc. As a general rule, it 
should not be used (except in combination) where there is deter¬ 
mination of blood to the head, or in constipation. In too large 
doses, it produces an apoplectic state and death. There are thous¬ 
ands, including many physicians, who use opium very imprudently 
and destructively. Some extremists say there are but few drugs 
that have produced more deaths than this, especially among chil¬ 
dren. At the first cry of helpless innocence, the young mother calls 
forth that potent pain-relieving and sleep-producing potation in the 
form of her favorite soothing syrup, thereby endangering the life 
of the infant and laying the certain foundations of future misery 
by undermining and destroying the health of the child. 

In certain conditions of the system, the administration of 
opium or morphine is extremely dangerous; and it is questionable 
whether either of these, including laudanum and paregoric, which 
are preparations of opium, contain any curative properties. But 
the fact is unquestionable, that opium in any of its forms may pro¬ 
duce injurious and possibly fatal effects in ignorant hands and 
injudiciously administered. 

If the skin is dry and hot and the pulse hard, small and quick, 
the mouth dry, the pupils contracted, the eyes dull and heavy, the 
face flushed, and there is headache or determination of blood to the 
brain, with an expressionless countenance, then if opium should be 
taken, it would be at the peril of life. At any time when the above 
conditions prevail do not permit any one to administer this medicine. 

Papaverin —This is the aqueous extract of the poppy, or 
opium, and is quite different in its effects from opium or morphine. 



686 


ONION. 


The instances are numerous where the calming properties of opium 
are desired without its constipating effects, as in neuralgia, colic, 
rheumatism, gout and other painful affections. This preparation 
may be used here, as it does not leave the same very unpleasant effects 
that follow the use of opium, as headache, sick stomach, restless¬ 
ness, delirium, etc. This article is prepared in either the tiuid or 
solid form. The dose is from one-sixth to one-eighth of a grain. 
The preparation called svapnia is said to be similar to the above. 

Morphine —This is the concentrated preparation of opium. 
There are several preparations of morphine employed; namely, sul¬ 
phate, valerinate, acetate and muriate of morphine or morphia. 
But the sulphate of morphia is most commonly used. It is in the 
form of a tine, white powder, the dose of which is is from one- 
eighth to one-half a grain, one-sixth of a grain being equivalent 
to one grain of opium. Persons habituated to its use are able to 
bear double w T hat they otherwise would. It should never be given 
to infants, as there is danger of giving too much. 

Laudanum —This is a tincture of opium. It can be made 
by tincturing a half-ounce of opium in a half-pint of spirits. Dose 
is from live drops to twenty-five, but the latter amount should only be 
given in cases of extreme pain. For a child one month old, one 
drop only should be added to a tablespoonful of water, and one tea¬ 
spoonful of this given for a dose every four hours; and then it may 
be increased according to age. 

Paregoric —This a milder preparation of opium. It is made 
of opium, oil of anise, benzoic acid, gum-camphor and dilute 
alcohol. It is anodyne, used to allay pain. Dose, for children under 
three years of age, five drops, and over that age ten drops. 


ONION (.Allium Cepa). 

The onion is a popular remedy for croup. It may be sliced 
and sugar mixed with it and the sirup given to the patient; or it 
may be roasted and the expressed juice given. For manner of 
using, see “ Croup,” page 434. It is useful in colds of infants, and 
makes a good poultice for foul ulcers, boils, suppurating tumors, 
etc. For coughs and pain in the side or chest, slice onions and fry 
them, and apply them in form of a poultice at night, and it will 
give relief to the patient and afford sleep. It is also used as a dis¬ 
infectant by hanging them around the house and in the sick-room. 


OLIVE OIL (Oleum Olivoe). 

This oil taken internally is useful in inflammation of the 
stomach and bowels. Dose as a laxative, one tablespoonful; and 
with some patients it may require even more. This oil has been 




OIL OF CAJEPUT. 


687 


used in coughs and catarrh. It is employed with good success 
when applied externally over the whole surface of the body, in scar¬ 
let fever and other febrile eruptive diseases. It is regarded as a sure 
cure for the bite of poisonous snakes, taken internally and at the 
same time applied externally. Dose, a tablespoonful every ten to 
twenty minutes, until eight or ten are taken. Olive-oil is one of 
the mildest laxatives we have, and should always be used with little 
children where castor-oil is now used. In consequence of the 
injurious and destructive effects castor oil has on their tender 
digestive organs, it should never be given if it can be avoided. Olive- 
oil is a valuable article for injections, by rubbing up two or three 
tablespoonfuls with the yolk of an egg and adding a little water. 
Dyspeptics should not use this oil. It is much adulterated with 
cotton seed oil, and therefore great care should be exercised in the 
purchase of it, in order to obtain the pure article. 


OIL OF CAJEPUT (Oleum Ggjeput). 

This oil is employed with good effect in chronic rheumatism, 
cholera-morbus, colic, flatulence, spasms, convulsions, cramps of 
the stomach and bowels, and where a powerful stimulant is required. 
The dose is from one to five drops on sugar. It is useful in many 
cases of toothache, applied on cotton to the cavity of the tooth. It 
is often used externally for painful affections, as neuralgia, rheu¬ 
matism, etc., but in such cases it is generally combined with other 
oils in the form of a liniment. 

Found only at drug stores. 


PARAGUAY TEA {Ilex Paraguaiensis). 

Part used —The leaves. 

This is a powerful nerve stimulant, not acting like tea or coffee. 
Persons who take this can go without eating for an incredibly long 
time. It sustains the system during the hot summer months in a 
remarkable manner, preventing the tired and relaxed feeling that 
exists at that season of the year. Dose of the fluid extract, one- 
half to a teaspoonful three or four times daily. 


PARSLEY (.Ap ium Petroselinum ). 

Parts used —The herb and seeds. 

This herb is noted for curing dropsy, for which purpose it is 
to be used freely in the form of a decoction. An infusion is effica¬ 
cious in suppression of urine and inflammation of the kidneys and 
bladder. This plant is generally employed by mothers to arrest the 





688 


PA PAW SEEDS. 


flow of milk after weaning children. For this jmrpose the leaves 
are to be bruised, saturated with camphor and applied hot as a fer¬ 
mentation. The powdered leaves and seeds, sprinkled on the head, 
will effectually destroy vermin of all kinds. They are also of much 
value in the night-sweats of consumption. Dose of the fluid ex¬ 
tract, from one half to a teaspoonful, three or four times a day 
This is a common plant, growing throughout the country. 


PAPAW SEEDS (Uvaria Triloba ). 

It is employed in constipation, dyspepsia and piles. In large 
doses it acts as an emetic. Dose of the fluid extract, ten to twenty 
drops, three or four times a day. 


PARTRIDGE-BERRY, Winter Clover, Squaw-Vine, 
Cliecker-berry (Mitchella Repens). 

Part used —The vine. 

A decoction of the vine is reputed to cure dropsy. To be drunk 
freely three or four times a day. It is popular among women 
in cases of parturition. Its use is very common among the 
Indians; the squaws drink the decoction several weeks before and 
during delivery, which it is said renders that dreaded event remark¬ 
ably safe and easy. It is highly esteemed by some as a remedy in 
piles and diarrhea, for which it is prepared by boiling in sweet milk; 
to be drunk three or four times a day. The tea has been used with 
success in suppression of urine. 

Description —It is a small, ever-green, perennial vine, lying 
close to the ground, usually in beds or mats. The leaves are small 
and round; flowers, white; the berries, bright scarlet. It is found 
in shady woods. 


PEACH-TREE (Amygdalus Persica). 

Parts used —Bark, leaves and pits. 

Peach-pits tinctured in brandy, are an efficacious remedy in the 
treatment of leucorrhea. The proportions are two ounces to a pint 
of brandy. Dose, a teaspoonful three times a day. This tincture is 
a powerful tonic, and for this purpose it is used in fever and ague, 
debility, etc. A bitters made of the leaves, or of the bark of the 
root, taken in tablespoonful doses, four or five times a day, is a pop¬ 
ular remedy for the cure of jaundice. A tea or sirup of the bark or 
leaves is an excellent purgative, and useful in bowel complaints and 
worms; given to children in teaspoonful doses, until it operates on 
the bowels. To grown persons, double that quantity should be 





PENCIL FLOWER. 


6S9 


given. A tea of the bark is one of the best remedies for bloody 
urine, and for bleeding from other internal parts. The leaves, 
employed as a fomentation and often renewed, are a superior rem¬ 
edy for inflammations, especially of the stomach and bowels. The 
gum which exudes from the peach tree answers all the purposes of 
gum-Arabic, and is regarded as superior to it. A strong tea or 
sirup of the bark or leaves is most admirable to check vomiting; 
and especially for nervous vomiting, it is one of the most positive 
remedies we have. It will generally control the vomiting of 
cholera-morbus. It usually acts very promptly in allaying vomit¬ 
ing in morning sickness. For these purposes, it may be taken in 
doses of two to four tablespoonfuls every one or two hours, or oftener 
in urgent cases. 


PENCIL FLOWER (,Stylosanthes Eliator). 

Part employed —The herb. 

This plant grows in the Middle and Southern States, and the 
fluid extract of the herb in doses of ten to twenty drops, three times 
a day prior to confinement, is used as a uterine sedative and tonic. 
Its effects are to relieve the irritability of the uterus and consequent 
abnormal pains liable to occur during the latter months of gesta¬ 
tion. 

Procured at drug stores. 


PEONY, Piny (.Pceonia Officinalis). 

Parts used —The root and seeds. 

This is employed in spasms, whooping-cough, St. Vitus’s dance, 
and in nervous diseases generally. It is to be made in an infusion, 
one ounce of the root coarsely bruised to one pint of boiling water. 
Dose, from a third to half a teacupful three times a day; of the 
powdered root, a teaspoonful three times a day, in case of fits. It 
was regarded in ancient times as a sovereign remedy for fits, or 
epilepsy. 

It is cultivated in gardens on account of its beautiful red 
flowers. 


PEPPERMINT (.Mentha Piperita.) 

Parts used —Leaves and stems. 

Useful to check nausea and vomiting, to expel wind, relieve 
hysterics and prevent the griping effects of cathartics. Bruised 
and applied to the stomachs of children, it is useful to allay sickness 
and vomiting. It is mostly used in the form of essence. It is also 
a superior remedy for sea-sickness. 

44 





690 


PENNYROYAL. 


Description —From one to two feet liigh. It grows wild 
and is extensively cultivated in many parts of the country. 


PENNYROYAL (Hedeoma Pulegioides.) 

Parts used —The tops and stems. 

The warm infusion is used to promote perspiration. It is 
employed in colds, obstructed menses, colic in children, and as a 
sweating and cooling drink in fevers. The tincture, or the oil of 
pennyroyal, is often employed in whooping-cough and spasms, to 
he taken in doses of two to ten drops. Equal parts of the oil and 
linseed-oil are a very valuable application for burns. It is said to 
be useful in rheumatic affections, used as a hot fomentation and 
applied externally. The infusion may be drunk freely several times 
a day. 

This is an annual plant, growing plentifully throughout the 
country. 


PENTHORUM SEDOIDES. 

This remedy has of late attracted much notice as a cure for 
catarrh, catarrhal inflammation of the larynx, chronic bronchitis, 
with increased secretion of mucus j and catarrhal affections of the 
stomach and bowels. It is demulcent, laxative and somewhat 
astringent in its action. Dose of the extract, ten to twenty drops. 


PERSULPHATE OF IRON. 

This preparation of iron is the most powerful external astringent 
that we have and will arrest hemorrhage from small vessels very 
promptly. As an injection for falling of the womb it may be used 
in solution of ten or twenty grains to the ounce of water, or the 
common solution diluted one-half is strong enough. In piles, if the 
tumors are not too large, it cures them entirely. It may be 
applied, diluted one-half with water, twice a day, and held on the 
tumors a few minutes. It the tumors are internal it must be used 
by injection, or just after stool, if they then protrude. 


PERUVIAN BARK (Cinchona Officinalis). 

There are several varieties, the principal of which are red, pale 
and yellow barks. This is a popular remedy for chills and fever. 
Quinine, which is an extract of this bark, is now generally used 
instead of it and for the same purposes. The yellow bark is "gener- 







PERSIMMON. 


691 


ally employed in the preparation of quinine. The red is recom¬ 
mended as a cure of opium habit and also of alcoholism. 

Found at drug stores only. 


PERSIMMON (Diospyros Virginiand). 

Parts used —The bark and unripe fruit. 

The infusion forms an invaluable gargle for ulcerated sore 
mouth and throat, and likewise an injection in leucorrliea. It has 
been successfully used in chronic dysentery, diarrhea, flooding, and 
fever and ague. Dose of the infusion or sirup, one teaspoonful or 
more every three hours. 

This tree is common in the Middle and Southern States. 


PETROLEUM {Mecca Oil). 

The Mecca oil is the crude petroleum or coal-oil. 

It is said to be used very successfully in chronic bronchitis and 
laryngitis (clergyman’s sore throat), where there is great irritability. 
It is also employed in scrofula. Dose, from thirty to sixty drops, 
three times a day. It is often given in same size doses as a remedy 
for kidney diseases. It is one of the best remedies in use for 
wounds, applied externally and likewise in skin-diseases. The com¬ 
mon kerosene or lamp-oil is an admirable remedy in croup, applied 
externally to the throat and chest, at the same time taken in doses 
from two to five drops internally. Also in many cases of sore 
throat and diptheria it acts promptly. It is a very excellent appli¬ 
cation for burns, and has frequently cured some forms of rheuma¬ 
tism. 


PINK-ROOT, Carolina Pink {Spigelia Marilandica ). 

Part used —The root. 

It is a valuable remedy for worms, and when employed for this 
purpose senna should be added to prevent any nervous symptoms 
and to increase the virtues of the pink. Steep one ounce of the 
pink-root and four drachms of senna in one quart of water. Dose, 
two tablespoonfuls, twice a day. When the powdered root is 
employed, give one to two teaspoonfuls; to children ten to twenty 
grains, according to age. 

Description —Height, from one to two feet, purplish-colored 
stalk, pink-shaped flowers, which are of a bright red color outside 
and yellowish inside. 

It grows wild in most of the States. # 





692 


PLEURISY-ROOT. 


PLEURISY-ROOT, Butter fly-Wee cl, White Root, 

Asclepias Tuberosa). 

Part used —The root. 

This is highly extolled as a remedy for the cure of pleurisy. It 
is a superior medicine for relieving difficult breathing and diseases 
of the lungs. A warm tea of equal parts of pleurisy-root and wild 
yam is unsurpassed for the cure of colic. This root is a good rem¬ 
edy in acute rheumatism and dysentery. As a diaphoretic, or 
sweating medicine, it is regarded unsurpassed. It relieves pain ni 
the breast and bowels, and assists digestion. Dose of the infusion 
or strong decoction, from one to four tablespoonfuls, to be repeated 
once an hour, or as often as the exigencies of the case may require, 
or until free perspiration is induced; after which, give a tablespoonful 
three times a day; of the powder, thirty to sixty grains (half to a tea¬ 
spoonful) three times a day. Dose of the extract or tincture, from 
thirty to fifty drops. 

Description —This plant has a large, white, crooked, branch¬ 
ing, perennial root, sending up several erect, round, hairy or wooly 
stems, branching at the top, green or red. Leaves promiscuous, 
very hairy, pale on the under side, of an oblong shape, and thick or 
fleshy. Flowers of a beautiful, brilliant orange-color. 

It is found in open lands, gravelly and loose soils, along 
streams and roadsides. 


PLANTAIN ( Plantago Major.) 

Part used —The whole plant. 

Plantain is a superior remedy for neuralgia. Take two to five 
drops of the tincture every twenty minutes. Usually a few doses 
will give relief. The juice of the leaves will cure the bite of rattle¬ 
snakes, poisonous insects, etc. It is to be taken in tablespoonful 
doses every hour, and at the same time apply the bruised leaves to 
the wound. When applied to wounds, ulcers, erysipelas, salt-rheum 
and other affections of the skin, in a poultice of the leaves, they are 
invaluable. It is said that a strong decoction of the leaves and root 
will break the chills; it will cure in the early stages of syphilis when 
taken in one to two wineglassfuls, three times a day. The green 
seeds and stems boiled in milk will generally cure diarrhea and 
bowel-complaints of children. It is also very useful in scrofula, 
piles and leucorrhea. Dose of the decoction, from one-half to a tea- 
cupful, three times a day. 

Native and growspn all parts of the country. 



POISON HEMLOCK. 


693 


POISON HEMLOCK, Poison Parsley (Conium 

Maculatum). 

Parts used —Leaves and seeds. 

This is useful in scrofula, goiter, enlargement and palpitation 
of the heart. It is also used for quieting the nerves and inducing 
sleep. Dose of the extract, one-fourth to half a grain; of the inspis¬ 
sated juice, from half a grain to two grains, three times a day. The 
leaves are very useful applied as a poultice to tumors and ulcers. 
This plant is a narcotic poison and must be used with care. It is 
not much used latterly. 

Found in meadows and swamps. 


POMEGRANATE (Punica Granatum). 

Parts used —Rind of the fruit and bark of the roots. 

The bark is almost a specific for the expulsion of tape-worm. 
Two ounces of the bark are steeped in two pints of water for twelve 
hours, after which the whole is boiled down to one pint, strained, 
and given in wineglassful doses every two hours, until the whole is 
taken. It usually causes several passages of the bowels or nausea 
and vomiting. The doses generally require to be taken for several 
successive mornings before the whole of the worm passes away. 

Found only in drug stores. 


POKE ROOT (.Phytolacca Decand/ra). 

Parts used —The roots, leaves and berries. 

Both the berries and root of this plant are in high repute for the 
treatment and cure of rheumatism. Take half a pint of the juice of 
the ripe berries and an equal quantity of a strong decoction of rat¬ 
tle-root; add one gill of the best brandy. This given in doses of 
one to two tablespoonfuls three times a day, has cured long stand¬ 
ing cases of rheumatism. The juice of the berries dried in the sun 
until it forms the proper consistence for a plaster, applied twice a 
day has cured cancers. Dose of the extract, two to three grains; 
of the powdered root, three to five grains, two to three times a day. 
The root, roasted in embers and ashes and made into a poultice and 
applied, will scatter tumors and felons if applied in time; if too late 
for that it will hasten suppuration or the formation of “ matter.” 
It is said that an application of the juice of the leaves will cure the 
itch and also ringworm. 

Poke is a favorite remedy with some physicians in the treat¬ 
ment of syphilis, scrofula and chronic skin diseases. The old, dried 
root of this plant is of but little value. 

Description —It grows from four to six feet high, with a large 
stalk; leaves large and scattering, with large bunches of soft, blood- 
red berries. 




694 


POOR man’s hour glass. 


POOR MAN’S HOUR GLASS (.Anagallis Arvensis). 

Part used —The herb. 

This plant has recently proven to be an excellent remedy for 
asthma. It is of much value in hysterics, epileptic fits and in all 
nervous affections. Dose of the tincture, in acute cases, from three 
to five drops, every hour or two; in chronic cases, three times a day; 
of the infusion, a teaspoonful. It must be used with care, as it is 
poisonous in large doses. 

Description —It is a creeping plant, of a bright-green color, 
with small, scarlet-purple blossoms, opening in cloudy weather, 
found in gardens and along roadsides. 


POPPY (Palaver Somniferum). 

Parts used —Leaves, flowers and seeds. 

This is the common white poppy and has been referred to 
under the head of opium, which is a product of this plant and gen¬ 
erally used for the same purposes. A tea or decoction of the leaves, 
blossoms or heads may be used in place of opium. Poultices made 
with this decoction are very excellent when applied to painful swell¬ 
ings, ulcers and inflammation, to soothe and lessen the pain. The 
infusion is used in nervous headache, cholera morbus, toothache and 
earache. 

Cultivated in gardens as a flower and for medicinal purposes. 


PRICKLY ASH (Xanthoxylum Fraxineum). 

Parts used —The bark of the root and the berries. 

The berries in the form of bitters are esteemed a good remedy 
in cholera and are unsurpassed as a cure for rheumatism. It is an 
excellent tonic in convalescence from fevers and other diseases. It 
promotes general perspiration, warms and invigorates the stomach 
and strengthens the digestive organs. It also tends to ecpialize the 
circulation. The tincture of the berries is a superior remedy for 
pains in the stomach, colic, diarrhea, cold feet and for whatever 
depends on a sluggish circulation. And the tincture, made by 
steeping the inside bark in whisky, will afford relief in the most 
inveterate cases of toothache. A small portion of it is to be held in 
in the mouth. The fresh bark chewed will answer the same pur¬ 
pose. Dose of the tincture, from one to two teaspoonfuls three 
times a day; of the powder, ten to thirty grains. 

Description —It is a small tree, from twenty to thirty feet 
high. The ripe berries are black and near the size of a pea, are hot 
to the taste, and contain a fragrant oil which gives an odor some¬ 
what like that of lemon. 




PRICKLY ELDER. 


695 


PRICIvLY ELDER, Toothache Tree, Angelica Tree, 
Southern Prickly Ash {Arabia Spinosa). 

Parts used— The bark and berries. 

It is used in diarrhea and rheumatism of a chronic character. 
The tincture of the bark and berries is used to relieve toothache. 
Its medicinal properties are very similar to those of the prickly ash. 
Dose of the decoction, cold, two or three tablespoonfuls, two or 
three times a day; of the tincture, one or two teaspoonfuls. 

Description —Grows from ten to twenty feet high, some¬ 
times, in the South, attaining the height of fifty or sixty feet. It 
has small, white flowers, and small, blackish, juicy berries. The 
bark has a peculiar, aromatic odor, and prickly, bitterish taste. 


PRINCE’S FEATHER, Amaranth (.Amaranthus Hyjpoch- 

ondriacus). 

Parts used —The leaves. 

This herb is most noted as an effectual cure for profuse men¬ 
struation, for which purpose a tea is to be drunk freely, four or five 
times a day. It is an astringent, and as such, it is useful in bowel- 
complaints. 

Usually cultivated in gardens as an ornamental plant. 


PUMPKIN-SEEDS. 

A strong infusion of these seeds will expel the tape-worn. It 
is also good in inflammation of the bladder and bowels, strangury 
and retention of urine. The oil of pumpkin-seed is obtained by 
expression, and in most cases is a quick and sure remedy in scalding 
of the urine. Whenever a diuretic is needed it is safe and efficient. 
Dose of the oil, from six to twelve drops four or five times a day; 
of the infusion, drink freely every two or three hours. A good way 
to prepare the pumpkin-seed for tape-worm, is to remove the outer 
envelope and then beat to a paste in fine sugar and dilute with milk 
or water. Of this the patient may take freely on an empty stomach, 
followed in a few hours with a large dose of castor-oil and turpen¬ 
tine. A fluid extract is now prepared with alcohol and glycerine in 
drug stores, which is a good preparation. The dose is from two 
teaspoonfuls to one tablespoonful repeated every four hours, and 
followed each day by a brisk cathartic of one drop of Croton-oil in 
two tablespoonfuls of castor-oil. It is necessary to have a brisk 
cathartic in order to expel the tape-worm. It should be remembered 
that all remedies administered for tape-worm should be given on an 
empty stomach. 




696 


PRIVET. 



Parts used —The leaves. 

The decoction is efficacious as a gargle, in ulcers of the throat 
and mouth, ulceration of the bladder and ulceration of the ears with 
offensive discharges. They are good in the diarrhea and summer- 
complaints of children, ulceration of the bowels and stomach, and in 
excessive flow of urine. Dose of the decoction, from one to two 
wineglassfuls, three times a day; of the powder, twenty to fifty 
grains. 


QUAKING ASP, Aspen, White Poplar, Silver Poplar 

(.Populus Tremula). 

Parts used —The inner bark of the tree. 

The inner bark is one of the best bitter tonics in all cases of 
ague, intermittent and bilious fevers, where strengthening medicine 
is needed. It may be used freely in infusion or decoction and in 
powder or bitters. Dose of the powdered bark, a teaspoonful three 
times a day; and in bitters it may be used freely as a restorative in 
loss of appetite, weak digestion, dyspepsia and chronic diarrhea. It 
is also useful in diseases of the kidneys and bladder. 

Description —The tree is straight and slender and from 
twenty-five to fifty feet high. The leaves are almost constantly in a 
state of tremulous motion, even when there is no perceptible breeze 
stirring. The outer bark of the tree is of a grayish color, some¬ 
times nearly white, and very smooth. 


QUEEN OF THE MEADOW, Gravel-root ( Eupatorium 

Purpureum ). 

Parts used —The root and the inner bark of the shrub. 

A strong decoction of the root is esteemed almost an infallible 
remedy for gravel. Both the root and inner bark of the shrub, in 
consecpience of their direct action on the kidneys, are very effica¬ 
cious in the treatment of dropsy. It is prescribed in the first stages 
of fevers to produce sweating, by giving in decoction freely and 
often, and is a safe and sure remedy. It is also highly extolled as a 
remedy in sterility, threatened abortion and incontinence of urine. 
Dose of the decoction, from half to a teacupful; of the tincture, 
twenty to thirty drops, three or four times a day. 

Description —Stems four to six feet high, round, smooth, of 
a purple color around each joint, bearing many purple or pale-red¬ 
dish blossoms. Leaves from three to five at a joint, broad, rough 
and jagged. Grows usually near streams. 




QUASSIA. 


697 


QUASSIA (Picraena Excelsa). 

Parts used— The wood of the tree. 

The wood of this tree is tonic, and very good in dyspepsia and 
bilions fever, and ague. The infusion is employed in the treatment 
of worms, and in general debility, and by convalescents from fevers. 
Dose of the tincture, one to two teaspoonfuls; of the powder, thirty 
grains; of the infusion or decoction, half a teacupful three times a 
day. The latter may be made by infusing two ounces of the fine 
chips in two quarts of cold water for ten hours. An injection of 
the decoction will expel the pin-worm. 


QUININE (Sulphas Quinia). 

This is a very popular remedy in various forms of fevers, 
especially the chills and fever, and other diseases that manifest a 
periodic character. The dose, in these cases, ranges from two to ten 
grains, but the latter quantity, it is reasonably believed, is much 
larger than is usually necessary for the purpose of preventing a 
paroxysm of ague, much smaller doses, in ordinary cases to which 
the medicine is specially adapted, being sufficient to effect the 
desired object. It is best given in doses of two grains and repeat 
every three hours until ten or twelve grains are taken. It should be 
given only during the intermissions, that is while the patient is free 
from fever. Quinine is believed by some physicians to possess 
tonic properties, the dose, for such a purpose, being from one-tenth 
to one-half a grain, taken two or three times a day. 


RAG-WEED, Hog-weed, Roman Wormwood 

(.Ambrosia Elatior). 

Part used —The leaves. 

This is a good cure for bowel-complaints. A strong tea of it is 
a remedy for dysentery, many regarding it as infallible. The decoc¬ 
tion or tea is useful as a gargle for sore throat, and as an injection 
in leucorrhea and gleet. Piles have frequently been cured by stew¬ 
ing the green leaves in fresh lard or sweet cream, and using as an 
external application. The leaves make a superior fomentation for 
inflammations of various kinds. The tea, or infusion, should be 
drunk freely, three or four times a day. 

Description —It is from two to three feet high, with a 
branching top, and opposite, ragged leaves, growing along roadsides, 
in fields and waste places. 

RASPBERRY (Rubus Strigosus). 

Parts used —The leaves and root. 

This is an excellent remedy in dysentery and all bowel com- 





698 


RED CLOVER. 


plaints of children. It is used to mitigate labor pains in child¬ 
birth, and to relieve painful menstruation. The infusion is a valua¬ 
ble wash in sores, ulcers and raw surfaces and an effectual astrin¬ 
gent. The leaves of the red species are said to be the best. Dose 
of the infusion, from one-fourth to one-half teacupful, three or four 
times daily. 


RED CLOVER {Trifolium Pratense). 

Parts used —The blossoms and leaves. 

This is an admirable remedy for malignant ulcers, cancers, 
scrofula, indolent sores from burns, and incontinence of urine. It 
possesses very soothing properties and promotes healthy granula¬ 
tion. It has obtained considerable celebrity in all diseases of the 
skin and mucous membrane, whether tetter, salt-rheum or ulcera¬ 
tion. A decoction is to be boiled to an extract and applied twice a 
day. It has been the means of effecting some remarkable cures of 
cancers. A weak tea will relieve liay-asthma, and often cut short 
the disease. A tea of the tops and leaves, taken freely, is efficacious 
in relieving and shortening the duration of whooping-cough. 

It is of common growth. 


RED CEDAR (Juniperus Virginiand). 

The leaves of this tree are good in chronic rheumatism, scald¬ 
ing urine and suppressed menses. The oil is used as a stimulating 
application to bruises, rheumatic pains, etc. Dose of the infusion, 
from one to two wineglassfuls; of the powdered leaves, one to two 
drachms; of the oil, five to ten drops, taken twice a day. The red 
cedar is an evergreen tree found in many parts of the United 
States. 


RED ROOT (Ceanothus Americanus). 

Part used —The root. 

It is an excellent astringent in diarrhea and dysentery and has 
been used with good effect in the first stages of consumption. It is 
also employed in asthma, bronchitis and whooping-cough. Dose 
of the decoction, from one to two tablespoonfuls three or four times 
a day. In the form of a gargle it is used with good effect in sore- 
mouth, throat and in scarlet fever. 

Description —Height, from one to three feet, and a small, 
bushy top of shrubby stems, and grows on barren lands in almost 
all parts of the country. 







PICHI. 


699 


PICHI (Fabiana Imbricata). 

Parts used —The steins and leafy branchlets. 

This remedy enjoys a great local reputation in Chili, in the 
treatment of urinary diseases, and has been introduced in this coun¬ 
try with success in the treatment of dyspeptic disorders and for 
catarrhal inflammations of the urinary tract. Recently it has been 
largely prescribed in kidney disorders. It is of value in vesical 
catarrh caused by the mechanical irritation of gravel and in uric 
acid diathesis. It allays irritation and favors expulsion of the stone. 
Dose of fluid extract of the leafy branchlets (supplied by Parke, 
Davis & Co., Detroit), ten to forty drops. 


RESIN, OR ROSIN {Resina). 

It is used in bleeding piles, in doses of twenty to sixty grains, 
given in sirup and'likewise used in irritable and hacking coughs. 
The vapor arising from burning resin is said to be good inhaled into 
the throat and lungs in bronchitis and diseases of the lungs. Its 
principal use is to give adhesiveness and consistence to ointments 
and plasters. Resin is a hard, brittle substance, sometimes called 
rosin. It is a product of the pine-tree. After the oil has been dis¬ 
tilled from the turpentine of the pine tree, a solid substance is left, 
which is the ordinary rosin of commerce. 


RHATONIA {Krameria Triandria). 

Part used —The root. 

This is an excellent remedy for bleeding of the nose, spongy 
and bleeding gums or the surfaces of wounds, or in bleedings of 
internal organs. It is also employed in excessive menstruation, 
involuntary flow of urine, gleet, chronic diarrhea and in night- 
sweats. It is somewhat tonic, but a powerful astringent, and very 
useful whenever a medicine of this kind is needed. Dose of the 
infusion, from half to a teacupful; of the powder, ten to twenty 
grains; of the tincture, one to three teaspoonfuls; of the extract, 
five to ten grains, two or three times a day. But it is used much 
more frequently in hemorrhages. 

Found only in drug stores. 


RED LOBELIA {Lobelia Syphilitica). 

Parts used —The root and leaves. 

This species of lobelia is regarded by those who are acquainted 
with its properties as the most powerful and valuable medicine for 
the cure of cancer, scrofula, and of venereal diseases, particularly 





700 


RHUBARB. 


syphilis. In these affections it is used in strong decoction, the 
patient drinking from a pint to a quart in a day. In the case of 
ulcers, they are to be washed with it. It is highly recommended 
for the cure of cancer of the breast in females. For this purpose 
the decoction, in doses of a wineglassful, should be drunk three or 
four times a day. Also a poultice of the powdered root or leaves 
and equal parts of elm bark should be applied to the Jbreast and 
often renewed. At each renewal of the poultice, the cancer should 
be well washed with the warm decoction. It is also useful for 
ulcers, wounds and inflammation that have a tendency to terminate 
in gangrene. 

Description —It closely resembles the blue lobelia in all 
points but its flowers, which are large and of a pale-red color. It 
is found growing usually in low, flat woods and dry marshes. 


RHUBARB {Rheum). 

Part used —The root. 

Its medicinal value can hardly be over-estimated. It is useful 
in dyspepsia, liver affections, piles, and in small doses is very val¬ 
uable in diarrhea and dysentery. Being a mild cathartic, it is 
regarded as valuable for delicate persons. It is also somewhat 
astringent and tonic. Dose as a purgative, thirty to sixty grains, or 
from half to a teaspoonful. When given in five to ten-grain doses, 
two or three times a day, it acts as a tonic and mild laxative, and 
in doses of one to five grains, as a tonic only. The sirup or tincture, 
in doses of one to two teaspoonfuls, is laxative. There are several 
varieties of rhubarb imported from different parts of the world, but 
that from Turkey is regarded as the best. 


RHEUMATIC WEED, Prince’s Pine (Ghimaphila 

Umbellata). 

Parts used —Tops and roots. 

A tea of this plant is a valuable medicine for rheumatism, 
dropsy, scrofula, diseases of the kidneys and cancer. Externally it 
is used for washing cancerous and scrofulous ulcers, and Bathing 
rheumatic joints. It should be drunk before each meal and before 
retiring at night. 

Description —The leaves are evergreen, long, wedge-shaped, 
smooth and shining. Flowers purple and white, or reddish-white, 
and growing at the top of the stem. It is found on dry, sandy land 
and in shady situations. 




ROCK-BRAKE. 


701 


ROCK-BRAKE, Common Polypody, Rock Polypod, 
Fern-Root, Brake-Root, Female Fern, 

etc. (Pteris Atropurpurae). 

This plant is recommended for dysentery, night-sweats and 
hemorrhage. It is used in the treatment of worms. The decoction 
should be taken three or four times a day. It forms a good local 
application for ulcerated sore mouth and throat and malignant 
ulcers. It is employed in the treatment of leucorrhea. It is a good 
remedy for lung-difficulties. It is said that cases of consumption 
have been cured with it. 


ROSEWILLOW, Red Willow, Swamp Dogwood 

(Cornus Sericea). 

Parts used. —Bark of the root and stalk. It has some repu¬ 
tation in the Southern States as an anti-periodic. 

This plant is a reliable remedy for relieving the vomiting of 
pregnancy. A decoction or tea may be drunk freely four or five 
times a day. 

Description —It grows from five to ten feet high, having 
small flowers of a yellowish-white color, followed by small, blue 
berries and is found along the borders of streams and on moist lands. 


ROUND-LEAVED PYROLA, Winter Green, Pear- 
Leaf, Canker-Lettuce (Pyrola Eotundifolia.) 

Part used —The herb. 

It is used in infusion both externally and internally in cancer, 
scrofula and leucorrhea. Internally, the decoction or an extract has 
been used with success in gravel, bleeding from the kidneys and 
ulceration of the bladder. Externally, the decoction will be found 
an excellent application in sore throat, ulcerations of the mouth, 
indolent ulcers, and forms a soothing poultice for boils and car¬ 
buncles. Dose of the decoction, one-half to a teacupful; of the 
extract, two to four grains. 

Description— A shrubby evergreen. 


RUE {Ruta Graveolens). 

Part used— The leaves. 

It has been used with success in wind-colic, epileptic fits and 
worms. When taken during pregnancy, it has produced deleterious 
effects, terminating in miscarriage and other dangerous symptoms. 





702 


RUSH. 


Dose of tlie infusion, from two to four tablespoonfuls; of the pow¬ 
der, ten to twenty grains; of the oil, two to six drops. In large 
doses it is a narcotic poison. 

It is cultivated in gardens. 


KUSH (Equisetum Hyemale). 

The ashes of the rush are reputed to be a good remedy for dys¬ 
pepsia and sour stomach, taken in doses of five to ten grains twice 
a day. The infusion of the tops or stems is employed in diseases 
of the kidneys, dropsy and gravel. To be taken freely three times 
a day. It has recently been discovered that the tincture of the rush 
is one of the most important remedies known for incontinence of 
urine. Prof. Hale, of Chicago, reports various cases, three of which 
were in the same family, and promptly cured with it. It may he 
prepared by adding a handful of the herb to a pint of alcohol. 

Description —This is the common, well-known scouring 
rush, growing in wet lands; from one to three feet high; pointed, 
hollow, rough, furrowed stems and without leaves. 


SAFFRON (Crocus Sativus). 

Part used —The flowers. 

This is a very popular remedy for jaundice and red-gum in 
children and for female obstructions. It is a pleasant, agreeable, 
domestic remedy in the incipient state of scarlatina, measles, 
and chicken-pox. Given in decoctions it brings the eruption to the 
surface, thus mitigating the early symptoms and also foreshortening 
the period of incubation—and if care is used to prevent colds, etc., 
it is a cure for all that class of ailments. Dose of the infusion, 
from two tablespoonfuls to two-tliirds of a teacupful (one to three 
fluid ounces); of the tincture or sirup, one to two teaspoonfuls, 
three times a day. 

Found growing in gardens. 


SAGE (Salvia Officinalis). 

Part used —The leaves. 

The infusion is much used for sore and ulcerated throats in the 
form of a gargle, either alone or with vinegar, honey and alum. 
The tea drunk freely is esteemed one of the best remedies for curing 
night-sweats. The infusion is reputed to possess the property of 
repressing the sexual appetite. It will generally cure quinsy by 
simmering a handful of it in lard and giving it in doses of two tea¬ 
spoonfuls four or five times a day. Ground fine and mixed with 





SAGO. 


703 


honey it is used with success in curing aphthous sore throat, sore 
mouth of infants—and any stage of raw inflammatory sore throat. 
Warm sage-tea is an excellent sweating-agent for fevers, coughs and 
colds. 


SAGO ( Sagus ). 

This is a very useful article of diet for sick, delicate and conva¬ 
lescent persons. It is also very valuable in bowel-complaints. Pre¬ 
pared by boiling thoroughly one or two tablespoonfuls in a pint of 
milk or water and sweetening with white sugar. 


SWEET SUMACH {Rhus Aromaticus). 

Part used —The bark of the root. 

This is one of the most reliable medicines now in use for 
diabetes. It is excellent in bloody urine, diarrhea and dysentery. 
Dose of the fluid extract, from ten drops to a teaspoonful three 
times a dav. 

Description —It is a shrub growing from two to six feet 
high, inhabiting high, rocky soil; stems straight, branching near 
the top, flowers yellow, fruit clustered, red, seedy and acid. When 
the bush is fractured it emits a strong odor from whence it takes its 
common name. Parke, Davis & Co., of Detroit, now manufacture 
a fluid extract of this shrub, which physicians recommend. To be 
had at drug stores. 


SARSAPARILLA {Smilax Officinalis). 

Part used —The root. 

This is an important remedy in syphilis, scrofula, skin diseases 
and rheumatism. It stands high as a blood purifier, but many 
regard the burdock or the yellow parilla equal to it. Dose of the 
decoction or sirup, half to a wineglassful three times a day. 

It is found only in drug stores. 


SANDAL WOOD {Santalum Album). 

It is used with good effect in gonorrhea, remittent fever, leu- 
corrhea and other diseases. Dose, of the fluid extract half a 
teaspoonful three times a day. It is a new remedy and has not 
been in use long, but the success that has been attained in its 
administration in the cure of diseases, especially gonorrhea, will 
soon bring it prominently into use. 






704 


SASSAFRAS. 


SASSAFRAS (Lcvurus Sassafras). 

Part used —The bark of the root. 

The oil applied to any inflammation on the surface seldom fails 
to effect a cure, and given in doses of five to ten drops is efficacious 
in diseases of the kidneys and bladder. Given in painful menstrua¬ 
tion, it soon relieves the sufferer. It is a sovereign remedy for 
toothache, applied to the gums and in the tooth by means of cotton 
or lint saturated with it. It is used with good effect in afterpains. 
The tea prepared from it is very pleasant and may be drunk freely 
several times a day. The oil, in which form it is commonly 
employed, may be given in doses of from ten to twenty drops twice 
a day. A poultice of the root is a good application to ill-condi¬ 
tioned ulcers. An infusion is good to cleanse the blood and may be 
used for this purpose as well as to flavor other drugs. The oil may 
be used as an ingredient in liniments and furnishes an excellent 
application for bruises and swellings. 

Description —It is a well-known tree common to this 
country and sometimes growing from thirty to forty feet high. 


SAW PALMETTO (Sabal Serrulatd). 

This is a valuable plant for the treatment of chronic bronchitis, 
whooping-cough, catarrh, colds, coughs and marasmus. Medical 
attention w r as called to it by its superior fat-producing properties in 
animals that feed upon its fruit. Dr. Reed noticing the very 
marked health of the animals that feed upon the berries that grow 
upon the sabal serrulata, concluded to try it as medicine, and the 
result was that he found the berries to improve the digestion, 
increase flesh, strength and weight. He used it in catarrh, ozcena 
and chronic bronchitis, with prompt success. Dose, from one-half 
to two fluid drachms. 

•It grows very plentifully on the coast of the Southern States, 
and is found in drug stores. 


SEA W RACK (Fucus Vesiculosus). 

, It is used by Spanish and French physicians as a remedy for 
goiter and scrofulous swellings. Ho derangement of the stomach 
or general system seems to result from its use. It has been highly 
recommended as an anti-fat remedy. Dose, half a teaspoonful, three 
times a day, and gradually increased to a tablespoonful, of the fluid 
extract; of the sugar-coated pills, two to five. 

To be had at drug stores. 




SCULL CAP. 


705 


SCULL CAP, Blue Scull Cap, Hoodwort ( Scutellaria 

Lateriflora). 

Parts used —Leaves, stems and roots. 

This plant is a prompt remedy in St. Vitus’s dance, and is 
employed very successfully in nervous headache, neuralgia and 
nervous affections. It is especially valuable to relieve restlessness, 
wakefulness, convulsions, delirium tremens, and is useful in nerv¬ 
ous and intermittent fevers. One ounce of the dry herb should be 
infused in a quart of water and drunk freely. It has been used with 
good effect in hydrophobia. 

Description —Height, three to four feet; leaves small; with 
numerous branches, which are opposite; small, light-blue flowers. 
The roots are fibrous and of a yellowish color. 

Found in meadows, moist lands and along water-courses. 


SC AMMONY ( Convolvulus Scammonia). 

Part used —Gum-resin. 

This is a very active cathartic, but should be combined with a 
small portion of ginger, or coriander-seed, to prevent its griping. 
It is beneficial in dropsical diseases and to relieve torpor of the 
liver. Dose, five to ten grains, two or three times a day. It should 
not be employed when the bowels or stomach are inflamed. 


SEA-HOLLY ( Eryngium Maritimmri). 

Part used —The root. 

In the sections of country where this plant is well known it is 
regarded as a very valuable remedy for consumption. It is prepared 
for use as follows: Take one half-ounce of the root, pearl-barley 
half-ounce, licorice root three ounces, add one quart of water, reduce 
to one pint by gentle heat. Dose, a wineglassful, mixed with new 
milk, three times a day, to be taken before meals. 

Description —Height, from one to two feet; leaves circular, 
plaited form, glossy like those of the common holly, of a pale-blue 
color; flowers blue and terminate the branches in rounded heads. It 
grows more commonly along the sea coast. 


SENEKA SNAKE-ROOT ( Potygala Senega ). 

Part used —The root. 

On account of its expectorant properties, it is considered bene¬ 
ficial in asthma, coughs, diseases of the lungs, bronchitis, chronic 





706 


SENNA. 


catarrh, pneumonia, croup, dropsy and rheumatism. It should 
never be used in active inflammation. Dose of the powder, from 
ten to twenty grains; of the infusion, from a half to a wineglassful; 
of the tincture, one to three teaspoonfuls. 

Description —This is a small, crooked shrub or plant, twelve 
or fifteen inches high, bearing a few small, white blossoms. 


SENNA {Cassia Acutifolia). 

This is a mild but a very effective cathartic. Its tendency to 
produce griping and nausea are obviated when combined with gin¬ 
ger, cinnamon, cloves, sugar or manna. It should not be used in 
cases of inflammation of stomach or bowels, or in piles. It is used 
in combination with pink root as an effectual vermifuge. Dose of 
the tincture, from one to two tablespoonfuls; of the powder, ten to 
twenty grains; of the infusion, from a half to a teacupful. 

Found only in drug stores. 


SHEEP-LAUREL, Narrow-Leaf Laurel (.Kalmia 

Angustifolia ). 

Part used —The leaves. 

Internally, a decoction or tincture is used with good effect in 
syphilitic diseases, hemorrhages, diarrhea, dysentery, fevers, dis¬ 
eases of the heart, neuralgia and jaundice. Dose of the decoction, 
a tablespoonful. Applied in the form of an ointment, the leaves 
have been efficient in scald-head and itch. This is a poison and 
must be used with care. When taken in large doses it produces 
dimness of sight, vertigo, cold extremities and sometimes death. 
This shrub is often mistaken for the Laurel or Calico Bush {Kal¬ 
mia Latifolia ), both of which are common to all parts of the 
United States. 


SHEEP-SORREL {Oxalis Stricta ). 

Parts used —The leaves and stems. 

This plant is mostly celebrated as a remedy for cancer. The 
juice of the green herb is to be expressed, then evaporated in the 
sun until it is the proper consistence to make a plaster, then applied 
and renewed once or twice a day. Numerous cases of cancer have 
been cured with it. The fresh leaves bruised and infused in cold 
water make a good cooling drink in fevers, and are valuable in 
scurvy; but on account of the oxalic acid it contains, it should not 





SLIPPERY ELM. 


707 


be taken in too great a quantity. Sheep-sorrel has recently been 
discovered to be one of the most superior remedies for the cure of 
kidney-complaint. 

Description —There are several varieties of sorrel, but this, 
the common variety, is generally well known, growing in the woods 
and shady places, from five to fifteen inches high; having light- 
green, round or head-shaped leaves, in “ threes ” at the ends of the 
branches, somewhat resembling the small-clover leaves. The flow¬ 
ers are small and yellow. The herb is quite juicy, and has a sour 
or acid taste. 


SLIPPERY ELM (Ulmus Fulva). 

Part used —The bark of the tree. 

As an external application in the form of a poultice, slippery 
elm bark is an admirable remedy, excelling any other known pro¬ 
duction as a poultice for ulcers, tumors, wounds, burns, felons, 
skin diseases, sores, etc. It promptly allays inflammation and 
promotes resolution. An enema or injection of elm-bark infusion 
is excellent in bloody flux, piles and dysentery. A cold drink in the 
form of a mucilage, made by infusing a quantity of the bark in cold 
water, ‘should be used in bronchitis, strangury, sore throat, inflam¬ 
mation of the bladder, diarrhea and bowel-complaints. Always use 
the fresh bark if it is at hand, bruising a handful and infusing it 
in two quarts of water over night. It is an agreeable emulsive 
drink in any disease. The powdered bark boiled in milk is a valu¬ 
able diet for children in summer complaint. 


SHEPHERD’S PURSE {Bursa Pastoris). 

Part used —The whole plant. 

It is employed in the treatment of diseases of the kidneys and 
bladder and as a tonic. Dose of the fluid extract, ten to fifteen 
drops, four times a day. The infusion may be drunk freely. This 
plant grows in all parts of the country. 


SMART-WEED, Water Pepper {Polygonum Punctatum). 

Parts used —Stems and leaves. 

A cold infusion of the herb has been used with success in 
gravel, and affections of the kidneys and bladder; and a cold infu¬ 
sion made of this herb and wheat-bran is an excellent remedy for 
bowel-complaints. During the war of the rebellion when the 
northern soldiers were the suffering victims of chronic diarrhea the 
colored women cured many a case that hospital medication had 





708 


SNAKE-WEED. 


tried in vain, with a decoction of smart-weed and many a soldier 
to-day will testify how speedily and perfectly it was done. It is to 
be drunk freely. Smart-weed makes an excellent fomentation com¬ 
bined with hops, to be applied warm to the abdomen in inflamma¬ 
tion of the bowels. A strong decoction is good to wash foul 
ulcers. 

It will dissolve coagulated blood. If a fomentation of it be 
applied to a bruise, immediately after being received, it will prevent 
the parts from becoming discolored. It will also remove the sore¬ 
ness if frequently renewed. This herb is excellent for the purpose 
of opening the pores of the skin and producing free perspiration. 
Hence, it is useful in colds and some forms of fever. The strong 
tincture, taken in doses of one to two teaspoonfuls, three times a 
day, will relieve obstructed menstruation. When the tincture can¬ 
not be obtained, employ a strong infusion. 

Description —Height from one to two feet, with reddish- 
brown-colored, jointed stems, lance-sliaped leaves and small, 
purplish flowers. 

It is found growing in yards, along roadsides, ditches, and on 
moist lands. 


SNAKE-WEED {Euphorbia Pilulifera). 

Part used —The herb. 

A common roadside herb of Australia, regarded as an infal¬ 
lible remedy for coughs, colds, bronchial affections and all diseases 
of the respiratory tract, but more especially esteemed for the prompt 
and complete relief it is said to give to sufferers from asthma. Of 
an infusion prepared by diluting one fluid ounce of Parke, Davis & 
Go’s., fluid extract, in fifteen ounces of water, take thirty drops for 
dose. May be had at drug stores. 


SOUR WOOD TREE (Oxydendron Arborea), 

Part used —The leaves. 

The leaves of the sorrel tree, which grows in the Middle and 
Southern States, contain free acid and are tonic and diuretic. Fluid 
extract of the leaves, in doses of half a teaspoonful to two teaspoon¬ 
fuls, has been successfully used in the treatment of dropsy. 
Procured at drug stores. 


SOLOMON’S SEAL (Convalaria Racemosa). 

Part used —The root. 

A strong decoction given every two or three hours will cure 
erysipelas, if at the same time it be applied externally to the 





SOOT. 


709 


affected parts. In poisoning from poison-vine a decoction if drunk 
leely will, it is said, very speedily effect a cure. It is a mucilagin¬ 
ous tonic and very healing and restorative. It is good in inflamma¬ 
tion of the stomach and bowels, piles, chronic dysentery and affec¬ 
tions of the lungs. It is generally used in decoction or infusion in 
doses of from one to two wineglassfuls three to five times a day. 

Description —This is a common perennial plant and grows 
from one to three feet high, generally on rich banks, hillsides and 
on the borders of meadow-lands. Leaves oblong and pointed, from 
three to six inches long, small, greenish-white flowers, hanging 

under the leaves, followed by pale-red, white and purple-speckled 
berries. 


SOOT (Fuligo Ligni). 

Wood-soot is useful in acid conditions of the stomach, dys¬ 
pepsia and colic. Dose of the tea, from one to three tablespoonfuls 
three times a day; of the powder, five to ten grains three times a 
day. The tea or decoction is employed as an injection to expel 
thread-worms. An ointment of soot is good in scald-head, burns, 
erysipelas and scrofulous sore eyes. 


SPEARMINT (.Mentha Viridis). 

Parts used —The herb and oil. 

The oil of this plant is unsurpassed, perhaps, for the cure of 
chronic diarrhea, for which purpose it is to be given in doses of two 
to three drops every three hours. It is seldom that more than two 
or three doses will have to be taken. It is very valuable to check 
vomiting and to remove sickness of the stomach. In disease of the 
kidneys, suppression and scalding urine, it is a very effective 
remedy. Dose of the infusion, a wineglassful three times a day. 

Description —It resembles peppermint, usually growing in 
moist lands, from one to three feet high, having a strong, aromatic 
smell, more rank and less pleasant than that of peppermint. 


SPIDER’S WEB (Aranece Tela). 

The cobweb of the spider is said to be almost a specific for 
fever and ague. When rolled into an ordinary-sized pill, two or 
three will be generally sufficient to effect a cure, but more may be 
taken if necessary, and to be used every two or three hours. Some 
physicians give it in about five-grain doses. For consumption, 
where it has been used, it is said to .have produced surprising 
effects. It is also very valuable in asthma. Applied externally, it 





710 


SPIGNET. 


will check the bleeding of wounds. The brown or black spider 
produces for the purposes above indicated the best web, and it is 
usually found in cellars, dark out-houses and barns. It is recom¬ 
mended in wakefulness, spasms and nervous excitement, and gen¬ 
erally produces the most delightful state of bodily and mental 
tranquility. It is given in doses of four and five -grains, in the 
form of pills, three times a day. 


SPIGNET, Spikenard, Wild Licorice (Aralia Racemosa). 

Part used —The roots and berries. 

They are popular remedies for coughs and also for female 
weakness, used in tea or sirup. The roots bruised and used in 
poultice are applied by the Indians to all kinds of wounds and ulcers. 
Made into a decoction, and adding.sugar almost to a sirup, it is 
excellent for coughs, colds, asthma, bronchitis, etc. 

Description —The roots of this plant are brown, tapering, 
several growing from one common head, about the size of the finger, 
one or more stems arising from the same root, from two to four 
feet high, reddish brown and somewhat branched. Flowers of a 
yellowish-white; berries resembling elder berries. 


SPICE-WOOD, Wild Allspice, Spice-Busli, Fever Busli 

(.Benzoin Odoriferurn). 

Parts used —Bark, twigs and berries. 

A strong tincture of the ripe berries of spice wood will relieve 
flatulent colic, taken in teaspoonful doses. A tea made from the 
twigs is esteemed a good drink in intermittent fevers. It is also 
an efficacious remedy for worms. The berries boiled in milk have 
been found a salutary medicine in dysentery. It is regarded as a 
blood purifier and is drunk in spring and fall—at meals instead of 
tea or coffee. The oil from the berries is a fine stimulant for bruises, 
colic and rheumatism. The infusion is to be drunk freely. 

Description —This plant has light green leaves, flowers early 
in the spring and in autumn, and has small, red berries when ripe. 
The whole shrub, including the leaves and berries, has an aromatic 
odor. It grows in moist and shady lands. 


SPIRITS OF AMMONIA, Aqua Ammonia, Spirits 

of Hartshorn. 

It is employed in whooping-cough, delirium tremens and in 
prostration from exhausting discharges, acid stomach, and sick head¬ 
ache caused by acid stomach, as a stimulant; and applied to the nos- 





SQUILL. 


711 


trils in fainting, headache, etc. It is also used by physicians to 
stimulate the heart’s action when pulsation is very weak and losing 
force. The dose is from ten to twenty drops, largely diluted with 
water, which may be repeated as required. It should not be used 
internally, except when largely diluted with water, otherwise it will 
act as a corrosive poison. Vinegar or lemon juice is good to antidote 
the effects of an overdose. When ammonia is combined with sweet 
oil it makes a good liniment. 


SQUILL ( Scilla.) 

This plant is generally used for the relief of coughs, diseases 
of the lungs, asthma, bronchitis, dropsy, catarrh, croup and kidney 
disease. It is usually employed in the form of vinegar and sirup- 
of-squills. Dose of the powder, from one to two grains; of the 
sirup or vinegar, one to two teaspoonfuls. It is generally used in 
combination with other medicines. It should not be used when 
there is much excitement of the circulation, especially when it 
amounts to inflammation; nor should it be taken in large doses in 
any case, as it is an irritant poison. 

Found only in drug stores. 


STAFF-VINE Bitter-Sweet, Red-Root (Celastrus 

Scandens). 

Part Used —The root. 

When made into ointment with lard or vaseline this is unsur¬ 
passed for dispersing painful tumors. As an application for ulcers 
and sores it scarcely has an equal. It is used in jaundice, obstructed 
menstruation, scrofula, venereal and cutaneous diseases. To make 
the ointment, add one-fourth pound of the bark of the root to a half 
pound of lard, simmer slowly over the fire for two or three hours; 
then strain for use. This will be found unsurpassed for swelled 
breasts and also for piles. Cancers of the breast have been cured 
bv the application of the juice over the cancer and the green leaves 
over the breast. It is also good in fevers and dropsical swellings. 
For internal use, boil four ounces of the bark of the root in two 
quarts of water down to one quart, and take a wineglassful three 
times a day. This will be found highly valuable in liver-complaint 
and general weakness, and seldom excelled for scrofula. 

"Description —This is a woody vine, usually climbing trees 
to the height of thirty feet. The leaves are ovate and pointed, of a 
lhdit-green hue; the berries hang in bunches and become red in the 
fail. & It is found mostly on rich soil and on bottom lands. 

* There is another vine called “ Bitter-Sweet,” which is described 
under that head, and which is the “ Bitter-Sweet ” proper. 




712 


STILLINGIA. 


STILLINGIA, Queen’s-Deliglit, Yaw-Root, Silver-Root 

(,Stillingia Sylvatica). 

Part used —The root. 

It is exceedingly valuable in syphilis, bronchitis, clergyman’s 
and ordinary sore throat, and tetter; being a good blood-purilier, is 
very useful in eruptive diseases of the skin. When compounded with 
burdock or yellow-dock, it is very superior for this purpose. This 
plant is one of the most powerful and valuable alteratives in use. 
It will generally remove all traces of the syphilitic disease from the 
system. The fresh root must be used. The remedy has often 
fallen in disrepute because it was prepared from the dry root, which 
is useless. The iodide potassium is frequently combined with the 
stillingia in the treatment of syphilis. Some physicians regard the 
combination essential. Dose of the decoction or sirup, from half 
to a wine-glassful, three times a day; of the tincture, one teaspoonful. 

Description —Height, from two to four feet; leaves alter¬ 
nate, oblong, of a silver color on the lower side; flowers are 
arranged on a spike, and of a yellow color. The stalk and leaves 
when bruised emit a milky juice, like the milk-weed. This plant 
grows principally in the pine-barrens of the Southern States. 


STONE-ROOT, Richweed, Riclileaf, Oxbalm, Heal-All 
Knot-Root (Collinsonia Canadensis). 

The fluid extract, made from the root of this plant, is a specific 
in clergyman’s sore throat. It should be given in doses of twenty 
drops; of the tincture the same, in simple sirup or honey, four or 
five times a day. It relieves the hoarseness in a few hours. It is a 
reliable cure in the early stages of piles, and will sometimes cure 
them in the advanced stages; make an ointment of the extract with 
vaseline, and apply three times a day, after thoroughly washing the 
parts with castile soapsuds. It is found very useful in chronic 
bronchitis. It is highly prized as an external application to sores, 
swellings and headache. Taken in tea for headache, colic, cramp, 
dropsy, indigestion, etc., internally; applied in poultice or the whole 
leaves, externally; used both fresh and dry. 

Description —Stem erect, round, from twenty to thirty 
inches high, terminating in several branches at the top which pro¬ 
duce the flowers and seeds. Leaves few, opposite, broad, large and 
thin. Flowers numerous, pale-yellow, possessed of a peculiar bal¬ 
samic fragrance. 

Collinsonin is the active, concentrated principle of stone-root. 
This article, though recently introduced, is receiving much attention 
as a remedy in valvular diseases of the heart. In functional diseases 
of this organ, where from organized exudations the valves are 
obstructed, this remedy has the specific power to break up that 



STORAX. 


713 


organization and thereby remove the obstruction. The dose is one 
to two grains three times a day, or triturated in lactine, one to ten; 
dose of the trituration, ten to thirty grains three times a day. 


STORAX {Styrax Officinale ). 

Part used —The concrete juice. 

This medicine has been useful in chronic catarrh, bronchitis, 
asthma, coughs and chronic gonorrhea; to be taken in doses of from 
ten to twenty grains. An ointment made of it with equal parts of 
lard has proven effectual in scald-head and ringworms. 

Found only in drug stores. 


STRAMONIUM, Thorn-Apple, Jimson-Weed (.Batura 

/Stramonium). 

Parts used —The leaves and seeds. 

A poultice or fomentation of either the green or dry leaves is 
an admirable remedy for the cure of inflammation of the stomach or 
bowels. At the same time the patient should take a swallow of as hot 
water as he can drink, and he will seldom fail to obtain prompt 
relief. This plant is highly valuable in inflammation of the bladder, 
painful swellings and sores, swelled and painful breasts, and in rheuma¬ 
tism. An ointment prepared by stewing the leaves in fresh lard or 
vaseline will be found to be an admirable remedy in piles. The 
leaves and seeds have been especially beneficial in delirium tremens, 
epilepsy and mania. The leaves and seeds are highly poisonous 
when taken in large doses, and should not be taken in any case 
where there is determination of blood to the head. The tincture 
of the seeds is used in neuralgia and headache. The dose is from 
five to ten drops. 

Description —Stramonium is a very rank and offensive com¬ 
mon weed, growing three to four feet high, large, dark-green leaves, 
a long, whitish, trumpet-shaped blossom, and bears a large, thorny 
apple or pod, full of black seeds, when ripe. 


STRAWBERRY (Fragaria Vesca). 

Parts used —Leaves, root and berries. 

A strong tea or decoction, made of the leaves or root, is an 
admirable remedy for diarrhea and all bowel complaints of children, 
used freely. A cordial or sirup made of them, in combination with 
cinnamon and the root of the strawberry, is a sovereign remedy for 
all diseases of the bowels. Both the berry and the herb are said to 

be good in gravel. 





714 


st. John’s wort. 

ST. JOHN’S WORT (.Hypericum Perforatum). 

Parts used —Leaves and flowers. 

This plant is employed in the treatment of dysentery, diarrhea, 
bleeding of the lungs, worms, jaundice, suppressed urine and nervous 
irritability. Applied externally as a fomentation or ointment it will 
relieve swelled breasts and other hard tumors. Dose of the infusion, 
from two to four tablespoonfuls, three or four times a day. Many 
cases of chronic bronchitis have been cured by the use of this 
plant. It employed in the treatment of kidney-disease, and externally 
in sprains. 

Description —Height, from one to two feet, with numerous 
green leaves, dotted with small, transparent spots and bright-yellow 
blossoms. The leaves, when rubbed, emit a strong, peculiar, 
balsamic odor. It grows in abundance in old fields and open lands. 


STRIPED ALDER, Tobacco Weed. 

Part used —The leaves. 

A tea of the leaves relieves vomiting, under all circumstances. 
Half an ounce makes a quart, steeped five or ten minutes. Dose, 
a wineglassful once in twenty minutes; the same in any internal 
inflammation; four times a day in pulmonary affections or internal 
ulcers. Swelled breasts of women are relieved and cured sometimes 
in twenty-four hours, by applying an ointment made of: the leaves, 
two ounces; bitter-sweet root, one ounce; spirits, one gill; lard, four 
ounces; boil; then soak a necessary quantity of the leaves in hot 
water sufficient to soften them, and apply to the breast; a little elm- 
flour may be added to form a poultice. In all cases of inflammation 
of the stomach, lungs, spleen, liver, intestines, bladder, kidneys and 
uterus they are invaluable; apply the leaves hot and change them 
every three or six hours, according to the violence of the case, and 
take the tea internally as above directed. 

Description —This plant grows on hillsides, and in thick 
shaded woods where there is running water below, to a height of 
twenty feet, branches at the top, leaves few and in pairs, one to two 
inches wide to six or eight long, soft, smooth, and pale-green, with 
a strong odor, like Hyson tea. Bark greenish and striped. 


SULPHATE OF NICKEL (Niccoli Sulphas). 

This is a new remedy, almost a specific for periodical head¬ 
aches, and very useful in neuralgia. Prof. Goss, of Marietta, Ga., 
in his new “ Materia-Medica,” says: “ I have used it in several very 
old cases of neuralgia, and have been utterly astonished to see how 
readily it relieves that most excruciating malady. It is particularly 




SULPHUR. 


715 


adapted to it when it is of a periodical character. I have not been 
better pleased with any new remedy that has been introduced to the 
profession/’ The dose is from one-fourth to one-half a grain. It 
is frequently given in doses of one-eighth to one-fourth of a grain, 
once or twice a day, or even three or four times a day, if required. 

Found only in drug stores. 


SULPHUR. 

Sulphur is a sure cure for many forms of skin disease, espec¬ 
ially the itch. Sulphur and cream of tartar, in equal parts, mixed 
together, is a very common and effective remedy for tetter of the 
head. Taken internally in teaspoonful doses it makes an agreeable 
aperient, and is largely used in measles, scarlatina and chicken-pox. 


SUMACH {Rhus Glabrum). 

Parts used— The bark, leaves and berries. 

A gargle of the berries will cure putrid sore throat; it is like¬ 
wise efficacious in quinsy. A decoction made of equal parts of this 
plant and white oak bark is a prompt and effective agent in the 
treatment of leucorrhea and falling of the womb, used by enema or 
injection. The bark of the root is a valuable specific for the cure 
of mercurial salivation. It is likewise employed in the treatment of 
night-sweats, diarrhea, kidney derangements and dysentery. Dose 
of the infusion or decoction, from two tablespoonfuls to a teacupful 
several times a day. 

Description —Height, five to ten feet; blossoms of a green¬ 
ish-red color, on spikes, followed by long bunches of hard, red down- 
covered berries, acrid and pleasant to the taste. There are other 
varieties of sumach, some of which are said to be poisonous. But 
this, the Rhus Glabrum, may easily be distinguished by the color 
and acidity of the berries and their appearance in cone-shaped 
bunches. When the green leaves or limbs are broken or cut, a milky 
juice exudes. 


SUMMER SAVORY {Satureja Hortensis). 

Part used —The plant. 

It is employed in the treatment of colds, wind-colic and female 
obstructions, for which purposes the warm tea is used freely three or 
four times a day. 

Found commonly growing in gardens. 





716 


SUNDEW. 


SUNDEW ( Drosera Rotundifolia). 

Part used —The whole plant. 

This plant is a very valuable remedy in chronic bronchitis and 
catarrh, attended with dryness of the mucous membranes and irrit¬ 
able states of the nervous system. It is excellent in the early stages 
of consumption, when attended with a liarrassing cough without 
expectoration. It is very useful in the coughs accompanying 
measles, and in dyspepsia and asthma. Dose of the fluid extract, 
three to five drops every two or three hours; of the saturated tincture, 
five to ten drops. 

Found in drug stores. 


SUNFLOWER (Hel'ianthus Annuus). 

Part used —The seeds. 

They are very beneficial in coughs, the early stages of consump¬ 
tion and in disease of the kidneys. They are also used with success 
in bronchitis and clergyman’s sore throat. In the first stages of 
inflammatory sore-eyes an infusion of the pith of the stalk used as 
a wash will often act effectively. It may be prepared in sirup or 
infusion and taken, of the sirup, in tablespoonful doses, every one, 
two or three hours; of the infusion or tea, one-fourth to one-half 
teacupful every two or three hours. 

Found growing commonly in gardens. 


SWAMP CABBAGE, Meadow Cabbage, Skunk 

Cabbage (Ietodes Fcetidus). 

Parts used —The root and seeds. 

This plant has been found useful in asthma, coughs, epileptic 
fits, whooping-cough and chronic catarrh. It is also employed in 
the treatment of bronchial affections and diseases of the lungs. 
Dose of the infusion, from two to four tablespoonfuls, three times a 
day; of the powdered root or seeds, ten to thirty grains; of the tinct¬ 
ure, from one to three teaspoonfuls, repeated according to the 
urgency of the symptoms. 

Description —It is an offensively smelling herb with large 
leaves, without any stalk, resembling somewhat a large cabbage- 
head. The root is large and soft. It is found in wet lands and 
moist situations. 


SWEET FERN, Sweet Bush, Ferngale, Sweet Ferry 9 
Spleenwort Busli ( Comptonia Asplenifolid). 

Parts used —The leaves and branches. 

This is a prompt and efficacious remedy for expelling the tape- 





SWEET GUM. 


717 


worm. A pint of the decoction is to be taken in frequent doses 
during the day, for four or five days, when it is followed by a 
cathartic. Sweet fern is much used in diarrhea and all bowel dis¬ 
eases in children. It makes a very grateful, pleasant tea, with the 
addition of cream and sugar. It is also used in asthma, fevers, inflam - 
mations and rheumatism, and often as a fomentation. It is said that 
a strong tea freely drunk, and the leaves put in a cushion to sit on 
and between the sheets to lie on, has cured the St. Vitus’s dance. 

Description —The sweet fern is a small, shrubby bush, very 
much branched, growing from three to four feet high, having leaves 
from three to five inches long and half an inch broad, each side 
jagged, bearing some resemblance to the common ferns. Flowers 
appear before the leaves by a kind of round burr containing the 
seeds. Of native growth and found in mountains and sandy plains. 


SWEET GUM (Liquidambar Styraciflua). 

Part used —The inner bark of the tree. 

It is an excellent remedy for bloody flux, dysentery and all 
bowel-complaints of children. Dose of the decoction, from one- 
fourth to a teacupful. It may be taken freely. It is regarded by 
physicians who have used it as a good remedy in chronic catarrh. 
When this tree is wounded a balsamic juice exudes, about the con¬ 
sistence of thin sirup, which finally hardens. This, melted with 
equal parts of tallow or lard, makes an admirable ointment for var¬ 
ious skin-diseases, such as itch, ringworms, etc. It is also good for 
fever sores and piles. 

Description —It is of various sizes, from that of a shrub, 
even to a large tree. The bark is of a gray color and rough, and 
bears some resemblance to the red elm. 


TAG ALDER (Alnus Serrulata ). 

Parts used —The leaves, twigs and cones. 

The herb is used with good success in swellings, sprains and 
eruptions of the skin. It is prepared by bruising the leaves and 
applying them as a poultice. Boil the cones and twigs in water and 
add lard or butter. This makes an excellent ointment for burns 
and scalds. Great relief is afforded to hot swellings by keeping the 
parts constantly wet by means of cloths wrung out of a decoction of 
it. The timely application of a tea of the leaves or boughs will 
scatter boils. It is likewise very valuable in all diseases of the skin 
and should be drunk freely several times a day. 

Description —Height, six to eight feet; usually many shrubs 
grow from the same root; leaves large and green, with cones or tags 
resembling “witch-hazel.” It is usually found in wet lands and 
along streams. 





718 


TAMARACK. 


TAMARACK, American Larch, Black Larch 

(.Larix Americana). 

Part used —The bark. 

It is useful in jaundice, diarrhea, rheumatism, liver-complaint, 
and in cough-preparations. The tamarack sweat is regarded as of 

f reat efficacy in the early stages of colds, catarrhs, asthma, etc. 

'he decoction or bitters made of it may be taken freely. It is a 
species of the pine. 

The bark can be procured at drug stores. 


TANNIN, Tannic Acid (Acidum Tannicum). 

This is one of the most powerful astringents and in its admin¬ 
istration care must be exercised to avoid an over-dose, as it will 
produce obstinate constipation. It is efficacious in dysentery, diar¬ 
rhea and hemorrhages and as an astringent enema in gonorrhea, 
gleet and leucorrhea, and forms an excellent gargle in sore throat. 
Dubbed up with lard or vaseline it makes an invaluable ointment 
for excoriations of the skin. Dose, from half a grain to a grain. 
For a gargle, dissolve six grains in two tablespoonfuls of water. For 
an ointment, mix ten grains with a tablespoonful of lard or glycer¬ 
ine. It should not be used internally when the patient is troubled 
with constipation, nor during the presence of active inflammation. 

Procured at drug stores. 


TANSY (Tanacetum Vulgare). 

Part used —The tops. 

A fomentation of tansy applied to the bowels is very effective 
in case of painful menstruation. A warm tea of it used at the 
same time produces perspiration and aids materially in promoting 
menses. It is also very useful when applied to painful swellings, 
inflammations and sprains. For restorative and strengthening pur¬ 
poses, it is used in the form of bitters. A cold infusion of tansy is 
tonic and has been used in some forms of dyspepsia. Dose, from 
two tablespoonfuls to two wineglassfuls twice a day. 

Oil of Tansy —This oil is a very active emmenagogue, and 
should not be taken by pregnant women, as it is regarded as dan¬ 
gerous and should be used with great discretion even by physicians. 
It is used as a worm-medicine. Dose, from two to five drops. 

Cultivated in gardens; the oil found at drug stores. 


TAR WEED, Griim Weed (Grindelia Squarrosa). 

This is an excellent and effective remedy, in malarial diseases 
and enlarged spleen. Dose of the fluid extract, fifteen to thirty 





TAR WEED. 


719 


drops. . This is a new remedy, from California, for chills and fever. 
It is said to surpass anything yet employed in chronic cases of this 
disease. 

In reference to it, Prof. Goss, of Marietta, Ga., says the con¬ 
trolling effects of the grindelia squarrosa, over the spleen and other 
lymphatic glands, render it the remedy in all old, chronic cases of 
ague. He finds nothing so prompt, to check relapsing chills, as this 
remedy. There is no remedy that acts more kindly upon the liver 
than grindelia squarrosa. In eruptive diseases, such as scarlet-fever, 
measles, small pox, it has been found a remedy of great value. 

Description —This plant is sometimes called gum-weed or 
tar-weed. It grows from two to three feet high; produces many 
stems from one common root, with a bunchy top; leaves about two 
inches in length, and of a bright green; stems whitish, bearing 
many leaves; flowers small and chrome yellow; buds resembling 
the burdock. This plant bears some resemblance to the wild sun¬ 
flower; but the former is gummy, while the latter is not. 


TAli WEED—Gindelia Kobusta. 

Since this plant was first introduced it has earned for itself the 
reputation of being almost a specific in asthma. Dose, from one- 
half to one teaspoonful of the fluid extract, repeated every three or 
four hours as required. Attention to the medical qualities of this 
agent was first directed by Dr. Gibbons, of San Francisco, since 
which time it has rapidly grown in favor with the profession, and is 
extensively prescribed for its anti-spasmodic properties. 

Dr. Cleland, of Kewanna, Ind., says it is the best remedy he 
ever used in catarrh or chronic bronchitis. The U. S. Dispensatory, 
15th vol., says its chief use is in asthma-and bronchitis; it is espec¬ 
ially valuable in the latter complaints when there is tendency to 
spasm. It has been employed with success in whooping cough. 
As a local application it has been found useful applied to burns. 

Description —This is another species of the tar-weed, and the 
same description applies to this species as to the squarrosa, with 
the following slight variations: The stem of the former is brown 
and has fewer leaves, which are somewhat narrower than those of 
the latter, while the flowers are of an orange-color. 


THYME (Thymus Vulgaris.) 

Part Used —The leaves. 

These should be taken freely in the form of a warm infusion 
for colic, colds and headache. A cold infusion should be employed 
as a tonic for weak stomach, dyspepsia, and in recovery from 
exhausting diseases or to produce sweating, used freely four or five 
times a day. 




720 


TOBACCO. 


The Oil of Thyme —Is a good external application for tooth¬ 
ache, neuralgia and painful swellings. It may be employed inter¬ 
nally in doses of two to ten drops. 

This is the common garden-thyme. 


TOBACCO ( Nicotiana Tabacum). 

Tobacco applied in the form of a poultice is one of our best 
remedies in extreme cases of lock-jaw; it should be removed as 
soon as the patient becomes relaxed. It is likewise very good in 
colic. Obstinate cases of constipation have been promptly removed 
by a poultice of tobacco-infusion. It is often employed in the 
form of an ointment in croup, piles, obstinate ulcers and painful 
tumors. Tobacco-smoke is often employed in earache. 


TOMATO {Lycopersicum Esculentum). 

Part employed —The ripe fruit. 

This vegetable is found in every kitchen garden. Fluid 
extract of the ripe fruit, in doses of half a teaspoonful to a tea¬ 
spoonful is said to exert special curative action over ulcerative 
affections of the mucous lining of the mouth and other cavities, 
nurse’s sore mouth, canker, etc. 

May be had prepared at drug stores. 


TOUCH-ME-NOT, Celandine (. Impatient Pallida ). 

Part used —The herb. 

The tea of this plant is highly esteemed as a remedy for the 
treatment of jaundice. Its juice is beneficial for removing ring¬ 
worm, salt-rheum and warts, or it may be applied in poultice, boiled 
in milk. The decoction is useful in dropsy, taken freely several 
times during the day. 

Description —The stalk is of a watery appearance and full 
of juice. The flowers are hood-shaped, of a liglit-yellow color, with 
spots of dark orange, followed by a sort of pods, which if scpieezed 
a little will fly to pieces. 


TRAILING ARBUTUS, Mountain-Pink, Gravel-Weed 

(Epigcea Repens). 

Part used —The herb. 

It has been successfully used in gravel and other diseases of 






TURKEY-CORN. 


721 


the urinary organs, and in diarrhea and bowel-complaints of chil¬ 
dren. This is a woody plant, and common to almost all parts of 
the United States. The infusion of the leaves may be drunk freely. 


TURKEY-CORN, Wild Turkey Pea (Corydalis Formosa ). 

Part used —The root. 

Prof. Payne, of Philadelphia, says, “ There is no fact better 
established than that this medicine, judiciously administered, has 
the power to remove syphilis from the system.” The tincture should 
be prepared from the fresh herb and given in doses of twenty to 
thirty drops, three or four times a day. It is also an excellent rem¬ 
edy for scrofula; dose of the infusion, one to two wineglassfuls, 
three times a day; of the powder, five to ten grains. 

Description —This plant grows from six to twelve inches high, 
in rich, loose soil, flowering early in the Spring. It has a small, 
tender stalk, and small, fine leaves of a bluish-green color; round, 
bulbous root, about the size of a large pea; from tw r o to four of 
these peas to a stalk, attached to small roots; are rather hard, of a 
yellowish color and quite bitter. It bears small, reddish-purple 
flow r ers. The time to gather it is in March or April. 


TREE OF HEAVEN (Ailanthus Glandulosa ). 

This remedy has been found useful in epilepsy, palpitation of 
the heart, asthma, hysterics, hiccough and dysentery. Dose, from 
ten to thirty drops of the fluid extract; of the decoction, made by 
boiling one ounce of the root in a pint of water, one tablespoonful 
three to five times a daj r . 


TURPENTINE, Oil of Turpentine, Spirits of Tur¬ 
pentine (Oleum Terebinthince ). 

When this is combined with castor-oil it forms a good remedy 
for worms. Externally it enters into several lotions, preparations 
for rheumatism, tumors, chilblains, indolent ulcers, and in burns 
and scalds, combined with linseed oil. For ordinary sore throat and 
colds, five drops on a little sugar, swallowed slowly and repeated 
once or tw T ice a day, is said to be almost a certain cure. In 
dysentery and flux, mixed with sugar in ten-drop doses, re¬ 
peated every four hours, it is an effectual remedy in many 
cases. For gonorrhea, gleet and leucorrhea, turpentine is 
often employed. In these cases add one teaspoonful to two 
tablespoonfuls of a mucilage of gum-Arabic and of this give a tea¬ 
spoonful every three hours. In stoppage of the urine, it will gen- 

46 





722 


TWTN-LEAF. 


erally give speedy relief. To four tablespoon fills add the same 
amount of vinegar and the yolk of one egg. This makes a good 
liniment for sprains, bruises and rheumatism, far more effective 
than many of the patent liniments sold at high prices. It is 
employed in bronchitis and the diarrhea attending typhoid fever. 
In doses of ten to twenty drops, repeated every three or four hours, 
it has proved efficacious in bleeding from the lungs, nose, stomach 
and bowels. Turpentine should never be given in large doses, as 
it is liable to affect the brain, injure the kidneys or produce 
strangury. 


TWIN-LEAF ( Jeffersonia Diphylla). 

Part used —The root. 

It has been used with good success in cramps, chronic rheuma¬ 
tism and dropsy. Externally it is used in sore eyes; also as a gar¬ 
gle for ulcerated sore throat and scarlet fever. Dose of the decoc¬ 
tion, one to two wineglassfuls; of the tincture, two to four teaspoon¬ 
fuls three times a day. 

Description —It has many leaves which grow on long foot¬ 
stalks. The flower-stem produces one single white flower. 


UNICORN-ROOT, Star-Grass, Crow-Corn, Ague-Root 

(Aletris Farinosd), 

Part used —The root. 

This has proved very efficacious in dyspepsia and flatulent colic, 
and is especially useful for the purpose of restoring the activity of 
the generative organs, giving them tone, vigor and healthy action. 
It is a most valuable agent to prevent the tendency to miscarriage; 
and for falling of the womb it has few equals. Dose of the tincture, 
six to ten drops, three a day; of the powdered root, five to eight 
grains. It has lately been used with good success in diabetes— 
excessive flow of urine—in which case it should be combined with 
alum. It is also very efficient in green-sickness and painful men¬ 
struation. Unicorn-root combined with black-haw, in equal pro¬ 
portions, made into a decoction, is a remedy of unsurpassed value in 
cases of threatened abortion. Dose, a tablespoonful three times a 
day; in urgent cases, every hour or two; of the fluid extract, half 
a teaspoonful every two hours. 

Description —Height, from a foot to eighteen inches; leaves 
pale, smooth and evergreen; bears white flowers; root small and 
irregular, from one to two inches long, of a dirty, dark color, very 
hard, full of little pits, rough and wrinkled. It grows in most parts 
of the country, in dry, sandy soils and barrens. 




URTICA DIOJCA. 


723 


URTICA DIOICA. 

In diseases of the kidneys this new remedy has proved a good 
one. It is advantageously employed in diarrhea, dysentery, piles, 
various hemorrhages, in scurvy and febrile affections. Dose of the 
fluid extract, ten to twenty drops three or four times a day. 


UYA URSI, Arbutus Uva-Ursi, Bear-Berry, Upland 
Cranberry (. Arctostajphylos Glaucd). 

This is a very serviceable remedy in chronic inflammation of 
the bladder and in chronic diarrhea and dysentery. It has been 
employed with good effect in gleet, gonorrhea, leucorrhea, chronic 
kidney troubles, catarrh of the bladder and gravel. The decoction 
is made by boiling for a few minutes one ounce of the leaves in one 
quart of water. Dose, half a teacupful three or four times a day; of 
the powder, ten to fifty grains. 

Description— It is a perennial, evergreen shrub, growing in 
dry, upland northern regions of America and may be found in drug 
stores. 


VALERIAN ( Valeriana Officinalis). 

Part used —The root. 

It is employed in epileptic fits, St. Vitus’s dance, nervous 
derangement, especially for nervous females, restlessness and in 
wakefulness during fevers. Dose of the tincture, one to two tea¬ 
spoonfuls three times a day; of the infusion, a wineglassful; of the 
extract, three to six grains; and of the oil, five drops. 

Found only in drug stores. 


VENICE-TURPENTINE. 

This is a thick liquid, which exudes from the trunk of the 
abies larix, a European tree. It possesses medicinal properties 
similar to the oil of turpentine and the turpentines generally. 


VANILLA ( Vanilla Aromatica). 

Part used —The bean. 

This is used in low grades of fevers and hysterics. It is an 
excitant of the generative organs, increasing sexual desire. It may 
be used in an infusion, one-half of the powdered bean to one pint 
of boiling water, in doses of two or three teaspoonfuls three times a 
day. 

Found only at drug stores. 






724 - 


velvet-leak. 


VELVET-LEAF (Pareira Brava), 

Part used— The root. 

It is employed in gravel, dropsy, chronic inflammation of the 
kidneys and urinary organs. Dose of the infusion from one-fourth 
to one-half a teacupful, three times a day; of the fluid extract, one 
to two teaspoonfuls. 

Found only in drug stores. 


VIOLET, Blue Violet, Bird’s-Foot Violet 

( Viola Pedata). 

Part used —The whole plant. 

It is used in coughs, consumption, disease of the kidneys and 
syphilis. It is mucilaginous, alterative and slightly laxative. In 
urinary affections, when a mucilaginous diuretic is needed, it is a 
very useful plant. It may he used in the form of a sirup made 
from the herb or root. 

Description —This plant has no stalk, is small, leaves nearly 
round, on slender stems from two to three inches long; flowers 
appear in May and are deep blue or purple. 


VERVAIN, Vervine, Wild Hyssop ( Verbena Hastata). 

Parts used —The leaves and stems. 

This is regarded as one of the safest and best remedies known 
for suppressed or checked menses. Dose of the decoction, half to 
two-thirds of a teacupful, three or four times a day. The decoction 
is a very valuable tonic and restorative medicine in lung-disease, 
fever and ague, loss of appetite and in convalescence from acute 
diseases. It is now accounted good in gravel and scrofula. Dose 
of the infusion, one to two wineglassfuls three times a day. The 
warm infusion, in large doses, is an emetic. 

Description —Height, three to four feet; has a sort of four¬ 
square stalk, branching limbs, whitish flowers, followed by long 
slim tassels of seeds. It grows usually in dry, hard soils, along 
roadsides and in fields. 


VIRGINIA SNAIvEROOT (.Aristolochia Serpentaria). 

Part used —The root. 

As a nerve-stimulant it acts very promptly and is much used 
in depressed or exhausted conditions of the nervous system, espec¬ 
ially in typhoid, typhus, marsh and child-bed fevers. It is appli¬ 
cable in the latter stages of diphtheria, small pox, scarlet fever and 





WATER ASH. 


725 


pneumonia. It supports the sinking vital forces and rids the sys¬ 
tem of any offending matter by producing perspiration and a 
determination of blood to the surface. A cold infusion is often 
employed with good effect in dyspepsia, croup, throat and kidney 
complaints. A cold infusion is used for strengthening purposes 
and it may be drunk freely. Dose of the tincture, from a half to a 
teaspoonful three times a day. 

Description —Height one to two feet, stalk slender and 
jointed, of a dark-reddish color, toward the ground; leaves oblong 
and about three inches long and one wide; flowers of a dull-brown 
color attached to short stems which proceed from the root, so that 
they usually lie close to the ground. The root is fibrous and of a 
dark-brown color. It may easily be known by its gingery, aromatic 
smell, and is found in timber and shady lands. 


WATER-ASH, Ptelia, Swamp Dogwood 

(Pt elect Trifoliata). 

Part used —The bark of the root. 

This is an excellent remedy in chills and fever. It is also 
regarded as a good remedy in asthma when tinctured in whisky and 
taken in doses of one to two teaspoonfuls every two or three hours. 
Dose of the powder, from twenty to thirty grains three to six times 
a day; of the tincture, one to two teaspoonfuls. 

Descrijdion —Ptelea is a shrub growing from five to ten feet 
high. It produces a peculiar-shaped seed about the size and shape 
of a wafer, with a sort of winged edge all around it. 


WATER-FENNEL SEED {(Enanthe Phellanclrium). 

This drug is of value in chronic affections of the air-passages, 
as asthma, inflammation of the larynx, bleeding from the lungs, 
catarrh, and in periodical febrile diseases, dyspeptic affections and 
indolent ulcerations. It is highly recommended by some physicians 
in consumption and bronchitis and to quiet troublesome cough and 
render expectoration smaller and easier and produce sleep at night. 
Dose of the fluid extract, from eight to twelve drops three or four 
times a day. 

Procured only at drug stores. 

<ZJ 


WATERMELON (Cucurbita Citrullus). 

Part used —The seeds. 

An infusion of watermelon-seed is very valuable in inflamma¬ 
tion of the stomach and bowels, strangury, burning urine and 
gonorrhea, May be used freely. 





726 


WATER PLANTAIN. 


WATER PLANTAIN (.Plantago Cordata). 

Part used —The root. 

This is a good astringent, and is a very beneficial remedy in 
cholera, diarrhea, dysentery and all forms of bowel-complaints. A 
poultice of the root is a very serviceable remedy for ulcers and 
sores. The decoction may be used freely four or five times a day. 

Description —The leaves of this plant are from six to seven 
inches long, broad and smooth; flowers small, whitish, and attached 
to spikes six or eight inches long. It is usually found on wet lands 
and on the borders of streams. 


WHITE WEED (Chrysanthemum Leucathemum). 

Part used —The whole plant. 

The cold decoction is good in asthma, night-sweats, whooping- 
cough, nervousness, and externally and internally in leucorrhea. 
Dose, half to a teacupful three times a day. The decoction is 
applied locally to scald-head, ulcers and wounds. 

This is a common plant, found everywhere. 


WHITE COHOSH (Acton Alba). 

Part used —The root. 

It is said to be a specific in controlling after-pains, and that for 
this purpose there is probably no remedy known that surpasses it. 
It is also found useful in neuralgia of the womb and painful men¬ 
struation, and also in leucorrhea from congestion of the womb. A 
strong tincture may be made by adding eight ounces of the root to 
one pint of alcohol (96°). Dose, fifteen drops, three times a day. 


WHITE POND-LILY (.Nymphce Odorata). 

Part used —The root. 

The white pond-lily is efficaciously used in dysentery and 
diarrhea. Externally, it is employed with good effect as a poultice 
for boils, ulcers and tumors. The juice of the fresh root, mixed 
with lemon-juice, is excellent for removing freckles, pimples and 
blotches from the face. The infusion is a good remedy for the cure 
of sore and ulcerated mouth, used in the form of a gargle. It is 
used in scrofula, diseases of the lungs and leucorrhea. For this 
latter affection it should be employed internally and by injection. 
There are few remedies that act more promptly than this in those 
old cases of leucorrhea, where there is chronic inflammation of the 
womb or abrasion of the vagina; and for ulceration of the womb 






WHITE SNAKE-ROOT. 


727 


it has proved efficacious, having completely cured the disease after 
all other available means had failed. It should be used locally, by 
injections of the infusion to the neck of the womb, and by taking 
it internally. Dose of the infusion or decoction, from one-half to 
a teacupful two or three times a day; of the fluid extract, ten to 
fifteen drops, morning and evening. 

Description —This article grows in ponds, with large, round, 
dark-green leaves, floating on the water, and large white flowers. 


WHITE SNAKE-ROOT (Eupatorium Aromaticum). 

Part used —The root. 

This plant is employed with good effect in pleurisy, gravel and 
lung-fever. It is used in typhoid and nervous fevers in cases where 
it is difficult to obtain sleep. The decoction or tea may be used 
freely. It is often employed in combination with other sweating- 
agents. 

Description —Height from one to two feet, rough stalk, 
branched top; leaves smooth, three or four inches long; flowers 
white. The root consists of a bunch of fibrous roots, of bitterish 
taste and aromatic smell. 


WHITE-OAK ( Quercus Alba). 

Parts used —The bark and nuts. 

A poultice of the bruised or powdered bark is a valuable appli¬ 
cation to check a tendency to gangrene and mortification. It is 
very serviceable in diarrhea, dysentery, hemorrhages and night- 
sweats. It makes an excellent gargle in sore-throat and for falling 
of the palate. It has been used very successfully as an enema in 
falling of the womb, leucorrliea and piles. Dose of the decoction, 
from a fourth to half a teacupful four or five times a day. In 
sickly children and weakly persons, especially when the result of 
fever, and also in diarrhea, a weak decoction employed internally 
will be found of value and will produce the very best results. 


WHITE-ASH, Old Man’s Beard, Fringe-Tree 

( Cli ionanthus Virgin lea). 

Part used —The bark of the root. 

It acts promptly in torpidity of the liver, and is a good tonic 
for dyspepsia and general debility. It is highly praised for con¬ 
gestion of the womb; the unicorn-root is frequently combined with 
it for this purpose. Dose of the saturated tincture, thirty to sixty 
drops three times a day. This tincture may be procured at the 
drug stores. A bitters made by steeping it in spirits, taken two 





728 


WHITE VERVAIN. 


or three times a (lav, lias proved promptly successful iu the cure of 
inflammatory rheumatism. Dr. I. A. Henning says that in func¬ 
tional jaundice it is nearly a specific, given in doses of the fluid 
extract of from fifteen to twenty drops every three to six hours, as 
it may be indicated in the case. 

Description —It attains a height of eight or ten feet. Its 
flowers grow in clusters, petals long and snow-white, like fringe. 
Hence it is called the fringe-tree. It grows in sandy soils, princi¬ 
pally in the Southern States. 


WHITE VERVAIN (Verbena UrticifoUa). 

Part used —The root. 

Dr. E. G. Day, of Grand Tower, Ill., writes in regard to it as 
follows: “ The roots of this plant have been successfully used in 

the form of a decoction for the cure of intermittent and remittent 
fever. Its employment for a week in a case of intermittent fever 
was not only successful, but cured the individual of the opium habit 
of four years duration.” Dose of fluid extract of the root, thirty 
to forty drops. 

The nettle-leaved vervain is found in most parts of the United 
States and Canada. 


WILD GINGER, Colt’s Foot, Heart Snake root 

(Asarum Canadensis). 

Part used —The root. 

This may be used to promote perspiration, in all cases of colds, 
female obstructions, whooping-cough and fevers. It is made in a 
tea and administered in small doses frequently repeated, as large 
doses are apt to nauseate the stomach. The best preparation is a 
cordial made with the tincture and sirup or molasses. 

Description —The root of this plant is round, fleshy, 
jointed, fibres brown; leaves round, hairy, supported on long foot¬ 
stalks, somewhat resembling a colts’s hoof, two from a root. Only 
one flower growing from the root between the two foot-stalks which 
support the leaves, of a dark purple, and growing close to the 
ground. It is found usually in moist soils and shady forests. 


WHORTLEBERRY, Huckleberry (Vaccinium 

Frondosum). 

This fruit is very useful, eaten with milk or sugar, in scurvy 
or dysentery. The berries and root, bruised and steeped in gin, 
have proved beneficial in dropsy and gravel. A decoction of the 
leaves or bark of the root is used in diarrhea, or as a local applica¬ 
tion to ulcers, sore mouth and throat. 






WILD CHERRY. 


729 


Description —It is a shrub, growing four or live feet high, 
bearing a rich, luscious and nearly black berry. It grows in low, 
moist lands and waste places. 


WILD CHERRY (Prunus Virgiana). 

Parts used —The bark of the tree and of the root. 

It is generally employed in combination with other medicines. 
It is an excellent bitter-tonic, and very extensively used as a restor¬ 
ative bitters, and is valuable for disease of the lungs, coughs and 
particularly in jaundice. It is an astringent often employed in 
bowel-diseases. It should not be boiled, as this process, to a great 
extent, destroys its virtues. It is also used in scrofula and hectic 
fever. Dose of the infusion, from two tablespoonfuls to a wine- 
glassful, three times a day; the same of the bitters; of the fluid 
extract, from one-half to two teaspoonfuls. 


WILD CARROT (Daucus Carotd). 

Parts used —The root and seeds. 

They have been employed with success in kidney diseases, 
dropsy, inflammation of the bladder and in gravel. The seeds are 
the best; they should be bruised and steeped, care being taken not 
to boil them, as it will destroy their virtue. Dose, half to two-thirds 
of a teacupful three times a day. 

Description —It resembles the garden-carrot; grows from 
two to three feet high, in waste places and along roadsides. The 
root has a sweetish taste and is more slender than the cultivated 
species. The seeds are of a dull brown color, flat on one side and 
convex on the other. 


WILD POTATO, Bird-weed, Man-in-tlie-Ground 

(Convolvus Panduratus). 

Part used —The root. 

Equal parts of the root and skunk-cabbage, made into a sirup, 
are very effectively used in consumption, coughs and asthma. The 
decoction of it is used in gravel and dropsy. The extract is a valu¬ 
able cathartic. Dose of the infusion, about a wineglassful every 
three hours; of the tincture, two teaspoonfuls. 

Description —This is a climbing vine, of a purplish color 
and from four to ten feet long. The leaves are heart-shaped at the 
base, deep green on the upper and pale on the under sides; flowers 
resemble the morning-glory; grows in loose, sandy or poor soil. 






730 


WILD INDIGO. 


WILD INDIGO, Indigo-Broom, Indigo-Weed, Prairie- 
Indigo, Battle-Bush (Baptisia Tinctoria). 

Parts used —The top and bark of the root. 

An ointment made of the bark of the root with lard or cream, 
is one of the most powerful preventives of mortification known. It 
is valuable in ulcers of all descriptions, either applied in ointment, 
poultice, or used as a wash. It has been used with success in scar¬ 
let and typhus fevers and is one of the most valuable remedies 
known for the cure of typhoid fever. Dose of the decoction, a 
tablespoonful every two to four hours. If it purge or produce any 
disagreeable or unnatural condition of the system, omit its use for a 
time, or lessen the dose. A fomentation of the leaves will disperse 
tumors of the breast. In putrid sore throat, a gargle composed of 
a strong infusion is generally very prompt in arresting the disease. 
In threatened gangrene or mortification, in cuts or wounds, this 
medicine should be given internally at the same time of its external 
application, and it will always give prompt relief. Dose of the 
fluid extract, from twenty to thirty drops every three hours; of the 
saturated tincture, thirty to sixty drops to a teaspoonful. 

Description —This shrub grows mostly on hilly land and poor 
soil, from two to three feet in height; is of a yellowish green with 
black spots. The flowers are golden and succeeded by an oblong 
pod of a dark hue; leaves small, somewhat heart-shaped, and broad¬ 
est toward the outer end. 


WILD YAM, Colic Root (Dioscoreci Villoscc). 

Part used —The root. 

An infusion of the root of this herb is almost a sure cure in 
bilious colic, promptly affording relief. Dose, half a teacupful of 
the decoction every half hour. It is very valuable to allay nausea. 
Give four to six tablespoonfuls about every half hour until relief is 
afforded; of the tincture, half to a teaspoonful. It is also used with 
good effect in spasms and dyspepsia. It is one of the best remedies 
for the different forms of colic. It should be given in doses of one 
or two wineglassfuls every half hour or hour, until relief is obtained. 
Dose of the tincture, half to a teaspoonful. 

Description —It is a sort of climbing vine, bearing small 
yellowish-green flowers. 


WILD HOAR HOUND (Eupatorium Teucrifoliurri). 
Part used —The leaves. 

This plant has obtained a high reputation as a remedy for fevers. 
It is a valuable tonic, much used by the planters along; the sea- 




WINTER GREEN. 


731 


board, and considered preferable to Peruvian bark. One ounce of 
the dried leaves infused in a quart of water may be taken daily in 
doses of half a teacupful every two hours. 

Description —This is an annual plant growing from one to 
two feet high, found in all parts of the country, particularly at the 
South. This is different from the common hoarhound. 


WINTER GREEN, Partridge-Berry, Ground-Holly, 
Mountain-Tea (Pipsissewct Umbellata). 

Part used —The leaves. 

This plant is much used by the Indians for rheumatism, and is 
a very prompt and efficient remedy in inflammation of the kidneys 
and bladder, and is held in high esteem by some physicians in 
dropsy, female obstructions and suppressed urine, diarrhea and 
dysentery. The infusion of the leaves may be used in doses of from 
two to four tablespoonfuls, three times a day. For dropsy, this 
remedy is perhaps unsurpassed, especially when in that following 
measles and scarlet fever. Prof. Goss says, “ If I had to depend 
upon one single remedy in dropsy, I believe I would as soon risk 
this one as any other in the entire materia medica.” Dose of the 
fluid extract, from one to two teaspoonfuls. 

Description —This is a beautiful little evergreen shrub 
found in all parts of the country, in sandy regions, mountains and 
dry barrens. 


WITCH HAZEL, Spotted Alder, Snapping Hazel-nut 

(Hamamelis Virginica). 

Part used —The bark. 

To check internal bleeding, it is among the best articles known. 
Dose, half to two-thirds of a teacupful of a decoction of the leaves 
or bark, three times a day. In urgent cases it may be given more 
frequently. A poultice of the bark will remove painful inflamma¬ 
tion of the eyes. The decoction of it is seldom surpassed for the 
piles. It is coming into general use as a remedy for bloody piles. 
It is used as an enema. Inject one-half ounce into the rectum and 
retain as long as possible; renew after every bloody discharge. It is 
used by enema in diarrhea, dysentery, leucorrhea and falling of the 
womb. For sore throat and mouth it is employed as a gargle. An 
ordinary dose is from one to two tablespoonfuls, taken three 
times a day. 

Description —It grows from ten to twenty feet high, along 
streams and hillsides, with large leaves; flowers appear after the 
leaves have fallen off, the fruit ripening the next autumn. 




732 


WOOD BETONY. 


WOOD BETONY (.Betonica Officinalis). 

This is a new plant, but is proving to be a most remarkable 
remedy in the cure of chronic liver complaint and in inflammation of 
the bladder and kidneys, and in dropsy. Dr. F. Herring, in speak¬ 
ing of it in “ New Preparations,” says, “ I know of no other single 
remedy in the materia medica that produces such marked results in 
the treatment of chronic liver affections as this. The usual dose of 
the fluid extract is from fifteen to thirty drops three or four times 
daily. The tincture is equally useful. It has proved very success¬ 
ful in chronic lung affections, when there is a slimy mucous 
expectoration, accompanied by a tight cough. It is almost a specific 
for chronic inflammation of the bladder and kidneys, and in all cases 
of bloody urine, and as it contains no toxic properties it can be used 
for children equally as well as for adults.” 

Procured at drug stores. 


WORM SEED, Jerusalem Oak (Chenopodium 

Anthelm intic i cm). 

Parts used —Seeds and tops. 

This is a reliable remedy for expelling worms. A strong infu¬ 
sion of the tops may be used, or the pulverized seeds, in doses of 
one teaspoonful mixed with molasses, taken three times a day. The 
oil of the plant is often employed, and is to be administered in doses 
of four to ten drops. 

Description —Height from two to four feet, with yellowish- 
green flowers, which are oval and dotted on the under side. The 
whole plant is distinguished by a peculiar disagreeable smell. 
Grows on open grounds and waste places. 


WORMWOOD (.Artemisia Absinthium). 

Part used— The plant. 

It is valuable as a fomentation in bruises, sprains, cuts, etc. 
The cold infusion is useful in intermittent fever, worms, and to 
promote the appetite in dyspepsia. Dose, from one to four table¬ 
spoonfuls twice a day. 

Description —It is a perennial plant and generally cultivated 
in gardens for medical uses. 


XANTHIUM SPINOSUM, Spiny Burreed, Burr-Tliistle. 

This plant is considered by some European physicians as almost 
a specific for hydrophobia or the bite of rabid animals. In reference 





YEAST. 


733 


to its use the following is given from a letter in the Therapeutic 
Journal , published at Paris, by Dr. Grzymala, a South American 
physician: “I have used the Xanthium now a number of years 
with the best success, and it has not yet been my lot to observe a 
single case where it has disappointed me, although I have had occa¬ 
sion to administer it at least a hundred times to men as well as to 
animals bitten by rabid dogs and wolves. 

Dose of the fluid extract, ten to twenty drops; of the infusion, 
half a teacupful three or four times a day. 


YEAST (Cerevisice Fermentum). 

This is a very excellent remedy in the treatment of typhoid and 
scarlet fever, and likewise in malignant sore throat, and in all cases 
where there is a disposition to putridity. Dose, from one to two 
tablespoonfuls every three hours. When yeast is combined with 
charcoal and elm bark and applied to dangerous ulcers, it will 
remove the tendency to mortification. Latterly, a drop or two of 
pure carbolic acid is added, which is decidedly an improvement and 
is regarded as the best known remedy. 


YARROW (. Achillea Millefolium ). 

Part used —The whole herb. 

It is used very extensively for hemorrhages, as bleeding of the 
lungs, spitting blood and bleeding piles. It is also employed in 
excessive flow of urine, leucorrhea, chronic dysentery and chills and 
fever. Dose of the infusion, from one-half to a teacupful three 
times a day; of the oil, ten to fifteen drops; of the tincture, two to 
three teaspoonfuls. 

Description —Height one to two feet, with a branching top, 
having a bitter, pungent taste and a rather pleasant aromatic odor. 
It grows usually in open lands and along water-courses. 


YELLOW DOCK, Sour Dock, Narrow Dock, Curled 

Dock (Rumex Crispus). 

Parts used —The root and seed. 

A decoction is an effective cure for some forms of dysentery. 
It is of great service and usually prompt in the cure of the itch. 
It is taken internally, and at the same time applied externally as an 
ointment. It has latterly been used witli good success in dyspep¬ 
sia and chronic bronchitis. Prof. E. M. Iiale reports several cases 
of these diseases cured with it. Dose of the decoction or sirup, a 





734 


YELLOW PARILLA. 


wineglassful three times a day. Dr. Howard says: “ The dry root 
pulverized and steeped, one teaspoonful to a teacupful of hot water, 
is excellent in all cutaneous affections and various other complaints, 
particularly ulcers and scurvy. In this last disease it is recom¬ 
mended very highly; one case successfully treated with nothing but 
the decoction of the dock root, has fallen under our own notice. 
Bad ulcers and hard tumors have been removed by the application 
of the bruised root in poultice. A strong decoction in milk is 
recommended as an infallible remedy for bleeding at the stomach. 

Description —Height from two to three feet, with slender, 
crisped-edged leaves, and yellowish roots. The leaves and stalks 
have a sourish taste. It grows in waste grounds and meadows, and 
along fences. 


YELLOW PARILLA, Sarsaparilla, Vine-Maple, Moon- 

Seed (Menispermum Canadense). 

Part used —The root. 

It is an efficacious remedy for scrofula, and cases are recorded 
in which the use of it alone has affected a complete cure. As a 
tonic restorative it is very valuable in convalescence from fever and 
ague. Its established reputation has been the basis of popularity 
on which several patent medicines have been largely sold through¬ 
out the country, both as tonics and blood purifiers. It is good in 
constitutional syphilis, skin-diseases, rheumatism and dyspepsia. In 
large doses it is emetic and cathartic. It is used in mercurial dis¬ 
eases and chronic inflammation of the stomach and bowels. Dose 
of the decoction, from half to a wineglassful three times a day; of 
the extract, two to four grains; of the tincture, one to two tea¬ 
spoonfuls. 

Description —It is a climbing vine, generally found in rich 
bottom-lands. It grows from twelve to fifteen feet long, with 
smooth, dark-green leaves which are nearly round. 


YELLOW POND-LILY (Nuphar Lutea). 

For spermatorrhea, or an involuntary discharge of the seminal 
fluid, this is an effective remedy. It also controls the excessive 
desire for sexual indulgence. Dose of the saturated tincture is 
from ten to fifteen drops, three times a day; of the fluid extract, 
five to ten drops. It will be found a valuable remedy in nympho¬ 
mania. 

YELLOW JESSAMINE (Gelsemium Sempervirens). 

Part used —The root. 

It is an excellent remedy in St. Vitus’s dance, nervous head- 





YELLOW POPLAR. 


735 


ache, pneumonia, lock-jaw, leucorrhea, neuralgia, rheumatism, 
inflammation and determination of the blood to the brain, and used 
very extensively in bilious, intermittent and typhoid fevers. Its 
usual effects are clouded vision, double-siglitedness, blindness, gen¬ 
eral relaxation, inability to open the eyes, and sometimes complete 
prostration; but these effects will soon pass away, leaving the 
patient refreshed and relieved or completely restored. In the admin¬ 
istration of the medicine, as soon as the above effect is induced, no 
more should be given, at least until these symptoms have ceased. 
The.dose is from ten to fifteen drops, and even as high as thirty 
drops have been given in high grades of fever. Two or three doses 
are generally all that will be required if it is used in moderately 
large doses. It equalizes the circulation, produces perspiration and 
allays nervous excitement. It may be given at any stage of the 
disease, but it should be used with caution, as large doses have proved 
fatal. When it has been given in too large doses, stimulants will 
counteract its effects, as whisky or brandy y or Turk Island salt, the 
size of a pea, or aqua ammonia may be inhaled. The tincture of 
the root of this plant is the preparation usually employed and may 
be had at the drug stores; dose, five drops. It is an anti-spasmodic, 
and as such it is valuable in asthma, spasms of children and stric¬ 
tures of the urethra. It has a specific action on the mucous tissues, 
which renders it a very valuable remedy in the inflammatory stage 
of gonorrhea. The ordinary dose of the tincture is from five to 
ten drops every three hours. The fluid extract is the form in 
which it is not infrequently employed. Dose, three to eight drops, 
every one, two, three or four hours. It is now used as a remedy 
for spinal meningitis. See page 306. 


YELLOW POPLAR, White Poplar, Tulip Tree 

(Liriodendron Tulipifera). 

Parts used —Bark and twigs. 

It is a very popular remedy in many places for worms. It is 
useful in dyspepsia and dysentery. Dose of the pulverized bark, 
half to a teaspoonful. It may be used in decoction or tincture. A 
tea made of the twigs and drunk freely is invaluable in the cure of 
kidney-complaint. It is regarded as a certain and speedy remedy 
in chills and fever when administered in equal quantities with wild- 
cherry-tree bark and dogwood-bark, made into a decoction. Dose, 
a wine-glassful, three times a day, before meals. This decoction 
is invaluable as a restorative medicine for the general health, or the 
decoction or tea of the bark of the poplar alone is scarcely excelled 
for all debilitated conditions of the system. 

YERBA BUENA (Micromeria Douglassii — Benth). 

This is of recent introduction from California, where it is 




736 


YEKBA MANSA. 


» 


employed very extensively to expel worms, for fevers, and in female 
diseases. Dose of the fluid extract, from thirty drops to one and a 
half teaspoonfuls, twice a day. A tea of the herb may be given 
three times a day. 


YERBA MANSA (Anemonsis Californica). 

Part used —The root. 

This plant is found from Arizona to California, and has stimu¬ 
lant, astringent and tonic qualities. In diarrhea and dysentery it is 
a remedy of pronounced value. Dose, of fluid extract of the root, 
fifteen drops to a teaspoonful. 

May be had at drug-stores. 


YERBA SANTA (Eriodictyon Californicum). 

This is a comparatively new, yet in many sections of the 
country it has been a leading remedy for piles, cough, laryngitis 
and bronchitis. A physician, writing from Texas in regard to it, 
observes, “I can verify the statements concerning the yerba santa 
in piles, as I have cured three cases that had been given up as 
incurable.” It is used in asthma and kidney affections with excel¬ 
lent effect, and for chronic coughs many who have employed it pro¬ 
nounce it “ unsurpassed.” Some recommend that it be combined 
with grindelia robusta in the form of a sirup as making it more 
efficient. Dose of the fluid extract is from ten drops to a tea¬ 
spoonful three times a day. A tea of the leaves may be drunk 
freely three or four times a day. Dose of the fluid extract, from 
fifteen drops to a teaspoonful; of the solid extract, three to six 
grains; of the sugar-coated pills, one to two pills. These prepara¬ 
tions may usually be found at drug-stores. The term “ Yerba 
Santa ” is one given by the Spanish, which signifies “ saint herb ” 
or “ holy herb.” It is a native of California. The virtues herein 
ascribed to it are endorsed by the most eminent physicians in that 
State. 

Description —The plant is somewhat branching and attains a 
height of from two to four feet. The leaves are petiolate, finely 
serrated and oblong, the upper surface presenting the darkest and 
richest green color and so finely varnished with the gum-resin it 
contains as to glisten like a mirror. The leaf is the part used in 
medicine. 




YERBA REUMA. 


737 


YERBA REUMA. 

This new remedy is from the Pacific Coast, but can now be 

f enerally had at all drug stores. Prof Bundy, of the California 
ledical College, writes: “ It is surpassing all other remedies for 
catarrh, leuchorrhea and gonorrhea.” See the treatment of these 
diseases respectively in another part of this volume, for the proper 
mode of using it. It is also employed in the treatment of diarrhea, 
dysentery and sore eyes. It is especially applicable for gleet and 
shingles. Parke, Davis & Co., of Detroit, prepare sugar-coated 
pills (and likewise the extracts) of this plant, which are very pleas¬ 
ant to take. These preparations can now usually be had at drug 
stores, and are regarded by physicians and druggists as a purer arti¬ 
cle than those prepared by other parties. 


HOW TO COLLECT AND PREPARE PLANTS. 

The different parts of a plant are to be gathered when their 
peculiar juices are most abundant in them. 

Barks, whether of the roots, trunk or branches, must be 
gathered in autumn or early in the spring, when they peel off most 
easily. The most active barks are generally from young trees. 
After shaving off the outer portion of the bark, cut thinly and 
place in a good position in the shade to dry. 

Roots —After the leaves are dead in the fall, or better in the 
spring before the sap rises, are the times to collect roots. 

Seetls and Flowers —These should be gathered and dried 
in the shade, only after they are fully ripe. 

Medicinal Plants —They should be taken while in blossom 
and dried in the shade, but may be gathered at any time before 
frost comes. 

Leaves should be collected while the plant is in flower, spread 
thinly on the floor of a room through which there is a constant cur¬ 
rent of air, and dried as quickly as possible. 

Fruits, Berries, etc., may be spread thinly upon the floor, or 
hung up in bunches to dry. 

All vegetable medicines should be kept in a dry and dark place, 
as for instance in tin canisters, which are superior to any kind of 
vessel for powders. Roots are best kept in covered boxes. Tinct¬ 
ures, sirups, etc., are best kept in bottles whose outsides are painted 
black, in order to protect the articles from the action of light. 


HOW TO PREPARE HERBS FOR USE. 

An infusion or decoction is to be made by adding one ounce of 
the plant, bruised, to a pint of water; the tincture, by adding an ounce 




738 


TABLE OF DOSES. 


of the powdered article to a pint of alcohol or brandy and allowing it 
to stand for twelve days, frequently shaking; and the essence, by 
dissolving one ounce of an essential oil in a pint of alcohol. 

Teas, otherwise called infusions, may be made by putting one 
handful of the herb into one pint of boiling water, and allowing it 
to stand for an hour. 

Decoctions may be made in the same way, but all the strength 
should be extracted by continuous boiling. 


TABLE OF DOSES FOR CHILDREN. 


OF LIQUIDS. 

If the dose of a grown person is one teaspoonful, or.60 drops. 

A child’s, one year old and under, should be. 3 


44 

u 


from 2 to 4 years old, 

“ 4 “ 8 “ 

“ 8 *• 13 “ 

“ 13 “ 18 “ “ 

“ 18 “ 21 ‘ “ 

And from about 21 “ 50 “ “ 

44 44 44 


44 

44 

44 


44 

*4 

44 

44 

44 


44 

44 

(4 

44 

44 

44 


5 

10 

12 

20 

30 

60 


u 

u 

u 

(< 

u 


60 and upwards, about.30 “ 

When a teacupful, or twelve tablespoonfuls is a dose for an adult— 

A child’s, one year old and under, should be. % tablespoonful. 


from 2 to 4 years old, 

u 4 “ 8 “ 

“ 8 “ 13 “ 

“ 13 “ 18 “ 

“ 18 “ 21 “ 

And from about 21 “ 60 “ 


44 

44 

44 

44 

44 


44 

44 

44 

44 

44 


44 

44 

44 


1 

2 

4 “ 

34 teacupful. 
1 “ 


IN DRY MEASURE. 


If the dose for an adult is. 1 drachm. 

That for a child 1 year old should be. 3 grains. 

. 2 “ “ “ . 4 

4 “ “ “ I.”””"!"’’”!""”’"”"”’" io 


44 
44 
44 
4 4 
44 
44 


44 

44 

44 

44 

44 

44 


44 


(4 

“ 8 
“ 13 


44 

44 

44 


44 

44 

44 


“ 18 
“ 21 and upwards 


15 

20 

30 

60 


44 

44 

44 

44 

44 

44 


TABLES OF WEIGHT AND MEASUREMENT. 

FLUID MEASURE. 


4 Gills make.... 

2 Pints. 

4 Quarts. 

60 drops make... 
8 drachms make 
16 ounces make.. 


1 pint, pt. 

1 quart, qt. 

1 gallon, gall. 
1 fluid drachm 
1 fluid ounce. 

1 pint. 






































TABLES OF WEIGHT AND MEASUREMENT. 


739 


A tablespoon contains. 34 ounce. 

A pint “ .1...16 ounces. 

A teacup “ 1 gill. 

A wineglass “ 2 ounces. 

A teaspoon “ 60 drops. 


Four teaspoonfuls are equal to one tablespoonful. 

Three teaspoonfuls are equal to one dessertspoonful. 

DRY MEASURE. 

4 drachms, or 34 ounce. 
1 drachm. 

60 grains. 

12 tablespoonfuls. 

4 


A tablespoon contains 
A teaspoon “ 

A teaspoon “ 

A teacup “ 

A wineglass “ 


APOTHECARIES’ WEIGHT. 


20 Grains, or grs., make. 1 scruple, scru., or B 

3 Scruples. 1 drachm, dr., or 3 

8 Drachms. 1 ounce, oz., or § 

Medicines should always be weighed or measured. It is advisable to have 
a graduated glass measure for liquids, which can be purchased at any drug store, 
which gives the drops, drachms and ounces. 


The following tables are employed by physicians and druggists: 

60 minims (mix) make...one fluid drachm (f 3 j.), or 60 drops. 

8 fluid drachms (f 3 viii; make.one fluid ounce (f § j.) 

16 fluid ounces (f § xvi) make.one pint (oct.j.) 

8 pints (oct viii) make.one gallon (cong.j.) 

For the “pint”— octarius, O. or Oct. is used; for the “gallon”— congius, 
Cong, is the abbreviation, aa, or ana, means “ of each.” Drops (guttae) are fre¬ 
quently named or prescribed; in medicine, a drop (gtt). 

The characters marked on weights and graduated measures are explained 
as follows: 


3 j one ounce, 
f § j one fluid ounce. 
§ ss half an ounce. 

3 j one drachm. 


f 3 j one fluid drachm. 
3 ss half a drachm. 

3j one scruple. 

5ss half a scruple. 


The marks and words used by physicians and apothecaries may be a little 
more fully explained by the following table: 


5 stands for recipe , and means 
take- 

ad means of each, 
lb. means a pound. 

Cong, means a gallon. 

Decoct, means a decoction. 

Ft. means make. 

Garg. means a gargle. 


Gr. means a grain. 

Gtt. means a drop. 

M. means mix. 

Mist, means a mixture. 
Pil. means a pill. 

Pulv. means a powder. 
S. means write. 
ss. means a half. 


FRENCH DECIMAL WEIGHTS. 


One centigramme is equal to. 34 grain. 

Two centigrammes “ . 34 grain. 

One demi-decigramme “ .-. 1 grain. 

One decigramme “ .. 2 grains. 

One gramme . 18 grains. 

One gramme and three decigrammes are equal to. 1 scruple. 

Two grammes “ . 34 drachm, 

Four grammes “ - — -- 1 drachm. 





























T40 


HOW TO PREPARE POULTICES. 


One decigramme is equal to______2 drachms and 36 grains. 

Three decigrammes and two grammes are equal to.— 1 ounce. 

Demi-kilogramme “ -- 1 pound. 

Kilogramme “ -- 2 pounds. 


HOW TO PREPARE POULTICES. 

Starch-Poultice —Thicken starch with boiling w'ater. When slightly 
cool, stir in a little lard. 

Linseed or Flax-seed Poultices —Boiling water should be poured 
into a heated bowl, and into this the seeds or meal quickly sprinkled with one 
hand, w r hile the mixture is constantly stirred with a knife or spatula with the 
other, till a thin, smooth dough is formed. If the water be added to the meal, 
little knots are apt to collect. The dough should be quickly spread on warm 
linen already cut to the required shape, or put into a bag, and applied. Linseed 
meal retains heat and moisture for a long time, but it is liable to irritate delicate 
and inflamed skin. 

Bread-Poultices —Put slices of bread into a basin, pour over them boil¬ 
ing water, and place by the fire for a few minutes, when the water should be 
poured off; replace by fresh boiling water, and this again poured off, and the 
bread pressed, beaten with a fork, and made into a poultice. Bread-poultices are 
valuable for their bland, non-irritating properties. 

Charcoal-Poultices —Uniformly mix charcoal with bread-poultice, and 
just before the application of the poultice sprinkle the surface with a layer of 
charcoal. Or charcoal may be sprinkled on a wound or ulcer and a simple bread- 
poultice applied over it Charcoal-poultices correct offensive smells from foul 
sores, and favor a healthier action. 

Carrot-Poultices —Boil carrots quite soft, mash them with a fork, and 
apply in the ordinary way. They are said to make wounds cleaner and healthier. 

Use of Poultice* —Poultices are chiefly useful in the following com¬ 
plaints: Pneumonia, pleurisy, bronchitis, pericarditis, peritonitis, acute rheuma¬ 
tism, lumbago, and to mature and facilitate the discharge of matter in abscesses, 
boils, etc. 

When used to mature abscesses or disperse inflammation, poultices should 
extend beyond the limits of the inflamed tissue; but after the discharge, the poul¬ 
tices should be very little larger than the opening through which the matter is 
escaping. If continued too long, large poultices sodden and irritate the parts, and 
may develop fresh boils around old ones. 

In pneumonia and all deep-seated inflammations, they should be renewed 
as soon as they become cool, and the former one not disturbed till the fresh one 
is ready to replace it. In bronchitis and pneumonia, a jacket-poultice, to go round 
the chest, with tapes to secure it in front and over each shoulder, is necessary to 
insure efficient and uniform action. 

To retain heat for a long time, poultices should be covered with oil-silk, or 
with a layer of cotton-batting. One of these methods is preferable to a very 
thick poultice, which might cause inconvenience or pain. 

In acute lumbago they must be applied thick, hot, large enough to cover 
the affected part, and be renew r ed immediately they become cool. After con¬ 
tinuing this treatment for from one to three hours, the skin should be wiped dry 
and covered with flannel, and this again with oil-silk or cotton. Like the poul¬ 
tice, this last application promotes free secretion from the skin, to which the 
good results are mainly due. 

Substitute for Poultices— As a substitute for a poultice, Spongio-piline 
may sometimes be used. It is made of sponge and wool felted together in three 
layers, and coated on one of its surfaces with an impermeable substance. By 
moistening the soft inner surface with water, the warmth and moisture of the 
ordinary cataplasm or poultice are secured; or by sprinkling the same surface 
with lotions it may be made the vehicle for various medicinal substances. Span- 
gio-piline is often valuable during the formation of abscesses or irritable sores, 
and especially when required for persons pursuing their usual occupations. But 







HOW TO PREPARE POULTICES. 


741 


for the relief of severe pain, a large, hot poultice is more soothing. Poultices 
should be continued till pain has subsided, or the sore begun to granulate; after¬ 
wards a wet compress, covered with the oil-silk, should be applied. 

Dry Dressings —If the edges of wounds be brought and kept together 
all foreign particles having been removed, they may often be allowed to heal 
without any assistance beyond the additional support and protection of rollers of 
lint. Blood, if already covering the part, is the best and most protective plaster. 
Layers of cotton and lint exclude air, moisture and infecting germs and promote 
healthy action. Dry earth or clay, finely powdered and sifted, is recommended 
by Dr. Groves for putrid wounds or cancerous sores. 


Poke-root Poultice —Place the 
fresh root in hot ashes, allow it to 
roast until soft, pound and apply in the 
form of a poultice. This will discuss 
or “scatter” tumors, if applied in time; 
otherwise it will hasten their suppura¬ 
tion. It should be renewed three times 
a day. 

In general, poultices are best applied 
warm or tepid; they should not be suf¬ 
fered to get dry before renewed. 

Elm-Poultice —Take elm-bark in 
powder, or fresh bark pounded; hot 
water, a sufficient quantity to form a 
poultice of the proper consistence; 
mix. This poultice is very valuable in 
all cases of burns, scalds, swellings and 
ulcers, painful tumors, and wherever a 
soothing poultice is required. It is 
seldom equaled. 

Brown Sugar and Soap Poul¬ 
tice —Mix equal parts of the sugar and 
soap; very valuable for boils. 

Discutient Poultice —Make a 
very strong tea of white-oak bark, and 
thicken with corn-meal; apply it as hot 
as can be borne, and change it every 
two or three hours. This will discuss 
or “scatter” tumors or swellings. 

Hop-Poultice —Boil a handful of 
hops for a few minutes in a pint of 
water in a covered vessel; squeeze out 
the juice and strain; the liquor is now 
to be put again on the fire and thick¬ 
ened with Indian meal, and a small 
portion of lard is to be added while it 
is cooling. 

Lobelia-Poultice —Powdered lo¬ 
belia and ground slippery-elm bark, 
each, one ounce. Stir these into hot, 
weak lye, to make a poultice. For 
wounds, fistula, whitlow, boils, erysipe¬ 
las and stings of insects. 

Lye, or Alkaline Poultice- 
Take lye, rather weak, warm it, 
and stir in of slippery-elm bark suffi¬ 
cient to form a poultice. This is very 
useful in inflammation of the breast and 
other parts; in felons, white swellings, 
lock-jaw, wounds, fistulas, etc. 

Yeast-Poultice— Take, of milk, 
blood-warm, one pint; yeast, one gill. 


Stir in, fine, slippery-elm bark, to form 
a poultice. Applied to gangrenous 
ulcers it is more efficacious than any 
other and sooner arrests mortification, 
used with proper auxiliaries. It is also 
very serviceable in other species of 
inflammation. 

Sumach-Poultice— Take, of the 
bark of the roots of the common su¬ 
mach ; bruise it well, and boil in sweet 
milk or water for twenty minutes; then 
thicken with corn-meal. This is a 
highly valuable poultice for all kinds 
of foul ulcers, and especially those 
which affect the bones. 

Potato-Poultice — Boil the com¬ 
mon potato, mash or bruise soft, and 
then stir in the slippery-elm bark. 
This poultice has been used with suc¬ 
cess in inflammatory sore eyes of an 
acute character, when other means have 
failed. 

Mustard-Poultice — A sufficient 
quantity of powdered mustard should 
be taken to make a thin paste. This 
should be mixed with boiling water, 
with a small quantity of vinegar added, 
if a very strong poultice is required, 
and spread on brown paper or cloth, 
with a piece of thin muslin over it. 

A mustard poultice should generally 
be kept on from ten to twenty minutes. 
If the skin is very irritable afterwards, 
a little flour should be sprinkled over 
it. This will remove the burning sen¬ 
sation. It is said that if the white of 
an egg is used to mix the mustard 
with, it will prevent it from blistering. 

Ginger-Poultice— Wet flannel in 
hot vinegar and sprinkle on ground gin¬ 
ger—good for toothache. 

Hot Water— In bruises, hot water 
is most efficacious, removing pain and 
totally preventing discoloration and 
stiffness. It has the same effect after a 
blow. It should be applied as quickly 
as possible, and as hot as it can be 
borne. 

Flour - and - Ginger Poultice- 

Equal parts of flour and ginger should 



742 


HOW TO PREPARE FOMENTATIONS. 


be applied in poultice; is excellent for 
“ drawing boils to a head.’’ 

Black-Willow Poultice — Take 
the bark of the black-willow root (call¬ 
ed pussy willow), pulverized, a suffic¬ 
ient quantity; form it into a poultice by 
the addition of cream. 

This is a common poultice of the 
celebrated Dr. Bone, of New Jersey, 
who acquired great celebrity for the 
successful treatment of inflammation 
and ulcers. 

Onion-Poultice —Made in the same 
way as the carrot-poultice. This is 
stimulating and induces indolent sores 
to maturate more freely. It is excel¬ 
lent for boils. 


Mush-Poultice—Stir Indian meal, 
in small quantities, into water kept 
boiling until the whole has acquired 
the proper degree of consistence or 
thickness. 

Oat or Corn-Meal Poultice- 

Place hot water in a basin and stir in 
the meal slowly while it boils till the 
poultice is of the right thickness; that 
is, till it will not run on the cloth on 
which it is spread. 

Stimulating Poultices— are re¬ 
quired for two purposes, either to has¬ 
ten the separation of a dead part, or 
slough or “ core.” For the first of 
these objects, yeast, stale beer-grounds 
or molasses is used; for the second, 
mustard. 


HOW TO PREPARE FOMENTATIONS. 


Fomentations are employed for the purpose of lessening pain and inflamma¬ 
tion and for relaxing parts. They are usually composed of bitter herbs steeped 
for a time in hot water or hot vinegar and water, and are then placed in muslin 
cloth and applied over the affected part as hot as can be borne. Care must be 
taken not to moisten the clothing of the patient or the bed. 

They are to be renewed often; the more severe the pain or inflammation, the 
more frequently they should be renewed or changed. 


Hop-and-Vinegar Fomentation 

—Valuable for pain in the head, bowels 
and other parts. 

St. Johnswort Fomentation— 

This will discuss or scatter caked 
breasts, tumors and swellings 
Boneset Fomentation— Valuable 
for any painful or inflammatory part 
or swelling. 

Wild - Indigo Fomentation — 

This is very valuable for dispelling 
tumors of the breast. 

Hemlock Fomentation— A fo¬ 
mentation of the leaves of the hemlock 
will relieve the pain and swelling of 
the testicles caused by the transmission 
of the mumps to these parts. It may, 


likewise, be applied, with equal effect, 
to similar swellings of the breasts of 
females. 

Poke-Leaf Fomentation —Pain¬ 
ful piles quickly yield to this. 

Smart - Weed Fo nentation — 

This will prevent or remove the black 
and blue spots from bruises, especially 
those of the eye. 

Stramonium-Leaves Fomenta¬ 
tion —Valuable for relieving inflam¬ 
mation of the stomach and bowels. 

Hop Fomentation— Also valuable 
for the same. 

Mullein-Leaf Fomentation-Use¬ 
ful for dispelling tumors. 


HOW TO PREPARE DECOCTIONS. 


Decoctions are certain preparations 
of medicines and drinks made by boil¬ 
ing substances in water for a considera¬ 
ble time. 

They should be kept covered during 
the process and strained while hot. 

The usual proportion of vegetable 


substances, in preparing decoctions, is 
one ounce of root or plant used to a 
pint of water. 

Vegetables designed for decoction 
should be cut into slices or bruised into 
a coarse powder, that their strength 
may be more easily extracted. 







HOW TO PREPARE INFUSIONS. 


743 


HOW TO PREPARE INFUSIONS. 


Infusions, or, as they are frequently 
called, teas, are prepared by putting a 
handful (from half an ounce to an 
ounce) of the herb, root or bark in a 
pint of boiling water (in some cases 
cold water may be employed). Porce¬ 
lain or glass-vessels are preferred for 
preparing them in, and they should be 


kept covered. There are some medi¬ 
cinal articles whose virtues are injured 
or destroyed by boiling; consequently, 
such are made, when required for use, 
into infusions. In warm weather they 
should be made every day; in the win¬ 
ter, every other day. 


INJECTION OK CLYSTER (Enema). 


These are liquid preparations, to be 
introduced into the rectum, or lower 
bowel, by means of a syringe. A large 
syringe should always be used for 
adults, and a small one for infants and 
children. This enables the practitioner 
or nurse, one of whom should always 
perform this simple operation, to throw 
up the injection to such an extent or 
distance as will be efficacious. Some¬ 
times the stomach is in such a state 
that medicine, especially cathartic med¬ 
icine, cannot be given or retained in 
order to act on the bowels. In this 


case, the syringe is very useful. In 
general, injections should take the 
place of cathartics, and it is extremely 
probable that people would have been 
in a much better condition, physically, 
had there never been a cathartic ad¬ 
ministered; and this we deem a.safe 
rule to follow, in all cases—-that neither 
the one nor the other should ever be 
used except in cases of great urgency, 
or necessity, and when resorted to, 
their use discontinued as soon as possi¬ 
ble. 


HOW TO MAKE TINCTURES. 


The preparations called tinctures are 
made by bruising the roots, leaves or 
barks used, to a coarse powder, and 
placing it in the proper amount of dil¬ 
uted alcohol (equal parts of alcohol and 
water) or whisky, letting it stand from 


seven to fourteen days, shaking it sev¬ 
eral times each day. Tinctures are 
generally made by adding an ounce of 
the medicinal substance to nine ounces 
of alcohol. 







MEDICAL PLANTS. 


745 



Aconite (Aconitum Napellus). 

A cure for fevers, neuralgia, and efficacious 
in many other diseases. See page 604. 


American Hellebore (Veratrum 
Viride). 

A cure for convulsions in child-bed fever. 
See page 607. 



Bitter Root (Apocynum Androsce- 
mifolium). 

This will relieve nervous head-ache. See 
page 617. 


Bitter Sweet (Solarium Dulcamara). 
A cure for ulcers and sores. See page 618. 









MEDICAL PLANTS. 


747 




Black Cohosh ( Cimicifuga Race - Blue Cohosh ( Caulophyllum Thai - 
mosa), ictroides ). 


One of the best preparations known in For producing parturition without pain, 
small pox. See page 622. See page 624. 



Blood Root ( Sanguinaria Cana- 
Black Root {Leptandra Virginica). densis ). 

A cure for bloody flux. See page 020. A positive cure for croup. See page 623. 








MEDICAL PLANTS. 


749 



Boldo Leaves ( Penmus Boldo). 

This is a new remedy, and highly recom¬ 
mended in the treatment of gonorrhea and 
ohronic catarrh of the bladder. See page 626. 


Boneset (Eupatorium Perfoliatum). 

The most valuable plant known for coughs 
and colds. See page 626. 




Blue Gum {Eucalyptus Globulus). 

A cure for both croup and diphtheria. See 
page 625. 


Cheese Weed ( Malva). 

A favorite remedy with the Spanish people 
for the cure of venereal disease. See paga 687. 




















MEDICAL PLANTS. 


Ohittim Bark—Cascara Bagrada Cotton Plant (Gossypium Her - 

(Rhamnus Purshiana). baceum). 

A positive cure for constipation. See page Pro^P^ re ^®f ^ or suppressed menstru- 
034 . ation. See page 643. 


Dandelion (Taraxacum Dens 
Leonis ). 

A cure for liver complaint. See page 647. 


Elecampane {Inula Helenium). 

A cure for inoipient consumption. See page 
649. 














i 



MEDICAL PLANTS. 


753 



Golden Seal {Hydrastis Canaden 

sis). 

A specific for piles. Bee page 658. 



Jaborandi {Pilocarpus Pennati- 
folius ). 

An excellent remedy for the cure of pneu¬ 
monia, and the best preparation in use for 
producing perspiration. See page 670. 



Jamaica Dogwood {Piscidia Ery- 
thrina). 

A substitute for opium. See page 670. 


Lady’s Slipper {Cypripedium Pu - 
bescens). 

An efficient remedy for the cure of nervouB 
diseases. See page 672. 










MEDICAL PLANTS. 


755 



Mandrake (Podophyllum Peltaturri). 

A certain cure for liver complaint. See 
page 679. 


Prickly Ash (Xanthoxylum Fraxi- 
neum ), 

A specific for rheumatism. See page 694. 



Poke (.Phytolacca Decandra). Plantain (Plantago Major). 

Used in the treatment of cancer, rheuma- One of the best known remedies for the cure 
tism, etc. See page 693. of neuralgia. See page 692. 











MEDICAL PLANTS. 


757 




Sabsapabilla ( Smilax Officinalis). Scull Cap ( Scutellaria Lateriflora). 
An efficient blood purifier. See page 784. A cure for nervous headache. See page 705. 



t 


Spiny Bubbeed ( Xanthium Spino- 
sum). 

SPEABMINT ( Mentha Viridis). A new remedy for the cure of hydrophobia. 

A cure for chronic diarrhea. See page 709. & ee Pag 0 732. 

















MEDICAL PLANT8. 


759 



Stramonium—Jimson Weed {Datura 

Stramonium ). Tar Weed ( Orindelia Squarrosa). 

Valuable for curing inflammation of the A speedy cure for fever and ague. See page 
stomach and bowels. See page 718. 718. 



Unicorn Root ( Aletris Farinosa). 

TaR Weed ( Grindelia Robusta). Especially useful for restoring the activity 
This new remedy is unsurpassed for asthma, of the sexual organs, giving them tone, vigor 
See page 719. and healthy action. See page 722. 










MEDICAL PLANTS. 


761 



Vervain ( Verbena Hastata). 

An efficient remedy for suppressed menstru¬ 
ation. See page 724. 


White Pond Lily ( Nymphoea Odor - 
ata). 

A valuable remedy for ulceration of the 
womb. See page 728. 



Oregon, or Wild Grape ( Berberis 

Aquifolium ). Wild Indigo ( Baptisia Tinctoria ). 

A cure for syphilis; and one of the best The most valuable remedy known for the 
blood purifiers known. See page 684. cure of typhoid fever. See page 730. 





MEDICAL PLANTS. 


763 



Wild Yam (Discorea Villosa). 

A speedy cure for colic, especially bilious 
colic. See page 780. 


Yellow Jessamine (Oelsemium Sem- 
pervirens). 

An efficient remedy for the cure of cerebro¬ 
spinal meningitis. See page 734. 



Yerba Santa (Eriodictyion Calif or- Yebba Reuma {Frankenia Orandi- 
nicum). f° Ua )' 

A new remedy for the cure of bronchitis. A new remedy for the cure of catarrh. See 

See page 736. page 737. 











HTGENIC SURROUNDINGS. 


A MODEL SITUATION 

See page 843. 















DIVISION ELEVENTH. 


DIAGNOSIS. 


HOW TO RECOGNIZE DISEASE. 

Dr. Hall, in a lecture, once made the remark, “ to arrive at a 
correct diagnosis is the lirst means to the end.” Another equally 
distinguished teacher even went further in saying that “ the correct 
diagnosis is half the cure;” that it forms an all-important part in 
the great problem of health,—health preservative and health restor¬ 
ative,—admits no doubt. Da Costa says, “ Diagnosis is both a science 
and an art. A science because it comprehensively takes account of 
general facts, and of principles based on those facts; an art because 
it demands a cognizance of the means and of their application by 
which a desired result is attained. The first requirement for a cor¬ 
rect diagnosis is to know where to look and what to look for. The 
more common appearances exhibit themselves; anybody can readily 
see them. The more obscure cannot be successfully brought out 
except through the combined study of both art and science.” 

In the past, when only the senses of seeing, hearing, smelling 
and feeling were the means of recognizing the manifestations of 
disease, our available resources were indeed limited as compared 
with the additions art has contributed to complete this important 
study in the history of our liability to the various ills “ flesh is heir 
to.” We are now enabled to see clearly many things of which once 
we could only gather a gleam. First among these is— 

The Use of the Thermometer. The directions given in 
the following pages will enable any one to determine, by its use, 
the nature and character of disease. 

In all cases of illness, to count the pulse and the respirations is 
not more important than to measure the heat. The thermometer 
aids in arriving at definite conclusions and relieves of much mental 
anxiety, and in many cases gives a clue to the disease even before 
characteristic symptoms have made their appearance. In temperate 
regions the normal heat of the human body, at sheltered parts of its 
surface, is 98.4° Falir., or a few tenths more or less; and a persist¬ 
ent rising above 99.5°, or a depression below 97.3° Fahr., is a sign 




768 


HOW TO RECOGNIZE DISEASE. 


of some kind of disease. The maintenance of a natural temperature, 
within the limits above stated, gives a complete assurance of the 
absence of anything beyond local and trifling disturbances; but any 
acute disease unnaturally elevates the temperature or animal heat* 
and many diseases are thus indicated some time before they could 
be detected by any other means. 

The thermometer enables us to distinguish decisively between 
an inflammatory and a non-inflammatory disease; it also helps us 
to determine the severity of the inflammation by the number of de¬ 
grees to which the thermometer is raised. Hysterics, it is well 
known, often resembles inflammatory disease; but the temperature 
of hysterical persons is natural, whereas that of persons really suf¬ 
fering from inflammation is always raised; with this as a character¬ 
istic difference and in and of itself may be classed Pathognomonic. 

In acute fevers it affords the best means of deciding in doubt¬ 
ful cases, and it is often the best corrective of a too hasty conclusion* 
Thus, in typhoid fever, the rise of temperature or its unnatural fall 
often indicates what is about to happen one or two days before any 
change in the pulse or other sign of mischief may be observed. 

In Consumption, the thermometer affords us most valuable 
information. The symptoms and signs are often obscure or their 
true cause may be doubtful, especially in the early stage of the 
disease, when treatment is likely to be of most avail. The impor¬ 
tance of the aid of the thermometer in this case will be recognized 
by the fact that during the deposit of tubercle in the lungs, or in 
any organ of the body, the temperature of the patient is always 
raised from 98° the natural temperature, to 102.8° or even higher, 
the temperature increasing in proportion to the rapidity of the 
tubercular deposit. A persistent elevation of the general temper¬ 
ature of the body has often been found to exist for several weeks, 
before loss of weight or physical signs indicating tubercle in the 
lungs could be appreciated. Hence an elevated temperature not 
only affords us certain information as to the existence of consump¬ 
tion, but the degree of that elevation enables us to estimate the* 
extent and progress of the disease, for a persistent rise shows that 
the disease is progressing, or that unfavorable complications are 
setting in. In measles it is one of the most reliable means of 
detecting, at an early stage, the invasion of pneumonia. In ague* 
several hours before the paroxysm, the temperature of the patient’s- 
body rises considerably. In acute rheumatism, a temperature of 
101° is always an alarming symptom, indicating grave complication* 
such as involvement of the valves of the heart. In short, a temper¬ 
ature of 104° to 105° in any disease indicates that its progress i& 
not checked, and that dangerous complications are liable to arise. 

In all cases of convalescence, so long as the decrease of temper¬ 
ature proceeds regularly as measured by the thermometer, no¬ 
relapses need be feared; on the other hand, delayed decrease of 
temperature in pneumonia, the persistence of a high evening-tem- 


HOW TO RECOGNIZE DISEASE. 


769 


perature in typhus or typhoid fever, or in the eruptive diseases, and 
the incomplete attainment of normal temperature in convalescence, 
are of great significance. They indicate incomplete recovery, 
approach of other diseases, unfavorable changes in the products of 
disease, or the continuance of other sources of disturbance requiring 
careful examination. The onset of even a slight elevation of tem¬ 
perature during convalescence is a warning to exercise careful 
watching over the patient and especially for the maintenance of a 
due control over his diet and actions. 

These remarks might easily be extended and illustrations mul¬ 
tiplied of the value of the thermometer as an aid to diagnosis; but 
beyond recommending a small, straight instrument, with a correct 
scale, self-registering, and taking the observations regularly at the 
same hours daily throughout the disease, noting at the same time, 
the pulse and the breathing, we have only space for the following 
directions: 

The best way to “ take a temperature” is to place the bulb of 
the thermometer under the tongue, by the side of the last molar 
( u wisdom tooth”) and request the patient to close the lips around 
the stem. The time required to ascertain the temperature correctly 
is from three to five minutes. Another way is to place the bulb 
under the armpit; but the former plan is better when practicable. 
These observations should be taken regularty at the same hour each 
day. 

The Stethoscope —Another important aid to science by art 
is the stethoscope, through which ausculation (or listening to sounds) 
informs us of the condition or play of the respiratory organs, and 
furnishes us with the most trustworthy means of investigating their 
condition; and thus, by familiar comparison, the expert is enabled 
to determine not alone the exact spot, but also-the exact size and 
character of disease, to measure an organ, and definitely determine 
either decrease or increase. Its application in science has almost 
revolutionized old and inefficient means by which diseases of the 
chest and the organs within it were detected. It may be said that 
all formerly obscure diseases of the chest are now, by its aid, readily 
discovered and as easily read as an open page. Diseases of the 
lungs, once the terror of humanity, because of inability to diag¬ 
nose conditions, extent, etc., are so no longer. All things consid¬ 
ered, the intelligent observer may be able to determine whether 
the hand of the grim destroyer may not be stayed; whether a few 
more years of comparative comfort may not yet be enjoyed. Disease 
of the heart has also been more carefully studied, now that this 
means of examination is placed within reach. Its many phases 
have been the subject of close research; and where formerly all ab¬ 
normal conditions of that organ were given the general classification 
of “ diseases of the heart,” they are now divided and localized, and 
in this classification we rejoice that many conditions once considered 
and pronounced incurable are now as confidently pronounced as 

49 


770 


HOW TO HECOONIZE DISEASE. 


coming within the power of remedies to improve, arrest or cure. 
The importance which this useful instrument now occupies in the 
field of medical science renders it indeed an indispensable article 
among the physician’s requisites. 

Breathing' —Healthy inspiration is performed with great 
ease by a nearly equal elevation of the ribs and enlargement of the 
chest, and by descent of the diaphragm. Expiration is the natural 
return of the chest to its proportions during rest, which is produced 
by the pressure of the external air, the ascent of the diaphragm and 
contraction of the abdominal muscles. An adult breathes about 
twenty times in a minute. Disease and exertion quicken the rate 
of breathing. 

Difficult breathing, or Dyspnea, may result from wasting 
diseases of the lung-substance; adventitious deposits in those organs 
(these conditions necessarily lessening the amount of breathing sur¬ 
face); formations of false membranes in the air-passages, as in 
diphtheria; and inflammation and swelling of the tonsils or tongue, 
all of which conditions obstruct the entrance of air into the lungs, 
as does also asthma, which is a spasm of the muscular coat of the 
air tubes, and thus cause difficult breathing. 

' The Tongue —This organ affords important indications: 
Dryness points to diminished secretion, and is common in acute and 
febrile diseases; moisture is generally a favorable sign, particularly 
when it succeeds a dry or furred condition. An unnaturally red 
tongue is common in the course of the eruptive fevers; in gastric 
and bilious fevers, and in bad cases of indigestion, the redness is 
often limited to the edges and tip. The u strawberry ” tongue is a 
symptom of scarlet fever; the fissured tongue, of typhus and 
typhoid fevers. When the tongue is livid or purple, there is defec¬ 
tive oxygenation of the blood. The furred tongue is the most 
marked and is common in inflammation and irritation of the mucous 
membranes, in diseases of the brain, in all varieties of fever and in 
almost all acute and dangerous maladies. Some persons have usu¬ 
ally a coated tongue on rising, without any other symptom of dis¬ 
ease. This is especially the case with tobacco-smokers. A uni¬ 
formly white-coated tongue is not very unfavorable; a yellow coat 
is indicative of disordered action of the liver; a brown or black, of 
a low state of the vital powers and contamination of the blood. The 
gradual cleaning of the tongue, first from the tip and edges, shows 
a tendency to health and indicates the cleaning of the whole intes¬ 
tinal tract; in less fortunate cases, as the tongue gets browner, 
dirtier and drier each day, the nervous and muscular systems get 
weaker and hope is gradually extinguished; when the fur separates 
in patches, leaving a red, glossy surface, it is also unfavorable; when 
the crust is rapidly removed, leaving a raw or dark-colored appear¬ 
ance, the prognosis must still be unfavorable. 

The Skin —In health the skin imparts to the touch the sensa¬ 
tion of an agreeable temperature, with just sufficient moisture to 


HOW TO RECOGNIZE DISEASE. 


771 


preserve its softness; it is also elastic, smooth and neither too tense 
nor loose. A harsh, dry, burning heat of the skin is indicative of 
fever, and must ever be regarded as unfavorable, especially in 
inflammatory conditions of internal organs. If this condition be 
followed by perspiration, coincident with general improvement, it 
is a favorable indication. Great relief is usually experienced on the 
occurrence of the sweating stage in ague, inflammatory fevers, etc.; 
on the other hand, complications may be feared it perspiration 
ensue without any amelioration of other symptoms. 

Partial or local perspirations indicate a deranged condition of 
the nervous system. If perspirations occur after trifling exertion, 
they point to excessive weakness. Night-sweats of frequent occur¬ 
rence not only show debility, but when preceded by chills and 
fever, indicate a hectic and consumptive state of the constitution 

A bluish tint of the skin indicates structural disease of the 
heart; a yellow color points to biliary affections; a rich blush of 
the cheeks, especially if it be circumscribed and the surrounding 
parts pale, indicates an irritable condition of the nervous system or 
a diseased state of the lunofs. 

The Urine —Healthy urine is of a brightish-yellow or amber 
color, a tint darker in the morning than in the afternoon, yielding 
a slight ammoniacal smell, devoid of unpleasant odor, and precipitat¬ 
ing no deposit on standing, or only the merest trace of mucus, or of 
urates from a low temperature. In advanced age the urine becomes 
darker and slightly offensive; it is darker in persons who lead a 
very active life; different varieties of food also produce a marked 
effect both on the color and odor of urine. The stream of urine 
should be round and large, and it should be passed about four to six 
times in twenty-four hours, without any pain or straining. 

In disease the urine presents many varieties, and furnishes val¬ 
uable indications. Thus, it may be of a dark-yellow or saffron 
color, as in jaundice, or derangement of the liver; it may be red or 
high -colored and scanty, with quickened pulse, as in fever; it may 
be bloody or slimy, as in affections of the kidneys or bladder; it 
may be pale and copious, as in nervous and hysterical ailments; it 
may be heavy, muddy or of a purple color, showing an unfavorable 
condition of the system; or it may be dark or black, indicating 
putridity. The urine may be passed too copiously or scantily, with 
pain, with effort, or it may be retained witn difficulty. There may 
be a frequent or uncontrollable desire to pass it, with burning or 
scalding pain; or the pain may be only experienced in passing the 
last few drops; in either case local inflammation is indicated. Any 
striking changes from the normal at once impress the observer 
with the necessity of a quantitative analysis wdiich gives an insight 
to be obtained in no other manner. 

In rheumatic fever, in gout, etc., the urine is abnormally acid; 
while on the contrary a loss of nervous power sometimes causes 
insufficient mucus to be secreted, so that, decomposition having 


772 


HOW TO RECOGNIZE DISEASE. 


taken place, the urine is found to be alkaline. Heat will produce a 
deposit in acid urine, but not so in alkaline, however large a propor¬ 
tion of albumen it may contain. 

When urine has to be examined a little should be taken from 
the whole quantity that has been passed during twenty-four hours, 
as it varies greatly in its properties at different periods of the day, 
and after food. 

The Pulse —The pulse is produced partly by the forcible 
expulsion of blood from the heart, through the aorta (the great 
arterial trunk), and thence into the various arteries of the body, by 
each contraction of the left ventricle of the heart, and partly by the 
innate contractility of the arterial walls. Its character will conse¬ 
quently be varied by the condition of the heart, the blood-vessels 
and the blood itself. 

In feeling the pulse, great gentleness should be observed so 
as not to excite the action of the heart, which would defeat the 
object in view. The pulse may be examined in any part where an 
artery is so close to the surface that its throb can be plainly felt; 
but in general the most convenient locality is at the wrist. While 
examining the pulse, there must be no pressure exerted upon the 
artery in any part of its course, by tight sleeves, ligatures, etc. The 
examiner should place three fingers just above the root of the 
thumb and the joint of the wrist, with his thumb on the opposite 
side, so as to be able to regulate the pressure at will. Its frequency 
may thus be measured by the second-hand of a watch. 

Healthy Pulse —The healthy pulse may be described as uni¬ 
form, equal, moderately full and swelling slowly under the fingers; 
it is smaller and quicker in women and children. In old age the 
pulse becomes hard, owing to increased firmness or to structural 
change in the arterial coats. The average number of beats of the 
healthy pulse in the minute, at different ages, is as follows: At 
birth, 140; during infancy, 120 to 130; in childhood, 100; in youth, 
90; in adult age, 75; in old age, 65 to 70; decrepitude, 75 to 80. 

The pulse is influenced, however, by the following and other 
conditions, which should be considered in estimating the character 
of the pulse as a diagnostic sign: It is faster in the female than in 
the male, by from six to fourteen beats; but this difference only 
occurs after about the eighth year. It is quickened by exertion 
or excitement; it is more frequent in the morning and after taking 
food; it beats faster standing than sitting, and sitting than lying; 
but it is retarded by cold, sleep, fatigue, want of food, and by cer¬ 
tain drugs, especially digitalis. 

Pulse in Disease —In estimating the differences of the pulse as 
signs of disease, allowances must be made for those sudden irregu¬ 
larities which are often observable under transient excitement or 
temporary depression, especially of nervous persons. 

The Rapid Pulse, especially if strong, full and hard, indicates 
inflammation or fever; if small and very rapid, it points to a state 


DIAGNOSIS IN CASES OF POISONING. 


773 


of great debility, such as is often present in the last stage of typhoid 
fever. 

Jerking Pulse —Disease of the valve of the lieaf*t is indicated 
by what is called jerking pulse, which is marked by a quick and 
rather forcible beat, followed by a sudden, abrupt cessation, as if the 
direction of the wave of blood had been reversed. 

Intermittent Pulse —Inflammation or softening of the brain 
and apoplexy are indicated by what is called the intermittent pulse; 
and so are also typhoid fever and hernia, when they have proceeded 
to gangrene or mortification. This character of pulse may be known 
by there being an occasional pulsation omitted. 

Full Pulse —What is called full pulse occurs in the early 
stage of acute diseases, and in general plethora; while weak pulse 
denotes impoverished blood and an enfeebled condition of the 
system. 


DIAGNOSIS IN CASES OF POISONING. 

How to Determine the Kind of Poison Taken— 

In cases of poisoning, the patient’s life often depends on prompt 
attendance and expeditious methods of cure. At times it is an easy 
matter to determine the kind of poison taken, whether death has 
supervened or not. The symptoms, the odor, the bottle, knowl¬ 
edge acquired of the victim’s habits and previous actions, inquiry 
at the nearest drug store, and the circumstances surrounding and 
incidents attending the case may lead to the cause. Where suicide 
has been attempted or murder designed there is more difficulty in 
reaching a conclusion, as in either case cunning care will have been 
taken to conceal the methods and substances employed. Where the 
poison has been taken by accident, the patient, who alone might 
give a clue to the cause, is frequently unable to do so from the 
effects following it. There is no infallible guide; but knowledge of 
the action of drugs and chemicals is a prerequisite to success in 
diagnosis. The accompaning lists are given as aids, in conjunction 
with the attendant circumstances, and their careful study may lead 
to a speedy and correct diagnosis: 

Where death has resulted in a few minutes you would be justi¬ 
fied in suspecting the administration of prussic acid, cyanide of 
potassium, strong ammonia, carbonic acid gas, oxalic acid or car¬ 
bonic oxide as the cause. Any one of these, if pure and of full 
strength, will cause death in very brief space; in fact almost any 
active poison will if given in a very large dose. 

If the patient is in a deep sleep, or stupor, with heavy breath¬ 
ing, it may be assumed that opium, morphine, alcohol, chloral, 
chloroform, or camphor has been taken. 

When the patient is found limp, and with very few signs of 
life remaining, you may suspect strong acids, alkalis, aconite, anti¬ 
mony, arsenic, tobacco or lobelia. 



774 


DIAGNOSIS IN CASES OF POISONING. 


In cases of delirium, or wild ravings and incoherent talk, there 
is ground for supposing that one of the following has been used: 
belladonna, hyoscyamus, stramonium, cannabis indica, alcohol, 
or camphor. 

JSux vomica, strychnine, antimony and arsenic cause severe con¬ 
tractions of the muscles and limbs, designated as tetanic contrac¬ 
tions. 

If convulsion, or fits, with squirming and twisting of the body, 
are present, a good deal of ground will need to be covered, as they 
may mean anything. It will be probable that antimony, arsenic, 
carbonic oxide or aconite have been absorbed. Strong acids like 
acetic or supliuric, or alkalis such as ammonia, bring about similar 
manifestations. 

Conium (hemlock) gelsemium, aconite, arsenic and lead bring 
about paralysis of some one of the limbs or part of the body; or 
the paralysis may be complete. 

The following cause enlargement, or dilation of the pupil or 
sight of the eye: belladonna and its active principle atropine, hy¬ 
oscyamus, stramonium, opium, aconite, alcohol, conium, and chlor¬ 
oform, when swallowed. 

Chloral will cause contraction or lessening of the pupils during 
sleep, and opium if in a very large dose will greatly lessen their 
size. 

The skin is usually dry in poisoning with belladonna, atro- 
phine, hyoscyamus and stramonium. It is moist with opium, aco¬ 
nite, antimony, alcohol, tobacco, and lobelia. A majority of the 
poisons cause the skin to moisten in the last stage, or when the 
patient is in a state of collapse. 

Many drugs bring out a rash on the skin, as belladonna, arsenic, 
antimony and bromide and iodide of potash. 

Certain drugs can be quickly recognized by the odor of the 
breath, as laudanum, prussic acid, alcohol, carbolic and acetic acid, 
ammonia, chloroform, creosote, iodine, phosphorus and camphor. 
The smell is not invariably a safe guide, as poisons are often taken 
in cordials, jellies and ales. 

Those drugs which burn the mucous membranes of the mouth 
and throat cause salivation or watery discharge from the mouth. 

Vomiting is caused by arsenic, digitalis, colchicum, colocynth, 
aconite, ammonia and antimony: most of these purge the patient 
also. 

Colic and cramps may be the result of taking lead, copper, 
arsenic, colocynth or antimony. 

The poisons most used in murder are strychnine, prussic acid, 
opium, digitalis, aconite, arsenic and antimony. 

If the poison was inhaled, which will be indicated by attendant 
circumstances, you would be tolerably safe in suspecting ammonia, 
Prussic acid, chloroform, ether, benzine, carbonic acid gas, car¬ 
bonic oxide, coal gas, sewer gas, cesspool gas and emanations. 


EASY METHOD OF DIAGNOSING DISEASES. 


775 


Poisons commonly employed for suicidal purposes are opium 
and its preparations, oxalic acid, rat paste, Prussic acid, chloral, sugar 
of lead and strychnine. The medicines, herbs and drugs used to 
produce abortion not infrecpiently produce death. Some of them 
are: savine, gin and pennyroyal, rue, ergot, bitter apple (colocyntli), 
liickery pickery, Spanish fly or cantharides, yew tree tea and green 
tea in large quantities. 

A few of the poisonous plants indigenous, or native, to this 
country are: Woody nightshade [solarium dulcamara ), garden night¬ 
shade ( solarium nigrum), deadly nightshade ( atropa belladonna ), 
aconite, monkshood, wolfsbane or blue rocket ( aconitum napellus ), 
foxglove ( digitalis purpurea), spotted hemlock ( conium maculatum ), 
arum ( arum maculatum ), colchicum ( colchicum autumnale ), bryony 
(bryonia dioica), henbane (Jiyoscyamus niger), fly agaric ( amanita 
muscaria ), mezeron or spruce olive ( daphne mezereum ), laburnum 
(cytisus laburnum), and a host of others. 


EASY AND ACCURATE METHOD OF DIAGNOS¬ 
ING OR DETERMINING DISEASES. 

The following alphabetical table will enable the reader, in any 
case of sickness, to readily and accurately determine the disease 
from which the patient is suffering. Taking any of the leading 
symptoms indicated by the patient’s condition, a reference to the 
table under that heading will at once point out the cause of illness, 
furnishing at the same time a ready index to the pages where will 
be found fuller information, together with the proper method of 
treatment, and the remedies required. 

APPETITE, loss of—impaired digestion, thirst, nausea, cough principally 
in morning, irregular pains in chest, debility and night-sweats—Consumption, 
p. 87. 

Appetite, loss of—with general lassitude, pain in forehead, heat in and acrid 
discharge from nostrils, hoarseness, soreness in windpipe, frequent sneezing, 
and dry cough—Catarrh, p. 126. 

Appetite, impaired—flatulence, eructations, nausea, furred tongue, heart-burn— 
Dyspepsia, p. 135. 

Appetite, depraved—itching about anus, offensive breath, picking at nose, 
straining at stool and disturbed sleep—Worms, p. 320. 

BITE OF BOG —subsequent spasmodic affections of muscles of throat and 
chest, mental terror—Hydrophobia, p. 5. r >. 

Bowels —acute shooting pains in, with belching, bilious vomiting, thirst, depres¬ 
sion, quick pulse, high colored urine, and obstinate costiveness—Inflamma¬ 
tion of the Bowels, p. 230. 

Bowels, spasms of—with profuse serous or bloody discharges, faintness, pain¬ 
less 1 diarrhea, sudden prostration, vomiting, cold surface and burning pain 
internally—Cholera, p. HI. 

Breath, offensive—and peculiarly hoarse, inflammation of the throat with 
livid’ ulcers, and fluttering pulse—Putrid Sore Throat, p. 291. 

Breath offensive—depraved appetite, picking at nose, straining at stool, dis¬ 
turbed sleep, and itching about anus—Worms, p. 320. 



776 


EASY METHOD OF DIAGNOSING DISEASE. 


Breathing oppressed—with hacking cough, coated tongue, scanty saffron- 
colored urine, difficulty of lying on left side, with pain on right side extending 
to shoulder—Liver Complaint, p. 225. 

Breath, shortness of—with palpitation of heart, headache, giddiness, ringing in 
ears, flashes of light, strong pulse, cough, nose bleeding—Enlargement of 
the Heart, p. 221. 

Breathing, by starts—difficulty increased on motion, violent palpitation of heart, 
suffocating weight, and bounding pulse—Inflammation of Heart, p. 219. 

Breathing —difficult, on exertion, loss of appetite, impaired digestion, cough 
principally in morning, irregular pains in chest, and night-sweats—Con¬ 
sumption, p. 87. 

Breathing, oppressed—with painless diarrhea, spasms of bowels, faintness, 
vomiting, serous or bloody discharges, thirst, cold surface, burning heat 
internally with feeble pulse—Cholera, p. 111. 

Breathing, difficulty in—with dry throat, swollen tongue, red and swollen 
tonsils, pain in swallowing—Quinzy, p. 262. 

Breathing, loud and difficult—profound sleep, and entire suspension of volun¬ 
tary motion—Apoplexy, p. 33 

CHEST, irregular pains in—difficult breathing on exertion, cough principally 
in morning, loss of appetite, and night-sweats—Consumption, p. 87. 

Chest, tightness of—with oppression and some fever—Bronchitis, p. 77. 

Chills —followed by increased heat, strong pulse, flushed face, red eyes, dry 
tongue, short quick breathing, nausea and vomiting, lying flat on back with 
feet drawn up—Inflammation of Abdomen, (Peritonitis), p. 224. 

Chill, followed by heat and thirst—succeeded by acute pain in one side extending 
towards shoulder blade, increasing in violence, sometimes cough or expec¬ 
toration—Pleurisy, p. 256. 

Chill, —followed by fever, sore throat, difficulty in swallowing, hoarseness or 
cough, followed by stridulous breathing, hot skin, aching limbs, dryness of 
mouth—Simple Diptheria, p. 131. 

Chill, followed by fever—characterized by vomiting, diarrhea, thrilling pulse, 
sunken but flushed countenance, dry mouth, husky voice, throat red, cov¬ 
ered with gray or white deposit—Malignant Diptheria, p. 131. 

Chills —and shiverings, with sore throat, followed by hot skin, nausea, frontal 
headache, and sometimes vomiting, with (forty-eight hours after) a scarlet 
rash—Scarlet Fever, p. 174. 

Chills —with debility, oppressed breathing, nausea, giddiness, lassitude, tongue 
and teeth coated with dark brown fur, clammy perspiration—Typhus Fever, 
p. 159. 

Chill —followed by fever, increasing headache, soreness of limbs, body hot, 
extremities cooi—Typhoid Fever, p. 163. 

Cold Extremities —with chills and flushes, constant desire to lie down, sleep¬ 
lessness, distressing dreams, and headache limited to one spot—Spinal Dis¬ 
ease, p. 283. 

Cough —dry, with copious secretion of transparent mucus, accompanied by 
oppression and tightness of chest with some fever—Bronchitis, p. 77. 

Consciousness, loss of—with rigidity of muscles, limbs retaining any position in 
which they are placed—Cataleptic Fit, p. 116. 

Cough, short—with expectoration of colored or bloody viscid matter, difficult 
breathing, hot skin, great thirst, deep-seated, dull pain between the breast¬ 
bone and shoulder-blade—Pneumonia—Inflammation of the Lungs p. 260. 

Cough, slight—with oppression of chest, and hoarseness—Bronchitis, p. 77. 

Cough —principally in morning, irregular pain in chest, loss of appetite, impaired 
digestion, night sweats—Consumption, p. 87. 

Cough, dry—with thin acrid discharge from nose, pain in forehead, heat in nos¬ 
trils, frequent sneezing, hoarseness, soreness in windpipe, loss of appetite, and 
general lassitude—Catarrh, p. 126. 

Cough— hoarse, harsh, with sneezing, running from the nose, sore throat and 
fever, followed by an eruption resembling fleabites—Measles, p. 439. 

DIARRHEA —abdomen hot, tender, with blue line along gums—Painter’s 
Colic, p. 61. 


EASY METHOD OF DIAGNOSING DISEASES. 


777 

Delirium, sudden—paralysis of some member, blindness or deafness, clay-like 
coldness of body, bleeding from spots, nausea, sensation of coldness at 
stomach—Spotted fever, p. 184. 

Diarrhea —painless, with sudden prostration, spasms of bowels, faintness, 
vomiting, profuse, serous or bloody discharges, thirst, cold surface, burning 
heat internally, feeble pulse and oppressed breathing—Cholera, p. 111. 

Digestion, impaired—with loss of appetite, red or furred tongue, thirst, nausea, 
cough principally in morning, irregular pains in chest, debility and night 
sweats—Consumption, p. 87. 

Delirium —with eyes and skin turning yellow, hot skin, hurried breathing, 
flushed face, white furred tongue, burning pain in stomach, craving for cold 
drink, mind disturbed—Yellow Fever, p. 186. 

EARS, singing in - with pain in head, redness of eyes, violent flushing of face, 
costiveness, small dropping of blood from the nose—Brain fever, p. 179. 

Eruptions— irregular-shaped, transparent, on slightly red surface, with more or 
less itching—Chicken Pox, p. 117. 

Extremities cold—with body hot, increasing headache, chill, soreness of limbs 
—Typhoid Fever, p. 163. 

Eruption —like flea-bites, following sore throat; harsh cough, running from the 
nose and fever—Measles, p. 439. 

FACE —Livid, cold surface, pain in head and weak pulse—Apoplexy, p. 33. 

Face —violent flushing of, with redness of eyes, pain in head, dry skin, costive¬ 
ness, singing in ears, small dropping of blood from nose.—Brain Fever, p. 
179. 

Fever— followed by an eruption of irregular-shaped, transparent vesicles on 
slightly red surface, with itching — Chicken Pox, p. 117. 

Fever —following chill, with sore throat, dry mouth and fauces and aching limbs 
—Simple Diptheria, p. 131. 

Fever, slight, (in children)—with fretfulness, cold in the head, hoarseness in¬ 
creasing toward evening, hot skin, frequent pulse—Croup, p. 434. 

Flatulence —with eructations, impaired appetite, nausea and furred tongue with 
heartburn—Dyspepsia, p. 135. 

Foot —sudden pain in heel, toe or ankle, with sensation as of cold water pouring 
on, succeeded by shivering and some fever—Gout, p. 203. 

GIDDINESS -with headache, ringing in ears, flashes of light, palpitation of 
heart, shortness of breath, strong puise, nose bleeding—Enlargement of the 
Heart, p. 221. 

Griping Pain —in paroxysms about navel, relieved by pressure—Colic, p. 59. 

HOARSENESS —slight cough, wheezy respiration, oppressed chest, slight 
fever—Bronchitis, p. 77. 

Headache— intense, with excruciating pain in back of head and upper part of 
spine, nausea, vomiting, chill lasting an hour or more, neck becoming rigid— 
Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis, p 305. 

Headache— limited to one spot, sleeplessness, distressing dreams, nausea, vomit¬ 
ing chills and flushes, cold extremities, and constant desire to lie down— 
Spinal Disease, p. 283. 

Headache— with pain in the back, furred tongue, vomiting, and symptoms of 
fever, nine or twelve days after exposure—Small Pox, p. 277. 

Headache— dull, languid, with sleepiness, yellowness of eyes and skin, un¬ 
easiness about stomach—Biliousness, p. 80. 

Headache— in front of head, chill and shivering, sore throat, followed by hot 
skin, nausea, and sometimes vomiting, (twenty-four hours after there will be a 
scarlet eruption)—Scarlet Fever, p. 174. 

Heartburn— followed by belchings, pain in the stomach, excessive vomitings 
and purging with violent griping pains—Cholera Morbus, p. 108. 

Head— pain in, with redness of eyes, violent flushing of face, dry skin, costive¬ 
ness, singing in ears, and small dropping of blood from nose—Brain Fever, 

Heart— sudden dreadful pain in, faintness, difficulty in breathing, clammy per¬ 
spiration—Heart Disease, p. 217. 


EASY METHOD OF DIAGNOSING DISEASE. 


778 


Heart —violent palpitation of, with bounding pulse, breathing by starts, diffi¬ 
culty increased by motion, suffocating sense of weight on chest—Inflamma¬ 
tion of Heart, p. 219. 

Headache —followed by an eruption of irregular-shaped, transparent vesicles 
on slightly red surface, with more or less itching—Chicken Pox, p. 117. 

Headache —with nausea, shivering and inflammatory spreading redness of skin 
at any part, with tenderness, burning pain and tingling—Erysipelas, p. 154. 

Headache —increasing, with chills, soreness of limbs, body hot, cold extremi- 
. ties—Typhoid Fever, p. 163. 

Head and back —severe pains in, with thirst, intense heat of body, white tongue, 
yellow eyes, nausea and vomiting of bile—Bilious Fever, p. 171. 

Hoarseness —increasing towards evening, cold in head, fretfuluess, feverish¬ 
ness, hot skin and frequent pulse—Croup, p. 434. 

WfFLAMMATIOJf —of skin, near angle of eye, on head, or on other part 
of body, burning tenderness and painful tingling, with shivering, headache 
and nausea—Erysipelas, p. 154. ' 

Itching —about anus, depraved appetite, offensive breath, picking at nose, 
straining at stool, and disturbed sleep—Worms, p. 320. 

Itching —on parts, which are covered with small red patches, with pimples 
enlarging to the size of small pearls—Shingles, p. 273. 

JOINT-hip, knee, ankle, or elbow, severe pain in, white swelling with great 
distress till suppuration sets in—Hip Disease, p. 327. 

Joints —local inflammation of, preceded by fever or occurring simultaneously, 
joints swollen, and acutely painful, pain aggravated at night—Acute 
Bheumatism, p. 263. 

KIDNEY —shooting pain in, extending to groin and thigh, down the abdomen 
and around the hip, with nausea, paleness, profuse sweat and frequent desire 
to micturate—Gravel, p. 200. 

MUSCEE^ —rigidity of, with loss of consciousness, limbs retaining position 
in which they are placed—Cataleptic Fit, p. 116. 

NAUSEA —and vomiting, with chills followed by increased heat and strong 
pulse, flushed face, red eyes, dry tongue, short quick breathing, only endur¬ 
able position flat on back with feet drawn up—Inflammation of Abdomen, 
p. 224. 

Nausea —with debility, oppressed breathing, giddiness, lassitude, dark-brown 
fur coating tongue and teeth, clammy perspiration—Typhoid Fever, p 159. 

Nausea —succeeded by green or yellow vomiting, and colicky pains—Bilious 
Colic, p. 61. 

Nose —profuse discharge from, sneezing, cough and tightness of chest, with 
itching of nose, eyes, forehead and ears—Hay Fever, p. 220. 

PAIN —burning at bottom of abdomen, constant desire and inability to make 
water, frequent stool, sickness and vomiting—Inflammation of the Bladder, 
p. 231. 

Pain —in side, with frequent, difficult passages of scanty and deep red urine, hot 
skin and costive bowels, ease only secured by lying on the affected side— 
Kidney Disease, p. 235. 

Pain —in right side, up to shoulder, increased on pressure, hacking cough, op¬ 
pressed breathing, difficulty of lying on left side, nausea, coated tongue, 
scanty saffron-colored urine—Liver Complaint, p 225. 

Pain— paroxysms of nervous, very severe, burning, aching or throbbing, not 
confined to any particular part, and coming and going irregularly—Neu¬ 
ralgia, p 245. 

Pain— in kidneys, extending to groin and thigh, down the abdomen and around 
the hip, paleness, nausea, profuse sweat, frequent desire to micturate— 
Gravel, p. 200. 

Pains— severe in head and back, intense heat over body, thirst, tongue white, 
eyes yellow, with nausea and vomiting of bile—Bilious Fever, p. 171. 


EASY METHOD OF DIAGNOSING DISEASE. 


770 


Pain —dull, in forehead, fullness and heat in nostrils, followed by thin acrid dis¬ 
charge from nose, soreness of windpipe, dry cough, loss of appetite, lassi¬ 
tude, etc—Catarrh, p. 126. 

PAiNS—acute and shooting in bowels, with obstinate costiveness, belching, and 
bilious vomiting, quick pulse, thirst, depression, high-colored urine—In¬ 
flammation of the Bowels, p. 230. 

Pain —sudden in great toe, heel or ankle, with sensation as of cold water poured 
on, succeeded by shivering and some fever—Gout, p. 203. 

Pain —in region of heart, suffocating weight, violent palpitation, breathing by 
starts, difficulty increased by motion, bounding pulse—Inflammation of 
Heart, p. 219. 

Pain —sudden, dreadful in heart, extending over chest, up shoulder and down 
arm, faintness and clammy perspiration—Heart Disease, p. 217. 

Pains —violent in stomach, head, joints and limbs, or at a single point, sudden 
paralysis of some function, as blindness or deafness, delirium, painful sensi¬ 
bility to touch, clay-like coldness, bleeding from spots—Spotted Fever, p. 184. 

Pain in swallowing—redness and swelling of tonsils, thirst, swollen tongue— 
Quinsy, p. 262. • 

Pain —acute in the joints, with redness and swelling, local inflammation, preceded 
or occurring simultaneously with fever, pain intermittent, worse at night— 
Acute Rheumatism, p. 263. 

Pain in back and loins—with feverish symptoms, headache, furred tongue, and 
vomiting, from nine to twelve days after exposure—Small-Pox, p. 277. 

Pains —violent, griping, with great thirst and purging of green, yellow or black¬ 
ish colored bile—Cholera Morbus, p. 108. 

Pains in chest—irregular, cough principally in morning, difficult breathing on 
exertion, loss of appetite and night-sweats—Consumption, p. 87. 

Pain —acute on one side extending up towards shoulder-blade and forepart of 
breast, increasing in violence, preceded by chilly sensation and heat and 
thirst—Pleurisy, p. 256. 

Pain —deep-seated, dull, between the breastbone and shoulder-blade, short 
cough, expectoration of colored sometimes bloody viscid matter, difficult 
breathing, hot skin, great thirst—Pneumonia; Inflammation of the Lungs, 

p. 260. 

Pain —severe, deep in joint of hip, knee, ankle or elbow, white swelling, with 
great distress till suppuration ensues—Hip Disease, p. 327. 

Pains, rheumatic—with sores of an ulcerous nature, brassy or scaly, on different 
parte of the body—Syphilis, Second Stage, p. 299. 

Pain —in back and upper part of spine, intense excruciating headache, nausea, 
vomiting, rapid pulse, chill lasting an hour or more, neck becoming rigid— 
Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis, p. 305. 

Pain —burning and lancinating, in a hemorrhagic ulcerous sore with fetid dis¬ 
charge—Cancer, p. 117. 

Pain in head —with giddiness, cold surface, livid hue, weak pulse—Apoplexy, 
p. 33. 

Palpitation, of heart—violent, with suffocating weight, breathing by starts, diffi¬ 
culty increased by motion, bounding pulse—Inflammation of Heart, p. 219. 

Perspiration —clammy, with tremor of extremities, lassitude, nausea, oppressed 
breathing, tongue and teeth covered with dark-colored fur—Typhus Fever, 
p. 159. 

Pimples —itchy, in small red patches appearing on parts of the body, enlarging 
and filling with watery fluid—Shingles, p. 273. 

RESPIRATION- -labored, with wheezing, slight cough, oppressed chest— 
Bronchitis, p. 77. 

Ringing in ears —with flashes of light, shortness of breath, palpitation of heart, 
giddiness, strong pulse, cough, and nose bleeding—Enlargement of the 
Heart, p. 221. 

SIRE pain in—extending up to shoulder-blade and fore.part of breast, increas¬ 
ing’in violence, has been preceded by a chill, followed by heat and thirst— 
Pleurisy, p. 256. 

Skin and eyes turning yellow, with hot skin, hurried breathing, flushed face, 


780 


EASY METHOD OF DIAGNOSING DISEASES 


white furred tongue, burning pain in stomach, craving for cold drink, mind 
disturbed—Yellow Fever, p. 186. 

Skin —hot. with frequent pulse, hoarseness increasing towards evening, cold in 
head, fretfulness, feverishness—Croup, p. 434. 

Skin —spreading, inflammatory redness of, with tenderness, tingling and tension, 
with headache, shivering and nausea—Erysipelas, p. 154. 

Skin —smooth, glossy, dull red over a soft, diffused swelling, which will leave for 
some time the indentation of the finger—Dropsy, p. 128. 

Skin —yellowness of, with furred tongue and dull headache or sleepiness—Bilious¬ 
ness, p. 80. 

Skin —purple or dark-red, over a hard, hot swelling—Carbuncle, p. 75. 

Skin —kernels or tumors under, which thicken, inflame and discharge a thick 
mucus—Scrofula, p. 294. 

Skin— yellow-colored, following yellowish tinge to eyes and nails, urine staining 
linen, stool whitish, fever symptoms, bitter taste—Jaundice, p. 232. 

Stomach —soreness of, and burning pain in, vomiting of secretions, headache, 
craving for cold drinks, mind disturbed, skin hot, breathing hurried, face 
flushed, topgue, white of eyes and skin turning yellow—Yellow Fever, p. 
186. 

Stomach —uneasiness of, with sense of load on, yellowness of eyes and skin, and 
dull headache—Biliousness, p. 80. 

Stomach —burning, followed by e.hills—Congestive Chills, p. 37. 

Stomach —irritated, bowels torpid, chill of several hours, followed by paroxysms 
—Congestive Chills, p. 37. 

Sneezing —profuse discharge from nose, tightness of chest, cough and difficult 
breathing, itching of forehead, nose, eyes and ears—Hay Fever, p. 220. 

Sore Throat —with chills and shiverings, succeeded by hot skin, nausea, frontal 
headache and sometimes vomiting, forty-eight hours after a rash of scarlet 
—Scarlet Fever, p. 174. 

S >re Throat —with chill, followed by fever, aching limbs, dryness of mouth and 
fauces—Simple Diphtheria, p. 131. 

Sore Throat —with hoarse, harsh cough, running from nose, and fever, fol¬ 
lowed by eruption like flea-bites—Measles, p. 439. 

Sores —on the sexual organs—Syphilis, first stage, p. 299. ■ 

Sores —ulcerous, on various parts, of brassy color, often scaly—Syphilis, second 
stage, p. 299. 

Speech —incoherent, with blindness or dizziness, followed by stupor—Apoplexy 
p. 33. 

Sleeplessness —distressing dreams, headache limited to one spot, nausea, vomit¬ 
ing, chills and flushes, cold extremities, and constant desire to lie down— 
Spinal Disease, p. 283. 

Swelling —white, of hip, knee, ankle, or elbow joint, with severe pain and caus¬ 
ing great distress till suppuration ensues—Hip Disease, p. 327. 

Swelling —dropsical, of upper and lower parts of the body, with frequent, 
scanty and highly-colored or albuminous urination, dry skin and quick pulse 
—Bright’s Disease, p. 234. 

Swelling —hot, harder than a boil, purple skin over—Carbuncle, p. 75. 

Swelling— glandular, which becomes inflamed, breaks and discharges a thick 
mucus—Scrofula, p. 294. s 

Swelling —on forepart of neck, increasing and hardening, face flushing, fre¬ 
quent headaches, with shooting pains through body of tumor—Goiter, p. 202. 

Swelling —soft, inelastic, leaving for some time the indentation of the finger, 
skin smooth, and when the swelling is great, glossy, and of dull-red or purple 
color—Dropsy, p. 128. 


TOXGUE- -red and inflamed, and covered with ulcers, profuse secretion of 
saliva with offensive breath—Canker of the Mouth, p. 120. 

Tongue— white, mucus transparent, skin dry, slight cough, oppressed chest, 
labored respiration—Bronchitis, p. 77. 

Tongue— white, eyes yellow, severe pains in head and back, intense heat over 
body, thirst, nausea, vomiting of bile—Bilious Fever, p. 171. 


EASY METHOD OF DIAGNOSING DISEASES. 


781 


Tongue —and teeth coated with dark-brown fur, with chills, oppressed breathing, 
nausea, tremor of extremities, lassitude, clammy perspiration—Typhus 
Fever, p. 159. 

Thirst —with white tongue, yellow eyes, severe pains in head and back, intense 
heat over body, nausea and vomiting of bile—Bilious Fever, p. 171. 

Throat —inflammation of, with ash-colored spots on inflamed parts, peculiar 
hoarseness in breathing, fluttering pulse, offensive breath, livid ulcers—Put¬ 
rid Sore Throat, p. 291. 

ULCER —uneven surface and ragged, painful edges, with discharge of thin 
matter with fetid smell—Cancer, p. 117. 

Ulcer —livid, on inflammation in sore throat, with offensive breath, peculiar 
hoarseness in breathing, and fluttering pulse—Putrid Sore Throat, p. 291. 

Urine —frequent desire to pass, with paroxysms of pain in kidney, shooting to 
the groin, extending down the abdomen and about the hip, with nausea, pale¬ 
ness and profuse sweat—Gravel, p. 200. 

Urine —Frequent desire and inability to pass, frequent stool, burning pain at 
bottom of abdomen, sickness and vomiting—Inflammation of the Bladder, 
p. 231. 

Urine —scanty, saffron-colored, with nausea, coated tongue, oppressed breathing, 
hacking cough, difficulty of lying on left side, pain in right side, extending 
to shoulder—Liver Complaint—p. 225. 

Urine —brown or yellow, staining linen, whitish stools, yellowish tinge on whites 
of eyes and nails, extending to skin—Jaundice, p. 232. 

Urine —scanty and deep red, in frequent and difficult passages, hot skin, costive¬ 
ness, pain in side, far back, only eased by lying on the affected part—Kidney 
Disease, p. 235. 

Urine —frequency of, with scanty, high-colored or albuminous passage, dry skin, 
quick pulse, dropsy, or swollenness of upper and lower parts of body— 
Bright’s Disease, p. 234. 

VESICLES —or eruptions, irregular-shaped, transparent, on a slightly red 
surface, with more or less itching—Chicken Pox, p. 127. 

Vomiting —excessive, and purging of green, yellow or blackish-colored bile, 
violent griping pains and great thirst—Cholera Morbus. 

Vomiting —yellow and green bile, succeeding nausea, with uneasiness in right 
side—Bilious Colic, p. 61. 

Vomiting of bile, with nausea, white tongue, yellow eyes, thirst, intense heat 
over body, severe pains in head and back—Bilious Fever, p. 171. 

Vomiting and sickness, with frequent desire and inability to pass urine, frequent 
stool and febrile disposition — Inflammation, p. 231. 

Vomiting, with sudden prostration, painless diarrhea, profuse serous or bloody 
discharges, cold surface and burning heat internally—Cholera, p. 111. 

Vomiting of bile, with belching, high-colored urine, quick pulse, thirst, depres¬ 
sion, obstinate constipation and acute shooting pain in bowels—Inflammation 
of the Bowels, p. 230. 

YELLOWNESS of the eyes and skin, with furred tongue and dull headache 
or sleepiness—Biliousness, p. 80. 

Yellow Tinge— first in whites of eyes, then roots of nails, extending to other 
parts; dark brown urine, staining linen, whitish stools, pain in stomach and 
bitter taste—Jaundice, p. 232. 


DIVISION TWELFTH. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 


MEDICAL USES OF SALT. 

Catarrh —Experience has proved that salt and sugar is one of 
the few remedies that will cure catarrh. The solution should be 
prepared as follows: To a pint of water add half a teaspoonful of 
salt and the same amount of granulated sugar. Then snuff this 
solution up into the nostrils and retain it there for half a minute 
by holding the nose with the lingers, and immediately repeat the 
operation; do not attempt to pass the liquid into both nostrils at 
the same time, but snuff it into one nostril while the other is com¬ 
pressed by the finger.. This operation should be repeated three 
times a day, gradually increasing the strength of this solution each 
week by adding equal parts of the salt and sugar. But care should 
be taken not to make it strong enough to give any irritation at the 
time of using it. 

Chronic Sore Eyes —A solution of salt has cured chronic 
sore eyes after all other efforts to relieve them had failed. Its 
value is increased in some cases by the addition of equal parts of 
sugar. Ordinarily, a wash for the eyes is prepared by dissolving 
one-half teaspoonful of salt in one-fourth teacupful of water; bathe 
the eyes with this solution, two or three times a day, and if pain¬ 
ful lay on a cloth wet with it at night. A few drops may also be 
put into them. 

Felon —A poultice of salt and the white of an egg will pre¬ 
vent it. No one need have a felon if this application is made in 
time, for it will always disperse or “ scatter ” it. 

Burns —Moistened salt is said to be almost equal to any other 
remedy for burns. It will prevent blistering if applied in time. 

Neuralgia —A small sack of warm salt will often relieve 
this painful affection. The salt may also be applied as follows: 
One quart of water; one-half pint of salt; add the salt to the 
water while boiling and apply warm constantly. A case of neural¬ 
gia of the hip of several years’ standing was cured with this rem- 
eidy. 

Bleeding Piles —An eminent physician of New York City 
says that salt is the best remedy he has found, in his practice, for 
the cure of this disease. He has, he further says, “ always been 
successful with it in the treatment of this complaint.” It is to be 
used by injecting a strong solution two or three times a day. Some 




MEDICAL USES OF SALT. 


783 


persons may employ it stronger than others; this is to be deter¬ 
mined by the effect produced in each case. 

Toothache —A solution of salt and water, mixed with an 
equal portion of the spirits of camphor, applied to the tooth by 
means of cotton will cure many cases of toothache. Warm salt¬ 
water held to the tooth is very effective in some cases. 

Sprains and Bruises —Keep applied a strong solution of 
salt. Speedy relief will be obtained. There is no remedy superior 
to it for these difficulties. 

Disease of the Spleen —Prof. King says, “ Salt persever- 
ingly used has effected many cures of chronic disease of the spleen. 
Dose, a teaspoonful three times a day.” 

Cholera-Morbus —For this disease, it is one of the best 
remedies known. It is to be used by adding one tablespoonful to 
one-lialf a tumblerful of water and as much good vinegar and one 
teaspoonful of ground black pepper. Dose, two teaspoonfuls every 
twenty minutes. 

Colic —In the violent internal pain termed colic, a teaspoonful 
of salt dissolved in half a teacupful of cold water, taken at com¬ 
mencement of an attack, is among the most effectual and 
remedies known. 

Fits and Convulsions —Salt is one of the best remedies in 
these difficulties. When they first make their appearance no time 
should be lost in administering salt-water, if sufficient sensibility 
remains to allow of swallowing; if not, the head must be sponged 
with cold water until the senses return, when salt-water will com¬ 
pletely restore the patient. 

Fever and Ague —The celebrated Dr. Broke gives the fol¬ 
lowing: “ Take a handful of line, white salt, roast it in a stove with 
moderate heat till it becomes of a brown color, like coffee. Dose, 
for an adult, one tablespoonful dissolved in a glassful of tepid 
water and to be taken on each morning following the fever. To 
’ overcome the thirst that may follow a small quantity of water 
should be taken through a straw. During the succeeding forty- 
eight hours after taking the salt the food should be chicken or 
beef-broth. During eighteen years in which I have employed this 
remedy I have been uniformly successful with it.” 

Cough —In many cases of troublesome coughs, if the patient 
will take a “ pinch ” of salt on retiring at night, it will measurably 
relieve the difficulty and procure rest and sleep. 

Bleeding of the Lungs and Stomach —For these 
affections it is unsurpassed, when properly administered. It should 
be given in half-teaspoonful doses every twenty or thirty minutes 
until the bleeding is checked, when nature will heal the lesion. 

Diarrhea —Salt and cider-vinegar will cure obstinate cases of 
chronic diarrhea. Take good cider vinegar one quarter tumblerful; 
salt, heaping tablespoonful; add hot water to fill the tumbler, and 
give a teaspoonful to a tablespoonful, according to age, of the solu- 



784 


MEDICAL USES OF SALT. 


tion as liot as can be borne, every five or ten minutes till the whole 
is taken. If vomited up repeat the dose. 

Falls and Blows —In cases of apparent death from these 
causes, the administration of salt-water will speedily restore the 
patient. 

Worms —To one teacupful of tepid water add one teaspoon¬ 
ful of salt. Use this quantity as an injection once a day, and in 
four or five days the person will be entirely free from the pin or 
thread-worm. 


Dyspepsia —Salt will cure some forms of this disease when 
taken in doses of one-fourth to one-half a teaspoonful twice a day. 

Disordered Stomach —In many cases of this difficulty, 
one-half a teaspoonful of salt dissolved in half a teacupful of 
water will prove effectual, when taken morning and evening. 

Painter’s Colic —Apply to the bowels a small sack of hot 
salt. It is better, however, to keep two in use; for while one is 
applied the other can be warmed and thus a constant succession sus¬ 
tained. Relief is frequently obtained with the first application. 
At the same time take a half-teaspoonful internally. 

Erysipelas —A strong solution of salt and brandy applied to 
the affected parts by means of cloths kept constantly moist with 
the solution will arrest the spread of erysipelas. Cases have been 
cured with this remedy when they had baffled professional skill for 
days in succession. 

Sore Throat —Many cases of ordinary sore throat can be 
cured by using a gargle of salt-water every hour, and in severe cases 
every half hour. 

Apoplexy —Salt is one of the best remedies known for re¬ 
storing a patient in a fit of apoplexy. It is to be applied wet to 
the head and temples, until sufficient sensibility returns to admit of 
swallowing, when salt-water given internally will restore the patient. 

Pain in the Stomach —A small draught of salt and water 
usually affords speedy relief for this difficulty. 

Heart-hurn —A pinch of salt, dissolved in the mouth will 
often cure this difficulty. In some cases repeat the dose. 

To Remove Dandruff —Wash the head every two days 
with a strong solution of salt-water; where sea salt is not available, 
use a small handful in a basin of water. This has removed dan¬ 
druff where every other means had failed. 

Hives —A physician writes, “ I cure hives by simply binding 
common table-salt on the back of the neck. I have employed this 
remedy for years, and been successful with it.” 

As regards the medicinal properties of this article, there is, 
perhaps, no natural production that possesses so many curative vir¬ 
tues. And if it were employed in connection with the other simple 
remedies given in this volume for the treatment of diseases, their 
successful use would demonstrate their superiority over poisonous 
drugs. 


MISCELLANEOUS REMEDIES. 


785 


MISCELLANEOUS REMEDIES. 


Asthma. 

This disease has often been cured by 
the use of chestnut-leaves. The dry 
leaves are used after they have become 
ripe in Autumn, and a teacupful of the 
tea made from these is to be drunk at 
breakfast each morning. 

ANOTHER-Dr. Barthlow, of Philadel¬ 
phia, gives the following as one of the 
’ best prescriptions for asthma. It is to 
be taken between attacks: Potassia 
bromide, one ounce; potassia iodide 
ounce; water, four ounces. A tea¬ 
spoonful three times a day. 

Bed Sores. 

Beat up the w'hite of an egg and 
cover the surface. This will allay in¬ 
flammation and promote recovery. 

Bleeding at the Nose. 

A good remedy for bleeding at the 
nose, as given by Dr. Gleason, is a vig¬ 
orous motion of the jaws, as if in the 
act of mastication. In the case of a 
child, a wad of paper should be placed 
in the mouth and the child instructed 
to chew it hard. It is the motion of 
the jaws that stops the flow of blood. 

Bilious Colic. 

A teaspoonful of common baking- 
soda dissolved in half a teacupful of 
water, taken at the commencement of 
an attack, will generally afford relief. 

Bruises and Sprains. 

Bathe the affected parts with hot 
milk and arnica, in the proportion of 
nine parts of the former to one of the 
latter, and in severe cases immerse the 
whole limb in the solution. This is a 
new combination, but a very effective 
remedy. 

Burns and Scalds. 

Apply immediately a thick covering 
of wool to the burnt part; in the course 
of half an hour very little pain will be 
felt and scarcely any blister will re¬ 
main. As this remedy is so simple, no 
housekeeper should be without loose 
wool at hand, in case of an accident. 
This remedy was discovered by the 
child of a wool-comber having been 
dreadfully scalded; its mother laid it 
in a basket of newly carded wool, 
50 


while she ran for a doctor; when she 
returned she found the child fast 
asleep among the wool and when it 
awoke the excessive pain had subsided. 
We have frequently tried it and invari¬ 
ably with success.— Hall. 

Another —Apply to a burn, bruise 
or cut, the moist surface of the inside 
coating of the shell of a raw egg; it 
will adhere of itself and heal without 
pain. 

Cholera. 

An efficient remedy for the cure of 
cholera, cholera-morbus, diarrhea, dys¬ 
entery and summer complaint, is 
Tinct. Cayenne, - - - one-half oz. 

“ Opium, - - - - “ “ 

“ Rhubarb, ... “ “ 

Essence peppermint, - - - “ “ 

Tinct. camphorated spirits, - “ “ 

Soda,.- - - “ “ 

Thirty drops for an adult; five to ten 
drops for a child. This remedy 
should always be kept on hand during 
the summer. One dose is often suf¬ 
ficient. 

Chilblains. 

Put on a pair of cotton socks, dip 
your feet in cold water, and draw on 
your woolen stockings outside. The tor¬ 
ment will be assuaged in a few minutes 
and a cure for the season often effected 
in a few days. 

Another —Bathe the parts affected 
in the liquor in which potatoes have 
been boiled, at as high a temperature 
as can be borne. On the first appear¬ 
ance of the ailment, indicated by in¬ 
flammation and irritation, this affords 
almost immediate relief. In the more 
advanced stages, repetition prevents 
breaking out, followed by a certain 
cure; an occasional application will 
operate against a return, even during 
the severest frost. 

Onions are reputed a cure for chil¬ 
blains. They are to be bruised and 
bound on the affected part for several 
nights in succession. 

Cancers. 

When cancer of the breast is sus¬ 
pected, the patient should at once com¬ 
mence the use of the tincture of poke- 
root in five drop doses three times a 






786 


MISCELLANEOUS REMEDIES. 


a day, and at the same time apply it to 
the tumor by means of cloths saturated 
with it. This treatment has been fre¬ 
quently known to remove the tumor. 

Catarrh. 

Dissolve a tablespoonful of borax in 
half a tumbler of water. Pour into the 
hollow of the hand and snuff it up the 
nose five or six times a day. I have 
cured this disease with this remedy 
when all other means had failed.— Dr. 
Barron. 

Another —Camphor water in five 
drop doses every hour for four or five 
hours, will generally break up a coming 
attack of catarrh or influenza. 

Chapped Hands, Lips or 
Wounds. 

Simmer half a pint of sweet cream 
over the fire till it resembles butter 
and forms a thick, oily substance. Use 
as ointment for fresh or old wounds, 
cracked lips or hands. 

Chills and Fever. 

A strong tea of garden strawberry 
roots drunk freely will effectually cure 
chills and fever. 

Cholera Infantum. 

Three or four injections of Wake¬ 
field’s Blackberry Balsam have cured 
this disease when all other remedies 
had failed. 

Injections of brandy are also a super¬ 
ior remedy for the same purpose. 

Collodion for Corns. 

Paint the corn with collodion, as 
often as convenient, night and morning. 
After a couple of days soak the corn in 
water as hot as can be borne, when the 
corn, or a portion of it, will come away 
with the application. Repeat till all 
trace of the trouble has disappeared. 

Consumption. 

For Consumptive Cough —Add a 
handful of the bark of the root of what 
is known as the “Choke Cherry ” to a 
quart of water. Use as a beverage 
daily, in place of water. 

Those who have used this remedy 
pronounce it of greater efficacy than 
any of the tonics that are usually em¬ 
ployed in this disease. It has been 
known to cure patients after they had 
abandoned hope of recovery. 


The wild cherry-tree bark contains 
about the same medical properties as 
the choke-cherry, and may be used in 
its stead when the latter cannot be 
had. 

The Tar Cure —Tar, three table¬ 
spoonfuls ; strained honey, three table¬ 
spoonfuls ; yolks of three fresh eggs; 
wine, one-half pint. Dose, one table¬ 
spoonful three times a day, before 
meals. Dr. East, a distinguished phy¬ 
sician of the State of Texas, says, “ It 
is superior to all other remedies of 
which I have any knowlege in the 
treatment of this disease.” 

Mullein —Make a strong decoction 
of mullein, sweeten with coffee-sugar 
and drink freely two or three times a 
day Continue its use three to six 
months. Young or old plants either 
may be used when dried in the shade. 
A writer in speaking of it says, “It has 
been known to cure a number of cases 
after hemorrhage of the lungs had set 
in and the hectic flush was on the 
cheek.” 

Croton Oil and Cod Liver —An 
application of croton oil diluted in 
olive oil, applied to the chest of a con¬ 
sumptive in severe cases, will bring 
out an eruptive rash; as soon as this 
has partially healed, repeat the appli¬ 
cation. Then apply at night to the 
chest and back cod-liver oil as hot as 
can be borne, washing off in the morn¬ 
ing with a solution of strong salt and 
water and vinegar. Repeat every day 
taking the cod-liver oil internally. 
This has effectually cured a case pro¬ 
nounced hopeless by physicians. 

Coughs and Colds. 

Cold in the head is sometimes re¬ 
lieved by snuffing up a pinch of pul¬ 
verized sugar. 

To drink immediately before retiring 
of milk as warm as can be swallowed, 
will frequently relieve a cold. 

For a Cough —Dr. Randall gives the 
following as a favorite remedy for 
colds: Take the common white turnip, 
cut into thin slices and sprinkle pow¬ 
dered rock-candy between them, and 
when dissolved take from a half to a 
tablespoonful four or five times a day. 

Another— To one teacupful of 
white sugar, add the same amount of 
rain -water and a small-sized onion cut 
in pieces. Boil the whole together 
down to a sirup. Dose from one- 
fourth to one-third teaspoonful, after 
each coughing-spell; and in a day or 
two your cough will be relieved. 




MISCELLANEOUS REMEDIES. 


787 


Another —To two quarts of soft 
water add one-half teaspoonful of flax¬ 
seed, three ounces of licorice, three of 
raisins, each cut in two parts. Boil 
very slowly until reduced to near a 
quart. Then add two tablespoonfuls 
of lemon-juice (if it is not at hand use 
vinegar) and sweeten to the taste. 
Dose, two tablespoonfuls every three 
or four hours and double that amount 
on retiring at night. This cures bad 
colds in a day or two. It has cured 
many colds in a fortnight that had be¬ 
gun to exhibit signs of consumption. 

Croup. 

Put a piece of unslaked lime of the 
size of an orange into a pitcher, pour a 
little hot water onto it, cover the head 
of the child with a cloth, and let the 
child inhale the vapor of the lime 
under the cloth. Renew the lime 
every half hour until the child breathes 
freely. The worst cases have yielded 
to this treatment.— Dr. Naplieys. 

Membranous Croup — Give from 
five to eight drops of the fluid extract 
of Jaborandi every half-hour. This is 
a sovereign remedy for this form of 
croup. Dr. Dover regards it as almost 
a specific. 

Dandruff. 

Take of ardent spirits, one-third; 
castor-oil, two-thirds; mix and apply 
to the scalp of the head and immedi¬ 
ately afterwards use the comb. The 
dandruff will come off in masses. 
Afterwards, wash thoroughly with Cas¬ 
tile soapsuds; though in cases, as with 
men, where the hair is not long, the 
washing may be dispensed with. This 
is the best remedy we have ever known. 
A single application is often sufficient. 

Diabetes. 

This disease has been cured by the 
patient taking a tablespoonful of com¬ 
mon pulverized chalk in a tumbler of 
milk, three times a day. 

Deafness. 

Put one ounce of angelica root in two 
ounces of brandy and let it stand for 
two days. Put two drops in the ear 
three times a day. Mr. O. Wells, of 
Jackson, Pa., was cured with this rem¬ 
edy after being nearly deaf for a 
number of years. 


Diarrhea. 

Coto bark is a recent remedy for this 
disease and pronounced almost a spe¬ 
cific for it in its various modifications. 
Dose of the fluid extract, two to three 
drops four times a day. 

Diphtheria. 

A sovereign poultice for this disease 
is composed of honey-comb, milk and 
light bread. The application for one 
night will demonstrate the good effect 
that it will produce. 

Another —Dissolve a piece of rub¬ 
ber (gutta-percha), the size of a large 
hulled walnut, in two ounces of oil of 
origanum and apply to the throat in 
the form of a paste, on cloth. It is un¬ 
equalled for its drawing powers and is 
speedy in its action. 

Another— Put a teaspoonful of sul¬ 
phur in a wineglassful of water and 
stir it w r ell. When well mixed use it 
as a gargle. It will give immediate re¬ 
lief. Also sw'allow some of the mix¬ 
ture. If the throat is too nearly closed 
to admit of gargling, blow the sulphur 
through a quill into the throat and then 
gargle with the mixture. If the pa¬ 
tient cannot gargle, take a live coal, 
put it on a shovel, and sprinkle a 
spoonful of sulphur upon it and let the 
sufferer inhale the filings. 

Dysentery. 

One-half pint of the seeds of the 
plantain, boiled in one quart of milk 
and drunk freely, will cure either dys¬ 
entery or flux. 

Chronic Dysentery.— To take half 
a pound of grapes every four hours 
through the day, the skins and seeds 
being rejected, is in many instances an 
effectual cure for cases of chronic dys¬ 
entery. 

Another. —Rhubarb and wild-cherry 
bark, a handful, four tablespoonfuls of 
sugar; simmer together. Dose, a table¬ 
spoonful to an adult, every hour, until 
the pain ceases. Make it fresh every 
day. The “ Indian Physician ” pro¬ 
nounced this an infallible remedy in 
dysentery. 

Another —Take of: 

Pulverized opium, -£ drachm 

“ camphor, - - 2 “ 

Ipecac, 1 “ 

Cream tartar, - } ounce. 

Triturate well in a mortar. Dose ten 
grains to a half teaspoonful three times 
a day. In severe cases take every four 




788 


MISCELLANEOUS REMEDIES. 


hours. In chronic cases, dose five to 
ten grains three times a day, to be con¬ 
tinued till the complaint entirely dis¬ 
appears. This is not only an admirable 
remedy for dysentery, but an invalu¬ 
able diaphoretic powder. 

Dyspepsia. 

Four tablespoonfuls of lime-water, 
mixed with a cup of milk and taken 
once a day, is a very excellent cure in 
some forms of dyspepsia. 

Earache. 

Extract the oil from the white of a 
hard-boiled egg by pressure through a 
thin cloth. From a warm teaspoon put 
one or two drops of this oil into the ear. 
It will give almost an immediate re¬ 
lief. 

Another —Drop a few drops of very 
warm salt water in the ear. It will 
often relieve when other remedies have 
failed. 

Fever and Ague. 

In some parts of the Southern States 
cotton-seeds are reputed an excellent 
remedy for fever and ague, by boiling 
one pint of the seeds in three pints of 
water down to one pint. One-fourth 
to one-half of this to be drunk warm 
one hour before the expected return of 
the chill. This is generally sufficient, 
but if not it is to be repeated. 

Another. — Among the simple 
remedies that have been found success¬ 
ful in the treatment of this disease is 
charcoal. It is said to have been especi¬ 
ally successful in those cases in which 
the digestive organs have been more 
particularly affected and known by 
symptoms of nausea, vomiting, hic¬ 
cough, flatulence, diarrhea, dysentery, 
etc. The remedy has been given in 
doses of one-fourth to a half teaspoon¬ 
ful two or three times a day, along with 
arrow-root or some other substance by 
which it could be more readily swal¬ 
lowed, or may be used in milk. 

Cooling Drink. —Take four ounces 
of raisins, four ounces of tamarinds, 
boil in three and a half quarts of water, 
quite slowly, for five or ten minutes; 
strain and add one-fourth pound white 
sugar. This is excellent as a drink in 
all cases of fever. Take wineglass 
doses as often as the patient may wish. 

Another —A quantity of tamarinds 
infused in water forms a very refresh¬ 
ing and excellent drink, for sick and 
convalescents from diseases, especially 


from fevers. While at the same time 
it keeps the bowels open and the feces 
soluble. 

Giddiness. 

Giddiness usually arises from a dis¬ 
ordered state of the stomach, and a 
little pearlash, as much as will lay on a 
nickel, dissolved in water will alleviate 
it. 

Gleet. 

The following is regarded as almost 
a specific for the cure of gleet. In¬ 
ject one tablespoonful three times a 
day: 

Quinine.10 grains 

Dilute Sulphuric Acid.5 drops 

Rose Water.8 Tablespoonfuls 

Mix. 

Another. —The following is Dr. J. 
L. Wright’s favorite prescription for 
this disease. He says it excels every 
other remedy he ever used Mix the 
ingredients and inject one tablespoon¬ 
ful three times a day: 

Iodiform.20 grains, 

Sweet Oil....2 ounces, 

Mix these in one bottle, and the fol¬ 
lowing in a second bottle, adding the 
two together subsequently: 

Golden Seal.4 drachms, 

Glycerine.1 ounce, 

Fluid extract of Hyoscia- 

mus.2 drachms, 

Headache. 

A very good remedy for headache is 
thirty drops of aromatic spirits of 
ammonia in a tablespoonful of water. 
At the same time put a mustard plaster 
on back of the neck. 

Another. —The oil of peppermint, 
applied to the head, is among the best 
external remedies in use, and with 
many persons it will afford speedy 
relief. 

Sick Headache. —An eminent medi¬ 
cal author says, “The most efficient 
preparation I ever used is composed of 
one teaspoonful of prepared charcoal, 
pure baking-powder one-half tea¬ 
spoonful, and twenty drops of essence 
of peppermint; mix well together and 
take at one dose. To be repeated every 
thirty minutes until relief is obtained. 
The patient should be in a dark room. 
Bathe the head with equal parts of 
warm vinegar, spirits and rain-water. 

Nervous Headache.-- -Take from 
one-half to a teaspoonful of firwein 
three times a day. This is a new remedy 











MISCELLANEOUS REMEDIES. 


789 


and those who have employed it praise 
it highly. 

Cold Headache.— When the head 
is cold to the touch, accompanied by 
aching, lager beer has generally been 
found to afford relief. One glass is 
often sufficient. 

Heart-Burn. 

The juice of lemon, diluted with a 
little water, will often give prompt 
relief. 

Hemorrhage of the Lungs. 

To one-half teacupful of simple 
sirup add one tablespoonful of spirits 
of turpentine. Mix. Take a teaspoon¬ 
ful of this mixture in the mouth, and 
as soon as it has to be ejected take 
another. This has arrested hemorrhage 
of the lungs when all other means had 
failed. 

Hives. 

Cosmoline applied to the surface of 
the skin two or three times a day will 
cure all scaly eruptions of the skin 
characterized by itching or burning. 

Hot Water Cure. 

The following is the “hot water 
treatment ” in popular use for Con¬ 
sumption, Diarrhea and Dyspepsia. 
Dr. Ephraim Cutter, an eminent physi¬ 
cian of New York city, says that the 
first use made of hot water as a medi¬ 
cine, or “ health regulator,” was made 
by Dr. James H. Salisbury, of New 
York, who by a series of experiments 
demonstrated its efficacy. It must be 
hot, i. e ., not less than one hundred and 
ten degrees nor more than one hundred 
and fifty degrees Fahrenheit. For diar¬ 
rhea the hotter the water the better. 
For hemorrhages it should be at blood 
heat. The quantity of hot water drunk 
varies from one-half pint to a pint and 
one-half, according to the condition of 
the patient and the disease treated. 
The hot water should be taken one or 
two hours before each meal, and half 
an hour before retiring. This gives the 
water time to operate before food 
enters the stomach or sleep comes. 
The water should be sipped slowly, 
and the swallowing of half a pint 
should take half an hour. A teacher 
in New York city, who was dying with 
consumption, was cured by the use of 
hot water and tender beef. He began 
by taking one cup of hot water, as hot 
as it could be borne, an hour before 


each meal, and gradually increased the 
dose to three cups. He gained four 
teen pounds in two months. 

* Kidney-Disease. 

Use asparagus as a diet. This is said 
to be very effective for the removal of 
this affection. 

Another. —Fifteen drops of turpen¬ 
tine in a glass of flax-seed tea three 
times a day is used with excellent 
results. A Canada Pitch Plaster, 4x6, 
worn over the kidneys is an indispensi- 
ble aid to the above—excellent of itself. 

Menses, Cure for Suppressed. 

Make a strong tea of smart-weed and 
let the patient drink freely of it. Put 
the feet in hot mustard-water, for 
fifteen to thirty minutes, before going 
to bed. 

Another.—A strong tea of the hair- 
capped moss (known as birds’ wheat) 
will nearly always accomplish the same 
purpose and that speedily. It should 
be drunk wffiile hot and used freely, 
using a vaginal injection of hot water 
at the same time. 

Milk, to Check Flow of. 

Take of powdered camphor-gum and 
powdered skunk-cabbage root, each 
one ounce; fresh lard, two ounces. 
Mix and spread on thick, brown paper 
and keep applied to the breast. 

Melancholy. 

Roll up some asafetida into pills the 
size of a common white bean, and take 
thrice daily—after meals. This is excel¬ 
lent for relieving this difficulty. 

Neuralgia. 

Horse-radish root, bruised and bound 
upon the face or other parts where the 
pain is located, has been found very 
valuable and will give relief in a great 
many cases. 

Another. —The application to the 
affected part of flannel cloths wrung 
out of hot water, will often relieve the 
worst cases. 

Another. —Mullein leaves dipped 
in boiling milk and spread hot on the 
affected surface will relieve this dis¬ 
ease, and will relieve inflammatory 
rheumatism also. 

German Remedy. —The following 
is the celebrated German remedy for 
neuralgia; it can scarcely be extolled 





790 


MISCELLANEOUS REMEDIES. 


too highly. Bruise the leaves of the 
common field-thistle, and use hot as a 
poultice on the parts affected. Drink, 
also, a wineglassful of a tea, made from 
the leaves of the same, three times a 
day. 

Nervous Exhaustion. 

The tincture of Cocoa will afford 
effectual relief for this difficulty. It is 
to be given in teaspoonful doses, to 
which there should be previously 
added, one teaspoonful of sugar and 
two tablespoonful of water. 

Pain in Breast. 

The following will afford relief. 
Drink freely of a tea of the buds or 
twigs of sycamore. If the tincture is 
used, a teaspoonful may be taken two 
or three times a day. 

Pain in the Side. 

Take a fresh cabbage-leaf, warm and 
bind it to the side; let it remain ten or 
twelve hours, when the pain will gen¬ 
erally be removed; but if not, repeat 
the operation. 

Piles. 

Take the garden celandine (Touch- 
me-not), stew in fresh lard and make 
an ointment of it. Apply twice a day. 
This will cure -when other remedies 
fail. 

Another.—A decoction of witch- 
hazel, taken in spoonful doses, and at 
the same time used as an injection, is 
said to be equally effective. 

Poison Oak and Poison Vine. 

Let some buttermilk stand until 
there is a thick whey on the top. Stir 
and apply to the affected parts three 
times a day. It will effect a speedy 
cure. 

Another. —Wash the parts four 
times a day with lime-water, and if the 
vesicles are broken apply sweet spirits 
of nitre and repeat next day. 

Another. —Poisoning from these 
vines may be cured by bathing the 
parts with a solution of either borax, 
copperas or sugar of lead. 

Removal of Freckles. 

Lemon-juice mixed with water is a 
very good remedy for the removal of 
freckles. Mix and put in a well-corked 
bottle. Wash the hands and face with 
this several times a day (letting it stay 


on several minutes before drying with 
the towel). This preparation is highly 
recommended by the celebrated Dr. 
Wilson, of London. 

Rheumatism. 

Take two quarts of sliced potatoes 
and add sufficient w T ater to cover them; 
boil them until soft and then pour off 
the liquid and bathe the affected parts 
with it as hot as can be borne, night 
and morning. This simple remedy has 
been known to cure the most obstinate 
cases of rheumatism. Oftentimes re¬ 
lief is obtained after a few applica¬ 
tions. 

Another—D r. Hall says, “Oil of 
mustard well rubbed into the skin of 
the part twice a day is an efficient rem¬ 
edy.” 

Run Round. 

Dip the finger repeatedly into boil¬ 
ing hot water; let the water be put an 
inch and a half deep; a dozen dips in 
all with intervals between will take the 
soreness away and relieve this diffi¬ 
culty. 

Salt-Rheum. 

A strong tincture of blood-root made 
in vinegar, is sufficient to cure almost 
any case of tetter, as well as ring-worm. 
Apply twice daily. The yellow-dock 
root similarly prepared and used is 
said to be equally effectual. 

Scrofula. 

A very excellent cure for this disease 
is a tea of burdock-leaves. It is to be 
drunk freely three times a day. One 
author claims to have cured more than 
fifty cases with it. 

Another—A coffee made of roasted 
acorns is an excellent remedy in all 
scrofulous affections.— Prof. J. II. Bun¬ 
dy, of the California Medical College. 

Scurf, To Remove. 

A simple and effectual remedy for 
removing scurfs from the heads of in¬ 
fants is to add a lump of unslaked lime 
the size of a walnut to a pint of water; 
let it stand all night, then pour the 
water off from the sediment; add one 
gill of the best vinegar and wash the 
head with soapsuds and then with the 
mixture. 

Sore Eyes. 

An old and popular remedy for ordi¬ 
nary inflammation of the eye is to bind 
on them at night a poultice of tea- 



MISCELLANEOUS REMEDIES. 


791 


leaves. It will afford relief in many 
cases. 

Another —The cactus-plant is a fa¬ 
vorite remedy with the Spanish people 
for the cure of this affection, and more 
especially if it is of a chronic, inflam¬ 
matory nature. The outside or cover¬ 
ing of the plant is removed, then 
pounded and applied in the form of a 
poultice. 

Salves. 

Black Salve —Common resin, one- 
half ounce; beeswax, one-half ounce; 
Venice turpentine, one-quarter ounce; 
olive oil, one pint. Put all in a vessel 
and raise almost to a boiling point. 
Then add slowly two and one-half 
ounces of red lead, while on the fire. Be 
careful not to burn. Boil very slowly 
until it becomes of a dark-brown color. 
After removing, when it becomes 
nearly cold, add one teaspoonful of 
camphor. This is a superior article for 
all healing purposes, especially for 
scalds, fistulous ulcers, scrofulous sores, 
etc. It should be renewed daily. 

Discutient Ointment —Take of 


Extract stramonium.1 drachm 

hamamelis.1 “ 

“ hydrastis.i “ 

“ hyosciamus.i “ 


Mix with vaseline sufficient for a soft 
paste. 

Healing Salve —One-half pound 
beeswax, one-half pound salt butter, 
one-quarter pound turpentine, six 
ounces of balsam of fir. Simmer slowly 
for one-half hour, when it is ready for 
use. Dr. M. Curtiss, of Oakland, Cal, 
says he has used this preparation for 
sores, wounds, burns, etc, for thirty 
years and has never found anything to 
surpass it. 

Another — Linseed oil, beeswax, 
rosin and mutton-tallow, equal parts, 
and heat only sufficient to mix or melt 
them together. This forms an excel¬ 
lent salve for all purposes where a 
salve is needed. 

Russia Salve— Take equal parts of 
yellow wax and sweet oil; melt slowly, 
carefully stirring; when cooling, stir 
in a small quantity of glycerine. Good 
for all kinds of wounds, etc. 

Sores and Bruises. 

The following is a favorite remedy 
for these difficulties; Raisin-stems, one 
ounce; jimson leaves (green or dry), 
one ounce; tobacco leaves, one ounce; 
fresh lard, three-fourths of a pound. 


After bruising the stems, put all into a 
vessel and simmer three hours. Strain. 
Cut a lump of beeswax double the size 
of a nutmeg into fine pieces; add to the 
above and heat slowly until melted, 
stirring until cool; at which time add 
two teaspoonfuls of spirits of turpen¬ 
tine and stir the whole until it is cool, 
when it is ready for use. This is 
superior to “ Trask's Celebrated Magic 
Ointment ,” and will speedily remove 
soreness and pain and tend to heal 
rapidly. For neuralgia it should be 
applied over the painful part. A Cali¬ 
fornia physician says, “ in my hands it 
has acted like a charm in relieving the 
pain.” 

Sore Mouth. 

Powdered borax, one teaspoonful; 
glycerine, two tablespoonfuls; water, 
one-half teacupful. This is excellent 
in sore and cracked lips and tongue, in 
typhoid and other fevers, in fissures, 
cracked or chapped hands, etc., and 
will make the roughest skin smooth 
and soft. 

Sore Throat. 

When the throat first begins to get 
sore, take a slice of salt pork, sprinkle 
it well with black pepper, and bind it 
around the throat wfith flannel just 
before going to bed at night. It will 
generally effect a cure. 

Gargle —One of the best gargles 
for common sore throat and to loosen 
the phlegm, is a teaspoonful each of 
alum, salt and tincture of Cayenne 
pepper. Use every two or three hours. 

Another —Take yeast, a wineglass¬ 
ful ; milk, a gill; sweeten with molasses. 
Excellent for sore throat. 

Sprains. 

Take a tablespoonful of honey, the 
same quantity of salt, and the white of 
an egg; beat the whole up incessantly 
for two hours, then let it stand for an 
hour and anoint the place sprained 
with the oil which will be produced 
from the mixture. This is said to have 
enabled persons with sprained ankles 
to w T alk in twenty-four hours entirely 
free from pain.— Prof. King. 

Sty on the Eye. 

Apply two or three drops of harlem- 
oil on the lid which is affected and 
carefully rub it along the edge and 
over the lid, and it will effectually scat¬ 
ter the sty, unless very far advanced. 







792 


MISCELLANEOUS RECIPES. 


This oil is likewise good for weak 
eyes. 

Suppression of Urine. 

One of the best remedies in use is 
to stew onions in sweet-oil to the con¬ 
sistency of a poultice, and apply to the 
lower part of the abdomen. We have 
never known it to fail in giving imme¬ 
diate relief. It is especially valuable 
for this difficulty in cases of pregnancy. 

Sweating Feet. 

Tannin is an admirable remedy for 
sweating feet Half a teaspoonful 
sprinkled in the stockings for a few 
days strengthens the skin without 
interrupting too much the perspiration. 

Toothache. 

Powdered alum will not only relieve 
the toothache, but has a tendency to pre¬ 
vent decay putting a small portion in 
the tooth and covering it with cotton. 

Another— Saleratus put in and 
around the tooth wili often relieve this 
difficulty. 

Another —The tincture of aconite is 
another very excellent remedy, applied 
on cotton. Equal parts of ammonia 
and water are likewise efficacious. 

Tape-Worm. 

Kameela, two drachms; simple sirup 
one tablespoonful. Mix and take at a 
dose, after fasting one day. Follow 
this in four or five hours with two 
tablespoonfuls of castor oil and one 
teaspoonful of spirits of turpentine. 
One dose of this medicine is usually 
sufficient to expel the tape-worm. 

Ulcers. 

A strong decoction of walnut leaves 
in which a small portion of sugar has 
been dissolved makes a valuable wash 
for cleansing and healing ulcers. 

For Vomiting. 

A few swallow's of warm water, 
sweetened with sugar, will often allay 
this difficulty. Remedies for vomiting 
should always be taken warm. Strong 
coffee without milk or sugar will often 
check vomiting. 


Another —Take salt, two ounces; 
cayenne, one ounce; vinegar, one quart. 
Mix. Dose, a tablespoonful whenever 
there is great nausea or vomiting. A 
medical writer says that this compound 
is the best remedy to stop vomiting 
that he had ever used. 

Another—A tablespoonful of a 
strong tea made of cloves, given every 
ten minutes will check vomiting. 

Another—F rom a half to a tea¬ 
spoonful of pepper-sauce diluted with 
water will generally produce the same 
effect. 

Warts. 

A medical writer recommends kero¬ 
sene-oil. He says, “ I began its use 
three months since, when I had a num¬ 
ber on my hands, some very large and 
painful. Where they were covered 
with hard cuticle I carefully pared it 
off and saturated them daily, using a 
camel’s hair pencil and common coal- 
oil. They began to disappear in about 
two weeks and are now entirely gone.” 

Another —Common salt and alum in 
equal quantities, burned to a powder 
and bound on warts, will remove them. 
The juice of garden celandine (Touch- 
me-not) applied twice a day, is said to 
be effectual for the same purpose. 

White Swellings. 

In white swellings and other painful 
diseases the application of heat in the 
form of steaming is attended with the 
happiest effects and, indeed, is often a 
complete and sovereign remedy. Cases 
have been cured by its repeated appli¬ 
cation, which had baffled the skill of 
noted physicians. 

Wounds. 

Smoke the wound, or any bruise or 
wound that is inflamed, with burning 
wool or woolen cloth. Twenty minutes 
in the smoke of wool will take the pain 
out of the worst wound; repeated two 
or three times it will allay the worst 
cases of inflammation arising from a 
wound. It has saved many lives and 
mueh pain. 


MISCELLANEOUS KECIPES. 


For Stopping the Flow of Blood 

—The extract of witch-hazel, is one of 
the best articles that can be used. It 
is kept at drug stores. 


Weak Limbs — Where there is 
weakness of the limbs, and inability in 
children to walk, great benefit may be 
found in the daily washing of the limbs 






MISCELLANEOUS RECIPES. 


793 


in water in which potatoes nave been 
boiled. Some patients bathe the hands 
daily in potato water to increase their 
strength. 

Bee-Stings —Wet indigo and apply. 
It will at once cure stings of anj^ in¬ 
sects. 

Cerebro Spinal Meningitis —The 

following are the most approved pro¬ 
fessional remedies for this disease: 

During the First 24 Hours.— 
Fluid extract of ergot, 1 oz.; spirits 
ammonia aromatica, 2 ozs.; mix. Take 
a teaspoonful in water every four hours. 
In addition, acetate of potash, 12 
drachms; camphor water, 6 ozs.; mix: 
take a tablespoonful every two hours 
until sweating occurs. 

In addition to these remedies, add a 
warm bath, followed by wrapping in 
flannel or rubbing with dry mustard, 
every three to six hours, to a child of 
five years, according to the urgency of 
the case.— Dr. J. B. Hamilton, Washing¬ 
ton, D C- 

For controlling the restlessness and 
delirium of the disease: Bromide of 
potash, 10 to 20 grains; tincture of 
hyoscyamus, 15 to 40 drops; mix: a dose 
to be taken every five to six hours. 

W here the disease is attended by per¬ 
sistent vomiting: Hydrocyanic acid, 
dilute, 2 to 5 drops; bicarbonate of soda, 
5 to 10 grains; mix: take every three 
to four hours. 

In children: Bromide of potash, 5 
to 6 grains; water, 2 tablespoonfuls; 
taken at a dose, every two, three or 
four hours.— Dr. F Lewis Smith. 

Sore Nipples —Fluid extract of 
hydrastis canadensis and glycerine, of 
each, one ounce: tannin, thirty grains; 
mix and apply with a brush or lint. It 
is one of the most speedy and effectual 
remedies in use for this affection. 

To Prevent Hair Falling Out- 
Make a strong decoction of white.oak 
bark in water and use it freely. It is 
best to make but little at a time and 
have it fresh at least once a fortnight. 

Cravats and Collars— should not 
be worn so tight as to compress the 
many large vessels of the neck, which 
connect with the brain, and they should 
never, under any circumstances, be 
worn during the night. 

How to Keep Sick-Rooms Cool 

—It consists in opening the windows 
wide and covering the openings with 
cloths steeped in water. It is well 
known how largely water in passing 
from the liquid to the gaseous state, 


absorbs caloric. This absorption low¬ 
ers the temperature of the room from 
five to six degrees in a few minutes, 
and the humidity diffused in the air 
causes the heat to be more readily en¬ 
dured. By this system patients, even 
in the hottest time in summer, find 
themselves in a perfectly fresh atmos¬ 
phere. 

Neutralizing Mixture —Take of 
rhubarb (pulverized), two scruples; sal- 
eratus (pulverized), two scruples; pep¬ 
permint-plant (pulverized), two scru¬ 
ples; add half a pint of boiling water 
and sweeten with loaf sugar. Dose, 
one teaspoonful every one or two 
hours, according to the symptoms. 
This is among the most valuable prepa¬ 
rations in use for cholera-infantum, 
cholera, cholera-morbus, diarrhea, dys¬ 
entery, etc. Its operation and action 
appear to be specific or almost infalli¬ 
ble. This the celebrated “ Neutralizing' 
Mixture.” 

To Improve the Complexion— 

Mix sulphur in a little milk and after 
standing an hour or two if the milk 
(without disturbing the sulphur) be 
rubbed into the skin, it will keep it 
soft and make the complexion clear. 
It is to be used before washing. In 
warm weather the amount necessary to 
be used must be prepared each even¬ 
ing, otherwise it will become putrid. 

To Beautify the Hands— To a 

wineglassful of glycerine add the yolk 
of two eggs. Mix very thoroughly or 
rub in a mortar and bottle for use. No 
better preparation can be had for the 
hands. 

To Purify Water —Water is puri¬ 
fied by—1, filtration through gravel, 
sand or soft porous stone and charcoal. 
Or, 2, it may be sweetened and improv¬ 
ed by charcoal, coarsely pulverized 
and thrown into a vessel of water. 3, 
by boiling and distillation. 

Beds Rendered Healthy— Beds, 
instead of being made up as soon as 
people rise out of them, ought to be 
turned down and exposed to the fresh 
air from the open windows through the 
day. 

Feather-beds, especially for youth 
and in warm weather, are very un¬ 
healthy and should never be used ex¬ 
cept in very cold weather. 

They should be opened every third 
year, the ticking washed, the feathers 
dressed and returned. 

To Fill a Decayed Tooth —When 



794 


MISCELLANEOUS RECIPES. 


a tooth is too much decayed to be filled 
by a dentist, or the person is at a dis¬ 
tance from one, gutta-percha will be 
found a useful expedient. Drop a 
small piece of this substance in boiling 
water, then taking off as much as will 
probably fill the tooth nearly level, press 
it, while soft, into the cavity. Then 
hold cold water in the mouth on that 
side to harden it. It has been known 
to preserve teeth for two or three 
years and keep them free from cold. 

Cold Cream —The following is an 
admirable receipt for Cold Cream for 
improving the skin and complexion, 
and curing chapped hands: Take 4 
tablespoonfuls rose-water, 2 ozs. sper¬ 
maceti, 2 v / 2 ozs. almond-oil, 2 drachms 
white wax, 1 drachm citronella or any 
other perfume and a few drops of At¬ 
tar of Rose. Put oil, wax and sperm¬ 
aceti in a thick glass and put in a dish 
of hot water, when it will slowly melt. 
When melted take from fire and add 
rose-water and perfume. Put all in a 
porcelain dish and beat a long time 
with spoon or fork. 

Singers and Public Speakers— 

Many have found tar-water to cleanse 
and open the lungs and thus impart 
ease and freedom in speaking. A 
quart of tar is to be stirred into four 
times as much w r ater, or it may be 
weaker, as the stomach can bear it. 
Of this take about a gill, mid-w r ay be¬ 
tween meals, four times a day. The 
best season in which to commence tak¬ 
ing this medicine is the Spring. Con¬ 
tinue for two weeks or longer, if 
needed. 

To Banish Mosquitoes —Sprinkle 

a little brown sugar on some hot coals 
in room •, it will banish these unwel¬ 
come intruders for the night. 

Protection from Mosquitoes— 

These pests have a great dislike to the 
odor of the oil of cinnamon or cloves. 
Mix one-half teaspoonful of the oil (not 
the essence or spirit) with an ounce of 
spermaceti ointment and rub it upon 
the face and hands. 

To take Paint off of Clothes— 

Rub with spirits of turpentine or of 
wine, either will answer if the paint is 
but just put on. But if it is allowed to 
harden, nothing will remove it but 
spirits of turpentine rubbed on with 
perseverance. Use a brush, sponge or 
soft rag. 

For Cleansing Cloth —A writer 
gives the following: ‘Instead of us¬ 


ing ammonia and alcohol for cleansing 
coat-collars and other soiled garments, 
buy Aquila or Spanish bark, sold by 
grocers and druggists. A piece eight 
inches long by four wide will cleanse 
a dirty coat perfectly. Tear the bark 
into very small pieces, pour over it a 
quart of hot water and when it is near¬ 
ly cold sponge the coat, beginning at 
the collar; hang it in the wind till dry 
and if any spots remain go over it 
again with the bark solution; then dry 
and press it. Silks, poplins, delaines 
of delicate tints, can be perfectly 
cleansed without aifecting their color. 
Woolen goods should be immersed in 
the water, rubbed gently, rinsed in 
warm, soft water and ironed while 
damp. 

Another —Take benzine and apply 
to the soiled parts by rubbing with a 
sponge. 

To Keep Butter —A simple mode 
of keeping butter in warm weather 
where ice is not handy is to invert a 
common flower-pot over the butter 
with some water in the dish in which 
it is laid. The orifice at the bottom 
may be corked or not. The porousness 
of the earthenware will keep the but¬ 
ter cool. 

Watery Potatoes —If potatoes 
are watery put a piece of lime about 
as large as a hen’s egg in the pot and 
they will come out mealy. 

To Bemove Ink and Fruit- 
Stains —Ten grains of oxalic acid in 
half a pint of water will remove all 
ink and fruit stains. Wet the article 
in hot water, apply it to the top of the 
bottle so the liquid will reach it, then 
rinse it well. 

How to Bemove Dry Paint- 

Dry paint is removed by dipping a 
swab with a handle in a strong solution 
of oxalic acid and applying. It softens 
it at once. 

To Bemove Berry-Stains from 
a Book-Cover, Paper or Engrav¬ 
ing —The fumes of a brimstone-match 
will remove berry-stains from a book 
or paper or engraving. 

Something for the Ladies— 

Science has made a discovery of a new 
method of bleaching white goods. It 
is as simple as it is said to be elficacious 
and is vouched for by German chemists. 
It consists in dissolving one part oil of 
turpentine in three parts strong alcohol 
and placing a tablespoonfuf of the 
mixture in the water for the last rins- 





PATENT MEDICINES. 


795 


ing. The clothes are to be immersed 
in this, well wrung out and placed in the 
open air to dry. 

Japanese Cleansing Cream for 
Clothing —Castile soap, three ounces; 
ammonia, four ounces; ether, one 
ounce; spirits of wine, one ounce; 
glycerine, one ounce. Cut the soap 
tine and dissolve in one quart of water; 
then add all the other ingredients and 
bottle for use. This preparation will 
thoroughly clean and renovate kid 
gloves and the tinest articles of wear¬ 
ing apparel and brighten their colors 
without the least injury to their tex¬ 
ture, removing grease from clothing, 
etc. 

To Keep Flies Away —No fly it 

is said will enter a room where wreaths 
of walnut leaves are hung. The ex¬ 
periment is worth trying. 


How to Make Baking Pow¬ 
der Take cream Tartar, five ounces; 
baking soda, two ounces; common 
starch, two ounces; mix. This is the 
composition of baking-powder sold by 
grocers. 

Hair-Restorative —Castor-oil, five 
ounces; aqua ammonia, one ounce; 
tincture Spanish flies, one half ounce: 
alcohol, one quart; oil of lemon, oil 
of bergamot and oil of lavender, of each 
two ounces. Mix and shake well be¬ 
fore using, every morning when the 
hair is falling. Keep the bottle well 
corked. If the hair seems dry and 
harsh and full of dandruff, wash the 
head with egg and rain-water before 
using the restorative. This will be 
found an excellent means of restoring 
the hair, as its use will attest. 


PATENT MEDICINES. 


Magnetic Pain Killer— Lauda¬ 
num, 1 dr.; gum camphor, 4 drs.; oil 
of cloves, | dr.; oil of lavender, 1 dr.; 
add them to 1 oz. alcohol, 6 drs. sul¬ 
phuric ether, and 5 fluid drs. chloro- 
lorm. Apply with lint, or, for tooth¬ 
ache, rub on the gums and upon the face 
against the teeth. 

Bay Rum —French proof spirit, 1 
gal.; ext. bay, 6 oZs. Mix, and color 
with caramel; needs no filtering. 

Balm of a Thousand Flowers- 

Deodorized alcohol, 1 pt.; nice white 
bar soap, 4 oz.; shave the soap when 
put in; stand in a warm place until dis¬ 
solved ; then add oil of citronella, 1 dr.; 
and oils of neroli and rosemary, of 
each dr. 

Barrell’s Indian Liniment— Al¬ 
cohol, one qt.; tincture of capsicum, 1 
oz.; oil of origanum, sassafras, penny¬ 
royal, and hemlock, of each, half oz. 

Mix. 

Cod Liver Oil— As usually pre¬ 
pared, is nothing more or less than cod 
oil clarified, by which process it is in 
fact deprived in a great measure 
of its virtue. Cod oil can be pur¬ 
chased from any wholesale oil deal¬ 
er for one thirtieth part of the 
price of cod liver oil as usually 
sold, and it is easy to clarify it. Deal¬ 
ers might turn this information to good 
account. To make it more palatable 


and digestible, put 1 oz. of table salt to 
each quart bottle. 

Seidlitz Powders —Rochelle salts, 
2 drs.; bicarb, soda, 2 scr.; put these 
into a blue paper, and 35 grs. tartaric 
acid into a white paper. To use, put 
each into different tumblers, fill one- 
half with water, adding a little loaf 
sugar to the acid; then pour together 
and drink quick. 

Camphor Ice— Spermaceti, \% ozs.; 
gum camphor, % oz.; oil sweet al¬ 
monds, 4teaspoonfuls; set on the stove 
in an earthen dish until dissolved; neat 
just enough to dissolve it. While warm, 
pour into small moulds, if desired to 
sell; then paper, and put into tinfoil; 
used for chaps on hands or lips. 

Nerve and Bone Liniment- 

Beef’s gall, 1 qt.; alcohol, 1 pt.; volatile 
liniment, 1 lb.; spirits of turpentine, 1 
lb.; oil of origanum, 5 ozs.; aqua am¬ 
monia, 4 ozs.; tincture of cayenne, 
pt.; oil of amber, 3 ozs.; tincture Span¬ 
ish flies, 6 ozs. Mix well. 

Green Mountain Salve— For 

rheumatism, burns, pains in the back or 
side, etc. Take 2 lbs. resin; Burgundy 
pitch, i lb.; beeswax, £ lb.; mutton tal¬ 
low, i lb ; melt slowly; when not too 
warm, add oil hemlock, 1 oz.; balsam 
fir, 1 oz.; oil of origanum, 1 oz.; oil of red 
cedar, 1 oz.; Venice turpentine, 1 oz.; 
oil of wormwood, 1 oz.; vedigris, i oz. 





796 


PATENT MEDICINES. 


The verdigris must be finely pulver¬ 
ized. and mixed with the oil; then add 
as above, and work in cold water like 
wax till cold enough to roll; rolls 5 
inches long, one inch in diameter, sell 
for 25 cents. 

Cook’s Electro-Magnetic Lin¬ 
iment —Best alcohol, 1 gal.; oil of 
amber, 8 ozs.; gum camphor, 8 ozs.; 
Castile soap, shaved fine, 2 ozs.; beefs 
gall, 4 ozs.; ammonia, 3 F’s strong, 12 
ozs.; mix, and shake occasionally for 12 
hours, and it is fit for use. This will 
be found a strong and valuable lini¬ 
ment. 

Magnetic Ointment—Trask’s— 

Hard raisins cut in pieces, and fine-cut 
tobacco, equal weights; simmer well to¬ 
gether ; then strain, and press out all 
from the dregs. 

Black Oil--Best alcohol, tincture 
of arnica, British oil and oil of tar, of 
each 2 ozs.; and slowly add sulphuric 
acid, i oz. This black oil is coming in¬ 
to extensive use as a liniment, and is 
indeed valuable, especially in cases at¬ 
tended with much inflammation. 

Brandreth’s Tills— Take 2 lbs, of 
aloes, 1 lb. of gamboge, 4 ozs. of extract 
of colocynth, i lb. of Castile soap, 3 
fluid drachms of oil of peppermint,and 1 
fluid drachm of cinnamon. Mix, and 
form into pills. 

Davis’ Pain Killer— Powdered 
guaiacum, 20 lbs.; camphor, 2 lbs.; 
powdered Cayenne pepper, G lbs.; caus¬ 
tic liquor of ammonia, \ lb ; powdered 
opium, i lb.; digest these ingredients 
in 32 gals, alcohol for two weeks, and 
filter. 

Fahnestock’s Vermifuge— Cas¬ 
tor oil, oil of wormseed, each 1 oz.; oil 
anise i oz.; tincture myrrh, i drachm ; 
oil turpentine, 10 minims. Mix. 

Swaim’s Vermifuge —Wormseed, 
2 oz.; valerian, rhubarb, pink-root, 
white agaric, of each li ozs.; boil in suf¬ 
ficient water to yield 3 quarts of decoc¬ 
tion, and add to it 10 drops of oil of tansy 
and 45 drops of oil of cloves, dissolved 
in a quart of rectified spirits. Dose, 1 
tablespoonful at night. 


Ayer’s Cherry Pectoral— Take 

4 grs. of acetate of morphia; 2 fluid drs. 
of tincture of bloodroot; 3 fluid drs. 
each of antimonial wine and wine of 
ipecacuanha, and 3 fluid ozs. of sirup of 
wild cherry. Mix. 

Radway’s Ready Relief— Ac¬ 
cording to Peckolt, is an ethereal tinc¬ 
ture of capsicum, with alcohol and cam¬ 
phor. 

Radway’s Renovating Resol¬ 
vent —A vinous tincture of ginger and 
cardomom, sweetened with sugar. 

Ayer’s Sarsaparilla— Take 3 fluid 
ozs. each of alcohol, fluid extracts of 
sarsaparilla and of stillingia; 2 fluid 
ozs. each, extract of yellow-dock and 
podophyllin; 1 oz. sugar, 90 grs. iodide 
of potassium, and 10 grs. iodide of iron. 

Brown’s Bronchial Troches— 

Take 1 lb. of pulverized extract of lic¬ 
orice ; 1 i lbs. of pulverized sugar; 4 ozs. 
of pulverized cubebs: 4 ozs. pulverized 
gum arabic; 1 oz. of pulverized extract 
conium. Mix. 

Artificial Cream —Take milk, 8 
tablespoonfuls; sugar, £ lb.; corn-starch, 
2 ozs. Dissolve the sugar first in a pint 
of water, then add the other ingredients 
and sufficient water to make a quart of 
the whole. This will be found an ex¬ 
cellent substitute for cream. 

To Clean Ladies’ Black Dress- 
Goods —Take common lager beer and 
wdth a sponge or black cloth rub it on 
the right side of the goods; then iron 
on the wrong side. This process will 
also stiffen the goods and render them 
as glossy as -when first purchased. A 
cheap and very convenient recipe for 
making old dresses new. 

Chemical Erasive Soap— Gly¬ 
cerine, 1 oz.; sulphuric ether, 1| ozs ; 
alcohol, li ozs.; aqua ammonia. H ozs ; 
dissolve one and one-half ounces of 
castile-soap in two and a half pints of 
hot water and add to the above. This will 
remove every particle of grease, from 
all kinds of cloth. It should be ap¬ 
plied with a sponge or cloth, after 
which the garment should be sponged 
or rinsed with water. 



THINGS WORTH KNOWING. 


TOT 


THINGS WORTH KNOWING. 


What our Whiskies and Teas are Made of. 

An analytical chemist lately made a number of investigations 
into the composition of the different kinds of whisky and tea as 
sold in the city of Glasgow. The result of his examination of these 
articles, procured indiscriminately from retail shops, discloses a state 
of matters sufficiently shocking to deter many people from ever 
indulging in either of these popular beverages again without pre¬ 
viously submitting them to a chemical analysis. 

The adulterants found in whisky were fusil oil, naptha, sul¬ 
phuric and hydrochloric acids, sulphates of copper and zinc, shellac, 
turpentine, etc. These ingredients it appears are added to the 
genuine article to enable the dealer to mix with it a larger propor¬ 
tion of water than it would otherwise take up without detection by 
his customers; they therefore give a fictitious strength to the 
whisky, and thereby delude the thirsty folk who swallow it into the 
belief that they are being supplied with the utmost value for their 
money. The effects which follow the immoderate and long-contin¬ 
ued use of the purest alcohol are serious and deplorable enough, 
but what must they be when that intoxicant has been adulterated 
with such noxious elements as here mentioned? 

Out of twenty-seven samples of black tea that were analyzed 
only six were found to be genuine, while of eight specimens of 
green tea examined, all were more or less mixed with foreign mat¬ 
ters. The substances employed in the adulteration consisted of 
exhausted tea-leaves, the leaves of camelia sasanqua, chlorantlius 
(inconspicuus and officinalis), willow, hawthorn, oak, sloe, elm, beech 
and elder, pieces of the rind of some plant of the pomegranate 
order, catechu, clove and cinnamon buds, turmeric, starch, indigo, 
Prussian blue, China clay, sand, chalk, gypsum, salts of iron, etc. 

Few persons who daily partake of wliat they innocently 
believe to be the “ cup that cheers but does not inebriate,” are 
aware that they are pouring into their delicate stomachs such dis¬ 
gusting and poisonous matters as this chemist assures us are rarely 
absent from the tea sold in the shops. What is true of Glasgow 
there is too much reason to fear is equally true of all the towns and 
villages in the United States; for, while some part of the adultera¬ 
tion may be, and no doubt is, carried on by the small retailers, the 
greater part is unquestionably effected by experienced manipulators 
on a large scale in London, San Francisco, New York and China. 

• After the above revelation, who will have the courage to drink 
his beloved beverage as heretofore? 



798 


THINGS WORTH KNOWING. 


How to Administer Injections. 

As very few know how to properly administer an injection, 
we submit the following directions: Take a wash-basin nearly 
tilled with warm water (about blood-heat is the best). Grease the 
rectum-tube well before using it. Then, before introducing the 
instrument into the bowel, work it a few times through the water 
back into the basin. The object of this is to prevent injecting air 
into the bowels; fill it with water, for the reservoir of the instru¬ 
ment being full of air, on the first squeeze it is driven into the 
bowel, and sometimes prevents the injection being proceeded with. 
Then commence injecting, but proceed very slowly. This is one of 
the secrets of success. The sudden introduction of a large quantity 
of water stimulates the muscular action of the bowel to such an 
extent that there is felt an irresistible desire to evacuate or empty 
the bowels immediately, and this is one of the reasons why so many 
persons fail in using an injection. Should pain be felt, or the 
desire to evacuate come on, after about half a pint has been injected, 
w r ait a few minutes until it subsides, and then go on again very 
cautiously, the pressure on the instrument being very slowly per¬ 
formed. The cause of the pain and of its disappearance is this: the 
bowel, not being a straight tube but flexed upon itself, does not per¬ 
mit the w r ater to traverse it readily, so that the fluid and wind dis¬ 
placed by the fluid are obstructed at each bend of the intestine, but 
it is only temporary, and by waiting, the discomfort felt passes away 
and the injection can be proceeded with. 

The question is often asked, u How much water shall I 
inject?” and this is a most important question to answer. The 
answer should be, “ Go on injecting until the desire to evacuate is 
too strong to resist, but you must not bring this on by too rapid an 
injection.” As already stated, the wash-basin should be nearly full, 
for two reasons: In the first place the whole may be wanted, and 
in the second place if you have not enough water, it is very incon¬ 
venient to mix a fresh supply at that time. It must be borne in 
mind that the quantity of water required depends on the part of 
the intestines where the accumulation is. In some cases this is 
very high up, as in the ascending colon. In this case a large quan¬ 
tity of water will be required. In other cases the fecal mass may 
be in the rectum or descending colon, when a small amount will 
suffice. In some cases only a pint of water may produce an evacu¬ 
ation. 

Some persons are unable to bear the introduction of more 
than a small quantity of fluid when all precautions are taken, as an 
instant desire is felt to discharge it. When the patient can not 
possibly retain more than a small quantity of water, it is better to 
repeat the injection once or twice, as a second or third attempt will 
often succeed. 


THINGS WORTH KNOWING. 


799 


The Use of Cathartics to he Avoided. 

In reference to these medicines, Dr. Wildie says: 

“ In actual practice it so seldom happens that an aperient, such as 
castor-oil, is required, that in my thirteen years’ experience, during 
which time an extensive public appointment gave me 1,300 fresh cases 
annually, besides dispensary and private practice, I did not give an 
aperient three times in a year, and then it was only a dose of castor- 
oil. This conclusively proves the non-necessity of purgatives as used 
by the old practitioners. 

“ I regard the administration of purgative pills or aperient 
mixtures as totally out of the question; worse than useless. I 
have never prescribed such abominations since I abandoned the old 
methods of treatment. 

“ In case of being forced to give aperients by the patient’s 
obstinacy, let the following rules be strictly enjoined, viz: 

u First—The use of an aperient is only a temporary expedient, 
and will never cure the patient. 

“ Secondly—Aperients are never to be used when the patient 
will use an injection. 

“ Thirdly—They should only be repeated after several days’ 
interval. 

“ Fourthly—They are never to be used where constipation is 
only a symptom of fever, inflammatory action or the like, as in such 
cases the only proper way to relieve the bowels is to cure the fever 
or inflammation, after which the bowels will begin to act for them¬ 
selves.” 


Poisonous Soothing Sirups. 

A writer in the Pacific Medical Journal recently made an 
important and interesting expose of the dangers which attend the use 
of patent “ Soothing Sirups.” His attention was first called to the 
baneful effects and the enormous consumption of these sirups by an 
article in the California Medical Gazette. The author had been 
called to see a child aged six months, apparently in a dying condi¬ 
tion from the effects of some narcotic poison. He found that the 
soothing sirup was the only medicine which had been administered, 
and of it the child had taken two teaspoonfuls within ten hours. 
There were remaining in the vial from which the two teaspoonfuls 
had been taken, ten drachms, which yielded, on analysis by a skill¬ 
ful chemist, nearly one grain of morphia and other opium alkaloids 
to the ounce of sirup. Dr. Murray, in the article already referred 
to says: “ I have ascertained that there are about one hundred 
thousand two-ounce bottles of it sold annually in this city, contain¬ 
ing about one hundred and eighty thousand grains of morphia, 
which are given annually to the infants of this State.” If the infants 
of California consume two hundred thousand ounces of soothing 
sirup, it is but fair to assume that there is seventy-five times that 


800 


THINGS WORTH KNOWING. 


amount used in the whole United States, which would make fifteen 
million ounces of sirup, or about fourteen million grains of mor¬ 
phia. Setting aside the direct cost of this nostrum, it would be 
scarcely possible to estimate the damages which the people of the 
United States sustain indirectly from its use. 

Ventilation of Sleeping* Rooms. 

If two persons are to occupy a bed-room during the night, let 
them step on a weighing scale as they retire, and then again in the 
morning, and they will find their actual weight is at least a pound 
less in the morning. Frequently there will be a loss of two or 
more pounds, and the average loss throughout the year will be a 
pound of matter, which has gone off from their bodies, partly from 
the lungs and partly through the pores of the skin. The escaped 
matter is carbonic acid and decayed vegetable, animal matter or 
poisonous exhalation. This is diffused through the air in part and 
part absorbed by the bed-clothes. If a single ounce of wool-cotton 
be burned in a room, it will so completely saturate the air with 
smoke that one can hardly breathe, though there can only be one 
ounce of foreign matter in the air. If an ounce of cotton be burned 
every half hour during the night, the air will be kept continually 
saturated with smoke, unless there be an open window or door for it 
to escape. Now the sixteen ounces of smoke thus formed is far 
less poisonous than the sixteen of exhalations from the lungs and 
bodies of two persons who have lost a pound in weight during the 
eight hours of sleeping; for while the dry smoke is mainly taken 
into the lungs, the damp odors from the body are absorbed both into 
the lungs and into the pores of the whole body. Need more be said 
to show the importance of having bed-rooms well ventilated and of 
thoroughly airing the sheets, coverlets and mattresses in the morn¬ 
ing, before packing them up in the form of a neatly made bed ? 

Position in Sleep. 

The better position to occupy in sleep is on the right side. This 
gives the contents of the stomach a chance to pass out more readily 
than if lying on the left side or on the back. If you sleep on the 
left side the contents of the stomach pass up instead of down, in 
which case gravitation hinders instead of aids in the work. If you 
have eaten a hearty meal and go to sleep on the back, the weight of 
the food rests on tlie great vein near the back-bone and hinders the 
flow of blood. Some physiologists claim that it is better to sleep 
with the “ head to the North,” both in health and sickness. The 
pillow should be only thick enough to allow the head to be on a 
line with the shoulder when lying on the side, that is, to be a very 
little above a horizontal line, for then it is easier for the heart to 
throw the blood to the head through the arteries, while there would 
be a little incline to favor the descent through the veins. 

O 


THINGS WORTH KNOWING. 


SOI 


Spine Complaint. 

It is asserted by those who should know the facts, that in Ire¬ 
land and other countries where milk-pails, etc., are continually 
carried on the .head, no such ailment as spine complaint is to be 
found. And there is yet another very important point in rearing 
children, often neglected for want of thought, viz., teaching them to 
go to sleep in a proper and healthy attitude. The head should be 
But little raised; the chin on the pillow, not bent down on to the 
chest; the mouth shut, and, above all, the backbone stretched 
straight; or, if at all bent, bent into a hollow curve, like a horse’s 
back, instead of into a round curve like a pig’s. 


Sure Test of the Extinction of Life. 

If a limb of the body—a finger is best for the purpose—be con¬ 
stricted by a strong ligature, quite tightly, there will be seen, if the 
subject be yet alive, a reddening of the constricted member. First, 
the part in question becomes red, then the red color becomes darker 
and darker and deeper in hue, till it is finally converted into a 
bluish-red, the whole limb being from its tip to the ligature which 
encircles it, of a uniform color, except that at the region immediately 
around the ligature itself there is to be seen a narrow ring, which is 
not bluish-red, but white. The bluish coloration of the nails or of 
the finger-tips, so often seen on the dead body, as well, too, in cer¬ 
tain cases of blood disease, need not be regarded as any source of 
fallacy, for, after the ligature of a finger, as long as life remains 
in the body, the whole of the limb from the place of the ligature to 
the extremity will be uniformly blue-red, but if the coloration do 
not take place, or only at a circumscribed spot on the limb, it can be 
with certainty concluded that the spark of life is extinct. 


The Feet and the Stockings. 

Ill health is often generated by neglect to keep the feet clean. 
The poisonous exudations, by not being removed, are gradually 
absorbed again into the system by the large pores that are located 
on the bottoms of the feet. It is, therefore, necessary that they 
should be washed daily with pure water. This neglect to keep the 
feet clean, coupled with the pernicious habit of wearing socks four 
or five days or a week without a change, is one of the most prolific 
causes of disease. Stockings or socks should not be worn more than 
a day or two at a time. A good way is to wear them one day, then 
leave them off one day until they are aired, when they may be worn 
another day. If they are worn longer, the fetid, offensive matter 
from the feet that is deposited on the socks is readily taken into the 
system and blood by the absorbent vessels of the feet. 

51 


812 


THINGS WORTH KNOWING. 


For the Prevention of Baldness. 

A medical author says, “ After trying many remedies, but all 
in vain, I have finally found a successful one; which is the German 
or French soft, green soap. Take two ounces of the soap and the 
same amount of alcohol, and twenty or thirty drops of the oil of 
lavender as a perfumer. This is used as a shampoo, every morning 
or evening pouring one or two tablespoonsfuls on the head. Upon 
the addition of water and a smart friction with the fingers, a copious 
lather is soon produced. After keeping up the shampooing process 
for some four or five minutes, all the soap must be washed out of 
the hair by the free use of warm or cold water, and the hair thor¬ 
oughly dried by means of gentle friction with a soft towel. To 
obviate a disagreeable feeling of tension of the scalp, and to keep 
the scalp from getting too dry, follow up the shampooing with cas¬ 
tor-oil one part, to alcohol three or four parts. But the best, as well 
as the neatest preparation that 1 have employed for this purpose, is 
cosmoline. This is a product obtained from petroleum and is com¬ 
paratively cheap. 

The Health Tree—Blue Gum. 

M. Gimbert has been long engaged in collecting evidence con¬ 
cerning the Australian tree, Blue-gum or Eucalyptus globulus , the 
growth of which is surprisingly rapid, attaining besides gigantic 
dimensions. This tree possesses an extraordinary power of destroy¬ 
ing miasmatic influence in fever-stricken districts. It has the 
singular property of absorbing ten times its weight of water from 
the soil, and of emitting antiseptic camphorous effluvia. When 
sown in marshy ground it will dry it up in a very short time. The 
English were the first to try it at the Cape, and within two or three 
years they completely changed the climatic condition of the 
unhealthy parts of the colony. A few years later its plantation was 
undertaken on a large scale in Algeria. At Pardock, a farm situ¬ 
ated on the banks of the Hamyze, was noted for its extremely 
pestilential air. About 13,000 of the eucalyptus were planted there. 
In the fever season not a single case occurred; yet the trees were not 
more than nine feet high. Since then complete immunity from 
fever has been maintained. The farm of Ben Machydlin was equally 
in bad repute. In five years the whole ground was dried up by 
14,000 of these trees, and farmers and children enjoy excellent 
health. At the factory of the Gue de Constantine, a plantation of 
eucalyptus has transformed twelve acres of marshy soil into a mag¬ 
nificent park, whence fever has completely disappeared. In the 
island of Cuba this and all other marsh diseases are fast disappear¬ 
ing from all the unhealthy districts where this tree has been 
introduced. A station-house in the Department of the Var was so 
pestilential that the officials could not be kept there longer than a 


THINGS WORTH KNOWING. 


S03 


( GSO trees were planted, and it is now as healthy as 
any other place on the line. 

This tree is now being cultivated very extensively in California. 
} or Ml information upon its medical properties, see Materia Med- 
ica, page 611. 

Influence of Marriage on the Duration of Life. 

M. Bertillon lately read before the Academy of Medicine a 
paper on the relative influence of marriage and celibacy, based on 
statistical returns derived from France, Belgium and Holland. 
In France, taking the ten years 1857-66, he found that, in 
1,000 persons aged from twenty-five to thirty, four deaths 
occurred in the married, 10.4 in the unmarried, and twenty - 
two in widowers; in females at the same age, the mortality among 
the married and unmarried was the same—nine per 1,000, while in 
widows it was seventeen. In persons aged from thirty to thirty-five, 
the mortality among men was, for the married, eleven per 1,000, for 
the unmarried, fifteen, and for widowers, nineteen per 1,000; among 
women, for the married,five; for the unmarried, ten; and for widows, 
fifteen per 1,000. There appears to be a general agreement of these 
results of marriage in Belgium and Holland, as well as in France 
and Paris. 


Carpets, Dust and Disease. 

An atmosphere impregnated with the dust which has been 
gathered in carpets and remained there for a considerable length of 
time is positively unhealthy. The dust, after being stagnant for 
some time, especially in warm weather, presents myriads of animal¬ 
cule. To prevent the evil the carpet should be cleaned often. 
The dust should be thoroughly removed every month. The trouble 
of taking up, shaking and replacing will be amply repaid, first in 
the matter of health, and secondly in preserving the carpet. We 
advise good housewives to make a note of this. 

O 


Pure Air in the Kitchen. 

It is an essential to health that the air of the kitchen should be 
as pure as that of the parlor, because food prepared in foul air par¬ 
takes of the foulness to a great extent. A little sink near a kitchen 
door-step, inadvertently formed, has been known, although not 
exceeding h\ its dimensions a single square foot, to spread sickness 
through a whole household. Hence everything of the kind should 
be studiously obviated, so that there should be no spot about dwell¬ 
ing which can receive and hold standing water, whether it be the 
pure rain from the sky, the contents of a wash-basin, the slop-bowl 
or the water-pail. 


SOI 


THINGS WORTH KNOWING. 


How to Arrest Coughs. 

Any sensible person will always endeavor to suppress cough¬ 
ing, sneezing and other morbid phenomena of respiration, as such 
actions sometimes become annoying to others and are therefore pro- 
portionably distressing to the subject of the affection. We have 
sometimes heard an eloquent minister pause a few moments in his 
sermon and, with eyes directed to the spot whence the cause of the 
interruption proceeded, request that an effort might be made to 
arrest it. What would have been given under such circumstances 
to know that by simply pressing the nerves in front of the ear, the 
cough would occasion no further trouble. Hard pressure on the 
roof of the mouth, or on the nerves of the lip in the neighborhood 
of the nose, will have a similar effect; the iatter is well known to 
prevent sneezing. Hiccough also, though in a less degree, is 
arrested by pressure in the front of the ear. Children and possibly 
a few vain and selfish persons might be unwilling to try such simple 
expedients, preferring the observation or sympathy which they 
sometimes endeavor to secure by some idiosyncrasy of the kind. 
But that the will exerts a forcible power in the matter is very evi¬ 
dent; and thus the apparently arbitrary threats, “ Whoever coughs 
will go to bed at seven to night,” “ The first patient who coughs 
will be deprived of his food to-day,” sometimes resorted to in the 
case of children and patients, are fully justified by the results. We 
are assured that a French nurse employed this means of arresting a 
cough with great success. 

Keep Ammonia in the House. 

Ho housekeeper should be without a bottle of spirits of am¬ 
monia, for besides its medical value it is invaluable for household 
purposes. It is nearly as useful as soap, and its cheapness brings it 
within reach of all. Put a teaspoonful of ammonia into a quart of 
warm soapsuds, dip in a flannel cloth, and wipe off the dust and 
fly-specks, and see for yourself how much labor it will save. Ho 
scrubbing will be needful. It will cleanse and brighten silverware. 
To a pint of suds mix a teaspoonful of the spirits, dip in your 
silver spoons, forks, etc., rub with a brush and polish with chamois 
skin. For washing windows it is very desirable; put a few drops 
of ammonia on a piece of paper and it will readily take off every 
spot or finger-mark on the glass. It will takeout grease-spots from 
every fabric; put on the ammonia nearly clear, lay blotting-paper 
over the place and press a hot flat-iron on it for a few moments. 
A few drops in water will clean laces and whiten them as well; also 
muslins. Then it is a most refreshing agent at the toilet-table; a 
few drops in a basin of water will make a better bath than pure 
water, and if the skin is oily it will remove all glossiness and disa¬ 
greeable odors. Added to a foot-bath, it entirely absorbs all nox- 


THINGS WORTH KNOWING. 


805 


ious smell so often arising from the feet in warm weather, and is 
valuable for cleaning the hair from dandruff and dust. For clean¬ 
ing hair and nail-brushes it is equally good. 

Asparagus as a Medical Agent. 

A medical correspondent, on whose statement we can most 
implicitly rely, informs us that the advantages of this plant are not 
sufficiently estimated by those who suffer from rheumatism and 
gout. Slight cases of rheumatism are*cured in a few days by feed¬ 
ing on this delicious esculent; and more chronic cases are much re¬ 
lieved, especially if the patient carefully avoids all acids, whether 
in food or beverage. The Jerusalem-artichoke had also a similar 
effect in relieving rheumatism. The heads may be eaten in the 
usual way, but tea made from the leaves of the stalks and drunk 
three or four times a day is a certain remedy, though not equally 
agreeable. 


Measuring Hay. 

To measure the contents of a stack of hay proceed as follows: 
If it is a round stack, tapering to a point from the ground, measure 
the width of half-way between the ground and the peak of the 
stack; multiply this width by itself and divide by 7,854; this will 
give the average area of the surface covered by the stack. Then 
multiply that by the height from the ground to the point where the 
width was measured. If these measurements are feet, the sum 
found is the cubic feet in the stack. If the hay is timothy, orchard 
grass, millet or Hungarian, five hundred feet will make a ton, or a 
cubic eight feet each way. If the stack is very solid, and was cut 
when dead ripe, three hundred and fifty feet will make a ton, or a 
cube of seven feet each way. If the hay is mixed with clover, 
about seven hundred feet, or a cube of nine feet each way, will 
make a ton. If it is all clover, or light meadow grass or red-top, 
nine hundred feet will be required to weigh a ton, unless it is 
pressed very hard, when some allowance must be made. These es¬ 
timates are made from notes of a great many stacks and mows of 
various kinds and will give a fair average. 

m 

To Destroy Ants. 

Ants are averse to strong scents. Camphor will prevent their 
infesting a cupboard, or a sponge saturated with creosote. Drop 
some unslaked lime on the mouth of their nest and wash it in with 
boiling water; or dissolve some camphor in spirits of wine, then 
mix with water and pour it into their haunts; or tobacco-water has 
been found effectual. To prevent their climbing up trees, place a 
rinff of tar about the trunk. 


806 


THINGS WORTH KNOWING. 


Escaj>e from Fire. 

Creep with your face near the floor, as there the air is pure, 
even though the room be full of smoke. The best means of es¬ 
cape from upper windows is by knotted ropes; but if a leap be 
unavoidable, throw out the beds first. When a lire happens do not 
open the doors, as the fresh air, thus admitted, will increase the fire. 
Go down stairs on your hands and knees. Send children down by 
a sack fastened to a rope. Burnt air is as great an enemy to fire as 
is water. Then the principal object should be to exclude the fresh 
air from without, and confine the air within. The prevailing prac¬ 
tice of breaking windows is peculiarly mischievous and hurtful. 


Brine for Preservation of Butter. 

To three gallons of brine strong enough to bear an egg, add a 
quarter of a pound of white sugar and one tablespoonful of salt¬ 
petre. Boil the brine and when it is cold strain carefully. Make 
your butter into rolls and wrap each roll separately in white mus¬ 
lin cloth. Pack a large jar full, weight the butter down and pom- 
over the brine until all is submerged. This brine will keep really 
good butter perfectly sweet and fresh for a whole year. Be careful 
not to put upon ice butter that you wish to keep for any length of 
time. In summer, when the heat will not admit of the butter be¬ 
ing made into rolls, pack closely in small jars and using the same 
brine allow it to cover the butter to a depth of at least four inches. 
This excludes the air and answers very nearly as well as the first 
method suggested. 


To Beautify the Teeth. 

To a pint of boiling water add one ounce of borax, and before 
it is entirely cold add thirty drops, or half a teaspoonful, of the 
spirits of camphor and bottle and cork tightly for use. This pre¬ 
serves the teeth and gums, removes the tartar, arrests decay and 
makes them very "white. When used add two or three teaspoonfuls 
of the liquid to as much tepid water. Apply with a soft brush. 


For Producing- Perspiration. 

When the health of the patient will not permit, or it is not 
desirable to disturb him, the following is a good means of produc¬ 
ing perspiration: Take a piece of lime, about the size of an ordi¬ 
nary apple, wrap it in a piece of wet muslin and cover with several 
thicknesses of dry cloth; place four or five of these thus prepared at 
different places around the patient, and perspiration will be very 
rapidly induced. 


THINGS WORTH KNOWING. 


807 


Artificial Complexion. 

The use of white paint or cosmetic affects the eyes, which it 
renders painful and watery. It produces pimples, attacks the teeth, 
destroys the enamel and loosens them. It heats the mouth and 
throat, infecting and corrupting the saliva. Lastly, it penetrates 
the pores of the skin, acting by degrees on the lungs and inducing 
disease. Powdered magnesia, or violet powder, is no further injur¬ 
ious than by stopping the pores of the skin; hut this is quite in¬ 
jury enough to preclude its use. The best cosmetics are early 
hours, exercise and temperance. 

Lime-Water. 

A bottle of this should always be kept prepared for use. It is 
not only desirable as an antidote to many poisons, but it is valuable 
as a remedy in various diseases (given in different parts of the 
book under their appropriate heads). It can be made by taking a 
piece of unslaked lime (as to the size it does not matter, because 
the water will take up only a certain quantity), put it into a bottle 
and fill with cold water. Keep it in a cool place and the bottle 
corked and where it is dark, such as a cellar. It can be used in a 
few minutes after made, poured off when it is needed for use. 
When the water is exhausted till the bottle again. This may be 
done three or four times before renewing the lime. 

Mustard. 

Ground mustard should always be kept in every house and in 
a convenient place where it can be found. 

The kitchen cannot always be depended on for a supply, and 
the delay caused by sending and getting some, in cases of many 
poisons, often decides the case. 

Strict care should be taken to keep the mustard in a tight, 
wide-mouthed bottle, otherwise the active principle will escape 
from the powder into the air and be lost. 

Ice-Water. 

In hot weather ice-water should be taken in small quantities at 
a time, if drunk at all; otherwise derangement of the digestive 
organs is liable to ensue, which will result in laying the foundation 
of other troublesome diseases. It is best, in fact, if health is a con¬ 
sideration, to dispense altogether with the use of it as a drink. 


DIVISION THIRTEENTH. 


HYGIENE. 


THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 

Statement —It is a law of the human system that each or¬ 
gan is moved to healthy action under the influence of its proper 
stimulus. The perfection of the digestive process, as well as the 
health of the whole system, requires the observance of certain rules, 
with regard to the quantity and quality of the food, the manner of 
taking it and the condition of the system at the time. 


QUANTITY OF FOOD. 

Variation —The age, occupation, temperament, temperature, 
habits, amount of clothing generally worn, health and disease of the 
individual are among the circumstances which produce a variation 
in the quantity of the food necessary for the system. 

Growth —In proportion to this will be the natural demand 
for food on the part of the child and youth. The more rapid the 
growth the greater the demand. This makes the keen appetite and 
and vigorous digestion of childhood. After full growth this unus¬ 
ual necessity for nutriment ceases, unless there should be a corres¬ 
ponding increase of mental or bodily exertion after this period. 
Without this, to continue to eat as much as during the growing 
stage would impair or disease the digestive apparatus and diminish 
the vigor of the whole system. 

Repairing Waste —Loss of substance follows action in 
every department of nature; this is called waste. As exercise or 
thought increases, the fluids of the system circulate with increased 
energy; the old atoms of the human system are more rapidly re¬ 
moved by their proper organs, the vessels of the skin, lungs, kid¬ 
neys, etc., and new atoms are deposited by the smaller bloodvessels. 

Diminishing the Quantity —A lessening of activity im¬ 
plies a corresponding cessation of waste; hence, the quantity of 
food should be diminished in nearly the same proportion as the 
amount and intensity of exertion, otherwise the tone of the diges¬ 
tive organs must become impaired and the health enfeebled. Stu¬ 
dents who have left laborious employments to attend school, are ex¬ 
hausted by the demands of the new labor rather than by previous 
habits. The real wants of the system are generally manifested by 
the corresponding sensation of hunger. It is a common observation, 





QUANTITY OF FOOD. 


809 


in academies and colleges, that the students who suffer from impaired 
digestion are those who have experienced this transition from labor to 
comparative repose. 

Heat —This is produced in the system, at least partly, by the 
union of oxygen with carbon and hydrogen, in the minute vessels 
of the various organs. This union is accomplished by food and 
drink. The volume of heat is greatest when it is most required, 
i. e ., in cold weather. Every one has noticed that he eats with better 
appetite in winter than in summer. Where any deficiency of food 
occurs a corresponding increase of clothing is required. The prin¬ 
ciple shows the propriety of lessening the amount of food as the 
warm season approaches. If this were regularly practiced the tone 
of the stomach would not so often need restoration by means of 
“tonic bitters,” etc. Men minister to the lower animals more wisely 
than to themselves; thus all who have the care of live-stock soon 
learn by experience that when the warm season begins their charges 
require less food. 

Quantity to be Gauged by Condition —If the diges¬ 
tive organs are weakened or diseased, that amount of food only 
should be taken which they can easily digest. Unchanged by di. 
gestion, food weakens rather than invigorates the system. The 
anxiety of a mother should never induce her to give food to her 
sick child, unless she believe it to be actually needed. If she be in 
doubt, let her consult a physician. 

Habit —This has much to do with the quantity of food re¬ 
quired. Some take more than is necessary aud the excess is removed 
by the waste outlets. If then food is not taken in the usual 
quantity, there will be a feeling of emptiness, resembling hunger, 
from the want of the usual distention of the stomach. This feeling 
may result from disease, but it is oftener the effect of inordinate 
indulgence in eating. 

Effect of too Much Food — 1 jarge quantities oppress the 
stomach and produce languor of the whole system. r lhe system 
makes an extraordinary demand for blood and nervous fluid, to 
enable the stomach to dispose of its burden. If an unusual effort is 
intended, either mental or physical, soon after meal-time, we should 
eat less than usual rather than more. 

Appetite and Taste —Satisfaction of the appetite is the 
best usual test of the right quantity of food. This is the natural 
desire, arising from the wants of the system. Taste, on the other 
hand, is an artificial desire to gratify the palate. 

No Certain Rule —Though many things may aid us in fix¬ 
ing the right quantity of food, there is no certain guide. Some 
think that hunger may be relied upon for this purpose; but this is 
evidently an error, since an artificial appetite may be induced by 
stimulants or gormandising. So, on the other hand, the brain, 
when diseased, may not take cognizance of the sensations of the 
stomach, though the system may actually require nourishment. 


810 


QUALITY OF FOOD. 


Disease, habit, the mental state and many other things exert an 
influence on the state of the appetite. 

It is true that Dr. Beaumont noticed, in his experiments upon 
Alexis St. Martin, that after a certain amount of food had been con¬ 
verted into chyme the gastric juice ceased to ooze from the coats of 
the stomach, and it has consequently been inferred by some medi¬ 
cal writers that the glands which supply this juice would only sup¬ 
ply enough for the actual wants of the system. But what are the 
reasonable grounds of this inference? Can anyone show a reason 
why the gastric glands may not be stimulated to extra activity or be 
influenced by habit as w r ell as other organs? 

It is admitted that the predisposing cause of hunger is usually 
a demand of the system for nutrient material; but it is also insisted 
that this is not always the immediate cause of the sensation of hun¬ 
ger. Some physicians ascribe it to certain conditions of the glands 
of the stomach, and others to a peculiar state of the nervous sys¬ 
tem. 


QUALITY OF FOOD. 

Generalities —The kind of food best adapted to the wants 
of the system is modified by many circumstances. The different 
varieties of food are still further modified by the various methods 
of preparation. A given quality of food is not equally well adapted 
to different individuals, or to the same individual in different condi¬ 
tions. This must be obvious to all who have even slightly observed 
the effect of the same food, at different times, upon themselves. 

What is Meant by Quality in Food —Food is either nu¬ 
tritive or digestible, but a single article is not necessarily both. 
Foods are nutritious in proportion as they supply the elements of 
chyle, but they are digestible only in proportion to the readiness 
with which they yield to the action of the gastric juice. These 
properties should not be confounded. Such articles as milk and 
eggs which contain the greatest amount of the constituent elements 
of the system are most nutritious, but there are conditions of the 
system in which these are wholly indigestible. Of course those 
articles which do not contain the essential elements of the system 
should never form the exclusive diet. On the other hand it is plain 
that articles which contain but a small quantity of these elements 
may often afford the greatest amount of nourishment because they 
are more easily digested. 

Time of Digestion —To ascertain the time required for the 
digestion of the different articles of food, Dr. Beaumont made 
many experiments on Alexis St. Martin, the general results of which 
are shown in the following table. As is known to almost every one, 
the stomach of St. Martin was ruptured by the bursting of a gun. 
lie recovered under Dr. Beaumont’s care, when the stomach adhered 
to the side, with an external opening. In the healing process 



MEAN TIME OF DIGESTION. 


811 


nature formed a kind of a valve which closed the opening from the 
inside, thus preventing loss of the contents of the stomach, but on 
pushing aside this valve, the process of digestion could be plainly 
seen. It was through this orifice that the appearance of the coats 
of the stomach and food at different stages of digestion were ex¬ 
amined. 


TABLE, 

SHOWING THE MEAN TIME OF DIGESTION OF THE DIFFERENT ARTICLES 

OF DIET. 


Articles. 

Prepa¬ 

ration. 

B 

9 

Articles. 

Prepa¬ 

ration. 

»• 

B 

CD 



h.m. 



h.m. 

Apples, sour, hard.. 

Raw_ 

2 50 

Meat hashed with ) 


o 

“ “ mellow..,.. 

Raw_ 

2 

vegetables. \ 

vv arm a 

& ou 

“ sweet, do.. 

Raw. . 

1 30 

Milk.. 

Boiled 

2 

Bass, striped, fresh_ 

Broiled 

3 

44 

Raw.. 

2 15 

Beans, pod__ 

Boiled. 

2 30 

Mutton, fresh. 

Roasted 

3 15 

Beef, fresh, lean, rare. 

Roasted 

3 

44 ' 44 

Broiled 

3 

“ “ “ dry. 

Roasted 

3 30 

u l( 

Boiled 

3 

“ steak__ 

Broiled 

3 

Oysters, fresh__ 

Raw_ 

2 55 

“ with salt only . 

Boiled. 

3 36 

«< « 

Roasted 

3 15 

“ with mustard 

Boiled 

3 10 

it u 

Stewed 

3 30 

“ fresh, lean_ 

Fried.. 

4 

Parsnips... 

Boiled. 

2 30 

“ old, hard, salted 

Boiled 

4 15 

Pisucking:.. 

Roasted 

2 30 

Beets. . _. _ 

Boiled . 

3 45 

Pigs’ feet, soused.. 

Boiled. 

1 

Bread wheat, fresh. 

Baked 

3 30 

Pork, fat and lean__ 

Roasted 

5 15 

“ corn _ 

Baked 

3 15 

“ , recently salted. 

Boiled. 

4 30 

Butter 

Melted 

8 30 

u u t< 

Fried . 

4 15 

Cabbage head. 

Raw_ 

2 30 

U U (t 

Broiled 

3 15 

“ with vinegar.... 

Raw_ 

2 

44 44 44 

Raw .. 

3 

(< 

Boiled. 

4 30 

“ steak. 

Broiled 

3 15 

Cnkp snonw. 

Baked 

2 30 

Potatoes, Irish.. 

Boiled _ 

3 30 

Carrot orange 

Boiled. 

3 15 

u u 

Baked. 

2 30 

('at fish 

Fried.. 

3 30 

Rice. 

Boiled . 

1 

CVipp«p nlrl strnn it 

Raw 

3 30 

Sago. 

Boiled. 

1 45 

(Thir»lrpn fnll-crrown 

Fricas’d 

2 45 

Salmon, salted__ 

Boiled . 

4 

Onrlfieli pnrprJ flrv 

Boiled 

2 

Sausage, fresh.. 

Broiled 

3 20 

Corn, green, and beans— 

Boiled. 

3 45 

Soup, beef, vegetables { 

Boiled 

4 

“ bread. 

Baked. 

3 15 

and bread_ J 



i l eake 

Baked 

3 

“ chicken. 

Boiled . 

3 

Custard 

Baked _ 

2 45 

“ mutton.. 

Boiled. 

3 30 

Unmnl in or finnlp 

Boiled 

3 

“ oyster. 

Boiled. 

3 30 

Ducks, domesticated.. 

Roasted 

4 

Suet, beef, fresh... 

Boiled. 

5 30 

“ wild 

Roasted 

4 30 

“ mutton. 

Boiled . 

4 30 


Boiled 


Tapioca. 

Boiled. 

2 

Eggs, fresh.j 

hard.. 

3 30 

Tripe, soused. 

Boiled. 

1 


Boiled . 


Trout, salmon, fresh. 

Boiled. 

1 30 

4*44 J 


o 

u u u 

Fvipd 

1 30 

l 

« U 

SOlt — 

Fried . 

3 30 

Turkey, domesticated .... 

Roasted 

2 30 

<( it 

Raw . 

2 

44 

Boiled. 

2 25 

VI Aiinrlor ■fi'PcL 

Fried 

3 30 

“ wild. 

Roasted 

2 18 

PatttI domacfip 

Boiled 

4 

Turnips, flat. 

Boiled. 

3 30 

u “ 

Roasted 

4 

Veal, fresh. 

Broiled 

4 

GnntiP 

Roasted 

2 30 

u U 

Fried . 

4 30 

T omK ■frpeli 

Broiled 

2 30 

Venison steak. 

Broiled 

1 35 

11 Coil -— -- - 

Liver, beef’s, fresh. 

Broiled 

2 





































































































812 


THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 


Kind of Food Required —If we eat only those articles 
most easily digested the digestive powers will be weakened for 
want of exercise; while if we pursue the opposite course they will 
be exhausted by overwork. The kind and amount of food should 
therefore be adapted to the maintenance of the digestive 
powers when in health and to their gradual invigoration when 
debilitated. However, the most easily digested food is not always 
best for a person recovering from sickness, because if it passes too 
readily through the digestive process it may bring on a relapse into 
the original disease. Thus water-gruel is often better for a conva¬ 
lescent than beef-tea and fish, though the latter are more easily 
digested. 

Animal or Vegetable Food —It is not yet well settled 
which of these is better adapted to nourish man. The people of the 
torrid zone subsist chiefly on vegetables, and a large proportion of 
these are fruits; while those of the frigid zone live principally on 
fish and flesh. There is little doubt that in this both obey the con¬ 
dition of health peculiar to either climate; though in the latter very 
little choice is possible. It would seem to follow then that a mixed 
diet of animal and vegetable food, the proportion of either varying 
with the latitude, is best for the inhabitants of more temperate 
zones. The form and arrangement of the human teeth, as well as 
the structure of the stomach and intestines, would perhaps lead us 
to conclude that a mixture of animal and vegetable food is on the 
whole best for all, wherever they may happen to live. 

Adaptation of Food —The distensible character of the 
stomach and alimentary canal should determine this. While the 
human stomach will be full if it contain but a gill, it may be so 
distended as to hold a quart, or even more. The intestines also are 
extremely distensible. How, if this distensible quality is unused, 
as it must be if only nutritious food is used, they become at last 
incapable and diseased. The digestive organs absolutely require 
the stimulus of distension and friction caused by the passage 
through them of a considerable quantity of wholly innutritious 
material. This is the reason unbolted flours are so generally pre¬ 
scribed for dyspeptics; and, as it is quite evident that the natural 
tendency of sedentary habits is in this direction, enfeebling the 
appetite and the whole digestive apparatus, persons so employed 
ought to be particularly careful on this point. 

Any one in whom there appears a tendency to either diarrhea 
or constipation may generally so apply this principle as to check 
the tendency and be restored to health without other aid. In diar¬ 
rhea the food should contain a very small proportion of waste or 
innutritious matter, while in constipation the proportion of waste 
should be as large as practicable. 

Season and Climate —These should always be considered 
in the selection of food. In cold weather, food of a highly stimu¬ 
lating character may be used almost with impunity by persons to 


MANNER OF TAKING tOOD. 


813 


whom such food would be very injurious, and even highly danger¬ 
ous, if used in a milder temperature. The proportion of animal to 
vegetable food, therefore, should be greater in the winter and 
smaller in the summer. 

Age of the Eater —Every one understands that the digest¬ 
ive organs of a young child are much more delicate and sensitive 
than those of an adult, and that they cannot therefore bear the 
same strong and rough food. This is true also of a very aged per¬ 
son, who seems in body as in mind to experience a second child¬ 
hood. A nutritious, unstimulating, vegetable diet, as soon as warm 
weather sets in, is very important to those whose digestive organs 
are highly impressible or diseased. 

Modifying Habits —This influence is very powerful. The 
custom makes the man. If one who has been used to a vegetable diet 
change suddenly to animal food, or vice versa , the whole system 
receives a shock, and disease is likely to follow, especially of the 
digestive organs. If a change in the manner of living is necessary, 
it should be brought about very gradually. Even a change from a 
bad to a good habit may be too sudden and violent. 

Food and Temperament —It is obvious that a food quite 
proper for one temperament would be entirely too ■stimulating for 
another, and the reverse of this is also true; that is, it might be too 
little stimulating for another. People of dull sensations and slow 
movements, as a rule, will be benefited by a large proportion of 
animal food; while quick, susceptible and nervous persons require 
a nutritious and unstimulating vegetable diet. 


MANNER OF TAKING FOOD. 

This is of very great practical importance, as the health of the 
digestive organs very largely depends upon it; and this a thing so 
fixed and certain that circumstances need hardly ever modify it. 

Regularity of Eating—The character of the food, and the 
age, health, exercise and habits of the individual, should determine 
the intervals between meals. Every one will understand that the 
digestive process is much more rapid and energetic in the young, 
active and vigorous than in the aged, indolent and feeble, and food 
must, in consequence, be taken more frequently by the former than 
by the latter. Food may be digested in one hour in a young and 
vigorous person, which would require four or five hours in others. 
However, the average time of digestion will be from two to four 
hours, and the stomach will require from one to three hours to 
recruit its exhausted powers after the labor of digesting a meal, 
before it is well prepared to enter upon a new task of the same 
kind. 

Not too Frequent —The secretion of gastric juice will be 
insufficient, and the contraction of the muscular fibres too feeble and 



814 


MANNER OF TAKING FOOD. 


imperfect, rightly to perform the work of digestion if food is again 
taken before the stomach has had time to regain its tone and energy. 
If taken before the work of digesting the previous meal has been 
completed, the effects will be still worse, because the partially 
di o-ested food becomes mixed with that last taken, and the stomach 
is burdened with the whole mass, which has become at once too 
large for its already fatigued and exhausted forces. The intervals 
between meals should therefore be long enough for the whole quan¬ 
tity to be digested, and for a sufficient period of repose of the 
exhausted organs. The importance of these suggestions increases in 
proportion to the feebleness of the person and the debility of the 
stomach. They should be regarded especially in the feeding of 
infants and older children. Persons recovering from severe illness 
should pay special heed to them if they wish to regain flesh and 
strength rapidly. The rapidity of the digestive process, other things 
being equal, is in proportion to the habitual activity of the life, and 
persons of sedentary habits are therefore more liable to eat too often 
than others of more busy and stirring pursuits, and the consequen¬ 
ces with the former are worse. 

Mastication —This should be as nearly complete as possible; 
that is, all solid articles of food should be reduced to a state of com¬ 
parative fineness by chewing before they are swallowed. The 
gastric fluid will then mix with it more readily, and act more vigor¬ 
ously in reducing it to chyme. “ Bolting,’’ that is swallowing food 
slightly masticated, tends to derange the digestive apparatus and 
impair the nutritive powers. 

Motion of the Jaws —This should be slow rather than 
quick, so that the salivary glands may have time to secrete a suffi¬ 
cient quantity of saliva to moisten the food. If the food is swallowed 
unmoistened by saliva the digestion is retarded; besides in rapid 
eating more food is taken than the system demands, or than can be 
easily digested. Laborers and business men, as well as people of 
more leisure, should have ample time for taking their meals. 
Imperfect mastication is a potent cause of dyspepsia. 

No Drinking’ at * Meals —The use of tea, coffee, water or 
any other fluid, is not required by nature’s laws while taking a meal, 
because the salivary glands are intended to supply fluid to moisten 
the solid food. “Washing down ” the food with drink instead 
of slowly moistening it with saliva, tends to produce disease 
not only in the salivary organs by leaving them in a state of com¬ 
parative inactivity, but in the stomach also by the deficiency of the 
salivary stimulus. Besides, large quantities of fluids used as drinks 
unnaturally distend the stomach and lessen the energy of the gastric 
juice by diluting it. These drinks when taken into the stomach 
must be removed by absorption before the digestion of the food can 
be even commenced. Brinks should never be placed on the table 
until the solid food is eaten. The horse will never voluntarily leave 
his provender nor the ox his hay, to wash it down. If we would be 


CONDITION OF THE SYSTEM. 


815 


as liealtliy as these animals, we should he as natural in our habits of 
taking food. Drinking largely at meals is a mere habit, and a most 
unnatural and unhealthy one. 

Thirst —This sensation does not always arise from the demand 
for fluids to increase the water of the blood, as in desire for drink 
which accompanies free perspiration; in this case, water or some 
other drink is absolutely necessary; but it often results from fever 
or local disease of the parts connected with the throat. In these 
instances thirst may be allayed by chewing some hard substance, such 
as a dry cracker. This excites a secretion from the salivary glands 
which removes the sensation. In thirst, from a heated condition of 
the system, this practice affords relief and is safe, while the practice 
of drinking large quantities of cold fluids is unsafe, and should never 
be indulged. 

O _ 

Hot Food and Drink —It should not be taken very hot. 
When this is done, the vessels of the mucous membrane of the gums, 
mouth and stomach are unduly stimulated for a short time; this is 
followed by a loss of tone and by debility of these parts. The prac¬ 
tice is a fruitful cause of spongy gums, decayed teeth, sore mouth 
and indigestion. But neither should it betaken very cold. If a con¬ 
siderable quantity of very cold food or liquid be taken into the 
stomach, the tone of the system will be impaired and the health 
endangered by the sudden abstraction of heat from the coats of the 
stomach and surrounding organs, to impart warmth to the cold food 
or drink. This arrests the digestive process and the food is kept in 
the stomach too long and produces oppression and irritation. Food 
and drink warmed, rather than heated, are best suited to the natural 
condition of the digestive organs. 

It may have been observed that the inferior animals, as well as 
man, are injuriously affected when a bad quality of food is taken 
into the stomach, or taken in an improper manner. Cows fed on 
unhealthy slops, as they are likely to be in cities, decay and go dry 
in about two years. Is the milk of these diseased animals a safe 
nourishment for children? 


CONDITION OF THE SYSTEM. 

Violent Exertion —Severe exercise of either mind or body 
should not be taken immediately before or after eating, because all 
organs when in action require and receive more blood and nervous 
fluid than when at rest. Of the brain, muscles and vocal organs, 
this is especially true; and whatever of unusual supply they receive 
must be taken "from other parts of the system. Of course, then, 
the parts from which these are drawn must be correspondingly 
weakened. Again, after such an extraordinary local demand and 
supply some time must elapse before the tide can be arrested and 
turned to other organs, so as to re-establish the equilibrium of the 



816 


CONDITION OF THE SYSTEM. 


system. Severe exertion, therefore, of any kind should never be 
made within a period varying from thirty to sixty minutes of the 
time of taking a meal. This interval may be passed in cheerful 
amusement or conversation. The prevailing practice among all 
sorts of people of passing at once from severe employment to meals 
and from meals back to work does much to undermine the 
health of all the mental and physical laborers of this country. 

To satisfy himself of the soundness of this theory an English¬ 
man had two dogs fed on the same article of food, and while he 
permitted one of them to remain quiet, he sent the other in pur¬ 
suit of game. At the expiration of an hour he had both dogs 
killed. The stomach of the one that had remained at rest was nearly 
empty, the food having been properly changed and carried into the 
alimentary canal; while, in the stomach of the dog that had been 
running, the food remained in nearly the same state in which it had 
been eaten. The same fact is true with man, with this difference, 
that his organs being more delicate he is more liable to deep and 
permanent injury from a similar cause. The Spanish “ siesta,” or 
after-dinner sleep, would be no bad custom to engraft upon the 
habits of the Anglo-Saxon race. It is true that in some instances 
of strong health and constitution, persons may seem to violate the 
law with impunity; but outraged Nature will sooner or later have 
her revenge. The Spanish custom might, perhaps, be substituted 
and improved by an hour of gentle exercise or pleasant recreation 
before and after meals, as these facilitate digestion and help to 
sweep “ the cobwebs from the brain.” No judicious horse-master 
rides or drives his animals as soon as they have swallowed their 
food, because he know T s that this makes them dull and sluggish and 
tends to impair their efficiency. What a pity that he cannot be 
induced to treat himself as kindly. 

The Passions —All have observed their influence upon the 
appetite. Let a man, sitting at table and beginning the enjoyment 
of a hearty meal, receive suddenly intelligence of the death or 
dangerous illness of a dear friend, or be made violently angry or 
unusually excited in any other way, and note the effect upon his 
appetite. It disappears as if by magic. This is merely because the 
blood and nervous fluid have been drawn away from the stomach to 
supply the violent demands of those other organs which were 
roused to action by the stimulus of passion. Let the passion be 
calmed and a proper interval elapse and he will turn hungrily to his 
meal. This shows the importance of shutting out the “ shop ” 
from the meal; of avoiding at that hour absorbing thoughts and 
discussions; and that every one who appears at the board should 
show only the lightest and sunniest phase of his temper and char¬ 
acter. 

Prostration of the Nervous System —Indigestion from 
this cause should receive very careful attention. The food should 
be simple, nutritious, moderate in quantity, and taken at regular 


CONDITION OF THE SYSTEM. 


817 


intervals. The nervous prostration is increased by large quantities 
of stimulating food taken frequently. That the brain may be ex¬ 
cited to a natural and healthy action and so impart the needed stim¬ 
ulus to the digestive organs, open-air exercise should be combined 
with cheerful conversation. 

Food before Retiring* —Nothing should be eaten for at 
least three hours before going to bed. Unpleasant dreams or colic- 
pains are frequent effects of going directly to bed after a hearty 
meal. The reason of this is, the brain becomes partially dormant 
by sleep and thus fails to afford the digestive organs the requisite 
nervous stimulus. As a consequence the food lies undigested on 
the stomach, producing local oppression and irritation. 

A physician of our acquaintance was called on by a famous 
hunter of the Virginia mountains for a prescription for nightmare 
—not to cure, but to cause it. Ilis old woman, he said, complained 
mightily of it, but he thought she was shamming to excite sym¬ 
pathy. He would like to have it once, just to know what it was. 
The doctor directed him to go home, spend the next day in hunting, 
and just before going to bed at night to eat as much as he wanted 
of bacon and cabbage. When his rueful face next appeared in the 
physician’s office, he said, “Doctor, I know all about it, and the 
old woman wasn’t shamming a bit.” 

Small Quantities of Food —Only those should be taken 
of a mild, unstimulating character, when the general system is 
feeble and the digestive organs weak. To a half-famislied man, or 
one recovering from dangerous illness, this rule is imperative. Too 
much food will then almost certainly kill. The weak stomach, after 
its long inaction, is as unfit for hard labor as are the muscles. Un¬ 
der these circumstances knowledge and prudence, rather than appe¬ 
tite, should direct the giving of food. It is a popular fallacy that 
“food never does harm when the appetite calls for it.” The animal 
and vegetable broths are a convenient form of food in cases of great 
prostration, when the system needs immediate nourishment, be¬ 
cause liquids are more rapidly removed from the stomach by absorp¬ 
tion. 

The Skin and Digestion —It is an important fact, though 
few people seem to know it, that the condition of the skin exerts a 
powerful influence on the digestive organs. The action of the 
stomach and its associate organs is diminished whenever free per¬ 
spiration is checked, either by want of cleanliness or chills. Many 
liver and stomach complaints owe their origin to this cause. Many 
diseases of the alimentary canal, also commonly called “suminer- 
cornplaints,” might be prevented by attention to clothing and bath¬ 
ing. 

Tight Clothing Impairs Digestion —The ribs are raised, 
and the central part of the diaphragm lowered from one to two 
inches at each full drawing of the breath. This depression is accom¬ 
panied by a relaxation of the outer abdominal walls. When the 

52 


818 


CONDITION OF THE SYSTEM. 


breath is thrown out the abdominal vessels contract, the ribs are 
depressed, the diaphragm relaxes, and its central parts ascend. These 
movements cause that raising and lowering of the stomach, liver, 
etc., which form the natural stimulus of these organs. Of course, 
these movements cannot take place freely in persons who dress 
tightly, and the tone and vigor of the digestive organs in those per¬ 
sons is consequently impaired. A confined waist will not permit a 
full and deep inspiration; and thus it is that tight dressing soon 
enfeebles and destroys the digestive functions. 

Relation of Pure Air to Digestion —A keen appetite 
and strong digestion depend greatly on pure air. Pure blood can¬ 
not exist in the system except when we breathe a pure air, and the 
digestive organs need not only the stimulus of blood, but of pure 
blood. It has been noticed that the mouth and throat of those per¬ 
sons who sleep in small and badly ventilated rooms, are dry and 
unpleasant in the morning and they have little or no appetite, and 
this is the reason of it; impure blood lessens the desire for food and 
weakens the digestive organs. The following incidents will indicate 
this. 

It is said of an innkeeper, in London, on no less an authority 
than that of Dr. Reid, in his work on the “ Ventilation of Rooms,” 
that when he spread a public dinner, he always did so in a low and 
ill-ventilated basement room, and that he assigned, as his reason for 
this, that his guests consumed only about half as much food and 
wine as they would have done if more pleasantly situated. 

It was stated before a committee of the British Parliament, by 
a manufacturer, that he had taken away an arrangement for ventila¬ 
ting his factory, because he noticed that his hands ate much more 
after his mill was ventilated, and in effect that he could not afford 
to have them breathe pure air. The impure air of the rooms they 
occupy causes many of the cases of indigestion among clergymen, 
seamstresses, school-teachers, sedentary mechanics and factory oper¬ 
atives, and they may be prevented or cured by attending to ventila¬ 
tion. 

Evacuation —This is a daily necessity for the preservation of 
health. There is very frequently an inactive or costive condition of 
the alimentary canal, in chronic diseases of the digestive organs. 
This may always be relieved by friction over the abdominal organs, 
and by making an effort, at some stated period of each da}^ (evening 
is best), to evacuate the residuum. Regard should be especially had 
to regularity in this matter in acute diseases, such as fevers. For 
those afflicted with piles, the best time for evacuating the bowels is 
immediately before retiring for the night; for the reason that during 
the night, while the body is in a recumbent posture, the protruding 
part returns to its proper place, and the surrounding organs acquire 
added tone and strength to retain it there. The bladder, as well as 
the intestinal canal, should be regularly and frequently evacuated. 
Most distressing and incurable complaints are caused by bad habits 


THE MUSCLES. 


819 


and false delicacy in tliis particular. Teachers should he especially 
careful, in this respect, with regard to their younger pupils. 


THE MUSCLES. 

The Law —That whenever a muscle is called into use, its 
fibres increase in thickness, and that it correspondingly diminishes 
with disease, is the law of the muscular system. The force of action 
of a muscle is proportioned to this thickness. In other words, the 
action and power of any organ measure each other. In order, then, 
that the muscular system may be prepared to meet the demands of 
nature and occasion, it must be exercised. 

Limits of the Law —These are full growth, or the matur¬ 
ity of life and power. Whenever the muscles act, the flow of blood 
is increased in the arteries and veins. This increased flow causes a 
more rapid deposit of the matter of which the muscles are composed. 
The deposit of new material will be in excess of that removed, and 
the size and energy of the vessels increased, if the exercise is equal 
to the power of the system. So the muscles become strong by use, 
or labor. 

Excess —Exercise, either for pleasure or profit, should never 
be carried to the point of exhaustion—though this should he distin- 
tinguislied from fatigue—if one wishes to secure their utmost 
capacity. The hard labor frequently diminishes the weight, by 
several pounds, within a few weeks. This is also illustrated by the 
attenuated frames of overtasked domestic animals. The loss, in 
these instances, exceeds the new deposits of material. In a word, 
the muscles are lessened in size and diminished in power, whenever 
the exercise is continued so long as to produce a feeling of exhaus¬ 
tion. 

The Practical Inference —The strength should be the 
measure of exertion. Any other rule will fail to invigorate the 
system. Exercise and labor must therefore be adapted to the 
strength of the individual. If a mile of riding or walking cause 
slight fatigue, this may be beneficial, while the exhaustion occas¬ 
ioned by doubling the distance may prove highly injurious. It is 
therefore plain that the same amount of exercise will net do for dif¬ 
ferent people. 

Rest —The long strain on a muscle enfeebles its action and 
impairs its contractibility. One can hold the arm extended but a 
short time, whatever effort he makes. This holding out of the arm, 
with a book in the hand, is sometimes inflicted as a penalty in 
schools and it is a severe one. Most hoys would prefer a sound 
whipping. The law of health is that relaxation must soon follow 
contraction; or in other words, that rest must follow labor. 

School —Frequent, though short, recesses are necessary for 
small and feeble children; the younger and feebler the children, 




820 


THE MUSCLES 


the greater the necessity. This is founded on the organic 
law that muscular action must be alternated by rest. Any one may 
notice that the small children in a school room, after sitting a short 
time, become restless. A change of position, for a short time, will 
enable their imperfectly developed muscles to regain their strength 
when they will again support the spinal column without pain. 

Exhaustion —This is the constant and necessary effect of con¬ 
tinuous muscular contraction. No difference how seemingly light 
and easy the exertion, its continuance becomes, after a time, intol¬ 
erably wearisome. The mere motion of a finger, if long continued, 
exhausts the whole frame. Change of employment brings a new 
set of muscles into play, and is often equivalent to rest. 

The Utmost Muscular Capacity —This is to be attained 
not by prolonged exertion, but by taking sufficient time for rest. Of 
two men of equal strength, the judicious and understanding one, 
who never hurries and who rests at regular intervals when the mus¬ 
cles require relaxation, will accomplish far more labor, in a pro¬ 
tracted time, than the nervous, over-strained and long-continued 
exertions of his competitor. This principle may be profitably 
applied to the labor of domestic animals, as to all other kinds of 
employment. Convalescing invalids frequently suffer relapses from 
inattention to this law. 

A Common Experience— Neither growing youth nor habitu¬ 
ally hard-working men can endure the severe muscular strain which 
can easily be borne by those who are at once mature and unexhaust¬ 
ed. Napoleon I. complained that his boy-conscripts could not bear 
the severe marches of his campaigns and in our own war between 
the States, the young men from the towns and cities were found 
capable of sustaining vastly more hardships than the young men 
from the country. This was owing, in the first instance, to imma¬ 
turity, and in the second, to the habitual exhaustion of the farm- 
laborer. 

Graduation of Exertion —After rest, the first motions 
should be slow, and the increase to strong or violent exertion, very 
gradual. Of a task requiring several hours for its completion, con¬ 
siderably less than half should be performed in the first half of the 
allotted time. On this plan, we should conduct the labor of domes¬ 
tic animals. The reason for this is that the muscles require more 
blood and nervous fluid when in action, than when at rest; and as 
the circulation of these fluids can only be increased gradually, it 
follows that sudden and violent muscular exertions have an effect 
similar to that of working machinery unoiled; that is, the friction 
of the parts consumes the very substance of the machinery. 

Gradual Rest —This is also important. If one has been mak¬ 
ing violent or long-continued exertions, it is better to substitute 
some other or gentler exercise than to turn immediately to rest. 
Thus time is allowed for the reflux of the blood and nervous fluids 
into their ordinary and more diffused channels, instead of allowing 


THE MUSCLES. 


821 


them to stand and stagnate, so to speak, when the muscles cease to 
use them. The stiffness and soreness of the muscles after rest is an 
evidence that the change from exertion to repose was too sudden. 
If the skin be covered with perspiration, produced by the severity 
of the labor, this suggestion is so much the more important. 
J^ever sit or lie down to rest in this state. It is the well-known 
and proper practice of great walkers and other athletes to have 
themselves well rubbed down, like race-horses, before they go to rest. 

Pure Blood —This affords the highest muscular stimulus; 
pure blood can only come from a strong and healthy digestion and 
this again depends on a clean and properly warmed skin, pure air, 
abundant sunlight and the free and unrestricted movement of the 
ribs, diaphragm and lungs. It is of great practical importance to 
both men and women to observe these conditions, whatever may be 
their vocation or mode of life. 

Open-air Exercise —This is important for the reason that the 
purer the air we breathe the more stimulating will be the blood 
supplied to the muscles, and the longer continued may be their exer¬ 
tion without fatigue or injury. Thus also we see the importance of 
thoroughly ventilating all inhabited rooms and especially sick¬ 
rooms. The patient can sit up longer when the air is pure and he 
finds his strength and appetite in every way improved. This is the 
reason a patient can sit up longer while riding in a carriage than in 
an easy chair in the room where he has been ill; it is the difference 
made by pure and impure air. 

Light—Exercise should be taken as much as possible in the 
light of day, and unless the sultriness of the hour or season forbid, 
in the full sunlight. Men and animals, as well as plants, require 
the stimulus of this agent. It would be well if all shops, kitchens 
and sitting-rooms could be situated on the sunnv side of the house. 
Students especially should take their exercise during the day and 
laborers shun night-tasks. Like plants that grow in the shade, 
persons who dwell in dark rooms are paler and less vigorous than 
others. 

Regular and Frequent Exercise —Days of severe toil, 
followed by days of idleness—such is the custom of the savage and 
unreasonable man. Exercise, on the other hand, should be regular 
and frequent. A weekly fast of twenty-four hours is not more absurd 
and unnatural than a weekly suspension of exercise for a like period. 
It is not more true—though a matter of common experience and 
observation—that people who practice fasting, ruin their health 
thereby, than that those who abstain from daily exertion in¬ 
jure themselves correspondingly. The late Thomas Carlyle said 
he came out of a three-days’ fast with a Devil of Dyspepsia that 
haunted and cursed his whole life; and many a man and woman, if 
they only knew it, have emerged from corresponding periods of 
idleness with the twin of that same Devil of Dyspepsia. It is true 
that the evil consequences of neglect of exercise steal more slowly 


822 


THE MUSCLES. 


and gradually upon their victim; but they are not the less danger¬ 
ous or deadly, and sooner or later they are manifested in muscular 
weakness, irritability and dyspepsia. 

Kind of Exercise —That species is best which calls into ac¬ 
tion the greatest number of muscles. For this purpose farm labor 
and domestic employments, care being taken that neither is pursued 
to the point of drudgery, are the best as vocations; and fencing, 
rowing, archery, quoits and dancing, where the place is open and 
the air pure, are the best among the pastimes. It is all-important 
that every part of the muscular system should have its proper share 
of exercise. 

The Proper Hour —While this must depend largely upon 
circumstances, as a general rule morning is better than evening, 
when the air is pure and the ground dry; because the physical 
powers are greatest in the morning. Shortly before or after meal-time 
severe exertion should be avoided, though gentle, recreative exercise is 
better than complete idleness on either of these occasions. So, severe 
mental toil should be hedged about by a similar period of recreation, 
separating it from violent physical exercise. Where circumstances 
will at all permit it is best to observe these distinctions of time. 

Etfect of Sleep on the Muscles —The wearied and ex¬ 
hausted condition of watchers, night-police and others who spend 
a part or the whole of the night in some active employment, illus¬ 
trates the fact that it is not well, if it can be avoided, to invert the 
common hours of rest and labor. The reason of this must lie in 
the fact that the quality of the day-sleep is not equal to that of the 
night; it is neither so sound nor so refreshing. The quiet hours of 
night seem sacred to repose, and the alternation of day and night 
seems specially adapted to the wants of the system. The muscles 
require sleep to restore their wasted energies, and the best sleep is 
their best restorative. 

Compression —Any compression is inj urious to the strength 
and tone of the muscles to which it is long applied, for the reason 
that it prevents the free passage to them and through them of the 
blood which is their only source of supply. This may be illustrated 
by the case of a man with a broken limb; the compression of the 
bandages lessens in a little while the size of the limb, and this can 
not be restored until they have been removed. In this way, tight 
dressing enfeebles, and in the end paralyzes the muscles of the back 
and produces curvature of the spine, projecting shoulders and dis¬ 
eased lungs. Every unyielding substance, such as whalebone, wood 
and steel, should be banished from the toilet as enemies of life. 

Mind and Muscle —A full, nervous impulse is essential to 
the most energetic muscular action, and this the mind alone can 
supply. This is the secret of the preternatural strength of anger, 
and of other great excitements. So, the tone and contractile energy 
of the muscular system are always, though in a less degree, depend¬ 
ent upon the co-operation of the mind. Every one has experienced 



THE MUSCLES. 


823 


the fact that less fatigue attends and follows exertion under a buoy¬ 
ant and healthy mental stimulus, than without it. While reluc¬ 
tant labor is exhausting, cheerful and willing labor leaves hardly a 
trace of toil. A successful sportsman pursues his game without 
any sense of fatigue, while, if unsuccessful, he finds it a task to 
drag himself along. In war, when the long march seems to have 
exhausted every muscular energy of the tired troops, let but the 
enemy appear and every one is on the alert and ready for vigorous 
action; while should the alarm prove false the mental stimulus is 
withdrawn and lassitude again falls upon the army. Therefore it is 
that more depends upon the habitual spirit of the soldier than upon 
the bulk and strength of his muscles, and that striplings have so of¬ 
ten out-wearied and out-marched the sturdiest veteran in the ranks. 
So in the daily vocations of life, if the mind have some cheerful or 
noble incentive to toil, the tiresomeness of labor is greatly dimin¬ 
ished. Those men are the true captains in the army of labor who 
are capable of inspiring the workmen whom they control with a 
cheerful and willing spirit. One such foreman or overseer is worth 
for the interest of his employer half a dozen of the dull or driving 
sort. Hence also walking for mere exercise—though this is better 
than no exercise of the muscles—is comparatively irksome and un¬ 
profitable. Let your daily walk have some errand or objective point, 
to which the mind can look with interest, and health and strength 
will more speedily result. 



DIVISION FOURTEENTH. 


INFORMATION FOR EVERYBODY. 


HOME COMFORT. 


Comfort lias been called the principal household god of the 
English people. “ Home ” and “ comfort ” are among the most 
signiticant words in the language. In countries where the air is 
genial throughout the year and where to bask in the sunshine 
imparts health and pleasure, the dwelling and its management may 
be matters of secondary consideration; but in England and the 
United States a comfortable home is of primary importance. 

Home comfort is the result of managing the details of a house¬ 
hold in the best manner, so that its machinery works smoothly, 
without jar or friction, and applying that which is sometimes called 
house-thrift. Wealth, though it can purchase luxury, cannot buy 
comfort. The rich, as well as the very poor, are often without real 
homes. When the spirit of domestic disorder or unthrift enters 
the door, whether it be of a mansion or of a cottage, all the good 
angels fly out of the windows; so, when the genius of good manage¬ 
ment comes within a household, comfort follows soon after, erects 
her shrine and distributes daily blessings to every member of the 
family. 

It is remarkable that though the ambition to live comfortably 
is almost universal, yet very few realize their wishes. Those who 
have made their fortunes are wheedled into fashionable society, 
bound with silver chains, and delivered into the hands of that most 
remorseless taskmaster, called “ social duty.” The middle classes 
sacrifice comfort in their attempts to imitate the rich in their style 
of living and involve themselves in debt and its attendant vexa¬ 
tions. Even among the working classes daily meals are often 
miniature banquets. Living to eat, rather than eating to live, the 
poor consume the nest-egg of independence and wonder that there 
is no increase of their store. An English manufacturer remarked 
that he could not really afford to buy spring lamb, green peas, sal¬ 
mon, new potatoes and strawberries for some weeks after his hands 
had been feeding on these delicacies. 

A serious drawback to domestic comfort is ignorance of good 
cookery. In the princely establishments of Europe and the man¬ 
sions of the wealthy, where a dinner is not merely a necessity, but 





HOME COMFORT. 


825 


a luxury, all the great chiefs of the kitchen are men. The Franca- 
tellis, the Soyers, the Blots, and the Gouffes, whose names are 
familiar in both continents, are simply by profession male cooks; 
but they are also men of genius, and deservedly take rank with 
artists, for it takes as much talent and thought to prepare a thor¬ 
oughly good dinner as to paint a picture. In some homes of luxu¬ 
rious living the health of the chief cook is a curious matter of 
solicitude, because when he is sick he loses his taste and the dishes 
are liable to be badly seasoned and improperly prepared generally. 
Some enthusiastic gourmand recommends an employer to feel the 
pulse of his cook every morning, and examine his tongue, for he 
says if “ the cook’s palate is dull, his master will find the ragouts 
and sauces too highly seasoned.” 

In France, all classes, the men as well as the women, study the 
economy of cookery and practice it; and there, as many travelers 
affirm, the people live at one-third the expense borne by English¬ 
men and Americans. There they know how to make savory messes 
out of remnants that others would throw away. There they cook 
no more for each day than is required for that day. With them 
cookery ranks with the arts, and a great cook is almost as much 
honored and respected as a sculptor or a painter. The consequence 
is, as ex-Secretary McCullough thinks, that a French village of a 
thousand inhabitants could be supported luxuriously on the waste 
of one of our large American hotels, and he believes that the entire 
population of France could be supported on the food which is liter¬ 
ally wasted in the United States. Professor Blot, who resided for 
some years in the United States, remarks, pathetically, that here, 
“where the markets rival the best markets of Europe, it is really a 
pity to live as many do live. There are thousands of families in 
moderately good circumstances who have never eaten a loaf of really 
good bread, tasted a well cooked steak, nor sat down to a properly 
prepared meal.” 

But in American households it is not the fashion for men to 
concern themselves with the details of the kitchen. The wife is the 
prime minister in the administration of the household, and within 
the limits of her jurisdiction her power over the fortune and well¬ 
being of her subjects is absolute. If she be ignorant of the arts of 
frugal management, or willfully extravagant, or carelessly indiffer¬ 
ent, not only the purse but the health of the family will suffer. The 
wife is the central figure in the household, and the man’s way to 
home comfort consists principally in getting a good wife, who 
knows the things worth knowing in household management, or is 
teachable and willing to learn. 

Requisites of a Good Wife— A good wife, it may be 
remarked, is not a natural growth, springing from the soil without 
care or cultivation. Something undoubtedly is due to parentage 
and example, but in the main a girl is what she is trained to be. 

First of all in the list of qualifications that fit a woman for 


826 


HOME COMFORT. 


marriage, and above all others, may be placed good health. Life 
without health is a burden; life with health is joy and gladness. It 
is a fearful responsibility, both to men and women, to marry if they 
be not healthy, and the result must, as a matter of course, be misery. 
How needful is it, therefore, that all necessary instruction should 
be imparted to every young wife, and the proper means shown by 
which she may preserve her health. 

To Preserve Health. —To maintain health, a young married 
woman ought to take regular and systematic out-door exercise, so 
far as it can be done without interfering with her household duties. 
Walking expands the chest, strengthens the muscles, promotes 
digestion, and exhilarates like a glass of champagne, but unlike 
champagne never leaves a headache behind. If ladies would walk 
more than they do there would be fewer lackadaisical, useless, com¬ 
plaining wives than we now see, and instead of having a race of 
puny children we should have a race of giants. 

. Household Ventilation. —To preserve the health of herself 
as well as of the family a married woman must attend to the venti¬ 
lation of her house. Ninety-nine out of every hundred bed-rooms 
are badly ventilated, and in the morning after they have been slept 
in are full of impure and poisoned air. Impure and poisoned air, 
foi the air in any room that is occupied becomes foul and deadly if 
not perpetually changed—if not constantly mixed, both by day and 
by night, with fresh, pure, ont-door air. Many persons, by breath¬ 
ing the same air over and over again, are literally poisoned by their 
own breaths. This is not an exaggerated statement—alas, it is too 
true. For ventilation, open the windows both at top and bottom, 
that the fresh air may rush in one way while the foul air goes out 
the other. This is letting in your friend and expelling an enemy. 

Personal Cleanliness.— To preserve health a young wife 
should bathe regularly and thoroughly. “ There is nothing,” says 
Dr. Chavasse, “more tonic and invigorating and refreshing than"a 
cold ablution. Moreover, it makes one feel clean and sweet and 
wholesome; and you may depend upon it that it not only improves 
our physical constitution but likewise our moral character. A dirty 
man has generally a dirty mind.” 

Nourishing Diet. —To preserve health a woman should have 
a nourishing diet, and especially a substantial breakfast. She must 
frequently vary the kind of food, of meat especially, as also the 
manner of cooking it. Where a lady is very thin, good fresh milk, 
if it agrees with her, should form an important item of her diet. 
The meagre breakfasts of many young wives who eat scarcely any¬ 
thing is one cause, unquestionably, of so much sickness among them, 
and of so many puny children in existence. 

Sleep. —To preserve health a wife should have seven or eight 
hours of sound, refreshing sleep. Sleep is of more consequence to 
the human economy than food, and nothing should be allowed to 
interfere with it. And as attendance on large assemblies, balls and 


HOME COMFORT. 


827 


concerts interferes sadly in every way with sleep, they ought one 
and all to be generally avoided. Rising at a suitable hour in the 
morning, not later than six in summer and seven in winter, is also 
recommended, as it imparts health to the frame as well as anima¬ 
tion to the household. 

Avoidance of Stimulants. —To preserve health it is necessary 
to avoid the use of alcoholic stimulants, except as a medicine. “ It 
is surprising,” says Dr. Chavasse, “the quantity of wine some 
young ladies, at parties, can imbibe without being intoxicated; but 
whether if such ladies marry they will make fruitful vines is quite 
another matter; but of this I am quite sure, that such girls will as 
a rule make delicate, hysterical and unhealthy wives. The young 
are peculiarly sensitive to the evil effects of over-stimulation. Exces¬ 
sive wine-drinking with them is a canker, eating into their very 
lives.” 

House Duties— A good wife is not only a healthy woman but 
one who thoroughly understands household duties. In Sweden, it 
is said, the daughters of wealthy families esteem it a privilege to 
be permitted to cook the family dinner; in France every woman 
can cook and hence good cookery is with them the rule, while with 
us it is far from being so. It is emphatically true, as Dr. Johnson 
remarked, that a man is in general better pleased when he has a 
good dinner upon his table than when his wife speaks Greek. But 
it is also true that a good housewife is, of necessity, a well informed 
woman. She provides herself with a small but select library of 
books on Household Science, Domestic Economy, and Common 
Sense Cookery. The practical value of cookery books consists not 
so much in the instruction they afford to persons totally ignorant 
of the art, as in their suggestiveness to heads of households who do 
know something about it. A lady is puzzled how to vary agreeably 
and economically her day’s bill of fare. She consults her books 
—and there are many good ones—and without slavishly following 
their indications, adapts them to her own tastes and circumstances. 
A skillful housekeeper with only half a hint will improvise pleasing 
culinary novelties—novelties, that is, to the habitual diners at her 
own family table, whereas without the hint she might go plodding 
on in a wearisome routine of roast, boiled, and cold until all were 
tired. 

Domestic Economy —A good wife not only knows the details 
of household duties, but the secret of economical management. 
There are many women who have the disposition to make the house 
a home, and succeed tolerably well provided they have plenty of 
means, but in management are inordinately extravagant. They 
throw away as remnants what would suffice a good cook for a meal. 
They cook more than is required and allow the surplus to spoil. 
They spend the time in making iced cakes which should be devoted 
to making good bread. It has been said of American women that 
there are more who can furnish you with good ice-cream than a well- 


828 


ADVICE TO WIVES. 


cooked mutton-chop. A fair charlotte-russe is easier to get than a 
perfect cup of coffee, and you will find a sparkling jelly for your 
dessert when you sigh in vain for a well-cooked potato. They for¬ 
get that it is a thousand times better to be able to do a common 
thing well than an uncommon one tolerably. 

Cheerful Disposition—A good wife also cultivates cheerful¬ 
ness and placidity of temper and disposition. Nothing disturbs 
digestion and consequently injures health so much as a fretful, 
easily ruffled temper. “ Our passions,” says Dr. Grosvenor, kk may 
be compared to the winds in the air, which, when gentle and 
moderate, fill the sail and carry the ship on smoothly to the desired 
port; but when violent, unmanageable and boisterous, they grow to 
a storm and threaten the ruin and destruction of all.” 


ADVICE TO WIVES. 

The causes of disease are legitimate inquiries for a medical 
treatise. Domestic infelicity, standing prominently on the list, as 
a cause of the physical ills of humanity, demands something more 
than mere passing mention. How to continue the love the young 
wife has inspired, and how to maintain the regard and affection she 
has won, are very important inquiries for her, though they are often 
sadly neglected. Wives are too prone to require love and admira¬ 
tion, while they are entirely regardless of the performance of those 
duties which inspire affection and esteem. Love without recipro¬ 
city cannot continue. 

This fact should always be borne in mind: That love, affection 
and esteem are not matters of choice. We cannot control them any 
more than we can control the elements of the air. They come 
and go according to merit. At any time, when the wife discovers 
that the affections of her husband are subsiding, she should closely 
examine her own course; for it is possible that the fault lies with 
her. Perhaps there is a perversion of those qualities on which were 
based his earlier love and esteem, which have been supplanted by 
those which are coarse, uncouth and repulsive. If she has practiced 
deception, suppressing her real disposition and character, as is 
sometimes the case, from her earliest acquaintance with her hus¬ 
band until after marriage, when she permits her real disposition, 
in its irritability and grossness, to again appear, it cannot but 
reasonably be expected that the husband’s regard and affection will 
rapidly subside. Merit attracts love and esteem, and these are 
repelled where it does not exist. For an individual to demand 
affection and admiration, when they are not due or merited, is 
requiring that which it is an impossibility for human nature to render. 
As well require one to take gall, and demand that it be to him 
sweet and savory. One very prolific cause of the alienation of the 



ADVICE TO WIVES. 


829 


affections of the husband is immodest and obscene language and 
unlady-like deportment of the wife. Words and acts, which are 
regarded as indelicate and unbecoming in the presence of others, 
should he equally so in the presence of her husband alone. If there 
is one individual before whom proper actions and pure and choice 
language should be employed, that person should be the husband. 
Ladies not infrequently make the remark that, before marriage, 
their husbands were very zealous and attentive; but long since 
this has changed. Very true. And how unmindful of the fact 
that, doubtless, their own demeanor has likewise changed; that 
before marriage, perhaps, they were models of propriety and ele¬ 
gance; but, having changed in these matters, a like change has 
been wrought in the husband. No woman should be unmindful of 
the fact that, in consequence of conventional rules and education, we 
are led to look for and expect more of the chaste and refined senti¬ 
ments in woman than in man; therefore, that which is pardonable 
in him in this respect is not in her. 

Inconstancy— -Vicious and lewd men have admitted that 
their first inconstancy to their married vows arose from their dis¬ 
gust at home; and yet, perhaps, the same state of affairs existed 
with those to whom they fled; but ignorance of this fact was bliss 
to them. 

Unpleasant Home —If the home of the husband is one 
where he is accustomed to meet with reproaches and complaints, or 
if it is one of sullenness and gloom, he is liable to avoid it as much as 
possible and seek elsewhere for solace and pleasure that are denied 
him at his own house. If there be observed, at any time, a disposi¬ 
tion on the part of the husband to pass his leisure hours away from 
home, you may suspect that you have rendered your presence offen¬ 
sive and undesirable, and your surroundings disagreeable. In order 
to reverse this order of affairs, learn his tastes, study his former 
habits, cultivate them and assimilate your own to them. The hus¬ 
band is as the wife makes him. She holds the key to the problem 
of his future and it is in her power to make him the perfect man 
her lover eye’s saw him before her marriage, if she only studies his 
character and moulds him aright. Cultivate a more cheerful dispo¬ 
sition; adopt habits of neatness and order in your household affairs, 
strict tidiness of person, and an inclination at all times to familiarize 
yourself with those subjects in which your husband is most inter¬ 
ested, in order to be entertaining and better company for him. 

Health in the Home —Another matter of prime impor¬ 
tance is health in the home. Healthy people are more attractive 
than the sick or feeble, and a sick-room is not a pleasant resort 
for husband or wife either. When sickness does unavoidably assail 
you, delegate to your nurse special supervision of your person and 
your room, and have all duties promptly and strictly attended to, 
and admit your husband to your bed-side only at times when affairs 
.are properly arranged. Try to be neat, tidy and presentable. 




830 


ADVICE TO HUSBANDS. 


In conclusion, we would say that those wives who incorporate 
the foregoing suggestions into their domestic life will seldom have 
occasion to charge their husbands with infidelity to them. Besides, 
the health of both parties will thereby be very much promoted, for 
domestic infelicity invites disease. 

To make Home Pleasant —Endeavor to make the home 
of your husband pleasant and alluring. Let it be to him a haven 
of rest, to which he may turn from the weary trials and vexations 
of business. Make it to him a repose from care; a shelter from 
the outside world; a home, not for his person only, but for his heart, 
where he may find his greatest comfort. Should he be, at times, 
discouraged and dejected from the battles of life, soothe and com¬ 
fort him. If his difficulties or ills make him petulant, soothe him; 
enter feelingly into his vexations, make his trials your own, and 
thus arm him to fight the battle for both. Make due allowance at 
these times for the frailties of human nature. As a wife, you 
should lend a helping hand in his struggles for the maintenance of 
the household, as much can be done in the domestic economy to 
lighten his burden. 


ADVICE TO HUSBANDS. 

If a husband be indifferent as to his wife’s affection for him, 
let him become obscene in his language, coarse and un¬ 
couth in his manners, and especially toward her, and he will soon 
accomplish the object of dampening the ardor of her love for him. 
And let there be coupled with this the intemperate use of spirituous 
liquors and he can scarcely fail to quench the last embers of her af¬ 
fection for him. The husband who is guilty of these indiscretions 
should not demand nor expect the regard and love that are ordinar¬ 
ily due from the wife to the husband; for they have been justly 
forfeited. If she be a sensitive, affectionate woman, she may 
regret the loss of affection as much or more than he, and it may 
have caused her many an hour of sorrow and anguish of spirit. Nor 
is this all; if the husband is continually meeting his wife with re¬ 
proaches or allowing himself to be irritable in his intercourse with 
her, can he expect to be recompensed with fond affection? Scarcely, 
if his wife were an angel from the abodes of heaven. For the 
husband, through indolence and negligence, to fail to provide his 
wife and family with the necessary comforts of life, is another 
course that tends to alienate her affections. And should he at any 
time have reason to suspect her fidelity to him, he should carefully 
scrutinize his own actions, for some one or all of the above causes 
may have been the chief factor in bringing about this deplorable 
condition of affairs. 

Every husband should extend towards his wife a certain 
degree of liberality; let her have money to make her various little 



THE APPETITES. 


831 


purchases, without always being compelled to call on him and make 
pressing solicitations for it; as this is very unpleasant for her and 
not a desirable task for anyone. Every reasonable and liberal hus- 
, band should and will accord to his wife the same rights and privi¬ 
leges he himself exercises. He usually goes from home and returns 
at will, as business or pleasure may demand. And has he any nat¬ 
ural rights in this respect which she does not possess? If the hus¬ 
band is animated by any of the true spirit of human kindness and 
liberality, he will no more ask or demand that the wife be eternally 
domiciled within the walls of home than he would thus himself 
consent to be immured. 

We find a husband making investments at will, even to pur¬ 
chasing houses and lands, without consulting the wife. Should he 
not, then, accord to her the privilege of making her own little per¬ 
sonal and household investments without incurring censure? We 
have not infrequently observed cases in which, if the wife only 
made an investment of the most trifling article, even if it were but 
an item of literature, as a book or magazine, she subjected herself 
to reproach. The right course is, when it is not inconvenient, for 
wife and husband to consult in matters of contemplated purchases. 
This is especially the case when their means are limited or pecun¬ 
iary embarrassment exists. Mutual confidence induces mutual re¬ 
spect. For further remarks on this subject, the husband’s attention 
is invited to the article addressed to wives, where he will find many 
observations that are likewise applicable to himself. 


THE APPETITES. 

Frequency of Indulgence —On this subject it is impos¬ 
sible, with propriety, to lay down any certain rule; since much 
must depend upon the temperament and health of the individual. 
As some require, and may safely take, more food and drink than 
others, as we all know from experience and observation, it is plain 
that a measure of indulgence quite safe and innocent in one case 
would be wrong and dangerous in another. In this respect, it is 
proper that every one should understand and govern himself. 
“What and how much must I eat? And what and how much must I 
drink? ” are questions frequently asked of the physician, in reply to 
which he can lay down no inflexible law. Much will depend upon 
the constitution, and more upon the habits of the individual. Nature, 
however, dictates—except in special case?—that we should eat and 
drink as long as we are hungry and thirsty; and this, perhaps, as a 
general statement, is a good, safe rule for the regulation of our in¬ 
dulgence of these particular appetites. But the most important, by 
far,'of all our natural appetites is the sexual; and the proper limit 
of indulgence here is still harder to be defined. Not only does it 
depend,"like those already named, upon the temperament, health 



832 


THE APPETITES. 


and habits of the individual, but it is almost infinitely complicated 
by the necessary introduction, here, of the element of mutuality; 
and the importance and difficulty of its solution are further enhanced 
by those terrible consequences to health and morals which result 
both from excessive and from insufficient gratification. There is 
little doubt that almost, if not quite, as many dangerous and life¬ 
long diseases spring from the latter as from the former, and that 
undue privation is a powerful stimulus to the most alluring of all 
those temptations to vice which assail humanity. 

Some sound and prudent counsel, on this subject, is perhaps as 
much as should be ventured here. In the first place, it should be 
observed that, in this respect, there is a great difference between the 
sexes. Men are much more amorous than women. Their passions 
are stronger and more irrepressible; and besides, while in health, 
they are almost constantly active and capable. It is not so with 
women; they have states and periods when they are strong and 
able, and others when they are weak and powerless. Some have 
even a settled aversion, approaching to disgust, for what they deem 
the lower and baser pleasures; and others are only reconciled to 
them occasionally and at intervals. Yet we should say, that it is 
the wife’s duty, and her interest as well, even in these cases, to 
comply with the reasonable wishes of her husband. If she have no 
active and passionate sympathy with certain of his moods, she can 
at least be passive and complying; and so much the easier will this 
be, if she love him and desire to prevent those injuries to his health 
and morals which may possibly result from her want of sympathy 
and kindness. So much, by way of counsel to the wife in these 
most difficult and doubtful cases; yet we present it with extreme 
diffidence, and only for the temporary relief of those whose hus¬ 
bands have not yet learned the higher and better way; for such a 
way there is, and we will endeavor to point it out in this article. 

True Marriage —True marriage is a state in which, above 
all the other sentiments, mutual tenderness should prevail; and, 
when this feeling rules, there is no danger of either discord or 
excess; because each will find the highest pleasure and happiness 
in subordinating his own wishes to those of the other. It is this 
divine fire which softens and melts into an indissoluble unity the 
hardest, the most inharmonious, and even the most opposite of nat¬ 
ures. This union once accomplished, all the rest of good and 
desirable follows as a matter of course. The more fiery and pas¬ 
sionate nature is subdued and quenched in its calm waters, and the 
colder, slower and more phlegmatic one is aroused and stimulated 
to passion by its heat; and thence there results a sympathy so per- 
- feet and sweet that it doubles all their mutual pleasures, while it so 
restrains and moderates desire as to forbid all injurious excess. 
This in effect, is the meaning and the end of marriage. Those who 
consider merely its procreative function, take altogether too low and 
degrading a view of the subject; since it is obvious that this pur- 


THE APPETITES. 


833 


pose could be accomplished, with equal or greater success, by other 
means. It is rather for the refinement and elevation of both its 
parties; that the one, in whom passion is dangerously and injuriously 
predominant, may be toned down to temperance, and that the other 
in whom passion is dangerously and injuriously deficient, may be 
toned up to enjoyment; so that of this union there may be born, not 
the greatest number of children, but the highest and most finished 
types of human childhood. In such a marriage, it is plain that the 
appetite of which we are speaking will always regulate itself well 
and wisely; for the very condition of its existence and urgency 
rests in the fact that it is both spontaneous and mutual. A good hus¬ 
band would as soon think of inflicting any other sort of torture upon 
the object of his tenderest affection, as to worry her with solicita¬ 
tions and importunities for that to which she had no inclination of 
her own; and a good wife, who should thus be made to know that 
the crown and seal of her husband’s happiness depended upon her 
active and voluntary sympathy with his wishes, would be as cap¬ 
able of denying food to the hunger of her heart’s idol, as of failing 
in the generous warmth of her response to his feelings in this 
respect. 

False Marriages —It follows, by immediate, natural and 
necessary consequence, that all marriages, so called, in which this 
sentiment of mutual tenderness does not prevail, are not true and 
real marriages, but merely false and seeming ones; and that the in¬ 
tercourse of such persons is not much better than a legalized prosti¬ 
tution. For how much better is the woman who reluctantly and 
unsympathetically submits to the embraces of a husband, because 
he furnishes her with a home and luxuries, and has thus purchased 
the right to her person, than the degraded creature who, for a similar 
consideration and without the sanction of a violated vow, submits 
to the same thing? And how much better is the other party —the 
man—who can thus brutally claim and use his wife as a purchased 
possession, because the law gives him the right to her, and it is “so 
nominated in the bond,” than the wretch who outrages the moral 
sense and good order of society by his kept mistress, or his habitual 
visits to the dens of prostitution? That the children of such parents 
should be born vicious and depraved, can be no matter of surprise 
to those who have properly estimated the base ties by which their 
fathers and mothers are held together. Indeed, it could not be 
otherwise, in accordance with the laws of Nature and of God. The 
first effect of these unions—falsely called marriages and well named, 
by the French, marriage de convenance , marriage for convenience— 
is, of course, the excessive indulgence of the sexual appetite. The 
husband has purchased and brought home, and why should lie not 
take possession of, the trembling and shuddering bride? He does. 
Her sensations, it is true, are those of unmitigated and immitigable 
loathing. Whatever native capacity for love and the pure and de¬ 
li o-htfuf offices of marriage she possesses is slain—murdered outright 
& 1 



S34 


THE APPETITES. 


—on the very threshold of this hideous union. She submits, because 
she must; but she submits as to an outrage; and no gilding of res¬ 
pectability can render it otherwise than hateful to her eyes. And 
when, at last, wearied and disgusted with his own excesses, her owner 
leaves her in peace, it is like the peace of the damned. She w T eeps 
bitter tears of mingled humiliation and indignation, and wishes she 
bad never been born; or, at least, that she had never been married. 
(Such has been the experience of thousands of miscalled wives, who, 
if the truth could be told without shame and disgrace, -would con¬ 
fess that they look back, even from the distance of years, to the 
occasion of their marriage, with feelings of horror and disgust. 

Happiness for the Mismated —It results from this, that the 
condition of true and real marriage is, an omnipresent mutual tend¬ 
erness; and that, wherever this condition is wanting, either perman¬ 
ently or occasionally, there is not, and cannot be, any true marriage, 
and the relation passing by this name is essentially vicious and 
criminal and calculated to produce all manner of evil effects. So 
long as this state of things continues, there ought to be no other 
intercourse between such persons than that which is implied in the 
offices of common and friendly politeness. Standing thus apart, on 
the high ground of mutual forbearance and reserve, there is some 
reason to hope that time may heal the wounds inflicted by former 
errors, and may beget in each a sentiment of growing kindliness, 
which will at length deepen into that feeling of mutual tenderness 
which can alone unite them in a happy and indissoluble bond. But 
it should never be forgotten, that the attitude of mutual reserve, of 
which we have spoken above, is the first step to be taken by those 
who would pass from a state of sexual intemperance and conjugal 
discord, to the high and holy plane of such a marriage as will not 
only regulate appetite, but throw around its indulgence the sweetest 
and purest of charms. 

The second step is a little harder to describe, though it will not 
be found so difficult of performance, perhaps, on the part of those 
w r ho sincerely undertake this reformation, as was the first. It con¬ 
sists in a voluntary direction of the attention, on the part of each, to 
those traits of person, habit and character in the other, which are 
most amiable, attractive and winning. The man may recall and 
remember the charms of the maiden, the dewy freshness of her 
bloom, the sweet grace of her attitudes and the whole bright picture 
of her person and presence when these dawned upon him like a reve¬ 
lation and threw over him the glamour which made him desire 
and seek her for his wife. He may think of her first coy and yield¬ 
ing consent to receive his love, of the moment when she first con¬ 
fessed a mutual passion, of her growing tenderness under the 
influence of courtship, of all that she gave up and sacrificed for him, 
of the bright hopes with which she entered life, hand-in-hand with 
him whom she had chosen out of all the world to be her husband 
and her dearest friend forever: of the trials, crosses and disappoint- 



THE APPETITES. 


835 


ments which he knows have fallen to her lot in that marriage which 
she dreamed would be all love and happiness; of her patience and 
long-suffering; of how much and how vainly she has striven to 
please him and make him happy; and how, if she has yielded at 
last to sullenness and vituperation, it has been only under the force 
of the hardest trials and the strongest provocations. All this he can 
recall and dwell upon, until his heart grows warm and tender under 
the magic touch of memory, and he is ready and willing to enter 
upon a new and better life. 

For her part, occupying that ground of reserve which has been 
indicated above, the wife may as profitably pursue a similar course 
of reflection. She may recollect and linger over all those qualities 
in her husband which attracted her youthful fancy and first kindled 
in her heart the tires of affection. Looking through the faithful 
glass of memory, she may see him as she saw him then, when he 
seemed the realization of all her hopes and the fulfilment of her 
fondest dreams; when a life-time union with him seemed to promise 
a reality to her brightest and sweetest dreams of future bliss; when, 
young, ardent and aspiring, he was the hero of her idolatry and the 
god of her fond worship; and when he first wooed and won from 
her the earliest and sweetest tokens of her maiden love. Thus, 
softened by these memories, to a mood of kind and gentle indulg¬ 
ence, she may recall all his later kindnesses; how faithfully and 
honorably, by days and nights of toilful assiduity, he has secured 
her against all the discomforts of penury; how patiently he has 
borne with her many perverse and unamiable moods and tempers; 
how often her coldness and repulsion have chilled and rolled back 
the ardent current of his tenderness; how little she has sympathised 
with his plans and aided him in his endeavors, while his great ob¬ 
ject has been to build up for her a royal home, of which she might 
be the lovely and honored queen, whose tender and loving despotism 
should make the music and glory of his life; how, instead of cheer¬ 
ing him on in this exalted task, she has discouraged and dismaved 
him, by her fretful and peevish moods, until he has almost lost 
heart for that work upon whose successful prosecution the honor and 
happiness of both their lives depend; and how, through all, in spite 
of all and above all, he loves her still, and would fain find in her, if 
she would let him, all the missing harmonies of his life. Such re¬ 
collections will bring back to her eye the brightness, to her cheek the 
bloom, to her step the lightness, and to her heart the tenderness of 
the olden time; and ere she is well aware of what has taken place, 
he will have grown unspeakably dear to her, and she will be ready 
to welcome and crown him king of the long vacant throne in 
her heart. 

Between these prepared souls and their true arid final wedding, 
the obstacles which remain will be easily and naturally overcome. 
They will consist, first, of some painful and bitter memories; secondly, 
of some natural doubts and fears; and finally, of that barrier of 


836 


TO AVOID EXCESSIVE INDULGENCES. 


habitual reserve, which, by mutual consent, they will have built up 
between them, and which they will be half reluctant to see destroyed, 
because—if for no other reason—from its summit they have obtained 
a Pisgah-view of the ‘‘promised land” of harmony and happiness. 
But the rising flood of mutual tenderness will drown ail these pain¬ 
ful memories; their doubts and fears, like night-birds, will flee from 
the approaching dawn of love’s bright day; and the ice of reserve 
will melt before the touch of hands, the glance of eyes and the beat 
of hearts throbbing, glowing and burning with a mutual passion of 
tender affection. The hands will learn to linger in a tender clasp; 
the eyes will “look love to eyes that speak again;” until, at length, 
some sweet moment’s irresistible yielding to the impulse of mutual 
tenderness will tell the tale, and they will fall weeping into 
each other’s arms, with hearts re-welded forever. Then, for the first 
time, they will taste real bliss, and wonder how it was possible that 
they could have failed, so long, to find that heaven of mutual, tender 
and forbearing love, which all the time stood open to their entrance, 
and which, now that they have found it, they would sooner part 
with life than lose. 

In all this there is no extravagance. The happiness of this 
state, whether found early or late in life, is a thing which cannot be 
exaggerated. It is simply indescribable, because it is more, better 
and higher than earth has language to convey or thought to image 
forth. In fact, there is neither name nor symbol for the happiness 
which man and woman, united by a bond of mutual tenderness, can 
and do impart to each other. It is simply sweeter, purer and high¬ 
er than imagination can conceive, or anything save experience 
believe. It is the infinite, holy and perfect mystery of existence, 
into which whoever enters will never sav that, with all its sorrows 
and disappointments, life is sad. And, if life holds a greater mys¬ 
tery than this blissful one, it is this; that any soul, privileged to 
enter here, should stay without; that so many so-called married 
persons should live, for years, upon the threshold of this heaven, and 
die without ever once having passed within its open gates.' It can 
be only because they are blind and cannot see them; and if, in this 
article, we have said anything which may help to open their eyes, 
we shall be glad. 


TO AVOID EXCESSIVE INDULGENCES. 

Married persons should adopt more generally the rule of sleep¬ 
ing in separate rooms, or at least in separate beds, as is the almost 
universal custom in Germany and Holland. This rule being adopt¬ 
ed, several very important advantages would result in regard to 
health and comfort. 

Opportunity makes importunity. For example, if pastries are 
where they continually attract the attention of children, there is a want 



ANTE-NATAL IMPRESSIONS. 


837 


and a request for them; but if out of sight, they would only be thought 
of when natural hunger came. So, if married persons slept in different 
rooms, the indulgences would only be specially thought of when 
there existed a natural, healthy appetite for the same, and as food 
is the more enjoyable from the longer interval of fasting, so here. 
In this way troublesome temptations are escaped and a rational 
temperance would be practiced without inconvenience. 

And it is well known, too, that if two persons, one sickly and 
the other healthy, occupy the same bed, one will become diseased 
without the sickly one becoming benefited. This is especially true 
when children sleep with old and feeble persons. Hence it is seldom 
the case that both the wife and husband are in perfect health, in all 
respects, at all times; at least one party would be saved from injury 
by sleeping alone. 

Abundant, sound, refreshing sleep is essential to the health and 
well-being of every one. How important to the toiling farmer, to the 
hard-worked mechanic, to a nursing mother, and to the mental 
laborer, that their sleep should not be disturbed at night; though 
how easily this may occur from a cough, groan, or by simply turning 
in bed; and yet how difficult when thus aroused to sleep again, very 
many know by repeated experience. 

But the space allotted to this article will not admit of the 
enumeration of all the evil effects that flow from two persons’ occu¬ 
pying the same bed. 


ANTE-NATAL IMPRESSIONS—INFLUENCE UPON 

OFFSPRING. 

Nearly all writers admit the power of ante-natal impressions. 
The effects, upon offspring, of the mother’s fright during preg¬ 
nancy are well known, and they are often supposed to result in the 
permanent deformity or idiocy of the child. These effects are fre¬ 
quently seen in what are called birth-marks. Equally potent, and 
frequently to the more observing equally patent, are the effects of 
loving and loathing, and the continued presence of sights hateful or 
agreeable to the mother. Upon these and like observations, has been 
built what may now be called the Science of Ante-natal Education, or 
Training. There no longer remains, it seems, any doubt that chil¬ 
dren may be born strong or weak, beautiful or ugly, talented or 
imbecile, good or bad, according to the will and wisdom of their 
parents. 

In order to secure the best and highest results, the act of crea¬ 
tion should be undertaken only under the most favorable circum¬ 
stances and after the most careful preparation. As we prepare for 
other events with a diligence and carefulness proportioned to their 
importance, so should we give to this, the highest and most im¬ 
portant act of our lives, whose consequences may extend to future 





S38 


ANTE-NATAL IMPRESSIONS. 


generations, a corresponding degree of care and painstaking. For 
this purpose, we should he in the highest and strongest physical 
health and vigor of which we are capable; and to secure this state, 
we should take that amount and quality of bodily exercise which 
are best calculated to produce it. At the same time, our mental 
faculties should be in their highest and most active condition. 
Then, the sentiment and passion of mutual love and attraction 
should be at their strongest, and the hour selected should be that 
time of the day when our whole nature is in its fullest force and 
highest vigor; this is not at night, when we are exhausted by fatigue, 
nor on waking in the morning, before our faculties are fully 
aroused. 

Subsequent to conception, and before the birth of the child, 
much may be done by the mother, for its future character and de¬ 
velopment. During the first four or five months of pregnancy, 
while nature is laying its foundation and framework, so to speak, of 
the future man or woman, the mother may contribute not a little to 
the strength and hardihoood of her child’s constitution, by the 
faithful practice of a suitable system of exercise and regimen. 
Later, in the sixth and seventh months, when the brain is being 
formed and matured, she may stamp it with the very quality of her 
own tastes and pursuits. Surrounding herself with beautiful and 
cheerful objects, communing much with the best books and the 
most gifted minds, hearing the most eloquent speakers and living 
in the worlds of literature and art, she may give birth to a genius 
who will astonish the world and delight her own heart; or, reversing 
all this and giving her attention to the mean and the sordid, the 
effect will be seen in the lower and more incapable mental qualities 
of her offspring. As she sows in this season, so will she reap in 
the harvest-time of maternity. 

Finally, the temper and character of her child will depend 
very greatly upon her own, especially during the last months of her 
pregnancy. Here and now she becomes almost omnipotent. 
Patient, serene, content, gentle, pure, unsefisli, cheerful and happy, 
the sunny being that will be born of her will brighten and gladden 
all her life; while, if fretful, turbulent, discontented and unhappy 
during this period—and much more if she be positively vicious— 
she need not be surprised if she give birth to a public and private 
pest, that will break her own heart and be a curse to societv. 
Nothing is now more certainly known, or better understood, among 
those who have given attention to this matter, than this potential 
effect of the moods of the mother upon the character of her child. 
If then she would see her children strong and healthy, graceful and 
beautiful, quick, sprightly, intelligent and gifted, cheerful, obedient 
and happy, virtuous and respected, the ornaments of society and the 
lights and jewels of her own heart and home, let her give heed to 
those immediate laws of ante-natal influence, some hint of which 
may be found in what we have said above; and on the other hand, 


AIR AND VENTILATION. 


839 


if she care for none of these things, let her go on in the reckless 
and heedless course to which she has been accustomed, trusting to 
chance, nature and God for those results which lie within reach of 
her own intelligent care and pains, and when her children wring her 
heart with anguish, or “ bring down her gray hairs in sorrow to the 
grave,” the hour of remembrance and retribution will have come. 


AIR AND VENTILATION. 


Sir Isaac Newton is said to have made only one speech in Par¬ 
liament and that was merely a request that some one in the gallery 
would open the window. It was a speech worthy of the philosophic 
mind of him who had discovered some of the profoundest secrets of 
nature. A proper supply of pure, fresh air is essential to life and 
health, as well as to cheerfulness and the enjoyment of life. Al¬ 
though life may not be destroyed suddenly by breathing an impure 
atmosphere, still the vital energies are thereby slowly but surely 
impaired, and this is especially the case with growing children and 
persons suffering from disease. 

Impure Air —The impurities of the air may be ranked under 
two heads: gases, and matters held in suspension. From the soil 
are wafted into the air particles of every substance it contains. Near 
the dwellings of men, particles of carbon, hairs, fibres of cotton and 
woolen fabrics, etc., abound. The vegetable world contributes seeds, 
spores, germs, pollen and light floating bodies. From the animal 
kingdom there are also germs and particles of worn-out tissues. 
The organic vapors arising from the decomposition of animal and 
vegetable products have hitherto bathed man’s attempts to discover 
their precise chemical constituents, and a similar obscurity attaches 
also to the organic substances known as the specific virus of contag¬ 
ious diseases. These all deteriorate the air. 

Air Vitiated by Breathing: —In the process of breathing, 
the air loses a third of its oxygen, the life-givingprinciple, and receives 
in exchange carbonic acid gas, a gas not only incapable of supporting 
life, but actually destructive of it. Such is the change effected by 
the simple act of breathing, and if this process goes on in an ill- 
ventilated room where there are several human beings, the carbonic- 


acid gas accumulates, usurps the place of the oxygen consumed, and 
so renders the air less and less fit to support life. Carbonic-acid gas 
cannot support combustion; hence a lighted candle partially or com¬ 
pletely surrounded by it burns slowly or goes out. And so it is with 
human beings; when more or less completely enveloped in an 
atmosphere charged with this gas, all the functions of the body are 
tardily and imperfectly performed, the muscular tissues are enfeebled, 
the breathing becomes oppressed, the head aches and in extreme 
cases life is extinguished amidst sufferings of the. most distressing 
nature. The fact" can scarcely be too strongly stated that proper 



840 


AIR AND VENTILATION. 


ventilation cannot be had without a way for the egress from the 
upper part of a room of the impure air, and provision in the lower 
part for a sufficient supply of fresh air from the external atmos¬ 
phere. In the greater number of dwelling-houses no direct provision 
at all has been made for this purpose, and the only ventilation ob¬ 
tained is due to the imperfect fittings of the windows and doors. The 
floors are covered with carpets, the windows and doors made as im¬ 
pervious as possible to the air, and in the ceilings no apertures 
exist for the escape of carbonic-acid gas. From this all classes of 
the community suffer almost equally. 

Airy Sleeping-Rooms —The fact that carbonic acia gas 
endangers health and life shows the importance of making provision 
for its uninterrupted removal from our houses and places of assem¬ 
bly, and above all, from our sitting rooms and sleeping-rooms. Airy, 
well-ventilated sleeping-appartments should be ranked with the 
most important requirements of life, both in health and disease. 
Bed-rooms, in which about one-third of human existence is passed, 
are generally too small, and are crowded and badly ventilated. The 
doors, windows, and even chimneys, are often closed, and every 
aperture carefully guarded so as to exclude fresh air. The conse¬ 
quence is, that long before morning dawns the atmosphere of the 
whole apartment becomes highly injurious, from the consumption 
of its oxygen, the formation of carbonic-acid and the exhalations 
from the lungs and the relaxed skin. In an atmosphere thus loaded 
with effluvia the sleep is heavy and unrefreshing. There are some 
diseases in which the cause of death is simply the accumulation of 
carbonic-acid gas in the blood; and this condition is brought about 
to any person in some degree, in every badly ventilated bed-room. 
If provision were made for the admission of fresh air and the escape 
of impure air the sleep would be lighter, shorter and more invigor¬ 
ating. In most cases the door of the bed-room may be left open, 
and the upper part of the window let down a few inches more or 
less according to the state of the weather—with perfect safety. 
Currents of air may be kept off the face of the sleeper by placing 
the bed in a proper situation, or by suspending a single curtain from 
the ceiling. During thick fogs or severe winds the out-door open¬ 
ings may be closed, and ventilation secured from the adjoinino* 
hall. 

The importance of the subject is very correctly and very strik¬ 
ingly put by a medical writer of the last century: “ If any person 
will take the trouble to stand in the sun and look at his own shadow 
on a plastered wall, he will easily perceive that his whole body is a 
smoking mass of corruption, with a vapor exhaling from every part 
of it. This vapor is subtile, acrid and offensive to the smell; if 
retained in the body it becomes morbid; but if re-absorbed, highly 
deleterious. If a number of persons, therefore, are long confined 
in any close place not properly ventilated, so as to inspire and swal¬ 
low with their spittle the vapors of each other, they must soon feel 


AIR AND VENTILATION. 


841 


its bad effects/’ Unpleasant as it is to dwell on such a subject, it 
is yet true that the exhalations from the human lungs and skin, if 
retained and not diluted with a continuous supply of oxygen (the 
active agent in all disinfectants), are the most repulsive with which 
we can come in contact. We shun the approach of the dirty and 
the diseased; we hide from view matters which are offensive to 
sight and smell; we carefully eschew impurities in our food and 
drink, and even refuse the glass that has been raised to the lips of a 
friend. But at the same time we resort to places of assembly and 
draw into our lungs air loaded with effluvia from the lungs and 
skin and clothing of every individual in the promiscuous crowd; 
exhalations offensive to a certain extent from the most healthy indi¬ 
viduals, but, rising from a living mass of skin and lung in a state 
of disease and prevented by the walls and ceiling from escaping, 
injurious and repulsive in the highest degree. 

Ventilation Essential —The great practical, inference is, 
that the only means of preventing persons from poisoning them¬ 
selves and others is to insure their being constantly surrounded by 
fresh air; otherwise, low fevers may result, and such acute diseases 
as scarlatina, measles, small-pox, etc., may be excited in epidemic 
forms, often marked by malignant symptoms. The air of an apart¬ 
ment containing several human beings, if unchanged, not only 
becomes charged with carbonic-acid gas, but also, as before stated, 
impregnated with animal particles which By off from the skin and 
lungs, so minute as scarcely to be detected by the microscope, 
which taken. by the breath into the lungs may be absorbed and 
develop the worst forms of scrofula and consumption. But if these 
particles are given off from persons affected with or recovering from 
small-pox, scarlet fever, whooping-cough, typhus, etc., they will exert 
a still more injurious influence upon the health, and probably gen¬ 
erate again the diseases from which they emanated. 

Ventilation of Schools —The sanitary Arrangements of 
many schools are notoriously bad. The buildings used for such 
purposes are often unsuitable, and in space and windows very inad¬ 
equate. This applies often both to the school-rooms and the sleep¬ 
ing-rooms, which are over-crowded and badly ventilated, 'causing 
loss of appetite, headaches and general delicacy—effects often 
attributed to overwork, but in reality due to want of fresh air. Parents 
should always inspect the rooms and ascertain their size, the posi¬ 
tion of the windows and fireplaces and other facilities for ventila¬ 
tion, with the average number of occupants. A rough but sug¬ 
gestive test of the ventilation of a school-room may be secured by 
entering it after it has been occupied some two hours, and compar¬ 
ing the difference between the air of the room and that out of 
& 

doors. 

Badly Ventilated Churches, etc. —It is important to 
remember that an assembly in an ill-ventilated church, court of law, 
school-room, theatre, ball-room or evening party may include some 


SUNLIGHT. 


b42 


yet unsafe convalescents from the contagious diseases previously 
mentioned. The only security we can suggest is, as far as possible 
to avoid all places of public resort or private gatherings in which 
the most ample provision is not made for the admission of fresh 
air and for the uninterrupted escape of air spoiled by carbonic-acid 
gas or animal exhalations. In the section on small-pox it will be 
seen that in a recent epidemic the greatest success attended the 
treatment of patients absolutely in the open air in mild weather, 
and with the windows and doors constantly open, day and night, in 
the coldest months of the year. In the cure of general diseases, 
too, pure air exercises a very potent influence. Jackson, writing on 
the Peninsular war, states that more lives were destroyed by accum¬ 
ulating sick men in ill-ventilated apartments than in leaving them 
exposed to severe weather by the side of a hedge or common dyke; 
showing the priceless value of fresh air. 


SUNLIGHT. 

The importance of sunlight for physical development and 
preservation is not duly appreciated. Women and children, as 
well as men, in order to be healthy and well-developed, should 
spend a portion of each day where the sun can reach them directly, 
this being particularly necessary when there is a tendency to scrof¬ 
ula. Just as sprouts of potatoes in a dark cellar seek the light and 
are colorless until thev come under its influence, and as vegetation 
goes on but imperfectly in places where sunlight does not freely 
enter, so children and adults who live almost entirely in dark kitch¬ 
ens, dingy alle} T s and badly lighted workshops are pale-cheeked and 
feeble. And it should be said that houses are only fit to be occu¬ 
pied at night that have been purified by the sun during the day. It 
has been pointed out by Dr. Ellis that women and children in huts 
and log-cabins which contain only one or two rooms remain healthy 
and strong; but that after the settler has built a house and fur¬ 
nished it with blinds and curtains, the women and children become 
pale-faced, bloodless, nervous and sickly; the daughters begin to 
die from consumption and the wives from the same, or from some 
other diseases peculiar to women. At the same time the adult 
males who live chiefly out of doors continue healthy. 

The value of sunlight for animal development may be illustrat¬ 
ed by such facts as the following: In decaying organic solutions, 
animalcules do not appear if light is excluded, but are readily or¬ 
ganized when it is admitted. The tadpole kept in the dark does 
not pass on to development as a frog, but lives and dies a tadpole 
and is incapable of propagating his species. In the deep and nar¬ 
row valleys among the Alps, where the direct rays of the sun are 
but little felt, cretinism, or a state of idiocy, more or less complete, 
commonly accompanied by an enormous goiter, prevails and is often 
hereditary. 



SUNLIGHT. 


843 


As a Protection from Disease —During the prevalence 
of certain epidemic diseases the inhabitants who occupy houses on 
the side of the street upon which the sun shines directly are less 
subject to the disorder than those who live on the shaded side. In 
all cities visited by the cholera the greatest number of deaths come 
in narrow streets, and on the sides of those having a northern 
exposure, where the salutary beams of the sun are excluded. 

Except in severe inflammatory diseases of the eyes or brain the 
very common practice of darkening the sick-room is a very impru¬ 
dent one. The restorative influence of daylight is thus excluded, 
and also the grateful and natural succession of light and darkness 
which favors sleep at the appropriate time and divests the period of 
sickness of the monotony and weariness of perpetual night. 

Essential to Physical Development —Sunlight is im¬ 
portant in the development and preservation of the physical system. 
In confirmation of this statement we have only to refer to the fact 
that children who are kept in dark alleys, cellars, factories and 
mines are frequently afflicted with rickets and various deformities 
and swelling of the bones, and especially with troubles of the spine. 
This occurs not only among the poor, who live in dark, damp places, 
but among the rich, who live in fine, dry, airy dwelllings, but keep 
their children a considerable portion of the time in-doors, secluded 
from the sun’s light and deprived of exercise. As vegetables lose 
their healthy color and strength when deprived of sunlight, £o with 
children: Their muscles become soft and delicate, the nervous 
system deranged, the digestive organs enfeebled, the blood watery 
and pale, and the skin loses its healthy, ruddy complexion and has 
a pale, sickly hue. People who live in houses much shaded by 
trees are more subject to certain forms of disease than those whose 
dwellings are freely exposed to the sun. Shade-trees should be at a 
distance from the house, that they may afford a grateful retreat for 
the hot days, and never so near the house as to shade the buildings 
or the windows. A model situation, in respect to external ventila¬ 
tion and sunlight, is exemplified in the illustration on page 765. 

Admit Sunlight to Rooms —When the ladies of this 
country take as deep an interest in their own healthful development 
and the well-being of their children, as they now do in the elegant 
gloom of their parlors, and will give free admittance to the life- 
giving light of the sun during the entire day, regardless of the fact 
that it may dim the bright colors of the carets and hangings, 
thinking more of dissipating dampness, mould and the effluvia of 
human bodies—those fruitful causes of disease—than of preserving 
by darkness the seeming freshness of their furniture and apart¬ 
ments, we shall have fewer unhappy families, fewer mothers will 
wear their lives out in the servile care of puny and sickly children, 
and fewer husbands will find their severest toil in the nursing cares 
of their home and be obliged to return to their business or labor in 
the morning more wearied than they left it the previous evening; 


844 


HINTS TO MOTHERS. 


for some of the most fruitful causes of disease will thus have been 
removed. If any gentleman regards his wife and children as an in¬ 
cumbrance of which he would gladly be rid, so the law did not hold 
him guilty of their u taking off,” let him build for them a stately 
house in a fashionable locality and encourage them to follow the 
prevailing fashion of shrouding its apartments in unnatural gloom, 
and he will soon find himself a childless widower, consoled by the 
tender sympathies of his neighbors, instead of being punished as a 
murderer. 

This matter of sunlight makes the chief reason, perhaps, why 
the wives and children of the poor are so much healthier, as a rule, 
than those of the rich. Living, as they are compelled to, in a hut 
or cabin, with but one or two rooms and without shutters and 
shades, the necessary daily sun bath of their homes and persons im¬ 
parts to them—unconsciously to themselves and while they are per¬ 
haps complaining of the hard fortune which has denied to them the 
deadly luxuries of the rich—the very elixir of life and health. 

It has been discovered by the authorities in St. Petersburg, by 
many actual and comparative experiments, that the proportion of 
patients cured in hospital rooms properly lighted, was four times as 
large as in dark rooms. This discovery led to a total change in the 
method of lighting the hospitals of all Pussia, which had the most 
beneficial effects. And in all the Russian cities visited by the cholera 
the gi^ater number of deaths occurred in narrow streets and in 
houses with a northern exposure. It may be added that similar 
things have been noticed by physicians in American cities, although 
not published in a formal way, and that the truth extends to any 
prevalent malignant disease. Perhaps something might be learned 
as to hospital treatment here from the Russian practice. 


HINTS TO MOTHERS. 

Training the Will —Many times one hears a mother coax 
and urge her baby to say words when somehow he has made up his 
mind lie won’t; and if he has not made up his mind, the coaxing 
causes him to do so. Ordinarily the baby says the one word of his 
vocabulary with readiness; but this time the company before 
whom he is being displayed makes him bashful or diffident, and he 
does not say it when first asked. Then is the time for the mother 
to stop. If she urge him in such a case, when he is not inclined to 
talk, it will only induce a habit of setting his will in opposition to 
hers; a habit that will “grow with his growth, and strengthen with 
his strength,” and develop into obstinacy. Now, of course, she cannot 
reason with him, and there is no more moral wrong in his refusal 
than in his rejection of milk when he is not hungry. But all child¬ 
hood is seed-time. Much may be done almost from earliest infancy 
by inducing, unconsciously to the child, habits of obedience and 



HINTS TO MOTHERS. 


845 


preventing their opposites, thus making the after-way far easier for 
both child and mother. A contest with a child can generally be 
avoided, and ought to be. Temporal and external obedience may be 
obtained by it in some cases, though not always even that, but at what 
a fearful cost. It not only causes present suffering, but affection and 
confidence between child and parent are never the same after such 
a conflict, and “breaking the will,” as it is called, instead of training 
it, is a dire mistake. There can be no self-governing force, no sta¬ 
bility of character, without a resolute, well-directed will. The 
young tree, you know, must be pruned—never broken. The colt 
must be trained by gentle firmness, not severity; immortal souls 
and human hearts surely need no less care and watchfulness than 
inanimate things and the lower animals. 

Vanity in Children —This is an ignoble and offensive vice 
which thoughtless parents, in various ways cultivate and develop in 
their children, to their irreparable injury. A writer from Saratoga 
thus discourses on this subject: 

“ It is disgusting to see nurslings with rings and bracelets, and 
so on upwards through all gradations of age. Their little embryo 
minds and hearts are already poisoned with coquetry and love of 
show. They have “ beaux,” receive calls and boquets, make appoint- 
. inents, and rivalry and envy in their ugliest shape early take posses¬ 
sion of their souls. For years I have observed this disease all over 
the country, in all cities wdiere I have seen society. Above all, it 
is painful to one’s feelings at the hotels and watering places. When 
I see here, in the evenings in the parlors, rows of these little dolls 
and fops dressed, ribboned and jeweled, fanning themselves, monkey¬ 
like, in imitation of the elder part of society, I feel an almost irre¬ 
sistible itching in the fingers to pinch their mammas.” 

There is no influence ultimately more demoralizing to the men¬ 
tal and moral welfare of children than the pernicious encourage¬ 
ment of precocity in the most contemptible vices of their elders. 
Right-minded mothers will endeavor to see that their children are 
kept children as long as possible, and that every care is bestowed 
to watch over the tender blossoms, and preserve them from the 
heating, unwholesome influences of parties and motley company. 

Responsibility for tlieir Daughters —A stupendous 
imposition perpetrated by mothers is that of sending their daughters 
into the world as wives without having taught them the most neces¬ 
sary accomplishments of domestic life, such as how to make their own 
clothing, and how to cook and properly conduct household affairs. 
Ho one understands and appreciates or feels its blighting influences 
on his home so well as the deceived and defrauded husband, who 
desired a “ help-mate,” and believed that the object of his choice 
would realize his utmost wishes. 

But now, alas, marriage has unveiled the deception. If the 
silent execrations and maledictions that have been heaped upon 
mothers-in-law for their dereliction of duty in this respect could be 


IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION. 


816 

thundered in their ears, it might arouse them to a sense of their 
duty, and perhaps induce some reform in their shortcomings, in the 
persons of their daughters. 


IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION. 

A proper development of the physical system should be 
ensured during childhood and early youth, for otherwise the oppor¬ 
tunity is in a great measure lost forever, and a comparatively puny 
and delicate body and a life-time of suffering and disappointed 
hopes are almost inevitable. But if the intellect be neglected dur¬ 
ing the same time, while a healthy body is secured, the result is 
much less serious. An individual may not even know his letters at 
the age of sixteen or eighteen years, and yet with industry get a 
good practical education. The following important facts are lost 
sight of, or not known or attended to by many parents and educators, 
namely: If we strive prematurely to develop the intellect of a 
child by undue application, an unnatural flow of blood is directed 
to the brain to supply the great activity and consequent waste which 
are thus created in this organ; therefore, the rest of the body 
suffers, because an excessive amount of blood has been diverted 
from its legitimate uses. Nor is this all, for the premature develop¬ 
ment of a part of the system is necessarily but an imperfect 
development of even that part. For this reason we rarely hear of 
our precocious children in after life as distinguished men or women. 
It is a matter of no small surprise to many that such “ smart chil¬ 
dren ” do not attain a higher rank in after life. 

Consequence of Neglect. —The secret lies in the fact 
before stated. No one disputes the very great importance of physi¬ 
cal education for the young; yet we have but to look around us at 
the puny, pale-faced, deformed children to see how fearfully this 
important part of education is neglected. And this is not only the 
case with young children; the neglect extends to older ones; to the 
students in many of our higher institutions of learning, in which 
many of the teachers are very censurable for permitting their 
studious pupils to work too much, and to have too many studies at 
the same time, to the neglect of physical culture. We are glad that 
in some few of our cities and towns men are becoming awakened 
to the importance of this matter. A change is greatly needed in 
our system of education, from the common school up, for in its 
present condition it is productive of much disease, insanity and 
physical deformity. ^ 

Students Principal Sufferers. —It is melancholy, 
indeed, in our institutions of learning to see so many puny-looking 
young men and women: hollow chests, round shoulders and bend¬ 
ing body are characteristics of our students, and premature old age 
and disease carrv off but too many of our most gifted men and 



IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION. 


84-7 


women. In some of our female institutions of learning as high 
as thirty-seven per cent, of those who had been attendants have 
died within two years after leaving school. Students as a general 
rule are inclined to become listless and indolent; therefore they 
should be required, as a matter of duty, to spend several hours dur¬ 
ing the middle of the day in regular, active, systematic exercise 
and,physical training, with active amusements. A_ double advan¬ 
tage is thus derived; for being occupied a portion of the time dur¬ 
ing the day they will be compelled to spend their evenings at study, 
instead of in dissipation and folly. No doubt our present system 
of education is very imperfect, though the day of its radical amend¬ 
ment may be distant. The force of example and training seems 
all-powerful. Teachers are educated to teach, and cannot well help 
teaching as they are taught. The orthodoxy of education is of the 
most proscriptive sort. To differ, to innovate, to adapt instruction, 
either in kind or degree, to the capacity and mental bent of the 
pupil would be certainly a perilous experiment, even could a teacher 
be found sufficiently bold and original to design and attempt such 
a thing. No doubt he would be ostracised, both by the profession 
and the patron. We want our children educated in the good old 
way; their minds stretched upon the rack which cracked the mental 
sinews of their fathers and mothers; their intellectual stature 
adapted to the proportions of the old Procrustean bed; their educa¬ 
tion to result in mental uniformity. Of course we all see that this 
is silly; that it would be quite as reasonable to design and seek to 
compass for our children an equal measure of physical strength and 
weight; that the higher mathematics, the dead languages and many 
of the arts now attempted to be taught in the public schools are 
totally impracticable—not to say useless—to the large majority of 
the pupils; but we goon in the same old fashion. Every child must 
be classed and graded and put through the same mechanical drill. 
It is quite certain that many are stultihed and some ruined by the 
process. But that makes no difference, it is the fashion; it is the 
accepted theory of our age and country that all children should be 
educated, and educated in the same way. Of course both these 
propositions are outrages upon common sense. The vast majority 
must be “hewers of wood and drawers of water,” laborers and 
common servants; and their partial or complete education, even 
were the latter practicable, which it is not, must defeat the ends of 
civilization, and more or less disorganize society. Such has been 
the effect hitherto; it is patent to the observation of ail men; serv¬ 
ants and laborers are growing scarcer, and idlers, vagabonds, tramps, 
thieves and robbers being multiplied year by year. This is the 
natural and necessary effect of the system of popular education; 
the servant is made to feel himself as good as his master, and the 
laborer quite the social equal of his employer. What wonder that 
these scorn service and labor and prefer to live by their wits? 
Society is simply reaping in the present carnival of outrage and 


848 


GYMNASTIC EXEKCISE. 


crime what it has sown. A little longer perseverance in the pre¬ 
vailing methods and it needs no inspired preacher to predict that the 
foundations of the popular deep will be broken up, and the loftiest 
social eminences covered by an angry and destroying flood. 


GYMNASTIC EXERCISE. 

There are many who do not appreciate the importance of such 
exercise, and its bearing on the development of the physical organi¬ 
zation. To judge of its favorable effects it is only necessary to 
observe some of the results of such exercise—the vigor imparted 
and the muscular development produced. Every city and village 
should be furnished with a gymnasium; and all, both male and 
female, old and young, who have no other form of exercise, should 
regularly resort to it. Many good people imagine that there is no 
necessity for gymnastic exercises, because they are a novelty, a thing 
of to day, and never heard of in the times of our stouc old fathers. 
Why, they think, should we forsake the customs of our ancestors 
in favor of this new-fangled theory of romps? Our children will 
do very well, if they are as strong and vigorous as their fathers and 
grandfathers; and they had none of these modern inventions to 
help them to grow into men of might and mould. But these honest 
souls do not reflect that times have changed, and that the people 
have changed with them. We have no longer the same people, the 
same customs, or the same country. Then we had no large cities, 
and sedentary occupations were almost unknown. The men were 
farmers, herdsmen and hunters. The women toiled at the wheel, 
the loom, in active domestic service, and not infrequently a-fleld 
with the men. Together they lived, for the most part, in the open 
country or in small villages. A common necessity turned their 
daily life into gymnastic exercise. They ate sparingly and slept 
soundly. . They had no money to spend for French cooks and little 
time to waste in devising luxuries for their table. Factories, spin¬ 
ning-jennies and power-looms were unknown; labor-saving 
machines were not; life meant labor, for both man and woman. 
They were healthy then, almost as a matter of course. Their diet 
was simple, their drink pure and unstimulating, and their habits 
natural and hardy. If “ there were giants in those days,” as no 
doubt there were, they were hewed by the sharp chisel of circum¬ 
stance out of the hardest granite of our nature. If their hardness 
would shame the degenerate men and women of our day, there was 
and is ample reason for all the difference, without credit to them or 
shame to us. They were simply the creatures of their time, as we 
are the creatures of our time. 

Degenerative Influences of Luxury. —Now, both men 
and women have wealth, luxury and leisure almost without stint. 
There are large employments in the counting-room and at the desk. 



GYMNASTIC EXERCISE. 


849 


The hardest workers are brain-workers. Moreover the mechanic, 
and even the farmer, is comparatively without exercise; he tends his 
machine or rides on his agricultural implement. The daily laborers, 
in. the old, active sense of labor, are already in a minority, and that 
minority is growing smaller every day with the invention* of new 
machinery and new applications of old machines. Our great cities 
shut up millions of people to lives of severest toil without any 
suitable or proper exercise. All the children of the wealthy, and 
many of those in moderate circumstances, are reared to do nothing 
useful, or to wait through life for the turning up of some lucky 
chance. The employments of the women consist of fancy-work, 
novel reading and social dissipation. They have no health, no vigor, 
no stamina. They are utterly unfit to be wives and mothers. Late 
hours, luxurious living, bad air and want of exercise have made of 
them the mere effigies of women. Our young men, boys, and even 
some of our modern girls, who are distinguished or disgraced by 
the epithet “ fast,” arc addicted to the use of tobacco and other 
poisonous stimulants. And against the encroachments of these 
insidious destroyers they can set up no defensive bulwarks of strong 
health and vigorous constitution. They, therefore, succumb and 
fall easy victims, where otherwise they might long resist and even 
overcome the enemy. 

The Duty of Public Authorities. —All this may be 
remedied, in large part at least, by the establishing of public and 
free gymnasiums in every city and village of our land, or at least 
their universal association with educational institutions. It is the 
obvious duty of the State to provide for the physical welfare 
and development of her citizens, and this is her true interest as 
well. To encourage her in this she has the good example of the 
best and strongest of the ancient states. The wisest governments 
of ancient and modern times have made this provision, for the 
plain reason that it was the great constituent and reservoir of their 
own strength. More than anything else it fosters virtue. There is 
something naturally antagonistic between vice and vigor. Idleness 
and luxury, on the other hand, are the natural parents of social 
evil; a whole brood of intemperate appetites and malignant passions 
are born of this couple. 

No doubt the public-school system of our later years shows a 
wonderful advance in the direction of paternal government. The 
world has never seen anything like it. It goes before all thought 
and all theory. It outstrips the most radical speculation. It 
springs up like the product of magic in the silence and night of 
thought, and while the world’s mind is asleep. And, once in being, 
its growth is as marvelous as was its birth. Already it fills the 
towns and villages of the land; its commissioners are almost sover¬ 
eign legislators; it has become one of the great factors in political 
combinations; and it grows daily in practical and pecuniary impor¬ 
tance. Mery soon the rural districts must demand their fair pro- 
54 


850 


METHODS OF OBTAINING EXERCISE. 


portion of modern educational privileges, and a few years lienee we 
may see the palatial public school-house on every inhabited section 
of the country. What will come of all this we do not undertake to 
say. At all events the school system is a prodigy, at which the peo¬ 
ple of this country will do well to look long and carefully. We 
have only referred to it in passing, to demonstrate the propriety of 
that action of the government in establishing those institutions for 
physical culture and development, for which we plead. The argu¬ 
ment is plain to any mind. If the State can do so much for the 
mental training of the children of the country, which is not always 
certain to make them better citizens, it can surely do something for 
the training of the body, which will certainly ensure for the rising 
generation, robust physical vigor and a higher intellectual stature. 


METHODS OE OBTAINING EXERCISE. 

Exercise strengthens and invigorates every function of the 
bodv, and is essential to health and lon^ life. No one in health 
should neglect to walk a moderate distance every day, and if possi¬ 
ble, in the country, where the pure and invigorating air can be 
freely inhaled. Walking is the healthiest as well as the most 
natural mode of exercise. Other things being equal, this will 
insure the proper action of every organ of the body. The walk for 
health should be diverisfied, and if possible include ascents and 
descents and varying scenery, and be alternated, when circumstances 
admit of it, with riding on horseback, active gardening or similar 
pursuits, and with gymnastics and games of various kinds. Calis¬ 
thenics prevent deformities as well as cure them; a gymnasium 
should be attached to every school, whether for boys or girls. 
Athletic sports and manly exercise should form apart of the educa¬ 
tion of youth, nor should they be neglected in after life, especially 
by persons of sedentary pursuits. Many aches and pains would 
rapidly vanish if the circulation were quickened by a judicious and 
regular use of the muscles. These modes of exercise, practiced 
moderately and regularly, and varied from day to day, are much 
more advantageous than the exciting, immoderate and irregular 
exertions which characterize the ball-room, the hunting-field, and 
even the cricket-ground or the rowing-match, which are sometimes 
pursued so violently as to be followed by severe and permanent 
injury to the constitution. In the case of very feeble and infirm 
persons, carriage-exercise, if such it may be called, and frictions, by 
means of bath-sheets and gloves, over the surface of the bodv and 
extremities, are the best substitutes for active exertion. 

Time for Exercise —The proper periods for exercise are when 
the system is not depressed by fasting or fatigue, nor oppressed by 
the process of digestion. The robust may take exercise before 
breakfast; but delicate persons, who often become faint from exer- 



METHODS OF OBTAINING EXERCISE. 


851 


cise at this time, and languid during the early part of the day, had 
better defer it till from one to three hours after breakfast. Exer¬ 
cise prevents disease by giving vigor and energy to the bodv and 
its various organs and members, and thus enables them to ward off 
or overcome the influence of the causes which tend to impair their 
integrity. It cures many diseases by equalizing the circulation and 
the distribution of nervous energy, thus invigorating and strength¬ 
ening weak organs, and removing local torpor and congestion. 

Invalids should always be moderate in their exercise; take 
only short walks, avoid fatigue and not stand in the open air. The 
best time for them is in the forenoon, arranged so that they can 
rest for half an hour before dinner. They should never take exer¬ 
cise immediately before a meal or going to bed. 

Exercise for Ladies and Others —As exercise is essential 
to the preservation of health and development, the proper method 
of taking it is an important subject of inquiry. Very little, and in 
many instances no provision whatever has been made in our cities 
and towns in the way of proper play-grounds for children or adults, 
and therefore it becomes necessary to seek private methods of get¬ 
ting exercise. As people are deprived of an opportunity for athletic 
sports and games, a competent teacher of physical exercise has 
become almost a necessity; even more essential than is a teacher 
for some of the branches taught in our schools. There are many 
who are not aware of the different motions which the human body 
is capable of making, and require making to prevent diseases and 
deformity; hence the importance of such teachers. Nor is the 
necessity for such teachers confined to cities and villages, for the 
female portion of the population of our rural districts have, in a 
great degree, neglected out-door amusements and exercise until 
disease and deformity have become the prevalent result. 

Outdoor Exercise for Girls —Ordinarily it is not fash¬ 
ionable for girls and ladies to engage in active, out-door sports, such 
as running, playing ball, rambling over fields, etc.; and if young 
girls do take part m them they are cruelly called romps and tomboys 
—as terms of reproach—as though girls have not as good a right 
to exercise, air, light, amusements, symmetry of form and conse¬ 
quent health and beauty, as boys. In the eyes of some it is not 
proper for young ladies to engage in any of the out-door employ¬ 
ments which give vigor and health to young men. There are but 
few who would wish to see them engage in the hardest manual 
labor, side by side with men, but we should like to see every farm 
provided with a large garden and orchard, and to see ladies spend 
more of their time cultivating berries, fruits, flowers and vegetables 
in the open air, and less in useless fancy sewing. They would 
thus make their homes paradises, where wealth, beauty and hap¬ 
piness would abound, instead of places of discontent, deformity and 
disease. Let such a change be wrought and it would cause the 
young men of our country to seek happiness in the quiet and peace 


852 


SLEEP AS A FACTOR IN HEALTH. 


of the domestic circle, surrounded by loving wives and happy chil¬ 
dren, instead of living bachelors, repelled by the fear of being yoked 
to extravagant, lazy, sickly wives, and by visions of starving, sickly 
and dying children. 

The Exercise that Produces Health —But the exercise 
which is taken to cure headache and its kindred evils may sometimes 
cause that very thing. This happens when the exercise is not taken 
regularly and a single opportunity is made too much of, and the 
person unaccustomed to it practices it too long or too vigorously. 
The fact is that out-door exercise gives the keenest physical enjoy¬ 
ment, and if, for instance, a young girl who has been closely shut 
up in the house has a chance to take exercise in a pleasant way she 
is very likely to go too far, and the troubles which follow the over¬ 
exertion often cause the too careful mother to conclude that her 
delicate child is not fit to be out doors at all, when in fact being 
out regularly in good weather is the thing above all others she most 
needs. 


SLEEP AS A FACTOR IN HEALTH. 

Yery few people understand and still fewer appreciate the im¬ 
portance of sound, regular, timely and refreshing sleep. Tissue- 
waste, the consumption of the entire physical structure, from brain 
to cuticle, goes on during all our waking hours. Sleep is the time 
and the only time in which those reparative processes which may 
overcome all this waste can take place. To lose sleep is, therefore, 
to lose vital stamina, strength, health, and finally life itself. Hun¬ 
ger and thirst are thought to be the most painful modes of death; 
but the ingenuity of despotism has, we are given to understand, 
within a few years past, discovered one still more torturing—and 
that is death by the loss of sleep. The helpless wretch is put 
under the charge of cruel keepers, who never allow him, from the 
date of his sentence, to close his eves in slumber. He raares, 
threatens, begs for death in any form—longs for impalement or any 
active and violent form of torture—raves, blasphemes, and so at 
last dies in agonies unspeakable. 

Sleep a Force-Giver —Sleep is not only the tissue-builder, 
but the force-giver. Our strength and alacrity for daily tasks, 
whether of the mind or body, depend upon the quality and 
amount of our daily sleep; and the amount and quality of the sleep 
required depend not only upon the severity of those tasks, but 
upon the perfection of the organism with which we pursue them. 
The higher the capacity, the more and better is the sleep required. 
Small and inactive brains, like small and inactive bodies, may per¬ 
form their functions with much less rest than large and active ones. 
The sleep required for health is in proportion to the physical and 
mental strength of the individual. An erroneous notion prevails 



SLEEP AS A FACTOR IN HEALTH. 


853 


that sleeplessness is an evidence of mind. It is simply an evi¬ 
dence of the want of mind, since those who have much mind must 
have a correspondingly large amount of sleep. 

Regularity Essential —Now, it is essential to good and 
refreshing sleep that it be sound. A light and broken slumber, 
disturbed bv vivid dreams in which the emotional and intellectual 

t/ 

powers are generally abnormally active, does not answer the restor¬ 
ing purposes of nature; it neither builds nor strengthens the sys¬ 
tem; hence, refreshing sleep is necessarily sound. Again, it is a 
condition of sound sleep that it be regular—that is, that it should 
occupy pretty much the same hours in every day. Alternate sleep¬ 
ing and waking, during the same hours of successive days, has the 
effect, often if not commonly, of rendering sleep difficult, uneasy 
and insecure. On the whole, if late hours must often be kept, it is 
perhaps better that the hour of retiring should be uniformly late 
than occasionally and frequently late; though even this preferable 
method defeats the evident design of nature, as shown by the 
declining health of those who from some peculiar necessity of their 
occupation, habitually turn night into day and day into night. A 
few years of useless and hurtful fighting against a great law and 
they are worn out, and must yield and go back to natural habits or 
die. Thus we see that these four named conditions of good sleep 
are vitally connected; that sleep, to be refreshing, must be sound; 
that to be sound, it must be regular; and that to be regular it must 
be timely, or taken at those hours indicated by the order of nature 
and a once universal custom. 

Injurious Effects of Fashionable Hours —In this re¬ 
spect of seasonable rest Nature has given way to Fashion. Fash¬ 
ionable society means late hours, and all who aspire to enter that 
charmed circle must conform to this requirement. The modern 
fine lady must not only have time for her elaborate toilet before 
making her appearance at any place of evening entertainment, but 
she must also postpone her arrival to such an hour that, the place 
being filled, she can attract the greatest number of admiring regards 
to the splendid elegance of her costume. So theatres, concerts, 
lectures and sermons must alike wait for her coming, since she it is 
who gives character and tone to all these assemblies. People who 
labor and who ought therefore to be in bed by nine or ten o’clock, 
i\ m., must conform to this rule or forego all fashionable amuse¬ 
ments, and therefore it is that they are urged by all the well dis¬ 
posed to forego these amusements. It is not that the entertain¬ 
ments are wrong in themselves, but they sin against the health and 
happiness of all workers, whether with brain or muscle, by trench- 
in o- more and more deeply as time goes on upon the hours which 
Nature has consecrated to repose. If workingmen and women 
must have amusement—and we concede that they must and should 

_let them devise it for themselves, within seasonable and proper 

hours. A persistently and repeatedly broken sleep very soon pro- 


854 


CLOTHING-, ITS USES AND ABUSES. 


daces mental derangement; and the directors of asylums for the 
insane have found, by experience, that regular and early hours are 
essential to the improvement of their patients; and they require all 
their balls and parties to close punctually at ten o’clock, p. m. In 
this respect the insanity of fashion might well be placed under a 
like wise and judicious direction. 

One hour of sleep in the early night is worth two at its end or 
in the day, for all the purposes of health and strength. If our 
ladies understood, what is undoubtedly the fact, that all their 
“ beauty-sleep ” must be gained before twelve p. m., there would prob¬ 
ably be fewer devotees of fashion among them. The faded, wan 
and prematurely old women of society owe the earlier wreck of 
their once splendid charms more largely to irregular and untimely 
hours than perhaps to all other causes combined. 


CLOTHING, ITS USES AND ABUSES. 

The adoption of artificial clothing by man, serves three pur¬ 
poses—the regulation of the temperature of the body; protection 
from friction, insects and dirt; and ornament. In this climate 
clothing is chiefly employed for warmth, which purpose it secures 
by moderating or restraining the escape of heat from the body. 
Articles of clothing have no power in themselves of generating heat, 
and are designated as warm or cool just in proportion as they 
restrain or favor the escape of heat. Thus, a lady’s muff and a 
marble floor are ordinarily of the same temperature; but the sensa¬ 
tion produced by each is widely different, because the animal heat 
is retained by the muff, and rapidly carried off by the marble. 
Hence, for clothing we select those substances which least conduct 
heat, such as the wool of sheep and the silk produced by silk worms, 
which are superior, as non-conductors, to cotton or linen. In this 
country we have recourse chiefly to the former in winter, and to the 
latter in summer, cotton and linen garments being coolest; linen 
cooler than cotton. 

In-door Clothing —There are several practical errors on the 
subject of clothing, committed perhaps by a majority of persons, to 
which we may briefly direct attention. “ The first and most obvi¬ 
ous of these,” says the celebrated Dr. Blaikie, “ is wearing too much 
clothing in-doors or in bed, thereby both exhausting the natural 
powers of the skin, and exposing its action to a sudden check on 
going out into the cold air. This forms one of the principal objec¬ 
tions to the almost universal use of flannel, worn next the skin, and 
kept on even during the night, as is the practice with many per¬ 
sons. The skin is thus unnaturally excited, and in course of time 
loses its natural action; or, on the other hand, becomes so sensitive 
as to have its action checked on the slightest exposure.” “ 1 never 
use anything else,” the same physician informs us, “ than a light 



CLOTHING, ITS USES AND ABUSES. 


855 


cotton shirt to sleep in, and strongly object, to the common practice 
of sleeping in flannel.” 

Wearing Flannel next the Skin— The prevalence of this 
objectionable habits suggests the necessity of a word of caution. 
It is well known that, even in otherwise normal conditions, the 
skin of some persons is highly irritable and most unpleasantly 
excited by contact with flannel, and that when this exalted sensibil¬ 
ity exists, the use of flannel next to the skin may develop decided 
physical alteration. It does this mechanically by retaining the 
local heat and intensifying reaction. Cases of skin-disease often 
come before us in which pruritus is thus aggravated and the affec¬ 
tion prolonged, especially when combined with neglect of proper 
washings. In congested conditions of the skin, or in diseased 
states of the nerves of the skin, flannel is inadmissible; or if neces¬ 
sary to guard against vicissitudes of the weather, it may be worn 
outside a linen garment, as before suggested. The diseases in 
which this advice is especially applicable are, according to Dr. 
Tilbury Fox, certain skin-diseases, certain syphilitic irruptions, in 
their early stages, itch and prurigo. “ A remembrance of this 
little practical fact,” says the above author, “ will sometimes give 
us the greatest cause to be thankful that we attended to it, trifling 
though it be.” Flannel, however, is of great value in our variable 
climate and may be generally worn through the whole year as a 
great protection to health and life. Even in summer weather flan¬ 
nel should not be cast aside, but a thin, light garment of that 
material substituted for a heavy one. 

Bed-clothing —“ A similar, but still stronger objection 
applies to heavy bed-clothes, for the reason that, once under them, 
in the house of a stranger, you are entirely at their mercy. They 
throw you into a perspiration, and then you kick them off; this 
gives you a chill and you are compelled to take them back again; 
and so you go on, alternately roasting and freezing and constantly 
cursing, through the whole blessed night. Those heavy ‘ comfort¬ 
ers,’ as the country people call them, should be banished or burned 
as abominations. The diseases, colds and profanity they have 
occasioned are incalculable. They are not cpiite unendurable on an 
extremely cold winter’s night, if one could be quite sure they 
would be found on his bed in no milder weather.”— Dr. Ccimjy- 
bell. 

Color of Clothing’. —The color of clothing is not unimpor¬ 
tant, light being preferable for the following and other reasons: 1. 
White reflects the rays of heat which the black absorbs; at the 
same time it impedes the transmission of heat from the body. 
Light-colored clothes are therefore best both for winter and sum¬ 
mer, retaining the heat in the former season and keeping it off in 
the latter. 2. Particles which emanate from diseased bodies as in 
miasmatic districts, and unhealthy accumulations, are much more 
readily absorbed by dark than by light clothing. Therefore those 

«/ «/ o o 


850 


CLOTHING, ITS USES AND ABUSES. 

who are exposed to contagious influences in the sick room, or in 
unhealthy neighborhoods, should wear light clothing. Dark 
clothes favor the transmission of contagious diseases from house to 
house much more readily than light. Dark clothing imbibes odor¬ 
ous particles most readily, as the effluvia of the dissecting-room or 
the smell of tobacco; and even the peculiar odor of city smoke is at 
once detected in black clothing by country people. 

Frequent Changing and Cleansing* of clothing is 
another point deserving attention. The practice of adopting dark- 
colored instead of light-colored garments has frequently its origin 
in economy, dark clothes tolerating an amount of dirt inadmissible 
in light. It should be recollected, however, that dark garments 
contract dirt after being worn a little time as much as light, and if 
not changed and cleansed may favor the production or spread of 
disease. Thick, heavy clothing, the tissues of which are close and 
firm, is inconvenient. The textures of materials for clothing 
should be loose and porous, and contain air in their interstices-— 
air beiim a bad conductor of heat. The advantage of having num- 
erous light instead of fewer heavy coverings to the skin are these: 
The stratum of air interposed between each layer of covering being 
a non-conductor, they are relatively much warmer than a much 
greater thickness in fewer pieces; secondly, they can be more 
easily laid aside to suit changing temperature; thirdly, being 
lighter, they are less apt to overheat the wearer, and thus lessen the 
chance of consequent chill. 

In China, one of the most changeable climates in the world, the 
variation in one day being frequently 35 or 40 degrees, this is the 
mode adopted by the natives to protect themselves: a working-man 
will often appear in the morning with fifteen or twenty light jackets 
on, one over the other, which he gradually strips off as the day 
gets warm, resuming them again towards night. 

General Advice. —Other points may be brieflv referred to. 
Summer-clothes should not be put on too soon, or winter ones too 
late. Thin-soled or high-heeled boots and shoes are destructive to 
health. High-heeled boots or shoes tend to change the long axis 
of the body, directing the trunk backwards, and this altering the 
inclination of the pelvis is likely to influence unfavorably the pro¬ 
cess of gestation. Other injuries that have resulted are, trouble¬ 
some corns, inflammation of the ligaments of the ankle joints and 
of their sheaths, and even dislocation of this joint. Only the anat¬ 
omist knows the frightful misplacement of the internal organs of 
the body that is caused by the suicidal habit of tight lacing. It 
gives rise, more or less, to that depression of spirits so common to 
young ladies; and worse still, occasionally originates or aggravates 
organic disease of the most serious description. The muscles of 
the body were intended to sustain it erect; but when stays are 
applied they soon become indispensible, by superceding the action 
of the muscles; and. in accordance with a well-known law of the 


DISEASES PRODUCED BY TIGHT CLOTHING. 


S5T 

muscular system, when they cease to be used they cease to grow, 
and become insufficient for the discharge of their natural functions. 

Clothing' of Children. — Finally, it may be stated that the 
clothing of children, whose feeble frames are less able to resist cold 
than those of adults, is generally insufficient. When a baby is 
divested of its long clothes, it is in danger of being insufficiently 
clad, the danger increasing when it can run alone and is more 
exposed to atmospheric influences. It can not be too strongly 
impressed upon those who have the charge of children, that the 
practice of leaving those parts exposed, which when grown up we 
find it necessary to clothe warmly, especially the lower limbs and 
abdomen, is a frequent cause of retarded growth, consumption of 
the bowels, of the lungs, etc. Insufficient warmth of the body, 
whether in children or adults, renders the person more susceptible 
to disease. 


DISEASES PRODUCED BY TIGHT CLOTHING. 

Medical authorities agree on the following: as being: a list of the 
principal diseases that are caused by tight dressing: Apoplexy, 
headache, consumption, giddiness, jaundice, womb diseases, cancer 
of the breast, asthma, spitting of blood, palpitation of the heart, 
water on the chest, cough, abcesses in the lungs, eruptions, diseases 
of the kidneys, also of the liver in some of its manifold complica¬ 
tions, bad digestion and loss of appetite. And to these consequences 
should be added that of bearing generally unhealthy and deformed 
children, a large proportion of which soon And a premature grave, 
while others swell the list of the inmates of asylums and almshouses, 
thus carrying into the next generation the ill-starred fruit of a sin¬ 
ful indiscretion. 

The only plea m defense of the course that has produced this 
vast array of disease, misery and death is the effort to enhance 
beauty. Will human beings ever learn that they cannot thwart 
nature; that, if they trespass on her rights in one respect, they are 
sooner or later destined to pay the penalty; and that naturally attired 
persons are those who more readily acquire and maintain true beauty? 
Every article of clothing worn by man, woman or child should be sus¬ 
pended from the shoulders. Not one article should be worn tighter 
than if it were naturally laid or placed around the body, without a 
particle of effort to stretch or draw it, and every article of clothing 
which cannot thus be worn had better be “ cast into the flames.” 
Many ladies maintain that they wear their clothing loosely. They 
may imagine that such is the case. Yet at the same time it is sel¬ 
dom that one can be found who is not sadly mistaken on this point, 
and who does not really wear her clothing unnaturally tight, while 
much of it is suspended in that most pernicious way—from the 
hips. 



858 


DISEASES PRODUCED BY TIGHT CLOTHING. 


The Sin of Tight Lacing —There are some devotees of 
fashion who have conceived the idea that the beau ideal of beauty 
consists in the chest being compressed into a wasp-like waist, or an 
hour-glass shape. But it is gratifying to know that these giddy 
persons have but few admirers, except the dandy and the fop, who 
have but little to pride themselves on, except their fine linen and 
delicate hands. It can be justly said, that there are many evils in 
our midst of infinitely less magnitude which are suppressed by law, 
and that this custom ranks prominently in its destructive influence 
with those other arch-enemies of human health, whisky, tobacco and 
impure air. 

It is claimed by many that this injurious practice has done more 
within the last hundred years than war, pestilence and famine, 
toward the physical deterioration and destruction of our race. In 
the case of the unfortunate victims of tight dressing, many of the 
sins of the mother are visited upon her helpless offspring, who in 
turn propagate disease and deformity until impotence or idiocy 
ensues and the family is extinct. 

It is not, perhaps, too much to say that the instances in which 
ladies, in this country, do not dress too tightly, are the rarest of all 
exceptions to an almost universal rule; so rare, indeed, that few can 
be found at any age; and it is doubtful if ten per cent, of ladies, 
American-born, can be found in any city of the United States, who 
are not now distorting their natural proportions, undermining their 
health and laying the firm foundations of future disease and misery, 
not only for themselves but also for their children, by wearing tight 
clothing. 

In fact, almost any lady may be made to convict herself of this 
sin, and actually does so, in almost every conversation which she 
holds upon this subject. If accused of wearing tight dresses, she will 
indignantly deny it. If asked if the dress she has on is comfortable, 
she will answer in the affirmative. Now, if we further inquire 
whether she feels better in it than in a loose dress, she will at once 
impulsively reply, “ Oh, yes; for, in a loose dress, I feel the want of 
a support.” She is simply like the rum-drinker without his accus¬ 
tomed dram; that is, she has dressed tightly for so long a time that 
she has paralyzed the muscles of her body, and they no longer per¬ 
form their natural office of supporting, so that she has to substitute 
cotton, linen and whalebone in their stead. If the practice of 
excessive tight lacing be continued, deformity and disease must, as a 
matter of course, soon result. The only remedy is, at once and for¬ 
ever, to abandon the stays and hip-suspended skirts, and suffer the 
discomfort entailed in becoming accustomed to the change, until 
the muscles, by exercise, shall regain their natural activity and 
resume their proper functions. Any woman who will not do this 
must not have too high hopes of health, beauty and long life for 
herself, of strong, healthy and well developed children. 

Deformity is not merely occasional, but the inevitable result 


ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS. 


859 


of extremely tight dressing. No woman can persevere in the prac¬ 
tice and escape it, as a surgical examination, were they disposed to 
submit to it, would immediately show. When tight dresses have 
been applied to girls before the bones have attained solidity—a com¬ 
mon practice with too many young girls—a lateral or “sideways ” 
curvature of the spine is tiie speedy and inevitable result. And 
nothing is done to counteract this evil, no robust exercise, no health¬ 
giving work. Six hours a day in the school-room, two hours more 
for home study, and as much as they please for novel reading, 
thrumming the piano, embroidery, etc., make up the day of our 
young girls, from ten to sixteen years of age. Their parents do not 
require them to assist in domestic employments, because work is 
vulgar and unfashionable, and would soil the delicate whiteness and 
harden the soft texture of their pink and lily hands. 


ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS. 

Alcoholic Liquor as a Cause of Disease —Those who 
die from the direct effect of intoxicating liquors—that is, of delirium 
tremens or drunkenness—comprise but a small portion of those 
who go down to their graves from this cause, for it is a fact well 
known to the medical profession that those who use stimulating 
liquors are far more liable to be attacked with any prevailing disease, 
and the fatality is also much greater in such cases, than with those 
of temperate habits. As a general rule, throughout the world, the 
first victims of cholera are drawn from those who use stimulants. 
The same is true in cases of sunstroke, chronic inflammation of the 
stomach, headache, diseases of the liver, jaundice, dropsy, impotency, 
gout, colic, peevish irritability, febrile diseases, epilepsy, apoplexy, 
loss of memory and mania. These are some of the diseases that 
afflict the rum-drinker, and the habit is one of the most prolific 
causes known of lunacy. In England, Lord Shaftesbury, chairman 
of the commission on lunacy, stated in a parliamentary report that six 
out of every ten of the lunatics in their asylums are made so by the 
use of alcohol. 

Adulterated Liquors in this country count their victims 
by the thousand. AVines, said to be the least injurious of the stimu¬ 
lants, contain the adulterants in a very great degree. Many of them 
contain but little of the juice of the grape and some of them none 
at all. They are manufactured from dye-stuff, drugs and alcohol, 
with that most dangerous article, lead, added, to render them clear 
and prevent their becoming sour. Hence their use in any quantity 
can only be injurious to health and destructive to life. 

Alcoholic Liquors not Essential in Medicine— Dr. 
John Ellis, of New York, says: “I can say that, after devoting 
over eighteen vears to the study and practice of medicine, I have 
never seen eighteen cases in which the use of alcoholic drinks have 



800 


ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS. 


I 

done my patients good. I have never seen a patient recover under 
tlieir use, that I had not good reason to think would have recovered 
without them. I have frequently been called to see feeble persons, 
especially females, who had been taking wine, beer, brandy and the 
like for years, to strengthen them, and still they remained weak; and 
I have found that such patients improved when they were required 
to live on a proper diet and discontinue their stimulants. {So far 
from being strengthened they had actually been debilitated by their 
use.” 

The celebrated Dr. Edmunds, of London, makes the following 
statement in his writings: “The cases in which I use alcohol 
in my practice I confess become less and less frequent every day. 
And I should feel that I lost very little were 1 deprived of it 
altogether.” It is probable that there are conditions or states, in some 
few diseases, where stimulants of this character may do some good; 
but the great difficulty is to know exactly when this condition or 
state occurs, and there is usually more or less disagreement on this 
point among physicians. And when they do not effect good, they 
usually aggravate the disease and result in harm, for all undue 
excitement is necessarily followed by corresponding depression, and 
thus thousands are sent to a speedy grave in consequence of it. 
How can it be otherwise? Can a man who is prostrated to the very 
lowest ebb of life stand a course of stimulation whose reaction, all 
experience shows, will prostrate a well man? Take for example a 
most critical case, in which the patient is for days in a state where 
he can barely live without stimulants, and now let him be given 
these, and an unnatural state of excitement will follow, or a degree 
of activity above that which the exhausted organism is capable of 
sustaining; as a necessary consequence, corresponding depression 
must follow, and if the patient was barely at the living point before 
the prostration, which is sure to follow, he must now sink below 
that point. It may be asked, can not this state of excitement be 
kept up by the use of stimulants for days, until the patient recovers? 
If space would admit, we might logically show that this can rarely, 
if ever be done. 

Alcoholic Liquors afford Neither Muscular 
Strength lior Nutriment —It is a law of the animal economy 
that any substance or food must, when taken into the body, be 
changed or decomposed into its elements before it can yield to the 
body those forces which produce muscular strength. Now the fact 
is, that when alcohol is taken into the body it leaves it again as 
alcohol undecomposed, there being no change wrought upon it. It 
therefore cannot have given up those elements that are needed in 
order to supply nutriment and muscular force. As an evidence 
that alcohol thus leaves the system undecomposed and without any 
change, you have but to give an individual a few tablespoonfuls and 
you can shortly afterwards smell its vapor as it is emitted from the 
pores of the skin. You can, as easily and definitely, reproduce and 


alcoholic liquors. 


861 


demonstrate the presence of alcohol by the exhalations from the 
skin and lungs, as you can the presence of arsenic in the body of a 
person who has been poisoned by it. Food is that which is decom¬ 
posed in the body and supplies it with the forces which the body 
afterwards gives out. If your horse is tired by its journey, you can 
give him a feed of corn and time to digest it, and he goes into har¬ 
ness again as vigorous as ever and ready for the next stage. What 
is it that has taken him along through the second stage? It is the 
corn which has served as food to the animal, and has become de¬ 
composed in its tissues, just as the coal would be put into a loco¬ 
motive furnace when the tire was going down. Now, suppose, 
instead of giving a horse a measure of corn, you give him a liberal 
allowance of whip, which is a stimulant? The horse goes on and 
works until more completely exhausted; and just so with a man. It 
should be recollected that food puts strength into a man by giving 
substance to supply waste; but alcoholic stimulants abstract strength 
from a man; they excite but to exhaust. Then recollect that when 
you employ stimulant, you are using that which will exhaust the 
last particle of strength with which your body otherwise would not 
part. That is what we always do when we work on stimulants; it 
is obviously unnatural, and therefore injurious. The foregoing 
statement being true—that alcoholic liquors furnish neither nutri¬ 
ment nor muscular strength—it must logically follow that their use 
is unnatural and injurious. 

Alcohol an Enemy to Prosperity —To illustrate the 
beneficial effects that flow from curtailment of the use of alcoholic 
liquors, we give the following facts which were submitted by the 
clerk of the circuit court of Edwards County, in the State of Illinois, 
some time since: 

“ There has not been a licensed saloon in this county for over 
twenty-five years. During that time our jail has not averaged an 
occupant. This county never sent but one person to the peniten¬ 
tiary, and that man was sent up for killing his wife, while drunk on 
whisky obtained from a licensed saloon in an adjoining county. 

“ We have but very few paupers in our poor house, sometimes 
only three or four. Our taxes are thirty-two per cent, lower than 
they are in adjoining counties, where saloons are licensed. Our 
people are prosperous, peaceable and sober, there being very little 
drinking, except near Grayville, a licensed town of White County, 
near our border. The different terms of our circuit court occupy 
three or four days each year, and then the dockets are cleared.” 

Treatment of the Alcohol Habit —Dr. W. F. Waugh, of 
Philadelphia, has devoted considerable time to the study of the al¬ 
cohol habit. In seeking the causes for the return of the drunkard 
to his habits of intoxication, he has noted the following: 

“1. Previously existing Disease which had led to drink. It 
is a misfortune to a neuralgic when the relief afforded by alcohol is 


862 


ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS. 


manifested to him. Dyspepsia has caused many a man to become 
a drunkard. 

u 2. Overwork; especially when accompanied by ill-health. 
When a man begins to resort to alcohol to enable him to perform 
tasks which are above his unaided strength, he is calling the Saxons 
into Britain; he is invoking the aid of an ally who will certainly 
one day turn upon him with deadly effect. The most hopeless 
cases received in our asylums are those which come under this 
head. 

“3. Catarrh of the Stomach is responsible for many cases. 
This is due to the direct effect of alcohol upon the gastric mucous 
membrane. It is the source of the “next-morning headache,” the 
thirst, and loathing of food in one who is just getting over a de¬ 
bauch. The temporary relief afforded by alcohol in these cases 
induces many to continue their potations who would otherwise have 
stopped. 

“4. Catarrh of the Mouth: —Although the gastric catarrh 
has been generally mentioned by writers, it is singular that none of 
them have called our attention to catarrh of the mouth. Observa¬ 
tion shows that after a night’s drinking there is great dryness of 
the mouth, the secretions of the mouth and salivary glands being 
suspended. I am convinced that in many cases the desire for drink 
has no deeper origin than the mouth. 

“5. Depression The depression due to the withdrawal of 
the accustomed stimulus is, however, in nearly all cases, a powerful 
incentive to a relapse into habits of tippling. 

“Treatment. —The treatment of these varieties must necessar¬ 
ily greatly vary. In the first and second classes the recognition of 
the cause affords the indication for treatment. 

“ In the third class, namely, that dependent on gastric catarrh, 
the following treatment has proved most beneficial in my hands: 
One hour before meals give a teacup of hot water in which has been 
dissolved ten grains of bicarbonate soda. This dissolves and carries 
off the tough adhesive mucus which coats the mucous membrane 
of the stomach, and which besides hindering digestion, acts also as 
a ferment. Half an hour later, drop upon the cleansed surface of 
the gastric mucous membrane, a small dose of subnitrate or sub¬ 
carbonate of bismuth, oxide of zinc or oxide of silver. In a few 
days the catarrhal symptoms will subside. If the digestive fluids 
be not secreted in a healthy manner, minute doses of rhubarb and 
ipecac will restore the normal functions much more certainly than 
pepsin of any sort.” 

“In the fourth and fifth classes I desire to recommend the ad¬ 
ministration of Erythroxylon Coca. It is useless in the treatment 
of delirium tremens, but to relieve the depression resulting from 
the deprival of stimulants it has remarkable powers. Its effects in 
relieving one from the sense of fatigue are too well known to re¬ 
quire more than a passing notice. 1 have frequently returned to 


TOBACCO. 


863 


m y home after a hard day’s work only to find that a still harder 
night awaited me in the shape of a tedious labor case. A dose of 
coca,, however, removed the fatigue and left me as fresh as when 
starting out in the morning after a sound night’s sleep.” 

Dr. Waugh proceeds to give instances of the alcohol habit 
cured by the use of the Erythroxylon Coca. To overcome the ob¬ 
stacle that men did not like to be seen taking medicine, he has put 
up the coca in masticatory plugs like tobacco, and called coca-bola. 
This has also had the additional effect of curing the tobacco 
chewing habit. 


TOBACCO. 

Tobacco a Poison —No one will question the fact that 
tobacco is a poison, who has observed the deadly sickness it usually 
produces when chewed or smoked by those not habituated to its use. 
There are but few substances in nature that are capable of destroying 
life so suddenly as tobacco. From one to two drops of the oil have 
frequently been administered to dogs and cats, and invariably in a 
few minutes life became extinct. Dr. Franklin applied the oily 
material which floats on the surface of water when a current of 
tobacco smoke is passed into it, to the tongue of a cat, and found 
it to destroy life in a few minutes. 

Tobacco a Cause of Disease —Tobacco is a frequent 
cause of disease of the digestive organs, lungs, nervous system, head, 
eyes and brain. It causes heartburn, nausea and frequent belchings; 
pains and diseases of the liver; pains in the bowels, with disposition 
to diarrhea or costiveness. It causes, too, difficulty of breathing, 
oppression of the chest, pains in the chest, with inability to take in 
a long breath, and violent palpitation of the heart, as well as pain 
and stiffness of the back. Tobacco also produces a tendency to 
paralysis, causes drowsiness, unnatural sleep, nightmare, trouble¬ 
some, anxious and frightful dreams, and a great number and variety 
of affections which we have not space to mention. In fact we have 
noticed but a small proportion of the diseases which are asserted by 
some of our best medical writers to spring from the use of tobacco. 
Of course it affects different persons in different ways, searching 
out and seizing upon those parts of the body which are least able to 
resist its destructive force. 

Yet there is seldom any one who habitually uses tobacco but 
will find himself troubled, more or less, by the symptoms of the 
above named diseases as soon as he stops its use; but while using it 
freelv it will palliate or allay, as do all poisons, the symptoms its 
use has caused. Not infrequently on rising in the morning, after 
having abstained from its use during the night, he will get a slight 
glimpse of his waning vital energies; but his view will soon again 
be obscured when he partakes of the alluring leaf. 



864 


TOBACCO. 


Medical Testimony —The senior physician to the Metro¬ 
politan Free Hospital, in London, writes as follows: “ I can testify, 
from long observation, that the chronic use of tobacco in any form 
is a very prevalent cause of debility and manifold diseases. Take, 
first of all, the sense of sight: one of the most celebrated London 
ophthalmic surgeons tells me that he is constantly consulted by 
young gentlemen for weakness of vision, caused by smoking; and I 
myself have in many cases seen the prolonged use of tobacco, espec¬ 
ially when it is chewed, cause the total loss of sight. Then take 
the circulatory system, and we find smokers subject to palpitation 
of the heart and far less able to bear up against the extremes of 
heat and cold than they were before making use of tobacco. The 
use of tobacco is apt to cause a relaxation of the muscles of the back 
of the mouth and dusky discoloration of the fauces, with hoarseness 
from congestion of the vocal cords. The overwhelming majority 
of cases of cancer of the lip are found in men who smoke, and can¬ 
cer of the tongue has often been said to be caused by the irritation 
of the fumes of the pipe or cigar. Great smokers lose, to some 
extent, their vivacity; i. e., they are less vital than they used to be, 
and less easily moved by a slight ‘stimulus’ which might be 
pleasurable to non-smokers. They are notoriously dyspeptic. I 
need hardly refer, indeed, to such a well known fact. They are 
subject to constipation and ‘ malaise;’ and when deprived of their 
stimulus are more miserable, perhaps, than even drinkers. I must 
take the liberty to protest against a custom which has been 
inveighed against by Brodie, Copland, Critchett, Guerrin, Mante- 
gazza, Cacopardo, and numerous heads of my profession in all 
countries.” 

Mental Effects —Mr. Solly, an eminent writer on the brain, 
said once in a clinical lecture on that frightful and formidable 
malady, softening of the brain, “ I would caution you as students 
against the use of tobacco, and I would advise you to disabuse your 
patients’ minds of the idea that it is harmless. I have had a long 
experience in brain-diseases, and I am satisfied now that smoking 
is a most noxious habit. I know of no other cause or agent which 
tends so much to bring on functional disease, and through this in 
the end, to lead to organic diseases of the brain, as the excessive use 
of tobacco.” 

The influence of tobacco on the human system is quite as much 
to be dreaded as the use of alcoholic drinks. Drunkards invariably 
are tobacco-users. Not one young man in a hundred would ever 
think of using intoxicating liquors did lie not first learn to use 
tobacco in some form. Daughters of drunken fathers do not inherit 
a hankering after spirituous liquors; neither would the sons, did 
they but abstain from the use of tobacco. And yet ministers of 
the gospel and many of the deacons of our churches, good men, so- 
called, who preach temperance and cleanliness to the youths of the 
land unceasingly, keep their mouths filled with the vile stuff or 


TOBACCO. 


865 


make smoke-houses of their heads, as if the end and aim of life with 
them was to pickle their tongues in smoke; and their whole bodies 
are so saturated and polluted with the vile stuff that their neighbors’ 
nostrils announce their coming afar off. Is it to be wondered at 
that so many of our young men, following in the steps of their 
illustrious fathers, learn to use tobacco and cultivate a taste for 
stimulants which at last becomes a direful disease and then finally 
die lunatics or drunkards? 

The smoking of a single cigar, and especially by those not long 
habituated to its use, will increase the pulse from ten to fifteen 
beats. The results of both chewing and smoking often are depression 
of spirits, irritability, peevishness, loss of memory, dullness of per¬ 
ception and despondency, as a natural result of over-excitement. The 
teachers in our institution of learning not infrequently observe 
that young men who use tobacco, as a general rule, are much more 
dull and stupid than those who do not; and they, as well as eminent 
physicians, have expressed the opinion that tobacco to-day is doing 
almost as great a physical injury to the present generation as alco¬ 
hol. 

Sudden Death —Dr. Twitched states that nearly all the 
cases of sudden death occurring during sleep, which came under 
his observation, were those of persons who had indulged largely in 
the use of tobacco. And subsequently the correctness of his state¬ 
ments was confirmed by investigations made by the Boston Society 
of Medical Observation. 

Physical Effects —The use of tobacco produces marked 
alterations in the most expressive portions of the face. In conse¬ 
quence of the constant use of the muscles surrounding the mouth 
there is occasioned an irregular development of these parts, which 
presents a coarser appearance when compared with the rest of the 
features. The eye loses its natural fire and becomes dull and vacant, 
and the skin assumes a sallow complexion. 

Uncleanly —To say that this habit, with many, is uncleanly 
and even filthy, is only repeating what is expressed every day. The 
linen, the mouth, the breath, and many times the room of its vic¬ 
tim, indicate the effect it produces. 

Moral Effects —The use of tobacco has a tendency to impair 
the taste, so that simple fluid and simple diet are liable to become 
insipid and unpalatable, and the natural resort is then to the 
“flowing bowl.” It also excites the various animal propensities 
beyond their proper balance, and tends to debase the moral character 
and make man more animal and less intellectual. 

Expensive —Tobacco, in its different forms, costs the people 
of the United States more than $30,000,000 annually, all of which 
is far worse than if thrown away. It is not a natural food for man; 
it will not sustain life, but is a poison, and all its tendencies, except 
in rare cases, are to destroy life. Is it any wonder that we cry hard 
times, when there are hundreds of millions of dollars annually 


55 


866 


TOBACCO. 


thrown away for tobacco and intoxicating beverages? Those who 
are so adroitly seeking for the cause of this condition of affairs, 
would they but take the trouble to examine the statistics and inves¬ 
tigate this matter, would find herein one cause for this great 
depression that has been more potent than all others combined. 

Young* Men and Boys —Tobacco has utterly ruined thous¬ 
ands of boys, inducing a dangerous precocity, developing the pas¬ 
sions, softening and weakening the bones, and greatly injuring the 
brain and nervous system. A boy who early and freely uses 
tobacco never is known to make a man of much energy of charac¬ 
ter, and generally lacks mental and physical energy. The larger 
proportion of the aged, and those of mature years, very much lament 
that they were led to indulge in this habit. This should be a sol¬ 
emn warning to the young not to fall into the same error. Many 
boys have erroneously conceived the idea that to u puff ” a cigar or 
cigarette, or chew a quid of tobacco, is manly—is genteel. Yet, if 
they did but know in what contempt such a course is held by the 
thoughtful and considerate, there would never be a repetition of it. 
I fancy I hear some young reader remark, “ My father used 
tobacco many years, and died an old man; if tobacco killed him, it 
was very slow poison.” I am apprised of the fact that some men 
of strong constitutions, active life and otherwise good habits, may 
use tobacco and alcohol, and even get drunk often, and yet live to a 
good old age; blit they are exceptions to the general rule; a much 
greater number will die young. 

Besides, it will he found that most of those who lived to an old 
age did not commence the use of these poisons very young; else 
they used them moderately and were never what we call hard drink¬ 
ers or smokers. And we would further say to this young man, that 
if he were born after his father commenced using tobacco, he does 
not, for that very reason, if not for others, possess his father’s 
strength of constitution, if the latter used tobacco as freely as most 
young men use it to-day; neither can he follow in his father’s 
footsteps without the chances of filling a premature grave. How 
many of us are to-day suffering frojn paternal errors in consequence 
of the iniquities of fathers being visited on their children. 

Concluding —Tobacco not only destroys the health, but par¬ 
alyzes youth in its vigor, and manhood in its strength. It produces 
consumption, feeds dyspepsia, cherishes nervous diseases and pal¬ 
pitation of the heart, excites liver complaint, creates cancers, 
encourages headache, engenders weak eyes, invites disease and pro¬ 
motes softening of the brain. Its foul perfumes invade every rail¬ 
road coach, street car and omnibus-line; contaminate hotels, board¬ 
ing-houses and private apartments; its stench invades the family and 
social circle, and nauseates the mother, sickens the wife and insults 
the daughter; it extinguishes the affections of the doting lover, 
offends the young bride and disgusts the young maiden. It weak¬ 
ens the digestion, perverts the taste and leads to intemperance. It 


SELF-POLLUTION. 


867 


creates an offensive breath, repulsive mouth and soiled linen. It 
impairs the voice, furrows the cheek and sallows the complexion. 
And last, hut not least, it makes angry mothers and scolding wives. 


SELF-POLLUTION. 

There are various names given to the unnatural and degrading 
vice of producing venereal excitement by the hand, or other means, 
generally resulting in a discharge of semen in the male and a cor¬ 
responding emission in the female. Unfortunately, it is a vice by 
no means uncommon among the youth of both sexes, and is 
frequently continued into riper years. 

Symptoms —The following are some of the symptoms of 
those who are addicted to the habit: Inclination to shun 
company or society; frequently being missed from the company of 
the family, or others with whom he or she is associated; becoming 
timid and bashful, and shunning the society of the opposite sex; 
the face is apt to be pale and often a bluish or purplish streak under 
the eyes, while the eyes themselves look dull and languid and the 
edges of the eyelids often become red and sore; the person can not 
look any one steadily in the face, but will drop the eyes or turn 
away from your gaze as if guilty of something mean. 

The health soon becomes noticeably impaired; there will 
be general debility, a slowness of growth, weakness in the lower 
limbs, nervousness and unsteadiness of the hands, loss of memory, 
forgetfulness and inability to study or learn, a restless disposition, 
weak eyes and loss of sight, headache and inability to sleep, or 
wakefulness. Next come sore eyes, blindness, stupidity, consump¬ 
tion, spinal affection, emaciation, involuntary seminal emissions, 
loss of all energy or spirit, insanity and idiocy—the hopeless ruin 
of both body and mind. These latter results do not always 
follow. Yet they or some of them do often occur as the direct con¬ 
sequences of the pernicious habit. 

The subject is an important one. Few, perhaps, ever think, or 
ever know, how many of the unfortunate inmates of our lunatic 
asylums have been sent there by this dreadful vice. Were the 
whole truth upon this subject known, it would alarm parents, as 
well as the guilty victims of the vice, more even than the dread of 
the cholera or small-pox. 

Preventive Measures —When the parents are satisfied 
that their child is indulging in this habit, take immediate measures 
to break it up. It is a delicate matter for parents, especially for a 
father, to speak to his son about. It is different with the mother; 
she can more readily speak to a daughter upon subjects of that 
nature, and if guilty, portray to her the danger, the evil conse¬ 
quences and ruin which must result if the habit is not at once and 



868 


SELF-POLLUTION. 


forever abandoned. If persuasion and instruction will not do, other 
measures, such as will prove efficient, must be resorted to. 

In case of a son, perhaps the better way will be for the services 
of the family physician to be engaged. He can portray to the mis¬ 
guided young man the horrors and evils of the habit in their bear¬ 
ing, and his caution and advice will have weight. 

An examination of the linen generally affords conclusive 
evidence in the case of boys; the genital organs of these patients, it 
may be noticed, too, receive an undue share of their attention. The 
patient should be constantly watched during the day until he falls 
asleep at night, and be required to arise directly he wakes in the 
morning. In confirmed cases the night-dress should be so arranged 
that the hands cannot touch the genital organs. 

Under no circumstances should nurses ever be permitted unneces¬ 
sarily to handle or expose the genital organs of children, and children 
should be taught at the very earliest period that it is immodest and 
even wrong, to handle the parts. When at school, as well as at 
home, every hoy should have a separate hed. The neglect of this 
important advice is a frequent cause of bad habits being taught 
and practiced. In addition to a separate bed, he should be able to 
dress and undress apart from the observation of others . The 
necessary privacy may be secured by partitions placed between the 
beds, but not extending up to the ceiling, so as to interfere as little 
as possible with the ventilation. One of the few articles necessary 
in the sleeping room is a sponge hath. This, with a good-sized 
piece of honeycomb sponge, and a large towel or sheet, complete the 
outfit. The regular daily use of the sponge bath conduces greatly 
to the cure or prevention of self-abuse. The too free use of meat, 
highly-seasoned dishes, coffee, wine, late suppers, etc., strongly tend 
to excite animal propensities, which directly predispose to vice. 
Probably most persons in health, enjoying ample means, eat and 
drink too much. Strict temperance, both in eating and drinking, is 
a great preventive. Soft beds and too much sleep are also to be 
avoided. 

The cultivation of pure thoughts and conversation among the 
young would remove occasions of great temptation to sin. Parents, 
guardians and teachers should exercise a strict supervision over the 
books that are read. 

The establishment of systematic exercise, at home and at 
school, athletic sports and proper books are highly useful, for they 
pre-occupy the mind, and so prevent loose thoughts and habits. 


DIVISION FIFTEENTH. 


MAGNETISM. 


THE SCIENCE APPLIED TO DISEASE. 

Since the reality of the phenomena of magnetism is now con¬ 
ceded, even by those members of the medical profession who were 
formerly the most skeptical on this point, we think our book would 
be incomplete without a fair statement of its powers and methods, 
and therefore submit the following: 

In the first place, and by way of a general introduction of the 
subject, we extract from the ‘‘Cincinnati Medical Advance,” some 
parts of an address by W. L. Fleming, M. D., which was read 
before the Ilomoepathic Medical Society of the county of New 
Y ork: 

“ The term animal magnetism has been applied to a subtle 
force existing in man, which, it was discovered during the last 
century, was capable of producing upon certain persons, especially 
somnambulists, effects similar to those produced by the magnet; 
hence the name, animal magnetism. 

“ I have myself treated many cases of an inflammatory charac¬ 
ter, including acute rheumatism, where ordinary manipulation was 
at first impossible, owing to extreme sensitiveness; but where, by 
holding the hands lightly over the inflamed part, the sensitiveness 
has been gradually diminished until full manipulatory action could 
be carried on with but little or no suffering, and I am happy to add, 
in nearly every such case so far as my memory serves me, the relief 
has been prompt and permanent. I have frequently dispersed boils, 
and in one case a large carbuncle situated in the popliteal space and 
which had progressed well toward suppuration, by holding the 
hands upon them and using very gentle manipulation. In one 
instance, where a patient had submitted to a surgical operation for 
the removal of a duplicate thumb and was suffering intense pain, I 
succeeded in entirely relieving the pain for six or eight hours, by 
slowly passing my hand without contact two or three times from 
the thumb toward the elbow; when at the end of this time the pain 
returned, I repeated the operation and the patient suffered no more 
during the healing process. Again, in the case of a phthisical 
(consumptive) patient who had long suffered from an obstinate con¬ 
stipation and had been in the habit of using enormous doses of pur¬ 
gatives to obtain even temporary relief, I simply administered once 
a day magnetized water; and in two or three days a natural and 





870 


MAGNETISM. 


easy movement of tlie bowels was obtained, a condition of things 
which the patient had not before experienced for several years. My 
method of magnetizing the water was as follows: I held the glass 
containing the water (as much as the patient desired to drink at one 
time) in the palm of the left hand, and placing my right hand over 
and a little above it, with the fingers converged and pointing down, 
maintained this position from three to five minutes, when the water 
was sufficiently charged to be administered. 

“And still another instance I can give you from my own exper¬ 
ience, clearly demonstrating the existence of some peculiar force 
capable of exerting a powerful influence upon the human body 
without the intervention of active manipulation. 

“ A gentleman who was visiting at my house, and who had 
himself experimented considerably with the animal magnetic force, 
at my request permitted me to try an experiment upon him, which 
I will here relate. Desiring to ascertain to what extent the nerves 
could be affected by this force alone and if it were possible by this 
means to produce local anaesthesia, I placed him in as easy a posi¬ 
tion as possible in one chair, with his leg upon another directly in 
front, and in such a position that there would be no under pressure 
at any one point. I then made a few passes over the boot and 
clothing, without touching, from the foot toward the body, and then 
with my hands encircling as nearly as possible the limb above the 
knee but without contact, I concentrated my will upon this point 
with the intent to cut off if possible the nerve supply from below 
this point. After holding the hands thus for a few minutes, he 
complained of a prickling sensation which continued for a short 
time and then ceased. I continued holding the hands in the same 
position for about fifteen minutes at the end of which time, the leg 
was completely anaesthetized. There was neither feeling nor mo¬ 
tion in it; and it remained in this condition until I made a few 
passes downward, when the tingling process was gone through with 
again and the leg was gradually restored to its normal condition. 

“ Is there nothing in all this, then, to prove the action of some 
force independent of mechanical effect? It certainly seems so to 
me and I could give many more instances within my own exper¬ 
ience all tending to demonstrate this fact, and enough evidence of 
this kind could be obtained from others, if needed, to fill a volume. 
But the strongest and clearest evidence in support of the existence 
of animal magnetism and that the phenomena resulting from its 
application are due to a fluid or imponderable power (or influence), 
is to be found in the researches of Baron von Beichenbach on Mag¬ 
netism, etc. The testimony of this author upon this point, from his 
name and standing as a scientist, cannot fail to carry with it great 
weight. He says: 

“ hind now our investigation has brought us to the portal of 
what is called animal magnetism. This noli me tangere we shall 
now be able to seize. When I made a few passes down (with a 


MAGNETISM. 


871 


magnet; me person of Mile. Sturman from head to foot, she became 
insensible and was attacked by spasms, generally rigid. When 1 
performed many passes with my large rock crystal, the result was 
the same. But I could also produce the same effect by using, 
instead of the magnet or the crystal, my hands alone. The peculiar 
force (we shall call it crystalline) found both in magnets and crystals 
must therefore also reside in my hands. 

“ ‘In order to test this more fully I tried the experiments 
which I shall presently describe. If this were the case, the force 
residing in my hand must produce all those effects which the crys¬ 
talline force is capable of producing, as described in the preceding- 
treatise; I could conclude as to difference of similarity, according 
to the degree of resemblance in the properties observed. It was 
first of all necessary to ascertain whether there existed a coincidence 
and to what extent, between the action of the crystals on the healthy 
or diseased sensitive nerve and that of the human hand on the same 
re-agent. When in the case of persons sufficiently sensitive to per¬ 
ceive distinctly the passes made with a large crystal along the inner 
surface of the hand, 1 drew along the left hands of the patients the 
points of the fingers of my right hand, turned laterally, so that one 
finger followed the other and all passed over the same line, which 
was drawn from the wrist down to beyond the point of the middle 
finger, there was not one among them who did not perceive the 
effect exactly as from the point of a crystal. It was generally 
described as a cool aura, more rarely as a tepid aura; and was not 
only as powerful but usually considerably more powerful than a 
crystal. 

kk ‘I need not here speak of the diseased subjects, since all of 
those I have hitherto mentioned perceived the effect with the same 
singular distinctness with which they felt as a general rule every 
magnetic pass; and Miles. Maix and Nowotney were even able to 
distinguish the effect of each finger separately. But there were 
but few healthy persons who were quite sufficiently sensitive for 
this re-action. Indeed, some of these who only felt indistinctly the 
action of the crystals perceived that of the fingers, used as above 
described, so plainly that they could always point it out while the 
eyes were averted. I am permitted here to refer to my friend, M. 
Carl Sliuli, who is a strong healthy man and perceives the action of 
crystals with unusual distinctness. When, to make assurance 
doubly sure and contrary to my own rule, I blindfolded him and 
made slow passes with "the fingers of my right hand, as before 
described, over his left hand, he experienced so strong and distinct 
a sensation, analogous to that produced by a crystal, that he could 
distinguish each individual pass and was able, for example, at all 
times exactly to tell when I had made exactly two-thirds of the 
whole pass.' M. Stnder, already mentioned, also perceived this 
quite as plainly, as well as numerous other persons, among whom I 
have permission to name one of the finest, most powerful, and 


872 


MAGNETISM. 


hardiest men I have ever seen, who has traveled through Per¬ 
sia and Kurdistan, and twice penetrated from Egypt into the heart 
of Africa; who is therefore a rare example of iron health and 
strength of constitution, namely, JVL Kotschy, who accompanied 
M. Kusseger in part of his travels He perceives the effect most 
distinctly when the temperature of the air is agreeable, and less dis¬ 
tinctly when it is cold. The fingers, therefore, act, as on the sensi¬ 
tive nerve, exactly in the same way as a crystal of middling size. 

“ ‘I compared the two forces with reference to their conducti- 
bility. I caused Mile. Sturman to take hold of one end of a rod of 
German silver with her right hand, taking care previously to avoid 
touching it myself. I allowed her some time to become accustomed 
to the sensation caused by the rod taken alone. I now placed on the 
other end the points of the fingers of my right hand, which were 
rather moist. She instantly perceived a warm sensation and tliis- 
passed upward as far as the elbow. I now added the fingers of my 
left hand; the sensation became much stronger and reached to the 
shoulder. I removed my fingers; the sensation rapidly diminished, 
without however instantly disappearing. I next attached and 
removed my fingers alternately; the sensation kept pace with the 
changes, increasing and diminishing regularly. I repeated these 
experiments, substituting for the rod of German silver an iron wire 
about five feet in length. When one end was held by the patient 
and I applied five fingers to the other, the patient perceived a cur¬ 
rent of decided heat; and with my ten fingers the sensation was 
stronger. It always quickly disappeared when I dropped the wire 
out of my hand. This fact was confirmed by frequent repetitions. 

“ 4 1 now wished to try whether bodies could be charged with 
the force from the hand. I began with Mile. Sturman. I laid the 
German silver rod near her and allowed it to lie for a quarter of an 
hour. I then beggedher to take it in her hand and thus to become 
accustomed to the sensation it might cause. After doing so she laid 
it down and then I took it in my hand for some seconds and laid it 
down. When she took hold of it she felt warm and so strangely 
charged that the well-known sensation caused under similar circum¬ 
stances by crystals, rose through the hand as far as the elbow. This 
was of course repeated with many variations, for the sake of control. 
Her physician, Dr. Lippich, made a similar experiment. At mv • 
request, in another room he took into his hands for a short time one 
of two precisely similar porcelain saucers, not touching the other. 
They were now presented to the patient, who with the greatest 
facility and accuracy distinguished that which had been held in the 
hand from the other. After about ten minutes the effect was dissi¬ 
pated and both saucers felt alike. The experiment with the rod 
was soon after repeated with Mile. Maix in the same way as above. 

It yielded the same results; the rod was charged by my fingers and 
the charge which Mile. Sturman had felt for five minutes was per¬ 
ceived by the more sensitive Mile. Maix to the last, gradually 


MAGNETISM. 


873 


diminishing for twenty minutes. In both patients the sensa¬ 
tion was the same; one of warmth, rising into the arm and 
coinciding exactly with that caused under similar circumstances by 
the rock crystal. I observed the same phenomena some months 
later in Miles. Reichel and Atzmanusdorfer. The most surprising 
result is that attained with a glass of water. If it be taken in one 
hand and grasped below by the lingers, and if this be continued for 
about ten minutes, it then possesses for sensitive patients the smell, 
the taste and all the well-marked and curious properties of what is 
called magnetized water. Those who have never examined the mat¬ 
ter experimentally may exclaim irrationally against this. I was 
formerly myself one of this number, but all those who have tested 
this fact by experiment and witnessed the effects, as I have done, 
can only speak of it with astonishment. The water thus charged, 
which is exactly similar to that treated by magnets or crystals, has 
therefore received from the fingers an abundant charge of the pecu¬ 
liar force residing in them and retains it for a considerable time. I 
could after a time produce similar effects on all possible substances 
by holding them for some time in my hand. The patients who 
had tried them all before I touched them, now perceived in all of 
them the same change as if they had been stroked with the poles of 
magnets or crystals, and this whether they knew of my having 
touched the objects or had been kept in ignorance of my having 
done so. It follows plainly from all this that bodies may be 
charged with the force residing in the hands exactly as with the 
crystalline force.’ 

“ Here, then, we have the most conclusive evidence of the 
existence in man of the peculiar force called animal magnetism, 
and also that it is cond'uctible and can be imjMrted to all sub¬ 
stances. This testimony is all the more valuable, as the facts here 
stated can be verified at any time by all who may choose to investi¬ 
gate the subject. 

“ As a therapeutic means, this force has every reason to recom¬ 
mend it to the physician. While it in no way interferes with the 
action of a drug, it is efficient where drugs most conspicuously 
fail; and as an auxiliary to surgical and medical treatment, it will, 
when better understood, fill a need that has long been felt. For 
instance, in those cases where surgical interference is necessary and 
yet where the condition of the patient is such as to render an opera¬ 
tion unsafe, there is no other means that will so quickly impart 
vitality and that will tend so much to insure a successful result as 
this. And in those adynamic diseases, where the enfeebled system 
fails to respond to drug action, this force will prove most valuable. 

“ While the animal magnetic force has proved most efficacious 
in both acute and chronic diseases, it is in the cure of the latter 
that it has achieved its greatest success; especially in the treatment 
of this class of maladies, it is destined to form an important part 
of the therapeutics of the future; and in those diseases which have 


874 


MAGNETISM. 


proved the least amenable to ordinary methods of cure, it will be 
our chief reliance. 

“ In the treatment of that fearful and mysterious disease, 
insanity, I believe that this force is yet to play an important part. 
Although my experience in this direction has been limited and I 
can not"speak with that degree of confidence regardingits efficiency 
in this as in other ills to which flesh is heir, yet the result so far 
attained seems to warrant its thorough trial in this disease. Of the 
few cases of mental disorder which I have had occasion to treat, 
during eight years’ employment of this means, one only afforded 
me the opportunity to continue the treatment a sufficient length of 
time to be considered a fair test of its merits. In this, a case of 
melancholia—reported in a former paper—of several years’ stand¬ 
ing, in which other means had failed, the treatment was applied 
less than two months and resulted in complete recovery. 

“ In those diseases occurring in scrofulous children, which gen¬ 
erally result in deformity, animal magnetism is pre-eminently 
qualified to take the lead of all other modes of treatment; and I 
think I may truthfully assert that, in the majority of cases of this 
kind, deformity may be entirely prevented if this treatment be 
applied in time. 

“ In order to demonstrate the action of this force, in this class 
of troubles, I will here briefly cite a case. 

“ Charlie B., aged five years; suffering from Potts’ disease of 
the spine and white swelling of the knee. Various methods of 
treatment had been unavailingly employed in his case and he was 
rapidly growing worse. When brought to me for treatment he was 
fast losing flesh, had no appetite, was peevish and irritable. Exam¬ 
ination revealed some curvature in the lumbar region, and spinal 
abscess. The right knee was considerably enlarged and very sensi¬ 
tive. The leg was flexed so that the toes scarcely touched the floor 
when standing, and motion exceedingly painful. 

“ After a few treatments there was marked improvement in the 
appetite and he soon began to show evidence of returning bodily 
health. The improvement rapidly continued, and although he wore 
no brace or support for the spine the destructive process was 
arrested, the abscess gradually healed and in a short time the spinal 
trouble was entirely cured. .It is now nearly five years since I 
treated this case and the friends of the patient (who live out of 
town) inform me that there is no trouble or deformity of the spine 
so far as they can perceive. As the treatment was discontinued at 
the end of nine weeks, the knee, though much improved, has not 
been cured, as I believe it would have been, had the treatment 
been persisted in. 

“ I could cite many cases showing the value of this force in 
various diseases, but the limits of this paper will not permit. I.will 
merely state that by this means I have cured quite a number of 
cases of paralysis, nervous affections and numerous other forms of 


MAGNETISM. 


875 


disease coming under the head of chronic, many of these patients 
having first tried the ordinary method of cure without success. 

u The results attained by this force in those diseases incident to 
women, especially entitle it to the consideration of the profession 
as an auxiliary treatment in such cases. 

“To conclude; Animal magnetism is a scientific fact . If it 
be not a fact, ‘then do no facts exist in any department of science.’ 
That it has proved itself a most powerful therapeutic means, is also 
a fact. Such being the case, the duty of the medical profession in 
regard to this matter is perfectly plain.” 

How to Magnetize —Select a good subject. 

1. One mark of such a person is very fine, soft hair; another 
is fair complexion, with light, full and expressive eyes and regular 
and handsome features. Debility of health, also, predisposes to 
magnetic susceptibility. 

2. Choose a person younger and physically weaker than your¬ 
self and by all means of an opposite or different temperament. 

3. Select a kind, well disposed and intelligent person. 

4. Sit beside or before your subject, preserving an easy and 
tranquil frame of mind. 

5. Be sure that he submits himself passively to your influence 
and thinks of nothing foreign to the purpose and occasion. He 
may either close his eyes or fix them steadily upon yours. 

6. Hold his hands crossed, his left with your left and his right 
with your right, the balls of your thumbs touching the balls of 
his. 

7. Have perfect confidence in your ability to put him to sleep 
in a short time. 

8. Use your will, earnestly but calmly, to effect this object, 
fixing your eyes upon a point midway between his. If convenient, 
sit so that his extended arms may rest upon your knees. 

9. Hold his thumbs until you feel that the heat in both pairs 
of hands is equal. This will occur within ten minutes. 

10. Begin the magnetic process by holding your hands upon 
his head, lightly, so that the palms shall touch the temples and the 
tips of the fingers rest upon the top of his head; or place your 
palms on his eyes and let the fingers rest upon the forehead. Incline 
your forehead towards his; and to avoid fatigue rest your elbows on 
your knees. 

11. Continue thus to charge his head until his eyelids close 
involuntarily and firmly. However difficult a subject, if you per¬ 
severe and he does not resist, he must at last succumb. It may take 
five minutes or half an hour, or as many sittings of the same length 
of time. It is useless to proceed until you do close his eyelids and 
there is no better or speedier method than this. 

12. When you have succeeded in closing his eyelids so that 
he cannot open them without your permission, point your extended 
finders, for a short time, in succession at his eves, forehead, and the 


/ 


S76 MAGNETISM. 

top, sides and back of liis head, and then to his face, chest and 
stomach. This, if properly done, will well accomplish the charg¬ 
ing processes. 

13. Now begin to draw off the magnetic essence with which 
you have overcharged him, in this way: Move your hands, slowly 
and gently, down from his head to his lingers along the inside of 
his arms, beginning both at the top and back of his head, and from 
the forehead over the face, to the stomach and knees. 

14. If sleep be not induced or the eyes re-open after closing, 
close the sitting in half an hour. Repeated trials will infallibly 
bring your subject into the magnetic state, which will somewhat 
resemble natural sleep at first. He will improve in susceptibility in 
proportion to the regularity of the magnetic process. 

15. It will be well, for a few of the first occasions, to let him 
sleep on quietly for a while and to continue the drawing process for 
some time after he falls asleep. 

16. Finally, when you deem him prepared for this, speak to 
him and ask how he feels. This will arouse and wake him, or he 
will sleep on without speaking, or he will answer. If he answer, he 
has entered into the somnambulic state. Then ask him if your 
method agrees with him and if he can suggest any improvement on 
it; whether anything occurs to him to say or advise; whether he sees 
light in his brain and how much; if he can perceive his magnetizer ; 
where his organ of vision is located and how you can improve it; 
whether he can look into your system or his own and what he can 
say of either, how far he can see; if he can travel or foresee anything 
that can take place; whether he can look into your mind, so as to 
perceive a word you think of, or if not, how soon he will be able to 
do so, etc., etc. 

17. Let him sleep as long as he will, but wake him if he seem 
fatigued or express a desire to be awakened, first requesting him not 
to remember what has taken place during his sleep. 

18. Wake him by standing behind his chair and passing your 
hand upwards, from his knees and arms to his head and by bring¬ 
ing up your fingers briskly before his face, and telling him to awake. 
Give him his own time to awake and do not hurry or arouse him 
suddenly. 

19. Upward passes not being magnetic, you should, therefore, 
in bringing them up, close your fingers and bend them into a semi¬ 
circle. The gentlest movements are the best. Let your fingers be 
apart during the imparting process, and remember that the tips 
and not the balls convey the fluid. Magnetize, if possible, at the 
same hour each day. 

20. In case the action produces pain in any part, concentrate 
it to that part in order to draw it away afterwards. If the pain 
be in the head, atfract it to the knees. 

21. Occasionally magnetize your subject standing. 


MAGNETISM. 


877 


Magnetism as a Medical Agent —It is not pretended 
that magnetism cures all diseases; some are no doubt beyond its 
reach, but it is certainly a valuable auxiliary of medicine and every 
physician should welcome it to his held of labor and make himself 
familiar with its principles and practice, because a general know¬ 
ledge of them would, as has been proved by thousands of experi¬ 
ments, relieve many of the ills of life and keep multitudes from 
untimely graves. Says Baron Dupotet, “The value of such a dis¬ 
covery as animal magnetism is to be estimated, not by the evils by 
which its unskillful administration may give rise, but by the posi¬ 
tive good which may be derived from it. Already we have seen 
that during the state of magnetic insensibility the most painful 
surgical operations may be performed and the patient remain the 
whole time in a state of unconsciousness. Is this not a boon to 
suffering humanity? This is not all; the most obstinate and pain¬ 
ful chronic diseases have been relieved and perfectly cured by its 
application. It was the successful treatment and cure of diseases 
which had notoriously resisted every other remedy that compelled 
the sturdiest and most inveterate of our antagonists to recognize the 
influence of magnetism, and when these facts were demonstrated 
beyond all reasonable controversy it remained for them to seek in 
the shadows of their imagination the solution of the mystery. In 
epilepsy, hysteria, neuralgia, chronic rheumatism, headache, I know 
of no remedy so immediate and availing. How often have I seen 
the victim of pain writhing in the most acute agony, sink under its 
influence into a state of most placid composure.” 

We submit the following directions for its application: 

For headache, place your hand upon the part affected and exer¬ 
cise a constant and benevolent desire to relieve pain, and after hold¬ 
ing it there a few minutes pass it lightly over the head from right 
to left. If the pain is occasioned by the stomach, next place your 
hand on it and proceed as with the head. If the headache is accom¬ 
panied with cold feet, after holding the hands on the head for a 
short time, draw them slowly from the head downwards, along the 
sides to the knees; soon the head will be relieved and the feet 
become warm. If the pain has existed for years, it is chronic and 
must have a prolonged treatment. 

In rheumatism, if local, place your hand where pain is felt, 
hold it there for fifteen or twenty minutes, then pass it lightly to 
the extremity of the feet and thus continue for ten minutes, but if 
the limbs generally are affected make passes a short distance from 
them to their extremities for an hour or more; if the disease is 
chronic repeat the operation daily until the relief is complete, and 
so with every chronic disease. 

The magnetic sleep is highly restorative and should always be 
resorted to when the complaint is general; but when thqj-e is simply 
a local pain or disease, there is no necessity for it. 

For toothache, hold the hand to the part affected for a few 


878 


MAGNETISM. 


minutes, then pass the ends of the fingers lightly over the cheek, 
from right to left. 

In boils, magnetize when the inflammation begins. 

For a felon, make passes along the arm as far as the extremity 
of the finger, and after lingering a moment there draw off quickly 
from the end. 

The action of magnetism is upon the whole system. It assists 
the efforts which nature is constantly making to banish from the 
system whatever is injurious or unwholesome. Its re-establishment 
of a sound and healthy equilibrium is especially soothing, and when 
there is a deficiency of vital essence in any of the organs it strength¬ 
ens by imparting that essence. It quiets the nerves, restores sleep 
and appetite, relieves pain, abates swellings and imparts cheerful¬ 
ness and tranquility even in the case of those organic and hered¬ 
itary diseases which it cannot cure. 

In magnetizing for diseases, we summarize the following direc¬ 
tions: 

1. In all local affections, accumulate and concentrate the cur¬ 
rent upon the part and afterwards draw it off towards the extremi¬ 
ties. The pain may be increased at first, but it will finally be 
soothed away by drawing off. 

2. The fingers gathered to a point concentrate the action upon 
the part to which they are directed. 

3. For all chronic and acute diseases and surgical operations, 
except in the case of rheumatism, bruises and burns and similar 
local affections, magnetize the whole system in the regular way and 
induce sleep. The magnetic lethargy will prove highly restorative 
and refreshing. 


DIVISION SIXTEENTH. 


WATER CURE-HYDROPATHY. 


By J. D. Craig, M. D., Graduate op New York Hygieo-Therapeutic 

College. 


Dr. Shew, who was one of the earliest writers on Hydropathy, 
or the water-cure, like all adherents of a new faith exhibited his 
zeal by the statement that the “ system which has for its medica¬ 
ments water, air, exercise, and diet, is the greatest of all medical 
improvements, which is destined not only to make the members of 
communities their own physicians for the most part, but to miti¬ 
gate, in an unprecedented manner, the extent, the pains and the 
perils of disease.” 

If this prophecy has been realized only in part, and that in a 
more limited degree than is deserved, the reason is to be found in 
the exaggerated expectations and statements of the early adherents 
of hydropathy, by which the therapeutic range of hygienic meas¬ 
ures was overestimated, and other remedial agencies depreciated, 
together with the too frequent misapplication of the hydropathic 
appliances through inexperience and consequent ignorance of their 
power for harm on the part of the laity, and often, it must be con¬ 
fessed, by the practitioners who were supposed to be skilled in their 
use. 

Naturally all this produced a reaction, but nevertheless the 
influence of Priessnitz’s systems has had a very important part in 
the reformation in medicine that has taken place in the last thirty 
or forty years. The study of hygiene received an impetus through 
the “ water-cure system ” in the days of its organized agressiveness 
that laid the foundation for the system of prevention of disease that 
prevails to so great an extent in all schools of medicine at the pres¬ 
ent day. 

The use of cold water in the treatment of disease is now very 
o-enerally discountenanced in this country, for the reason that experi¬ 
ence has shown that persons of nervous organizations, such as 
prevail in America, have not the reactive power of those whose 
muscular systems predominate. 

To most patients a tepid, warm, or even hot bath is found to 
be much more effective as well as pleasanter, and accordingly the 
cold douches, packs, showers and plunges of thirty years ago have 





880 


HYDROPATHY. 


given place to the Turkish, Russian and Moliere baths of to-day. 
In private practice too, even compresses are more frequently applied 
hot than formerly, and the drinking of cold water has given place 
to water as hot as can be swallowed. 

This change will be apparent by comparing the early works on 
hydropathy with the treatment recommended in the following 
pages, which is the result of nearly thirty years experience* of 
myself and others. 

To the non-professional reader a word of caution will not be 
out of place. It is an error to suppose that when hygienic agencies 
alone are employed in the treatment of disease they are therefore 
entirely harmless. Not many poisons are capable of producing 
more serious disturbances than some of the applications of water 
when used improperly, and this holds true, to a greater or less 
degree, of all the other appliances of the hydropathic system. In 
the use of the minor measures such as the foot-bath and compresses 
to local parts, a wide latitude may be given, but the heroic measures, 
such as the wet-sheet pack, general douche, plunge and shower baths, 
must be used with great care. 

The fundamental point to keep in view in treatment is to 
equalize the circulation. Cold parts should be warmed and increased 
temperature in other parts reduced, and this reduction of tempera¬ 
ture is not necessarily to be accomplished by the application of cold, 
for this is not always the most effective way of accomplishing the 
object in view. Increased heat is always accompanied with a cor¬ 
responding increase of circulation and consequent congestion, and 
although the distention of the bloodvessels and capillaries are 
primarily caused by disturbances in the nerve centers, the very fact 
of distention when continued for a time produces temporary paraly¬ 
sis of the muscular and other contractile tissues, such as takes, place 
in the bladder when the urine is retained too lon£, and the local 
application of a wet compress, even when warm, if undisturbed for 
a time restores the tone of the vessels by removing some of the 
more solid constituents of the blood, by the well known law of 
endosmosis and exosmosis, and thus an important aid is given to 
the vital forces in their efforts to restore healthy action. 

The armamentarium or materia medica of hydropathy consists 
of all hygienic agencies ; but it is obvious that the subjects cover too 
wide a field to treat in a work of this kind, so that I shall be obliged 
to confine myself to the use of water, with here and there an allu¬ 
sion to the others as the case may demand, and before taking up 
the treatment of the various diseases, the following description of 
the hydropathic measures should be carefully studied. 

Few, if any physicians of the present day confine their treat¬ 
ment to the hydropathic appliances alone, but use medicines to a 
greater or lesser degree. For reasons that need not be discussed here, 
and although I prefer the use of the properly selected medicines in 
connection with the hygienic measures, I decidedly recommend the 


THE WET-SHEET PACK. 


881 


hydropathic appliances alone, for home treatment, for the reason 
that medicines should be administered by those only who have had 
a thorough medical education, whilst water, air, exercise and diet 
can be used by any one who is possessed of good fair common 
sense. 

Any treatise on the use of water would be incomplete without 
general directions for bathing, and I cannot do better than to copy 
the notice issued by the Royal Humane Society, for the reason that 
the rules laid down by this body are entirely correct, and the weight 
of their authority will serve to more fully impress .them on the 
reader’s mind. 


HINTS TO BATHERS. 

“ Avoid bathing within two hours after a meal, or when 
exhausted from fatigue or from any other cause; or when the body 
is cooling after perspiration; or altogether in the open air if, having 
been a short time in the water there is a sense of chilliness with 
numbness of the hands and feet; but bathe when the body is warm, 
provided no time is lost in getting into the water. Avoid chilling 
the body by sitting or standing undressed on the banks or in boats 
after having been in the water; leave the water immediately there 
is the slightest feeling of chilliness. The vigorous and strong may 
bathe early in the morning on an empty stomach. The young and 
those who are weak had better bathe two or three hours after a 
meal; the best time for such is from two to three hours after break¬ 
fast. Those who are subject to attacks of giddiness or faintness, and 
those who suffer from palpitation and other sense of discomfort at 
the heart, should not bathe without first consulting their medical 
adviser.” 


THE WET-SHEET PACK. 

In this process we use a coarse linen sheet—although a coarse 
cotton one answers tolerably well—of length sufficient to reach 
from the patient’s head to the soles of his feet, and about two yards 
in width. The bed is stripped of all its covering, one or two pil¬ 
lows only being left for the patient’s head. One or two comforts are 
then spread upon it, and over these a like number of woolen blankets, 
which are not so much injured by the wet as cotton comforts. Or, 
what is better, but more expensive, we may use blankets only, two 
or more pairs as they may be needed. The sheet having been pretty 
well wrung out of warm or tepid water—pure and soft always if such 
can be had—is then spread out as smoothly as may be upon the 
upper blanket. The patient being undressed, at full length upon 
the sheet, and holding up his arms, an assistant laps one side of it 
over the body and lower limbs, tucking it snugly the whole length 
of the body; the arms are then dropped at the side, after which the 
other part of the sheet is lapped over as before, except that the 

56 


882 


THE WET DRESS. 


upper edge is first brought down on the chest so as to be tight and 
smooth over the shoulder and neck; a turn is then made so as 
to bring the remaining part over the other shoulder where it is 
tucked in snugly, as well as down the whole length of the body 
as before. The blankets are then, one by one, brought oyer the 
person in the same way, and tucked under from “ head to foot,” 
and then comforts in the same manner, if such are used. After 
the first blanket is wrapped over the patient, it and the enclosed 
sheet are to be brought up and laid beside one of the legs, where 
they are to be covered over with the other wraps ; this is to prevent 
the feet from becoming cold by having them also wrapped snug and 
tight. It is best always to place a wet towel covered with a dry 
one on the patient’s head while he is packed, or if it does not chill 
too much, the dry towel may be left off. This is the ordinary way 
of taking a “pack” in chronic disease. 

THE WET DRESS. 

A modification of the wet sheet, and in some respects an 
improvement, is to have a coarse linen or cotton dress made with 
large arms, so that one may take the application without help. The 
dress once applied, the patient lays himself upon blankets, in which 
he wraps himself just sufficiently to become comfortable. Or he 
may have flannel dresses to put on over the wet, and then lie in a 
common bed. In this application the air is not excluded from the 
surface to anything like the same extent as in the common tight 
pack. Hence, a patient may remain in it half or the whole of the 
night if he choose, being careful to become neither too warm nor 
too cold. Re-wetting it once or twice in the night will be of service. 
Often in a single night a bad cold may be thrown off in this simple 
way. 

THE HALF-PACK. 

Patients not infrequently present themselves in whom the 
reactive energy is so low that a “ half-pack,” as it is called, will be 
tolerated, while the entire sheet would abstract too much caloric 
from the body. In such cases the sheet is applied so as to extend 
only from the armpits, or at most, from the neck to the hips, leav¬ 
ing the lower extremities, as it were, in the dry pack. Sometimes, 
also, the sheet is allowed to extend to the ankles, not including the 
feet. Packing the trunk of the body in wet towels acts upon the 
same principle as the partial or half pack, and is in many cases a 
valuable preliminary measure. These precautions it is well to 
observe where a feeble patient, who has suffered long from chronic 
disease, is beginning with the envelopment. 

THE FOLDED WET SHEET. 

As a modification of the wet-sheet principle, I have often used 
in domestic practice the following application: A common sheet 


THE DOUCHE-BATH. 


883 


of coarse quality is folded four double, which leaves it large enough 
to encircle the trunk of the body from the armpits down. Two 
thicknesses of the sheet, to con>e next to the body, are wet in cold 
water, or the whole of the sheet, according to the case. In a host 
of painful ailments, such as pleurisy, inflammation of the lungs, 
inflammation of the bowels, colic, cholera, cholera-morbus, rheuma¬ 
tism, painful menstruation, after-pains, etc., etc., this is the most 
valuable application. Often this remedy, which can be applied in 
a minute, as it were, will soothe a patient quickly to sleep, while 
without it a night of agony would be his lot. One advantage, too, 
of this appliance is, that if a patient is too weak to rise, the sheet 
may be opened in front so that fresh water may, when needed, be 
sprinkled upon it and wet towels may be added under it, upon the 
abdomeu if necessary. 

THE DOUCHE-BATH. 

This is the most powerful, but not the most useful, of all 
hydropathic appliances. A common douche consists of a stream 
of water from one to two inches in diameter, with a fall of ten, 
fifteen or twenty feet. But douches may be arranged of any 
desirable size and height. 

This remedy is useful in paralysis, stiff joints, gout, rheuma¬ 
tism, tumors and old swellings of various kinds. Those who have 
weak lungs, stomach or other abdominal organs, should not resort 
to the douche without the best of medical advice. 

SHOWER-BATH. 

This is also one of the more powerful of the hydropathic appli¬ 
ances, and needs judgment in its i: It consists, in fact, of a vast 

number of small streams or douches, and hence is a powerful 
refrigerant as well as excitant to the system. It should never be 
taken upon the head, especially if the water have any considerable 
force, or fall from any considerable height, for the reason that the 
head should never be subjected to mechanical force. It is useful 
in some cases to commence this bath only upon the limbs for a time 
at first. 

CATARACT-BATH. 

This is also one of the more powerful of the hydropathic pro¬ 
cesses, and is to be classed with the two preceding baths. Like 
those, it may be said to be stimulant, tonic and alterative, while it is 
also highly sedative so far as animal heat is concerned. 

HOSE-BATH. 

Through the modern improvements in India-rubber, gutta 
percha, leather, etc., it is easy, wherever there is a small fall or 


884 


PAIL-DOUCHE. 


head of water, to arrange what is called a hose-bath. It is in 
principle a douche, with the additional advantage that it can be 
made to act upon any part of the body, and from whatever direction 
we choose. Rightly applied, the hose is a valuable means. 

PAIL-DOUCHE. 

The patient seats himself in an empty, shallow, or other bath¬ 
ing tub, and crosses his hands over his chest. As many pails of 
water as are ordered are then dashed over him suddenly, one after 
the other, and one before and one behind—not poured, but thrown 
with some force, by lirst a backward and then a forward motion of 
the pail; half the number of pails being then emptied on the back 
of his folded hands, and half between the shoulders behind. This 
bath varies in effect according to the temperature of the w r ater and 
the amount used. If a number of pails are used and the water 
is cold, it in effect very nearly resembles the common plunge. 

THE WAVE, OR SLUICE-BATH. 

What is generally called in Germany a wave, but more prop¬ 
erly a sluice- bath, is taken at the sluice-way of an under-shot mill¬ 
wheel, or in a similar place. The patient takes hold of a rope or 
something by which he can maintain his position, and then, lying 
down, subjects his body to the action of the water. This is, on the 
whole, a pleasant and agreeable bath, and in its effects somewhat 
resembles the douche, being, however, milder and safer. The 
sluice-bath can hardly be said to possess any peculiar advantages. 
It was not used by Priessnitz, although he did not object to it. 

HALF-BATH. 

This bath may be used as one of the mildest of water-cure pro¬ 
cesses, or as one of the most powerful. An ordinary bathing tub 
is a very good apparatus for the purpose. A good-sized washing 
tub will answer very well, if there is nothing else at hand. The 
water is generally cpiite shallow in this bath—from three to six 
inches. Priessnitz’s half-baths were made of wood, four or five 
feet long, about two and a half feet wide and twenty inches deep. 
This simple contrivance is one of his most powerful means—that 
by which some of his highest triumphs were achieved. The water is 

f enerally used of moderate temperature, at sixty to seventy degrees 
ahr., or higher. This bath may be used—1st. As a means 
of cooling the mass of the circulation in the hot stages of fever and 
inflammatory attacks of every kind. 2d. As a revulsive, or means 
of reducing congestion or inflammation of the nobler organs, the 
brain, lungs, stomach, liver, etc. 3d. As a means of resuscitation 
in the shock of serious accidents, sun-stroke, and before, during or 
after apoplectic and other fits. In drunkenness and delirium-tremens 


HEAD-BATH. 


885 


the cold half-bath is a sovereign remedy. 4th. As a milder means and 
preparatory to the general bath in weak constitutions. In the latter 
of these indications, the bath is generally used but for a few min¬ 
utes after the wet sheet, or at other times, as may be desired; in the 
former, much practical knowledge is necessary in order to proceed 
always with safety and to obtain the best results. Thus six, or even 
nine hours may be required, with the greatest perseverance, the 
patient being thoroughly rubbed over the whole surface, and this to 
be kept up constantly by relays of assistants, the patient’s head and 
shoulders being supported meanwhile. 

HEAD-BATH. 

From time immemorial, cooling applications to the head have 
been much depended upon in that violent and dangerous disease, 
inflammation of the brain. All other known means failing, certain 
obstinate affections of the head have been known to give way to 
the affusion of cold water upon the part. In headache, drunkenness, 
delirium-tremens, the delirium of fever, epilepsy, rheumatism of 
the head, diseases of the eye, earache, deafness, loss of smell and 
taste and in nose-bleed this highly energetic remedy is brought to 
bear. 

PLUNGE-BATH. 

In sea, river and lake, as well as by artificial means, and as a 
matter of luxury, religious observance, purification, and the preven¬ 
tion and cure of disease, the plunge-bath has, in all periods of time, 
and in all parts of the world, been a favorite resort. So efficacious, 
indeed, has this simple means proved in healing the sick, that not a 
little superstition has been mingled with it. Springs and wells have 
often been supposed to possess some mysterious power and for that 
reason been named after some patron saint. In this respect the 
world has loved mystery and marvelousness rather than the pure 
and simple truth. 

SITTING-BATH. 

Convenient tubs, wooden or metallic, are constructed for this 
bath but an ordinary wash tub answers very well. The article 
should be large enough to admit the motion of the arms in rubbing 
the abdomen, sides and hips, first with one hand and then the other. 
Water enough is used generally to come pretty well up the abdo¬ 
men. The more movement and friction while in this bath the bet¬ 
ter. It is more convenient if the tub be elevated two or three 
inches from the floor. Some undress completely and place a blanket 
or sheet over the upper part of the body, but oftener the parts 
only of the person to be exposed to the water are uncovered. In a 
variety of ailments this bath is highly valuable. It may be made 
one of the most powerful of all the hydropathic modes. Like all 


886 


WASHTUB-BATH. 


other powerful applications, it should be taken only after digestion 
is nearly or quite gone through with. As a tonic to the stomach, 
liver, bowels, womb, spine, etc., this bath is highly useful. In 
constipation and other irregularities it is famous. Those of seden 
tary habits will find its use of rare service. For the tonic effect 
it is taken ten to twenty or twenty-five minutes or more. If it is 
continued some length of time, the water is to be changed once or 
more, as it would otherwise become too warm. 

WASHTUB-BATH. 

Under a great variety of circumstances what may be called the 
u washtub-bath ” is an invaluable resort. For example, a patient 
is feverish; by seating him in a washtub half filled with water and 
at the same time, if we choose, having his feet in a pail of water, 
cold or warm, according to the case, we can give him any desir¬ 
able amount of cooling. We cannot indeed too highly prize this 
simple contrivance for using water—a means which every family 
possesses. 

THE AFFUSION. 

The patient stands in a wash-tub, bathing-tub, or other con¬ 
venient place, when by means of a pail, pitcher or basin, the assis¬ 
tant pours water upon the head, neck, etc., either upon the whole 
of the body or only upon a part. The water is used in quantity 
and temperature according to the necessities of the case. The 
affusion is one of the best of hydropathic modes. Fifty years 
ago, Dr. Currie, of England, performed great cures in fever by 
the affusion, sometimes tepid, at others cold, according to the 
strength and heat of the patient. If there was great heat the 
water was used cold; if not, the reverse. In a variety of febrile 
diseases, such as typhus-fever, scarlet-fever, small-pox, measles, 
tetanus, convulsions, etc., he used this remedy with remarkable suc¬ 
cess. 


TOWEL AND SPONGE-BATH. 

With one or two coarse towels and a quart or two of water we 
may take a very good bath almost anywhere, even in a carpeted 
room, at a hotel, or wherever we may be, without spilling a drop of 
the water. After a person becomes accustomed to this form of ablu¬ 
tion, none but the most indolent will be willing to do without it, 
unless they can have some other form of bath. A daily towel ablu¬ 
tion, thoroughly performed, is an excellent prevention against colds, 
helps the appetite and digestion and is a good means of preventing 
constipation. Some are in the habit of sitting in a half-bath, or a 
sitz-tub, and wfith a large sponge making the water pass freely upon 
the head, neck, shoulders, and other parts of the body. At the same 
time the bather may pour water from a cup, basin or pitcher, upon 


WASH-DOWN. 


88T 


the head, neck, etc. This is a mild affusion, and stronger in effect 
than the towel-bath. 

WASH-DOWN. 

The patient stands in an empty sitting or wash-tub, beside 
which stands a pail of tepid or warm water with two coarse towels 
soaking in it. The bath-attendant, taking his place behind the patient, 
lifts one of the towels, all loaded with water, and lays it quickly on the 
patient’s head. The patient immediately seizes it, removes it from 
his head, and rubs himself rapidly with it—his face, his throat, 
shoulders, arms, chest, stomach, bowels, thighs, and legs. Having 
gone rapidly over the whole body once, lie drops his towel into the 
pail again, which the bath-man presses down to the bottom of the 
water, then lifts out and places it on his head again. As before, the 
patient seizes it and goes over the same ground once more, and then 
drops it into the water again, when the bath-man again lifts it and 
places it on the head to be a third time removed by the patient and 
applied as before, rapidly, actively and energetically, all over his 
body in front. The bath-man is industriously occupied all the time 
behind in the same manner, from the back of the neck to the back 
of the. legs, wetting his own towel as often as he wets that used by 
the patient, viz., three times. This is called a wash-down of three 
towels. The patient is then dried in a dry sheet. It is a more 
powerful bath than the common towel-batli, but not in all respects 
so convenient to take. 

THE COED FOOT-BATH. 

4 

One of the first things people who are troubled with cold feet 
do, is to plunge them into cold water. Nor is the assertion put 
forth in some of the hydropathic works, that the cold foot-bath was 
prescribed by Priessnitz for the same purpose that the faculty 
ordered warm ones, correct. When the feet are already cold, neither 
Priessnitz nor any one in his sober reason would prescribe cold 
water, which can only make the parts colder. To obtain the good 
effect of the cold foot-bath, so far as the feet are concerned, they 
should be warm whenever it is taken. For a tendency to coldness of 
the feet—a very common symptom in these days of so-called luxury 
and refinement, and one that indicates a state of things in the sys¬ 
tem incomparably more to be dreaded than the mere coldness of the 
feet, this is the remedy. It may be taken at any convenient time; 
just before the morning walk is a very suitable occasion, the parts 
being usually warm early in the day. At other times if cold, they 
should, if at all practicable, be warmed by exercise and friction, 
before subjecting them to the action of cold water. But in cases of 
old age, great debility, etc., the hot foot-bath and other warm 
applications may be resorted to before the cold. Thus with cold, 
exercise and friction, accustoming the feet daily and frequently to 


888 


WADING FOOT-BATHS. 


cold water, will beget in them a habit of remaining warm. In a 
great variety of ailments, such as toothache, rush of blood to the 
head, headache, earache, inflammation of the eyes, gout, rheumatism, 
hemorrhages, etc., the cold foot-bath is a valuable remedy. It is 
ordered deep or shallow, and of duration according to the nature of 
the case. 

WADING FOOT-BATHS. 

I have often directed patients to wade in water in some conven¬ 
ient place, as a means of hardening the system and of giving tone to 
the nerves. Delicate ladies who were not able, as they supposed, to 
endure cold water applied to the feet, have by degrees, wetting the 
feet but little at first, become so accustomed to the coldest water 
that in a few weeks they could bear as much as any one would 
desire. Caution and perseverance should be the rule. It is partly by 
sympathy and partly by the abstraction of heat, that foot-baths and 
wetting the feet act in so beneficial or deleterious a manner as we 
know them to do. The principle of sympathy is an old one in the 
medical art, but none the worse for that. 

THE WARM FOOT-BATH. 

This one of the a old woman’s ” remedies and one of the best of 
its class. Many a “ cold ” that threatened serious consequences has 
been broken up by its use. To be effective, however, it should be 
taken at the very commencement of a cold, or other ailment, and as 
hot as can be borne, for twenty or thirty minutes, or longer. As the 
feet become accustomed to the high temperature, hot water should 
be added every few minutes, and at the termination of the bath the 
feet should be dipped for a few moments in water at about 60 or TO 
degrees Fahrenheit. 

THE NOSE-BATH. 

In a variety of nasal ailments, catarrh, colds in the head, inflam¬ 
mation and ulceration of the nasal passages, nose-bleed, etc., the 
nose-bath is a salutary remedy. The water is used either tepid or 
cold, according to the case. It should be drawn back if possible, so 
that it is ejected by the mouth. Those who have injured the nasal 
cavities by much snuff-taking, will find advantage from sniffing 
water freely into the nostrils. If one is determined to leave off 
snuff, as every one addicted to it ought to be, if he regard either 
health or bodily comfort, he will find it useful often to take cold 
water, instead of the abominable weed. 

THE EYE AND EAR-BATH. 

Various contrivances may be brought to bear in applying water 
to the eye and ear. Light ascending douches and showers are use- 


889 


MOUTH, OR ORAL BATH. 

fill in various diseases of tlie parts. There should not be much 
force used in this way. Immersing them also in water is often use¬ 
ful. The water should not, in general, be very cold, tepid or warm 
being often the best. 

MOUTH, OR ORAL BATH. 

For inflammation of the gums, mouth, throat and palate, in 
slimy secretions from the throat and stomach, in toothache, catarrh, 
colds and chronic hoarseness, garglings and baths for the mouth are 
of great service. Pauley, a merchant of Vienna, has been thought 
singular for his zeal in recommending this bath. Clergymen and 
others who suffer hoarseness by much speaking, will find that holding 
very cold water in the mouth until it begins to grow warm, and then 
ejecting it, and by frequently repeating the process, much benefit 
will be obtained. For falling or elongation of the palate, in which 
it is now so much of a professional hobby to clip off the part, the 
gargling sufficiently with cold water will be found a never failing 
remedy. Coughs and tightness in the chest may often be essentially 
relieved by this bath. In mucous secretions from the throat and 
stomach, by ejecting the water a number of times, it will surprise 
those who have not witnessed the remedy to see the amount of slimy 
secretion thrown off. 


WET COMPRESSES. 

A compress consists of two or three folds of soft linen or cotton 
wrung out of cold, hot or tepid water, applied to the affected part, 
and covered by a piece of oil-silk, gutta-percha foil, India-rubber cloth 
or woolen, which should project a little beyond the wet cloth on all 
sides, so as to prevent evaporation from the linen. In parts subject 
to considerable motion, as the throat and neck, the edges of the oil- 
silk should be folded in over the wet linen so as to prevent its 
exposure to the air. For persons with feeble reaction, the compress 
may be wrung out of warm water before applying it, and in colic 
and other painful diseases the hot compress is most frequently 
indicated. 

Compresses are generally best applied at night, as it is often 
impossible to keep them in close apposition while moving about. 
After removing them in the morning, the parts should be sponged 
with cold or tepid water to restore the tone of the skin. 

Abdominal Compress —This consists of two or three 
thicknesses of linen, from about six to nine inches wide and long 
enough to go round the whole body, or the linen may only cover 
the front part of the abdomen, or even only the seat of uneasiness; 
this should be wrung out of cold, tepid, warm, or hot water, covered 
with oil-silk, and secured by a flannel or linen bandage with strings. 
This may be worn several nights in succession, the parts being well 
sponged with cold water, and rubbed with a coarse towel on removing 


890 


TURKISH BATHS. 


it in the morning. The abdominal-compress is very valuable in 
typhoid fever; it tends to control diarrhea, checks the spread of 
ulceration, and so lessens the danger of perforation, or opening in 
the bowel. In constipation it is often a most useful adjunct and in 
diarrhea it relieves irritation and facilitates the cure. 

Compress for the Throat —A piece of linen or flannel 
should be wrung out of cold water and wrapped in two or three 
thicknesses around the throat; this should be covered with oil- 
silk, and over all two or three thicknesses of flannel to maintain the 
warmth. When this is applied the patient should retire to bed and 
he will generally have the satisfaction of finding his throat-difficulty 
much relieved by the morning. 

Chest-Compresses —In bronchitis and other inflammatory 
affections of the lungs or pleura, the use of wet compresses, after or 
before poultices, greatly aids the action of the medicines. Com¬ 
presses adapted for the chest and other parts may be obtained from 
most Homoeopathic chemists. 

Sores, ulcers and tumors are often benefited by compresses. In 
local forms of rheumatism, as lumbago, some inflammatory affec¬ 
tions of the knees, ankles and other joints and in sprains and other 
injuries, they hasten the cure. 

The appearance of a rash or eruption of pimples after the con¬ 
tinued use of the compress is regarded as favorable. If the rash be 
very troublesome, the compress may be discontinued and glycerine 
and Cologne-water in equal parts smeared over the eruption. 

Spinal Hot -water and Ice-Bag's —In many female 
derangements Chapman’s spinal bags are of great utility when 
judiciously used. The ice-bag requires greater caution than the 
hot-water bag, especially during pregnancy. 

TURKISH BATHS. 

*51 

The Turkish or Thermal bath for the home, is something to be 
greatly desired. An apparatus for administering it can be made 
with very little trouble and expense. This bath can be given satis¬ 
factorily by any woman of ordinary common sense. Take a chair 
with a wooden seat, a simple office arm chair will do, and place in 
it a piece of flannel blanket so full that it will fall over in front and 
behind. Place a coffee cup one third filled with alcohol under the 
chair. Where another vessel is used, be sure that the opening is no 
larger than that of a cup, as that space allows sufficient surface for 
the combustion of the alcohol. Have in front of the chair a foot 
tub containing warm water for the feet. Seat the patient, after all 
clothing has been removed and envelop her closely in woolen 
blankets. These should extend over her in front and back, outside 
and around the chair. These preparations completed, light the alco¬ 
hol with a taper. Take no risk of burning yourself by using a 
match. Perspiration will begin in from three to five minutes. 


TURKISH BATHS. 


891 


Should blood rush to the head, causing a red face or fulness about 
the brain, place around the neck a napkin wrung from tepid water. 
This is preferable to douching the head, as it has the advantage of 
not spoiling the arrangement of the hair. With the first bath, she is 
liable to become faint or sick at the stomach, in which case have her 
drink copiously of hot water or ginger tea. Should the perspiration 
be slow in starting, or the heat become too intense, bathe the sur¬ 
face with a sponge dipped in cold water. Let her remain fifteen or 
twenty minutes, or as long as is necessary to induce copious perspira¬ 
tion. That accomplished, she can be rubbed and bathed while 
sitting in the chair. If feeble, and longer perspiration is desirable, 
transfer her to a bed or lounge, still enveloped in the blankets, 
where she can be bathed under cover, if need be. The manipulation 
should be thorough. Press, knead, pinch and squeeze every muscle 
in the body, using only the fingers and wrist. The use of the entire 
arm and palm of the hand in the process of massage makes hard 
work and does not give as good results. She should remain on the 
lounge or couch for an hour to rest, cool and sleep. 

This is a simple and inexpensive apparatus, and can be con¬ 
structed and used in every home. The bath should not be taken 
earlier than tw r o hours after eating, otherwise it is almost impossible 
to set up perspiration; besides it interferes with digestion. Before ten 
or eleven o’clock in the forenoon is the best time for invalids to take 
the bath. Persons engaged in business can take it upon rising in 
the morning or just before going to bed. There is no risk in going 
out after the bath as the danger of taking cold is small when the 
vapor bath is immediately followed by tepid or cold sponging, or 
still better the dripping wet sheet. 

The Thermal bath can be taken at least once a week as a san- 
itive measure. For diseases, the frequency depends upon the case. 
There is usually nothing enervating about the bath, as many inva¬ 
lids gain •strength with its daily use. It is alike valuable in health 
and disease. The healthy action of the skin is procured by it as by 
no other bath. The excretory organs are relieved, the system 
cleansed and healthy action procured. 

The circulation of the blood is equalized and local congestions 
of any and every part are removed, which are the most important 
things to be sought in treating diseased conditions. For purifying 
the blood it is the quickest, easiest and most effectual means knowm. 
The blood is literally washed of impurities by it. Pure water is 
taken by the patient, absorbed, passed into and mixed with the 
blood, by which it is carried to the capillary net work of the skin 
and poured upon the surface in the form of perspiration, not pure 
as when it was taken into the stomach, but commingled with the 
impurities in the blood. The nervous system is soothed and tran- 
q uilized by it, and the cobwebs of care are swept from the brain, 
leaving it clear and refreshed. It is especially useful in the treat¬ 
ment of all diseases arising from impurities of the blood, inactivity 


892 


SPIRIT VAPOR-BATH. 


of the skin, local inflammations or unbalanced nervous action. For 
drug poisoning, scrofula, consumption, skin diseases, dropsy, 
remittent and intermittent fevers, coughs, colds, catarrh, croup,' 
gout, rheumatism, neuralgia, bronchitis and diseases of the liver 
and kidneys, it is very efficient. A cold in the first stages will be 
broken up by it and alleviation will ensue at any stage. It should 
be taken about the time the chill is anticipated for ague and be 
given thoroughly. Few cases resist a third or fourth bath without 
any other means. There is no equal to it for chronic rheumatism, 
and for that it may be taken every day, some even have taken it 
twice a day with great benefit. Cases of longstanding have entirely 
succumbed to this treatment. Nearly all the eruptive diseases are 
benefited by it. In pregnancy it is also valuable when there is dry¬ 
ness of the skin and coldness of the surface with sensitiveness to 
cold. AVhere the pregnant woman has any of the diseases named 
above, this bath will sometimes be found as efficacious as if she were 
not enceinte. If a good skillful attendant should attend her and 
ample time be taken to rest after the bath, no disastrous results 
need be feared, as the bath may be taken as often as twice a week 
during the entire time of pregnancy, when it is found to agree. 

SPIRIT-VAPOR BATH. 

This is similar to the Turkish bath, is very powerful in benefi¬ 
cent effects upon the whole system, and contributes not a little 
towards the removal of disease. It is one of the best methods of 
inducing activity of the vessels of the skin, and was first introduced 
to the medical profession more than twenty years ago, we believe, 
by the accomplished Prof. King; since which time, especially, it has 
been very extensively used as a remedial agent. One of the many 
advantages of producing perspiration in this way is, that it is 
unattended by the injurious effects which too often fellow the 
administration of sweat-producing medicine. 

The method of giving this bath is as follows: The patient is 
to be in a night-shirt or other clothing, to be worn only while sweat¬ 
ing and during the night, if the bath is taken at bed-time. He is 
then seated on a high wood-bottomed chair, or any other, provided 
care is taken that the bottom is so covered that the flame will not 
burn him. Then a large blanket is thrown around him from be¬ 
hind, covering the back of his head and body as well as the chair, 
and another passed around him in front, pinned so loosely at the 
neck that he can put it on or off his face as occasion may require 
during the bath. The blankets must join each other at the sides and 
reach the floor, so as to prevent the vapor from passing off. Then 
a cup containing two tablespoonfuls of whisky, or any other 
spirit that will burn, is placed upon the floor directly under the cen¬ 
ter of the chair, and lighted by introducing from behind a piece of 
burning paper. The liquor is allowed to burn until consumed, and 


SPIRIT-VAPOR BATH. 


893 


the operation repeated one or more times if the patient does not al¬ 
ready sweat freely enough, which he will probably do in from five 
to ten minutes. 

If during the operation he feel faint or thirsty, cold water 
must be sprinkled in his face; he may drink one or two swallows, or 
even have his head bathed with it. 

Then, when free perspiration is produced, wrap the blankets 
around him, put him in bed, cover him warmly and give him hot 
teas to drink. After two or three hours remove the covering piece 
by piece, at intervals of about, half an hour, so that he may gradu¬ 
ally cease to perspire. 

Ordinary precautions will prevent his taking cold, and he may 
go to business the next day. 

This mode of producing perspiration is highly recommended 
in severe colds, pleurisy, rheumatism, diarrhea, dysentery, feverish 
and inflammatory attacks, etc. In acute diseases it may be practiced 
once a day; in chronic, once or twice a week, according to indica¬ 
tions of its necessity. 


894 


MODES OF BATHING 




Washtub Bath 



Hot-Bath. 


Plunge-Bath 
































































































































































































MODES OF BATHING. 


S95 



Head-Bath 


Vessel. 

























































































































896 


HYDROPATHIC TREATMENT OF DISEASE. 


HYDROPATHIC TREATMENT OF DISEASES. 


APOPLEXY. 

Treatment —First remove all constriction from the throat 
and neck; second, take the patient if possible into the open air; at 
least have the windows and doors wide open, so that breathing may 
be aided as much as possible. Then place him in such a position 
that the head may be elevated, so that by gravity the blood may the 
more readily descend. Take care that the head neither falls back¬ 
ward, nor forward upon the chest. Rapid friction over the wet-sheet, 
with wet towels, or the hands wet in cold water, should then be 
made in the most vigorous manner, with the view of drawing the 
blood from the head. At the same time the head should be cooled 
as much as possible, and as soon as there is a little abatement in the 
symptoms water should be poured upon the head, without however 
letting the part lie too low. Cold-water clysters are also useful. 
The treatment should be perseveringly followed till the patient grows 
either much better or much worse. Afterward the patient should 
be managed according to the symptoms of the case. The rationale of 
the above treatment will be readily understood. The great object is 
to arrest the current of blood towards the head and to prevent the 
hemorrhagic tendency. The frictions act admirably in answering 
the first indication and the cold upon the head the second; for the 
constrictive power of cold in arresting heinorhage is now well under¬ 
stood. In case the circulation has become depressed, with pale and 
cold surface, we should of course use hot applications to the body 
and tepid to the neck. But even here the effort of wet-liand 
friction in rousing the dormant vital power will be found 
serviceable. 

ASTHMA. 

In treating the asthmatic fit, the wet-sheet, well wrung and 
faithfully applied, is the great thing. Repeat it two, three, or 
twenty times in succession, as the case may need. There is no dan¬ 
ger of doing harm, or of giving the patient a cold, so long as the 
nervous excitement is upon him and the difficulty of breathing con¬ 
tinues. If the sheet cannot be had, a good washing with towels, 
the water always cool or cold, is very useful. The wet-jacket or 
chest-wrapper, or wet towels about the chest, are all useful, if the 
weather is not too hot. When that is the case, we must depend up¬ 
on the washings simply. 

LOSS OF APPETITE. 

Treatment —One of the best evidences of the value of water- 
treatment is its power to restore a lost appetite. The reason why 




BOILS. 


897 


the.hydropathic processes act in this way is, that they promote a 
rapid change of matter in the system, and at the same time a tonic 
or invigorating effect. Water-patients uniformly get a good appe¬ 
tite in a short time after commencing the treatment. Exercise is 
also valuable. 

BOILS. 

The water-dressing, that is, applications of wet linen, frequently 
renewed and kept at a temperature which is most agreeable to the 
feelings, is beyond doubt the best local remedy we have for boils. 
General ablutions in water, tepid or cold, according to the season of 
the year and the patient’s strength, will be found highly serviceable. 
The wet-sheet pack is also an invaluable means. It will surprise any 
one who is not acquainted with matters of this kind, to witness the 
salutary effects of these general applications upon the affected parts. 
A tepid bath simply will often relieve pain and irritation to a degree 
which no one who had not witnessed it could believe. 


.FALLING OF THE BOWEL. 

A tepid sitting bath, long continued, would in such a case 
prove highly beneficial; it would not only be a means of relieving 
pains and soreness, but would bring down the inflammation and 
size of the protrusion and thus facilitate its return to its normal posi¬ 
tion. One of the best possible means of preventing the pain—and 
this is very excruciating at times—is to envelop the patient in the 
wet-sheet. It may be used in the half or folded form, or the entire 
envelopment may be had recourse to. Its action in such cases is 
that of a great and soothing poultice, the good results of which can 
be appreciated best by those who have experienced its salutary 
effects. I should remark that the abdominal w r et girdle should be 
worn constantly night and day, in all these cases, until a cure is 
effected. It is an invaluable means of promoting the vigor of the 
stomach and bowels and is thus an excellent auxiliary in the treat¬ 
ment. 


BILIOUS ATTACK. 

Let the patient drink water—pure and soft, if he can get such 
—in considerable quantities; six, eight, ten, or more tumblerfuls in 
a day. This process will purify his system by removing effete ma¬ 
terial and stimulating the liver to healthy action. And if he can 
add to this process a few packs, clysters, sitting-baths,, half-baths, 
rubbing-sheets, head-baths,—as many, in short, per diem, as the 
symptoms may demand, in connection with moderate exercise in 
the open air, he will be made a new man of soon enough. 

57 


898 


JAUNDICE. 


JAUNDICE. 

The treatment for this disease is the same as the foregoing, and 
in addition, kneading over the region of the liver and gall bladder so 
as to re-establish the How of bile. 

CRAMPS. 

Friction with the hand wet in cold water is evidently better 
than the dry application, or that by means of spirits, ointments, 
etc., which have sometimes been resorted to. The wearing of wet 
bandages at night upon the part liable to be affected will often at 
least ward off the attack. 

COLIC. 

The treatment of a fit of common colic is in general simple, 
and the cure easily effected. The great thing is to clear the stomach 
and bowels as soon as may be of their morbid contents. One or 
two full injections of warm water will often suffice. But in some 
cases it is necessary to persevere, long and hard. Gallons upon 
gallons of water are given, both at the mouth to cause vomit¬ 
ing and the bowels to clear them of their contents. We use 
also warm or hot sitting-baths, prolonged as much as may be found 
necessary, with a good deal of rubbing the bowels with the wet hand. 
Going at once into a bath is a valuable thing in some cases and no one 
will get harm from hot water while the pain is upon him. In some 
cases warm-baths may also be used in alternation with cold; 
and hot and cold compresses might be used alternately while 
the sitting-bath is taken, the feet may be placed in warm water and 
the same may be done after any of the cold applications. It does 
no good to keep the feet very chilly in such cases. We should per¬ 
severe with the several methods, one or more of them accordingly 
as we may, till relief is obtained. 

CATALEPSY. 

Treating catalepsy should be managed for the most part the 
same as hysteria. If there be great rigidity of the muscles, a large 
amount of wet-hand friction may be necessary. The water should 
be used cold, warm or hot, according to the patient. 

CONVULSIONS. 

In the convulsions of children the warm bath is found a most 
useful remedy whether the disorder originates in worms or other 
causes. It seldom fails in stopping the paroxysms, at least for 
some time, and thereby giving an opportunity of employing the 
means fitted to remove the particular irritation. In early infancy 
it should be used with caution, and generally by affusion, temper¬ 
ing the water according to conditions. When the vital energy 


CHOLERA. 


899 


seems much exhausted the remedy should be avoided entirely and 
friction substituted. The benefit derived from the cold-bath in con¬ 
vulsive diseases depends on its being used in the paroxysms of con¬ 
vulsion; its efficacy consists in resolving or abating the paroxysm; 
and when this effect is produced, the return of the paroxysm is 
greatly retarded, if not wholly prevented. 

In many cases the shallow-bath, rubbing wet-sheet, and other 
forms of applying water by wet friction, will be found to prove 
pi ore successful than the above methods. Cold affusion on 
the head, particularly when the part is hot and the patient 
not very weak, is a valuable remedy in many of these cases. 
Cold injections, if the patient is not particularly weak, and in other 
cases the tepid, should be used freely in all convulsive attacks. It 
matters not so much whether the bowels are constipated or other¬ 
wise, the effect is good. In all the water management of these 
cases, of course, we should do no violence to the system and the 
treatment should be managed prudently, according to the patient’s 
constitution and the nature of the attack. 

All kinds of convulsions are to be treated on the same general 
principles, whatever the cause. The great thing is, to rouse the 
blood into a better and more general circulation. Pouring cold 
water on the head would seem to promise well in cases where there 
is much determination of blood to the head. 

CHOLERA. 

The dripping-sheet, with the brisk rubbing upon its surface, is, 
as I have before said, a powerful means of relieving spasms, arising 
from whatever cause. The dry-rubbing, which is not a tenth part 
as good as the wet, was found in Paris sufficient to render calm 
and quiet the poor sufferers when the terrible spasms were upon 
them. The water-drinking and vomiting in nausea cleanses the 
stoifiacli, produces a tonic effect upon its internal surface, and thus 
forestalls vomiting in cholera. It helps moreover to cleanse the 
bowels and prevent the diarrhea. Priessnitz used the deep, cold 
hip-bath for the reason that it has a very powerful effect in con¬ 
stricting the opening capillaries of the mucous membrane of the 
stomach and alimentary canal generally, and in arresting the vom¬ 
iting and discharges from the bowels, but as hot water has the 
same effect and is much more lasting in its results it is to be pre¬ 
ferred in nearly every case. Each and all of these applications, if ener¬ 
getically persevered in, tend most powerfully to keep down the 
inordinate burning and thirst. 

CONSTIPATION. 

As local applications, in this condition, the sitting-batli and 
wet-girdle, worn night and day, or nights only if it is not practic¬ 
able by day, are invaluable means. It is of great importance to 


900 


COUGH. 


attend well to the condition of the skin. The mucous membrane 
of the bowels has great sympathy with the condition of the skin. 
To maintain this in a healthy, vigorous state, the rubbing wet- 
sheet, the towel-bath and the daily shower, where this is well 
borne, are valuable remedies. The bathing should be followed 
daily and semi or tri-daily, should there be need in the case. 

COUGH. 

Treatment —One of the best palliative means for the cough, 
when consumption has not proceeded to a great extent, is to make 
the body naked, and wash the surface with pure water, especially 
the throat and chest. Even washing the feet will often relieve a 
troublesome cough. 

The difficulty of breathing, which often attends lung-com¬ 
plaints, may be greatly modified and relieved by the washings and 
wet-hand frictions, such as I have recommended for cough. 

The power of water to promote the strength of the living 
tissue is nowhere more strikingly exemplified than in the treat¬ 
ment of hectic night-sweats. With every thing besides well man¬ 
aged, it would seem that these debilitating night-sweats can be 
effectually checked, to the very last. Often have I known persons 
who have sweltered for weeks and months nightly with perspira¬ 
tion, in whom it was checked altogether by the simple effect of 
cold water, and wet frictions upon the surface. Nor would I have 
the water applied very cold; only of such temperature as the patient 
can bear, that is, can get comfortably warm after. In proportion 
as these night sweats are checked by water is the strength supported, 
the health made more comfortable in every respect, and, to all 
appearances, life materially prolonged. These washings may be 
practiced two or three times daily, with the view of invigorating 
the surface. Pure, fresh water—the purer and softer the better— 
should be used. 

As a palliative means to be used in the fatal diarrhea which 
occurs towards the last of consumption, pretty copious injections of 
lukewarm or tepid water into the bowels, will be found a most 
excellent means. It serves to soothe the patient, and at the same 
time supports his strength. Have a good instrument, and resort 
to the internal rinsing at every time when the bowels act unnatur¬ 
ally. Use it either just before, or after, or both. Be the diarrhea 
of whatever kind, this is a most excellent remedy. 

There is no magic, I will remark, as to the particular form of 
bathing. Any good ablution—the dripping-sheet, as it is called in 
our hydropathic works, the affusion of water, the washing of the 
body in a wash tub, or merely by wet towels and the wet hand— 
all of these are good modes. The shower-bath, it is to be remarked, 
is one of the most severe of all; hence should not be used in. 
this disease. 


DIPHTHERIA AND CROUP. 


901 


DIPHTHERIA AND CROUP. 

If we wash and rub the chest with the hand wet in cold water, 
^nd put upon it a wet bandage—methods that are alway salutary 
for a cough—we do good, although the attack may not prove to be 
one of croup. 

In a violent attack of croup we could hardly do too much 
while the general fever and inflammatory symptoms are present. 
Sometimes it may be necessary to bathe the child every hour, or 
even oftener. At all events, we should give baths enough, change 
the bandages often enough, and wash and rub the chest sufficiently, 
to keep the breathing good and the croup in check. Tepid or cool 
affusion—tepid if the child is weak, but cool if the contrary—with 
wet hand friction upon the throat and chest, with the constant use 
of wet bandages upon .these parts, constitute the sum and substance 
of the best of all known methods of treating this disease. An essen¬ 
tial point is that the compress on the throat should be put on 
neatly and be fastened snugly to the throat. There should be no 
loose ends or ed^es to chill when the head is moved. This should 
be snugly covered with a woolen compress, but care should be 
taken that neither of the compresses are so tight as to interfere with 
the circulation or breathing. The compress should be quite cold 
and changed often; with very weak children it need not be very cold. 
In diptheria the water should be ice-cold. In both diseases the 
compress should be used constantly . 

CORNS. 

It is an instructive fact in regard to corns, as also warts, bun¬ 
ions, etc., that a course of water-treatment generally removes them 
wholly, or prevents all pain. Those who bathe habitually in cold 
water are seldom troubled with corns. 

*1 

CHAFING. 

In all cases perfect cleanliness—the most strict and constant— 
is the great thing. In the case of infants use a soft sponge and the 
purest, softest water that can be obtained. It is not necessary that 
it be very cold; it may indeed be used quite lukewarm, but never 
hot. To secure the most perfect cleanliness, use a little mild, 
unscented soap now and then, if necessary. Use the sponge and 
water, three, four or more times each day. 

CHAPPING. 

I know of no means so good for chaps as the water-dressing, 
mixed with a little glycerine and suited to the feelings of comfort. 
Nights especially this remedy may be advantageously used. If we 
can" but manage it rightly, it will cure in a shorter time than any 
other application we can make. 



902 


DRUNKEN FIT. 


DRUNKEN FIT. 

Treatment —In no respect is the curative power of water 
more striking than in its effects upon a drunken person. The great 
thing is to pour plenty of cold water upon the head, till the patient 
“comes to.” The dripping wet-sheet, shallow bath, and all other 
means of cooling are also useful. If we can vomit the patient 
plentifully with tepid or warm water, so much the better. Cold 
injections, in the fit especially, are very useful. Treated in this 
way, much of the headache, nausea, feverishness, etc., that follow a 
debauch, are thrown off. Sailors understand well the proper 
method of bringing a drunken man to his senses. If one of their 
number becomes intoxicated, they tie a rope about him and throw 
him overboard into the sea. The shock quickly arouses his senses, 
and the submersion serves to remove the fever. 

DELIRIUM TREMENS. 

The great thing in treating delirium tremens is to cool suffi¬ 
ciently the whole mass of the circulation; to do this we can hardly 
go amiss in the use of cold water, applying both externally and 
internally in the most profuse manner, although we should not 
apply the douche or allow water from a height. Water will make 
the patient sleep when nothing else will. 

DYSPEPSIA. 

In the first place, the dyspeptic should take as much exercise 
in the open air, regularly and daily, as he can bear without exhaus¬ 
tion. ITe should become fatigued, but not exhausted. 

In the second place, he should go to rest early and at the same 
hour every night. He should also rise early in the morning and 
observe the same regularity as to time. If he should not happen to 
sleep well every night, he should yet observe these rules strictly. 
His bed and pillow should be hard rather than otherwise, his sleep¬ 
ing room as airy as may be, and he should use only enough clothing 
to be quite comfortable. 

A most important rule is, that the dyspeptic eat precisely at the 
same hour each day. If he is unavoidably thrown out of his time, 
he should drink some water and wait till the next regular meal. 
The utmost regularity in the times of eating is of the greatest 
importance to one who is suffering in this way. 

The most important rule of all regarding aliment is that which 
relates to quantity. First, quantity, and second, quality, both of 
which are of great consequence in their place. The rule of all rules 
is, not to over-eat. If the dyspeptic will but persevere in taking 
that amount, and that amount only, however small it may be, which 
his stomach can receive and digest comfortably, he will soon find 
himself on the high road to health; and it will surprise any one to 


DYSENTERY. 


903 


find on how small an amount of nutriment—wheat-meal bread, for 
example—he can subsist and grow better. I repeat, then, the dys¬ 
peptic should not oppress his stomach with food , and should eat 
only those articles that agree with him. If he can take only an 
ounce, or the fourth part of that amount, let it be so. If he will 
persevere in not oppressing himself \ he will soon grow better and 
be able to take more. Flesh, he should remember, is no sort of 
criterion for health. 

I lay down this important rule, however, that the dyspeptic 
should take the most healthy articles for a healthy stomach. But 
he sure to regulate the quantity accordingly as the stomach can 
hear . 

As regards water-treatment proper, everything that is calcu¬ 
lated to promote the tone and vigor of the constitution is a help in 
dyspepsia. The whole force of the treatment is brought to bear 
advantageously in many cases. The timid are particularly advised 
to try the free use of the rubbing wet-sheet. 

DYSENTERY. 

If I were to give in a few words the great golden rule, 
for treating dysentery, as well as cholera-morbus and bowel- 
complaints general^, it would be, keep the bowels cool , the head 
cool , and the extremities warm. If all this were done faithfully in 
all cases from the first , few, very few, would ever die of such 
attacks. But all of this implies good judgment, skill and persever¬ 
ance. In dysentery, for example, a sleepy parent allows the disease 
to progress for half or the whole of a sultry night, and in the 
morning it maybe too late. The fatal work is done. I repeat, such 
attacks must he taken at the very first. 

The tepid hip-bath is an invaluable remedy in this complaint. 
If there is in the whole range of human diseases one instance 
wherein a remedial agent can be made to act in a manner most 
agreeably efficacious in subduing pain, it is the sitting-bath in this. 
In the tormina and tenesmus of dysentery, a child may be writhing 
in agony a great portion of the time; opiates and injections and all 
other remedies fail in bringing relief; if the child is set or held in a 
tub of tepid or warm water the pain will soon cease. If the 
remedy is used sufficiently often, the water being of proper tempera¬ 
ture, we are certain of securing our object so far as the reliev¬ 
ing of pain is concerned. Whether the patient can live is another 
question; but if death even must be the result in any given case, it 
is certainly very desirable that we make this death as easy as may 
be. This every parent can well appreciate. 

Let this bath he used thus: A common wooden tub is sufficient, 
the size being suited somewhat to the patient’s age. It is better 
to elevate the back of the tub a few inches by placing under it a 
brick or a block of wood. If the tub is of pretty good depth, all 


904 


CELLULAR DROPSY. 


the better, as we wish to have the water come as high upon the 
abdomen as may be*, but if the tub is shallow, the water can be 
poured higher upon the body by means of a cup; or a sponge or 
towel dipped frequently in water may be used. Make thorough work 
in cooling the bowels and then the pain will cease. If it is a young, 
feeble child, let two persons hold it, one to support the head and 
upper part of the body, the other, the feet outside of the tub. In 
some cases the feet should be placed in warm water at the same 
time. The feet also may be rubbed with the dry, warm hand 
or warm cloths; or other moderately warm applications may be 
made. 

If there be great soreness of the anus, or external opening of 
the lower bowel, a heavy, wet compress should be placed upon the 
part. Wet a heavy diaper and apply it as for a young infant. 
This may be double or treble, according to the necessity of the case. 
This accomplishes much in relieving and preventing the soreness 
alluded to—the excruciating torture so often attending the disease. 

I would give the child all the liquid he desires. I would even 
encourage him to take more rather than less; and the best liquid 
for all, for this purpose, doubtless, is pure soft water—the purer and 
softer the better. People may everywhere have pure soft water if 
they will only be at the expense (which is on the whole, a moderate 
one) of catching the water as it comes from the clouds. But use 
even hard water, rather than any other drink. Boiling the water, 
if it is hard, improves it somewhat. 

CELLULAR DROPSY. 

9 

As this condition is very frequently the result of diseases, 
either functional or organic, of some of the vital organs, particu¬ 
larly the heart, great care should be taken that too great a shock is 
not given to the system. The water used should be suited to the 
patient’s feelings, but should be as cold as is consistent with com¬ 
fort. A good share of friction is advisable on the ground of stimu¬ 
lating the excretory organs generally. The rubbing wet-sheet, well 
wrung and followed by a thorough rubbing over the dry sheet, is a 
valuable remedy. The skin should be preserved as much as may 
be, and hence it is better that the friction (which should be often 
and freely made) should be with the wet hand or over the sheet 
Moderate showering or douching are also valuable aids in case the 
debility is not so great as to preclude the employment of these 
remedies. 

EARACHE. 

We use head-baths, wet-sheets, general baths, wet compresses 
—in short, the soothing, sedative and febrifuge treatment generally, 
according to the severity and persistency of the case. The extremi¬ 
ties are to be kept warm; the warm foot-bath is useful now and 
then. So also the general warm and the vapor bath. 


ERYSIPELAS. 


905 


ERYSIPELAS. 

The great thing is, to keep down the general fever. Do this 
from lirst to last, both night and day, and all goes on well. The 
local applications (wet cloths), repeated often and suited to the 
patient’s comfort, are also useful. Be especially careful to keep 
the head cool; pour water upon it as much and as often as nec¬ 
essary, and use wet towels; keep the feet warm. Water drinking, 
clysters and spare diet when the appetite comes, are also to be 
thought of. Bathe the patient as often during the night as may 
be necessary to give him sleep. No disease requires a more 
prompt treatment than erysipelas of a malignant type. So that 
the feet are kept warm, it is nearly impossible to do too much. 
Allow of no remedy other than water, without the advice of a 
good homeopathic physician. 

SMALL-POX. 

We are to treat small-pox on the same general principle 
as all severe inflammations, namely, to keep the fever in check from 
the beginning to the end of the disease. As to how much water 
drinking, how many baths, wet sheets, compresses and bandages, 
and what the temperature of the water, all this must vary according 
to the nature, severity, and other circumstances connected with the 
case. No other treatment can at all compare with this for comfort, 
in so desperate a disorder. 


MEASLES. 

• 

Treatment —First, we are to keep down the general fever, as 
in all inflammatory diseases. In accomplishing this we do not send 
the eruption m, but aid nature in bringing it out. A single tepid 
bath, a pack, or a tepid bath, if the patient is not very weak, will 
often bring the rash upon the surface as by magic, while all the 
other symptoms are relieved in a remarkable manner. We use then 
the wet pack, and tepid or cold ablutions—each one or all of these 
as may be convenient, or as the case may require. 

EPILEPSY. 

Cold affusion upon the head, in the manner recommended in 
hysteria, is highly useful. We know that in such cases there is 
turgescence and too great fullness of the blood vessels in the brain. 
Cold, by its constrictive effects drives away the superabundance of 
blood, thus moderating and shortening the fit. The effect of cold 
on the nervous system in these cases is also beneficial; it rouses the 
dormant powers of the system, and aids in preventing the debility 
that follows such attacks. 


906 


NETTLE-RASH. 


NETTLE-RASH. 

Nettle-rash is to be treated actively, according to the symptoms. 
The tepid and warm baths are valuable; so also the wet pack. 

FELON. 

Keeping the inflamed member constantly immersed in ice-cold 
water forms the most effectual means of arresting the inflammation 
and preventing its rising to a head; and that this mode is certain to 
subdue the pain most effectually, everyone who has the opportunity 
may test for himself. This is an affection in which we have a per¬ 
fect demonstration of the great power of cold water to quell pain. 
Severe as it may be, we immerse the part in very cold water, when 
all at once the pain grows less and soon dies away. Keep it thus 
immersed, taking care to have the water very cold, and the pain 
does not return. 

FLATULENCE. 

Treatment— The great thing is to remove the cause or causes 
of the disorder as far as they may be known. The case should be 
managed in all respects like one of dyspepsia. Clysters,, sitting 
baths, and the wet girdle are highly serviceable. If the patient can 
avail himself of the advantages of a thorough hydropathic course at 
an establishment, so much the better. 

FAINTING-FIT. 

Sprinkle a little cold water in the face, give a little to drink, 
and wait patiently for Nature to take care of herself. 

SCARLET FEVER. 

The disease has been cut short by taking the patient out of bed 
and pouring cold water upon him. The heat of the body is so great 
in this disease, that no danger is to be apprehended from the cold 
affusion. It is true, there are cases where the patient is more or 
less chilly; but if in this affection the general rule I laid down in 
the case of common fever be followed, there is no danger whatever, 
but the greatest advantage, in taking the patient out of bed (how¬ 
ever hot he may be) and pouring cold water upon him. I have a 
preference in this disease for the dripping wet sheet used at least 
three times a day and in severe cases oftener. Dr. Danfortli, 
of- Milwaukee, Wis., has used compresses wet in a solution of car¬ 
bonate of soda, which he applies constantly over the whole body, 
changing them as often as they become dry. From the results 
obtained by him, I should not hesitate to resort to this pro¬ 
cedure in a severe case, but in mild cases it would hardly be neces¬ 
sary to keep the patient so closely confined to the bed, as this would 
necessitate. 


INTERMITTENT FEVER. 


907 


INTERMITTENT FEVER. 

In the chilly stage, or, still better, somewhat before it, when 
the premonitory yawning and slight rigors appear, immersion in 
the hot bath, or the vapor bath, continued until the reaction is com¬ 
plete, will be found effectual—in many cases, at least—in preventing 
the coming on of the hot stage, and giving rise in its stead to a mild 
perspiration. 

The treatment of the hot stage is very simple. We manage 
according to the pulse, and the amount of fever, just as we would 
in any other case. Affusion with cold water, dripping sheets, baff¬ 
le itlis, the cold-bath, tepid-bath, and even the warm-bath, as before 
remarked, bring down the heat and pulse in fever; any or all of 
these methods we may use; in short, the whole of the cooling plan, 
according to the case. And what is truly admirable in this treat¬ 
ment is, we prevent the sweating stage. 

The diet is a matter of great importance in ague. An improper 
meal is sufficient, in many cases, to bring on an attack even after 
the paroxysms have been checked. I have known patients who had 
just recovered from ague, and were going about comparatively well, 
by eating a hearty supper of warm biscuit and butter, and the like 
articles, to be attacked again the next day as badly as ever. 

BILIOUS AND REMITTENT FEVER. 

Treatment —This is to be conducted on general principles. 
The important object is to keep down general fever. It is also 
important to purify the system as fast as possible. For this pur¬ 
pose the wet pack is the most useful of all known remedies. We 
can advantageously give three or four of these applications daily, 
when the pulse is full and bounding, and during the intervals have 
the patient almost cbnstantly in the folded sheet. If he is able to 
sit up a part of the time, a large wet girdle should be employed. 
Frequent clysters are sometimes useful, and the patient should drink 
as much water as he can, without oppressing the stomach. It may 
be taken warm for the diluent effect, if he is at all chilly. 

CONGESTIVE FEVER. 

There are two forms of congestive fever, requiring directly 
opposite forms of treatment. When the congestion is accompanied 
with high fever, headache, and even stupor with flushed face, which 
symptoms are generally present when the brain is the suffering organ, 
coldness and friction constitute the great remedy. In another place 
I have spoken of the Parisian treatment of cholera, which consists of 
a great deal of friction with the hands wet in cold water—for the 
water is of a moderate temperature in that country—and water is 
also freely poured upon the patient. This is in effect the half or 
shallow bath of Priessnitz. which can be well enough imitated by 


90S 


YELLOW FEVER. 


using a good-sized wash-tub, there being two or more persons to aid 
in the operations. When the patient is too weak to be held up, he 
can be laid upon a couch, cot or straw-bed, and the friction may 
thus be practiced, with wet sheets placed upon and about him, and 
frequently renewed. At the same time the freest circulation of air 
should be allowed in the room, and if the weather is not decidedly 
inclement, it would be of great benefit to have the patient in the 
open air. Fresh air and coolness, generally, are what he most 
desires, and his feelings should be gratified to the fullest extent 
while the fever is upon him. Now it is scarcely within the range 
of possibility to give a patient a cold under such circumstances—a 
fact which it is of the greatest importance to remember. These 
frictions, besides, are to be continued as frequently and as long as may 
be necessary to produce the desired result. A great advantage of 
the treatment is, that if it is not possible to cure the patient, which 
I think can seldom happen if the case is taken in season—it renders 
the sufferings much less than they would otherwise be. The water 
need never be so cold as to do much violence to the patient’s feel¬ 
ings. From 60° to 70° would be safe in the generality of cases. 

The patient should at all times be allowed what drink he 
craves; and, singular as it may appear, warm water is found to quell 
the thirst and vomiting when present better than cold. In the 
other form the patient, is pale, the hands and feet are bloodless and 
cold although lie may have a feeling of heat and a desire to be 
uncovered. Vomiting and purging are sometimes present to such a 
degree that it is difficult to distinguish the disease from cholera, 
and the treatment is to be the same as for the latter disease. 

In all forms of congestive fever its malarial character is to be 
kept sight of and treatment kept up in the interval between the 
paroxysms. 

The cold or tepid sitting-bath should not.be neglected at this 
time, especially after the violence of the disease has somewhat 
passed off. The wet girdle should also be used all, or nearly all of 
the time, and a semi-daily pack, followed by the rubbing wet-sheet, 
or the shallow-bath, would aid the patient much in his recovery. 

YELLOW FEVER. 

The celebrated Dr. Rush, speaking of the means ustd in his 
practice in the epidemic yellow fever that raged so fearfully in the 
city of Philadephia in the year 1793, gives the following testimony 
concerning the effects of water: 

“Cold water was a most agreeable and powerful remedy in this 
disorder. I directed it to be applied by means of napkins to the 
head, and to be injected into the bowels by way of clyster. It gave 
the same ease to both, when in pain, which opium gives to pain 
from other causes. I likewise advised the washing of the face and 
hands, and sometimes the feet with cold water, and always with 


CONTINUED FEVER. 


009 


advantage. It was by suffering the body to lie for some time in a 
bed of cold water, that the inhabitants of the island of Massuah 
cured the most violent bilious fevers. When applied in this way, 
it gradually abstracts the heat from the body, and thereby lessens 
the action of the system. It differs as much in its effects upon the 
body from the cold-bath as rest in a cold room differs from exercise 
in the cold open air. 

“ I was first led to the partial application of cold water to the 
body, in fevers of too much force in the arterial system, by observ¬ 
ing its good effects in active hemorrhages, and by recollecting the 
effects of a partial application of warm water to the feet, in fevers 
of an opposite character. Cold water, when applied to the feet, as 
certainly reduces the pulse in force and frequency, as warm water 
applied in the same way produces contrary effects upon it. In an 
experiment which was made at my request by one of my pupils, by 
placing his feet in cold pump-water for a few minutes, the pulse 
was reduced twenty-four strokes in a minute, and became so weak 
as hardly to be perceptible.” 

In a disease that is so painful, pervading, and rapid in its 
progress, it would hardly be possible to do too much in the begin¬ 
ning, and before the prominent symptoms are effectually quelled. 
Long-continued shallow-bath frictions, affusions upon the head and 
body generally, clysters and tepid water-drinking, with the cooling 
wet-pack between times, if properly managed, make quick work in 
subdifing all pains and uneasiness, and consequently give the patient 
the best possible chance. 

CONTINUED FEVER. 

Treatment —The treatment of continued fever is to be con¬ 
ducted on general principles. We are to employ ablutions, spong- 
ings, wet bandages, clysters, wet-packs, etc., according to the symp¬ 
toms of the particular case, just as we would in any other form of 
fever, remembering always that we should treat the case as it is and 
not merely according to a name. The particulars of such treatment 
are more fully entered into under the head of “ Typhus and Typhoid 
Fevers,” to which the reader is referred. 

Whenever a general feverishness, from whatever cause, is 
brought on in animals, they not only instinctively drink water, but 
immerse themselves in it, if it is possible for them to do so. It is 
said that in some countries wild pigs become violently convulsed by 
eating henbane, and that by going into water and by drinki ng it 
they recover. And when animals become feverish from mutila¬ 
tions or mechanical injury, they seek lying down upon the damp 
ground in the cool air and even in mud and wet, and go not 
infrequently into the water. 

TYPHUS AND TYPHOID FEVER. 

1. Envelop the patient in one or more heavy wet linen sheets, 
according to the heat and strength, the sheets not much wrung out 


910 


MILK-FEVER. 


and to be frequently renewed, as often, at least, as they begin to 
grow dry. There must not be much covering over the sheets. In 
severe cases the patient should be kept in the wet-sheet the most of 
the time until the fever is broken up. As much fresh air as possi¬ 
ble is to be admitted into the room. The sheet should always be 
doubled and wet towels applied to such parts as the armpits, 
between the limbs and wherever one part comes in contact with 


another. 

2. The cold-bath is given three or four times in twenty-four 
hours and even oftener, should there be much heat. If the patient 
is very weak, the water is used mild, and this should be diminished 
from time to time until it can be borne moderately cold. The bath 
should, if possible, be administered to the patient in a reclining 
posture. At the same time the back of the head and neck should 
be bathed in water of the same temperature as the general bath, 
ending always with the water as cold as can be borne with comfort. 
The surface of the body should be rubbed constantly while the 
patient is being bathed and the bath continued until the tempera¬ 
ture of the armpits is the same as the rest of the surface. 

3. As the patient becomes able to take nourishment, give cold 
milk, fruit and farinaceous food in small quantities, always cold and 
at intervals of the usual meals. Great care is necessary in the food. 
Water at all times to be drunk according to the dictates of thirst. 

4. Use the wet girdle all the time when the patient is not in 
the wet-sheet. 

5. Injections or clysters of pure water are to be given if the 
bowels do not act naturally without; the water cold, if the patient 
is not very weak, one pint at a time. 

The object of the whole treatment is to supply the body amply 
with coolness and moisture. 


MILK-FEVER. 

It is of great service, in every respect, for the patient to bathe 
three or four times a day at such a period. The more the fever is 
kept in check the better. 


GOUT. 

The wet-pack, prolonged shallow-baths and wet bandages are 
the means to be used. The practice should be continued as many 
hours or days in succession as may be necessary to quell the pain. 
It is far better to use cold, tepid and warm baths alternately; the 
wet-pack, frictions, bandages, etc., constantly; that is, to live in 
water than to endure the pain. Nor does water act by repelling 
the morbid matters from the surface, but by drawing them out. All 
spirituous liquors and a stimulating diet should be strictlv pro¬ 
hibited. A strictly vegetarian diet in this disease is a necessity. 


GKAVEL AND STONE. 


Dll 

GRAVEL AND STONE. 

The matter of the body should be changed as rapidly as possi¬ 
ble for that which is pure and healthy, by the use of wet-packs, 
rubbing wet-sheets, sitting-bath, etc. 

The wet-sheet pack, cold sitting-baths, the shallow-bath, rub¬ 
bing the back with pieces of ice, frequent clysters to the bowels, 
< tc. —all. this will have a tendency not only to relieve the pain, but 
to stimulate the parts to expel the offending matters through the 
urinary channels. 

The free use of pure, soft water and fruits, as a part of the reg¬ 
ular meals, will be serviceable in preventing an increase in the size 
of the calculus, and the painful symptoms attending it. The warm- 
bath, as a palliative, is to be resorted to occasionally. 

GONORRHEA AND GLEET. 

Local wet compresses to the parts should be used unremit¬ 
tingly; the wet sheet pack should, if possible, be used often; the 
diet should be strictly vegetable, and the whole management, both 
is regards the primary and the secondary symptoms, should be 
such as is best calculated to purify and invigorate the body gener- 
ally. The hunger-cure is nowhere more applicable. 

Gleet is to be managed on general principles; the system is to 
be purified and invigorated by baths, diet, etc., and the private 
member is to be kept constantly swathed in wet cloths. 

HEADACHE. 

% 

Treatment —The head-bath, liead-douche, and head-affusion 
are invaluable remedies here. Of course, if there is general fever, 
that must be attended to in the proper way. In a bilious fit the 
treatment recommended for a bilious attack elsewhere is indicated. 

In almost any case of headache, in which the patient is able to 
be up, the sitz and foot-baths, cold, tepid, warm or hot, and followed 
by exercise, are highly serviceable. 

HYSTERIA. 

Treatment —The treatment of hysteria is divided properly 
into two heads; first, that which relates to the paroxysm; second, the 
means of preventing the attacks. 

In severe cases care must be taken that the patient does not 
injure herself during the spasms. It would be easy for her to do 
harm with her hands and teeth if she were not properly looked after. 
No time should be lost in “cutting the corset strings,” <>r at least 
in loosening the dress. The sooner, indeed, the clothing is 
removed the better, because the air, by its tonic effect, tends to 
remove the spasm. No matter how cold it is, the doors and win- 


012 


HYSTERIA. 


(lows should be thrown open for a time. It will be soon enough to 
go for “ comforts ” after the spasm relaxes. If it seem necessary, 
the hands and arms should be conhned. If the patient can be 
made to swallow, the sooner she gets a good dose of cold water the bet¬ 
ter. If it is at all practicable, she should at once be placed into the 
shallow-bath, or, what answers very well, a good-sized wash-tub, the 
feet being left outside, if the tub is not very large. If the patient 
is quite feeble, the water may be moderately warm, but afterward 
it is to be used colder. In the water she is to be rubbed with as 
many wet hands as can be brought to bear upon her body, limbs, 
hands and every other part. The sufferings of the patient are more 
apparent than real and there is no need of the sympathies of the 
attendants being so much excited as to interfere with the work on 

hand. > * 

After the spasms become quelled, the patient should be placed 
in a folded wet sheet. This may appear uncomfortable to her at 
first; but, with the most mathematical certainty, it will soothe her 
system, and that too in a remarkable degree, if everything is man¬ 
aged as it should be. After the spasms are off, she should be made 
comfortable, and if the feet are cold thev should be heated with hot 
bricks or other means. 

One of the best means of producing a powerfully sedative and 
anti-spasmodic effect in these cases, is to pour cold water freely 
upon the head. With care that this is not continued after the spasm 
has abated there will be no danger of doing harm. Dr. Smee, a 
celebrated surgeon of London, who recommends this practice, says 
that he once saw cold water applied in this way for three hours, and 
the patient was quite well the next day. In some cases water 
should not be poured from a height; passive cooling only is what is 
needed, as a local application, in all affections of the head. A wash 
tub, instead of a bowl, should be used to receive the water, and we 
may use the same over and over again, if desirable; but it should 
not be allowed to get too warm. 

In some cases the shallow-bath and the wash-tub can not be 
used; either they are not at hand, or the patient may be so unman¬ 
ageable that she cannot be operated on in this way. We have, then, 
other and valuable resources—for hydropathy is not a one-remedy, 
as ignorant objectors have so often said. We have many and varied 
applications, and no two of them have precisely the same effects. 
But any one who understands.the symptoms thoroughly, will never 
be at a loss as to what to do; he will be certain of doing at least 
some good, and no harm. In these supposed cases, then, the 
patient can be laid upon a bed, couch, cot, or the floor, even upon a 
blanket, or something of that sort, while at the same time she is 
powerfully rubbed with rubbing wet-sheets; these should be 
changed often, so as to keep the water as fresh as may be. Even 
wet-hand rubbing, wet-towel rubbing, and the like, are very good 
substitutes for the shallow-bath. 



913 


HYDROPHOBIA. 

Another important measure in these cases should be particu¬ 
larly mentioned, to wit; clysters of cold water; these may be used 
freely, without stint. Cold cloths, placed upon the abdomen and 
genitals, are highly valuable. These things are mentioned for the 
encouragement of those who may not be able to have the better and 
more powerful means before explained. 

HYDROPHOBIA. 

In regard to removing the irritation of the throat, Dr. Hooper 
tells us that it has never been effectually fulfilled in any other way 
than by the use of ice taken internally. Here also the prolonged 
shallow-bath—that greatest of all hydropathic appliances—would be 
of signal benefit. Ice cannot be had in all situations and it is a 
satisfaction to know that in hydropathy there are various means of 
arriving at the same end. 

In connection with the swallowing of ice, or the cold shallow- 
bath, whichever might be used, or both in connection, clysters of 
cold water, often repeated would be a serviceable means, not only to 
arrest the trouble at. the throat but the nervous symptoms generally. 
If the patient should be very weak, tepid water could be used in¬ 
stead. 

WHOOPING-COUGH. 

The treatment recommended for cough is applicable here. The 
wet jacket will be found peculiarly serviceable. Any tendency to 
general feverishness should be combated on general principles laid 
down elsewhere. As to what amount is to be given, the nature of 
the case should determine. One patient may need few baths a day, 
another many; and, in all cases, enough of the water-processes 
should be followed out to keep the general fever constantly in 
check. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE KIDNEYS. 

Treatment, from the beginning, should be of the most active 
kind. The great object is to subdue the fever and quell the pain. 
Cooling wet-packs, often repeated, cool sitting-baths, rubbing the 
whole back much with the hands wet in the coldest water, and with 
ice, are the means. The pain should, as far as possible, be kept sub¬ 
dued. The extremities should be kept warm. The warm or vapor- 
bath, alternating now and then with the cold treatment, is useful. 
But the great reliance is to be placed upon cold, pure, soft water, 
to be drunk frequently. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE LUNGS. 

According to the symptoms, we use the wet sheet pack, folded 
wet sheet, wet compresses, shallow baths and rubbing wet sheets, 


914 


LARYNGITIS. 


or what is still better in most cases, the wet jacket. This is to be 
made of coarse linen and should tit the chest like a vest; and it is 
to be covered with a similar one made of woolen. The woolen one 
should have strings in front so as to fasten it snug to the chest. 
Water should also be drunk freely, little and often, even if there is 
no thirst; care being taken that the system is not chilled. This can 
be best avoided by taking the chill off the water, or even drinking it 
hot. Clysters, too, are useful in the same way. 

LARYNGITIS. 

Locally, frequent garglings with tepid, or even warm water will 
be useful. * The throat and chest should at the same time be often 
washed and rubbed with the hand wet in cold water. The stimulat¬ 
ing compress is also useful about the throat. Steaming the throat 
is often of the greatest benefit. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE BOWELS. 

The disease is to be treated on the general principles of all 
severe inflammations. Keep down the fever, especially in the bowels; 
use half-baths or hip-baths, of temperature suited to the strength; 
wet sheets and compresses also come well in play; give injections— 
almost blood warm, again and again—if need be, fifty times in a day; 
keep the bowels completely ‘ soaked;’ give no food till the disease 
is quelled, and then begin with half a teaspoonful portion; if this 
does well, double or treble the quantity the next time; but be very 
careful, or trouble will come from the food. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE LIVER. 

Treatment —Acute hepatitis is to be treated actively, like 
any other inflammation of an important organ. By wet sheet packs, 
shallow-baths, sitting-baths, compresses, etc., the pain and inflam¬ 
mation should be combated in the most vigorous manner. We 
should never cease or be satisfied till all pain and fever are com¬ 
pletely checked. The abdomen is to be kept cool, and the feet 
warm. With this injunction it would be quite impossible for any 
one to do harm with cold water in this disease, so long as the pain 
and fever are not fully quelled. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE MOUTH. 

The great thing in the management of these inflammations is, 
the strictest cleanliness and attention to the general health. The 
stomach and liver are nearly always at fault when the mouth is 
inflamed, and the patient is to be treated accordingly. A good 
course of water treatment by wet packs, ablutions, the wet girdle, 
clysters, pure soft water and proper air, exercise and diet—these are 
the most appropriate and effectual means. 


TONSILITIS. 


915 


TONSILITIS. 

Gargles are used with advantage in this disease, but there is 
nothing in the form of a wash that will he found better than pure, 
soft water. It will afford the patient great relief if he will often 
gargle his throat with tepid water, by the half hour at a time. In 
this way a great deal of tough phlegm will be removed from the 
throat and the soreness will be relieved in a corresponding degree. 
Washing and rubbing the throat and chest externally, with the hand 
wet in cold water, will also be found a good remedy. This may, 
with advantage, be repeated many times daily. Steaming the throat 
by holding the mouth open over the spout of a kettle of boiling 
w r ater will often break up the attack, and will always relieve. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE STOMACH. 

Treatment —This should be similar to that for any other 
internal inflammation. The stomach also should be thoroughly 
cleared of its contents as soon as possible. The vomiting is to be 
kept down by the sedative effect of cold water generally; the more 
the fever is kept in check the less of this symptom there will be. 
Relapses in this disease are common from errors in diet. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE BRAIN. 

Having the patient’s head projecting a little over the edge of 
the bed, supported by two persons holding at each end of a linen 
towel, for the head to rest upon, so that a large quantity of cold or 
tepid water can be poured upon the head and neck, to be caught in 
a tub or bucket below, is a good mode. At the same time wet towels 
are to be placed about the surface of the body, and changed as often 
as they become warm. These answer all the purposes of the wet 
sheet, and prevent the necessity of moving the patient, which it is 
better to avoid. Bladders of pounded ice. or pounded ice placed 
between wet linen cloths, laid not upon but near the head, are very 
useful. 

INJURIES OF THE NERVES. 

The water dressing is as favorable a remedy in the wounds of 
nerves as it is in other kinds of injury. Few other methods can at 
all compare with it. 

INSANITY. 

With reference to the use of water, in the cure of insanity, 
some facts of experience will prove instructive to the reader. 

Dr. Currie gives a case in which the results of the method of 
employing it were highly satisfactory. The case was that of a man 
of very irregular habits of life, who was admitted into the asylum at 
Liverpool in a state of furious insanity. His disease was supposed 


916 


LOCK-JAW. 


to have been brought on by excessive drinking. It was necessary to 
use very powerful means of coercion, and the most powerful medi¬ 
cines, opiates, cathartics, emetics, etc., were given. Dr. Currie 
commenced the case June 2d, and went on to the 21st of July, 
at which time he tells us that “ perplexed with these extremes (the 
patient getting alternately better and worse, and bearing in mind 
the success of the cold bath in convulsive diseases), I ordered it to 
be tried on the present occasion. The insanity returning with great 
violence on the 21st, he was thrown headlong into the cold bath. He 
came out calm and nearly rational, and this interval of reason con¬ 
tinued for twenty-four hours. The same practice was directed to be 
repeated as often as the state of insanity occurred.” On the 23d 
the patient was again thrown into the cold bath in the height of his 
fury as before. As lie came out he was thrown in again, and this 
was repeated five different times, till he could not leave the bath 
without assistance. He became perfectly calm and rational in the 
bath. “ This patient,” continues Dr. Currie, “ continued with us 
sometime afterward, bathing every other day, and taking the oxide of 
zinc in small quantities. He never relapsed, and was discharged 
some time afterward in perfect health of body and mind.” 

Dr. Dunglison, in speaking of the cold douche as one of the 
very best tranquilizers that can be employed in cases of furious 
insanity, maintains that a column of water the size of the arm, el¬ 
even much less, made to fall from a height on the head of the fur 
ious maniac, will almost always tame him. One of the most frantic 
cases that had ever fallen under his care was tranquilized by the 
column proceeding from the spout of an ordinary teapot, made to 
fall upon the head from the elevation of a few feet. 

The cold dash, administered by pouring water on the head of the 
patient from some height, was used by Esquirol with entire success. 
The patient, a girl afflicted with mania, and of a nervous tempera¬ 
ment, was placed—with a garment covering her—in a common 
w r ash-tub, and water was poured in small quantities on her head till 
it covered her body, and shivering ensued. On a second application 
of this method, which was for some time resisted, it was followed 
by a deep sleep, accompanied by copious sweating; and when the 
patient awoke she was found to have recovered her senses. 

In the treatment of the insane, we should proceed on the same 
general principles as in any other case of bodily derangement. We 
are to use the rubbing wet sheet, the wet pack, the shallow bath, 
the affusion, the plunge, the wet-girdle, clysters, and, in short, the 
whole routine of the treatment, according to the nature of the case. 
This, I need hardly add, needs knowledge, skill, experience and 
good judgment in those who are to direct the treatment. In no 
department of the medical art are these more necessary than in this. 

LOCK-JAW. 

Dr. Watson recommends the cold-bath in this affection. He 


LOCK-JAW. 


917 


remarks “ tliat the application of cold water to the surface has, in 
many recorded instances, been of at least temporary benefit and 
comfort; and in the West Indies, where the disease is common, the 
cold affusion still continues to be the favorite expedient.” Some 
have recommended for tetanus the use of ice upon the spine, a remedy 
which has been found eminently beneficial in convulsions. The ice 
should be applied by means of friction upon the naked skin up and 
down the spinal column and over the whole region of the back. 

\ arious authors have recorded the beneficial effects of warin- 
batlis in this disease. The Germans have in some cases used the 
warm-bath with success. In Holland it has been a custom to 
immerse the patient in warm baths of broth, in which he is kept 
for five or six hours, at the same time having opium administered 
to him. The warm-bath is doubtless a valuable remedy, but in 
some cases of the disease, much benefit cannot be expected from it. 
Used in alternation with the cold-bath, it is to be recommended. At 
the expense of repetition, I must here remark that the warm-bath 
must not be confounded with the hot, an error too often committed. 

The great principle to be kept in mind in the treatment of this 
disease is, that tetanus is a spasmodic affection. The treatment, 
therefore, must be of an anti-spasmodic kind. The more powerful 
the remedy, the more effectual it will prove, provided it is not such 
as to injure or depress the vital force. Facts plainly prove that of 
all known anti-spasmodics, water is altogether the most powerful. 

As to the methods of using it, due caution should be used. It 
is said, on the best authority, that patients have been killed by 
throwing two or three pailfuls of cold water over the body, almost as 
quickly as if they had been shot in the head. If a powerful measure 
is to be resorted to, it should be done when the paroxysm is at its 
height. Tepid or cold water is not likely to injure a patient under 
such circumstances. It is only when the patient is in the opposite 
extreme of the disease, that a cold application proves so dangerous. 

Plunging the patient into cold water, douching and all applica¬ 
tions that tend to shock the system, have often proved beneficial in 
quelling the tetanic paroxysm; but passive cooling—such as gives 
no severe shock to the system—is much safer and therefore to be 
preferred. The tepid shallow-bath, prolonged and with wet-hand 
friction, is to be highly recommended. It should be remembered, 
however, that as the disease varies from a very slight to a most 
severe and terrible one, so should the treatment he made to vary 
accordingly. If a poor sufferer is so bent up with cramp of all his 
voluntary muscles that he can only touch his head and heels to the 
bed, be assured it is no boy’s play to treat his case. To bring down 
such spasms as make a man’s muscles hard and stiff as a board, is 
to be accomplished only by the most energetic means. If we know 
how to manage the more severe cases, the lighter ones will be no 
difficult task. 


918 


NEURALGIA. 


NEURALGIA. 

As a local application in this disease, ice and ice-cold water 
have been found to afford much relief. Steaming the part affected 
has been useful in some cases, and the hot douche—a remedy which 
can seldom be obtained—has been of service in subduing the pain. 
Dry heat, applied by means of a hot iron, or hot coals, held near 
the part as long as the patient can bear it, affords relief in some 
cases. Steaming the part with a hot brick or stone, with a wet 
cloth wrapped about it, has certainly done well in relieving rheu¬ 
matic neuralgia of the back. Covering the part with oiled silk and 
cotton or wool, helps to keep off the attacks in some cases. 

M. Gaudett, a French writer, asserts that facial and cranial 
neuralgia and hemicrania have, in his experience, yielded to no 
therapeutical remedy with the same facility as to sea-bathing, by 
immersion and affusion. The same writer holds also, that sciatica, 
even when occurring in debilitated subjects, and of long standing, 
yields to what he calls the tonic and sedative effects of sea-bathing. 
In all these cases it is the improvement of the general health that 
occasions the cure. 

NIGHTMARE. 

The treatment for this affection should be similar to that which 
we would adopt in night-pollution, sleep-walking, sleep-talking, etc., 
and which need not here be commented upon. It is of great impor¬ 
tance that the patient lie upon his side. Nervous people are often 
fond of lying upon the back; and it is in this position that the night¬ 
mare attacks. 

PALSY. 

In recent cases from congestion of the spine either from injury 
or exposure, the treatment is to be conducted on the principles laid 
down for other inflammations. Fever is to be controlled by the wet- 
sheet pack, affusion, or full bath, and the spine may be kept con¬ 
stantly cool by a compress over the congested portion, which is to 
be determined by the portion of the body palsied. Rest is absolutely 
necessary in these cases to avoid serious and permanent injury to 
the spinal cord. 

Paralysis from senemia requires general tonic treatment, nour¬ 
ishing diet, plenty of air and judicious exercise, being careful not 
to overdo. 

A cure of paralysis from spinal softening is not to be expected 
and great caution is necessary in such cases in the use of baths lest 
the disease be aggravated rather than benefited. 

In all forms of palsy friction is a benefit and wet hand-rubbing 
is always to be preferred, since it is far more tonic than dry, and 
does not injure the skin. A wet towel or other cloth may be placed 
about the part—the arm, for example—and rubbing practiced over 
it. 


PILES. 


919 


PILES. 

If the piles become strangulated—that is, if the bowel cannot 
be returned into the rectum—a cold hip-bath should be taken, so 
that the tumor may be reduced. Cold compresses are also useful. 

Half a pint of cold water, injected into the rectum twice or 
thrice a day, and retained as long as possible, is a most effectual 
remedy. 

SLEEPLESSNESS. 

Sleeplessness is produced by either too much or not enough 
blood in the vessels of the brain. Tea, coffee, and other nervous 
stimulants when drunk late in the evening, and in some cases when 
used at all, tend to this disorder. 

Before bedtime everything of a disturbing character should be 
dismissed from the mind, and when able, to walk in the open air 
before retiring will almost surely secure a good night’s rest, provided 
the sleeping room is well ventilated. 

If the sleeplessness is caused by a plethora of the blood vessels 
of the brain, a rubber bag containing ice may be hung at the head 
of the bed. This will keep the head cool without chilling the per¬ 
son if it is not placed too close to the head, and will thereby induce 
sleep; if on the contrary, amemia of the brain, or too little blood in 
that organ is the cause, the head should be' lowered as much as 
possible to favor the circulation in that direction. Should the 
patient feel uncomfortable without a pillow, the feet may be raised 
higher than the head by placing something under the foot of 
the bedstead. According to a recent writer in a medical journal most 
cases of sleeplessness will be relieved by this latter procedure. It 
certainly deserves a trial. 

Insulation of the bedstead, which may be done by placing a 
small piece of glass under the foot of each post, the bed to stand 
with its head to the north, has been found an admirable cure for 
sleeplessness. 

SEA-SICKNESS. 

I say to all, drink water freely from the first when you are sea¬ 
sick. Both man and animals can live more than twice as long with 
water as they can without it. Besides, it makes the vomiting easier. 
After one has had a little experience, he can tell well enough when 
the trouble is coming. If, then, when the qualmishness begins to 
affect him, he drinks two, three or more tumblerfuls of water—and 
blood-warm is best, though cold is useful—till he vomits, the effort 
is not onlv rendered much easier, but greater relief is obtained, and 
in a shorter time. The periods between vomiting will also be thus 
lengthened. 

This water vomiting, then, T recommend as a great help in sea¬ 
sickness. To treat vomiting by vomiting, might seem paradoxical, 


920 


ST. VITUS’S DANCE. 

except to homeopaths. Of the good effects of the practice I can 
testify, not only from my own experience, but that of many others 
for whom I have prescribed. 

The rubbing wet-sheet, and all hydropathic appliances which 
tend to bring the blood to the surface, will not only be found useful 
in warding off sea-sickness, but also in supporting the strength. 

The wet-girdle is an excellent remedy in this affection. In 
some cases it wards it off entirely, and in others it serves as an 
efficient palliative. Priessnitz showed his rare shrewdness and 
knowledge of the laws that govern the human system, when he 
advised, as a remedy for sea-sickness, that a heavy wet-girdle, tightly 
applied, be worn constantly, and re-wet often, without removing it. 
Sailors know by experience that a girdle, even though dry, is useful; 
and we know, also, that a wet one is still better. In the convales¬ 
cence from sea-sickness this remedy is particularly valuable. 

ST. VITUS’S DANCE. 

The rubbing wet-sheet and wet frictions generally are to be 
highly recommended for their anti-spasmodic and tonic effects. The 
wet-pack, properly managed, is valuable for its soothing effects. 
There is, in fact, no hydropathic process which cannot be brought to 
bear in this disease, as we find it in different cases. Dr. Wood, and 
various other authors, also mention the good effects of sea-bathing. 
It should be managed, of course, upon scientific principles, according 
to the nature of the case. As with other potent remedies, what 
might be valuable for one, would in the case of another produce only 
harm, and perhaps dangerous effects. 

STRICTURE. 

Water, if persevered in, is even more effectual than drug 
enemata; it leaves the bowels in a much better state and much less 
liable to future constipation. If there are concretions within reach 
in the lower bowel, they can sometimes be scooped out at once with 
the finger or a spoon-handle. Clysters of pure water, often repeated, 
aid the bowels in throwing off masses of this kind. In intussuscep¬ 
tion it is a sorry method to drug the stomach with cathartics, for by 
their action downward they tend inevitably to make the evil worse. 
Using very largely of clysters and at the same time cold applications 
to the surface to stimulate the movements of the bowels, will no 
doubt cure this formidable difficulty in some cases. The same also 
in twisting of the intestines. 

SCROFULA. 

The general treatment should be tonic and purifying, that, in 
short, which is best calculated to restore and preserve the general 
health. All of the hydropathic appliances come into play, according 
to the strength and power of endurance in the case. 


TRANCE. 


921 


The management of local parts is also to be conducted on gen¬ 
eral principles. In swellings we are to proceed according to the 
degree of heat. The same also is true of ulcers and the like. In 
general the stimulating compresses are the most appropriate, because 
the disease is seldom attended with high vascular excitement. 

TRANCE. 

Treatment —In these cases, as in hysteria, there is nothing 
that is at all comparable to water as a means of restoring the nervous 
power. The treatment should he similar to that for hysteria. 

WARTS. 

Warts often disappear while the patient is undergoing a course 
of water treatment. This happens in consecpience of the purifying 
and stimulating effects of a hydropathic course. Wearing stimulat¬ 
ing wet bandages upon warts, and washing the parts often with cold 
water, will not infrequently drive them off, even when other means 
have failed. Paring them, as a preparatory measure, is useful. 

WORMS. 

The case should he managed like one of dyspepsia. The 
strictest attention must he paid to the diet. The wet-girdle should 
be worn constantly, night and day, if the weather is not too hot. 
Sitting-baths, shallow-baths, and in short every thing that can be 
made to act favorably upon the system generally, is useful. Cold 
clysters are valuable; and if the worms should happen to lie within 
reach of the water, that is, in the rectum or colon, which is some¬ 
times the case, the effects, if repeated two or three times daily, will 
be most excellent. Drinking freely of pure, soft water, when the 
stomach is empty, will also be a valuable means of helping to dis¬ 
lodge the animals from the beds of mucus in the abdomen. 


DIVISION SEVENTEENTH. 


HOMEOPATHY. 


By W. E. Reed, M. D , Editor op The Medical Current. 


INTRODUCTORY RULES. 

To those unaccpiainted with the homeopathic system of med¬ 
icine, a few words of explanation will not be out of place. The 
theory or law of homeopathic prescribing is founded on the prin¬ 
ciple “ Similia Similibus Curantur ” (like cures like); or in other 
words, a medicine that will produce in the healthy, when given in 
material doses, certain symptoms, will cure those or similar symp¬ 
toms produced by some other cause in the sick. Opium produces 
constipation when taken by a person in health, and will cure a 
similar condition when produced by disease; hut it will cure only a 
similar condition to that produced by the drug. It will not cure 
every case of constipation, and will not cure the condition caused by 
the drug itself. Hence the necessity of making a careful selection 
of the remedy, and when this is done, the results are most certain to 
be Satisfactory- 

Selecting* the Remedy —As homeopaths never prescribe 
for diseases by names, and only by symptoms, the selection of the 
remedy becomes more difficult than it otherwise would be, if one 
were to say such a remedy is good for such a disease; but there are a 
few general rules which may be of aid. The premonitory symptom 
of all acute fevers is a chill, and of manv conditions of inflammation 
also. Aconite stands nearest to the specific for this condition, and 
where there is a chill, it is safe to begin the treatment with Aconite. 
If the disease progresses and is not arrested by the Aconite, and 
becomes defined, then seek the remedy among those under the head- 
ing of whatever symptom the disease develops. With the exception 
of scarlet fever, this rule holds good. In this disease Belladonna 
will be the nearest to the specific and will correspond to the throat 
symptoms more closely. Belladonna will act as a preventive during 
epidemics. 

It is safe to begin the treatment of all acute diseases with 
Aconite. Belief should follow in twelve hours at the most. 

Study Symptoms Carefully —During this time, if the 
symptoms point to any disease, study the indications for the rem- 





I 


DIET. 


923 


edies carefully; compare them with the patient’s symptoms, and 
select that one which corresponds most closely to the patient's symp¬ 
toms', this will be the homeopathic remedy. Give it with confidence; 
allow it time to act , and the result will he very gratifying. This 
treatise is arranged as far as possible with the view of brevity and 
clearness, and only such indications are given as are striking or 
characteristic , and particular attention is called to symptoms where 
italics are used, these being characteristic symptoms of the remedy, 
and it is from these symptoms that the remedy is to be particularly 
selected. " 

A careful perusal, now and then, when not needed in sickness, 
will render the method familiar to all, and this we would recommend. 
If the disease progress, and the symptoms become alarming, send 
for the best homeopathic physician, and tell him what you have been 
giving. 


REMEDIES, DOSE, ETC. 

Procure your remedies of a reputable homeopathic pharmacist, 
or those prepared by some reputable pharmacist, in the Sixth 
Dilution. A tincture means the strongest preparation and is not safe 
to use. If pellets are preferred, No. 35 or 40 saturated with the 
Sixth Dilution. 

Dose. If of the dilution, four drops in four tablespoonfuls of 
water; of this take two teaspoonfuls at a dose. Of the pellets take 
four. The frequency of the dose will depend on the condition of 
suffering. In acute pain the remedy should be given as often as 
every thirty minutes, always lengthening the interval between 
doses as improvement advances. In ordinary fever, coughs, 
colds, etc., every two or three hours; in chronic cases one dose per 
dav. Medicine should be given half an hour before eating, or an 
hour after. 

Glasses and spoons should be perfectly clean and should never 
be used for more than one medicine without having been thoroughly 
cleansed. Do not change corks from one bottle to another and 
never return powder or pellets to vial after handling them. 


DIET. 

Avoid highly seasoned food, condiments, coffee, tobacco and 
alcoholic stimulants, pastry, fats and oils and confectionery. Use 
beef and mutton, and when the patient can digest it, beef and mut¬ 
ton fat. When solid food cannot be taken, mutton broth, cooled and 
all the fat skimmed off, will be perhaps the best. Gruels made 
from rice, farina, oatmeal, barley or wheat flour may be taken. 

Of the artificial foods Murdock’s Liquid food and Bovinine 
for animal foods; Mellin’s, Ilorlicks, and the Wells, Richardson Co.’s 
Lactated Foods, for farinaceous food. For drinks, water, weak 
black tea, mucilaginous drinks such as gum arabic water, etc. 


924 


HOMEOPATHIC GLOSSARY. 


HOMEOPATHIC GLOSSARY. 


Aconite Napellus. 

Antimonium Crudum. 
Arsenicum Album.... 

Apis Mellifica. 

Arnica Montana... 

Baryta Carbonica. 

Belladonna. 

Borax Venene... 

Bromium.. 

Bryonia Alba _ 

Cactus Grandiflorus.. 
Calcarea Carbonica.... 

Camphor.. 

Capsicum. 

Carbo Vegetabilis .... 

Causticum. 

Chamomilla. 

China Officinalis. 

Cina. 

Croton Tiglium. 

Coffee Cruda. 

Colocynth. 

Cuprum . 

Dulcamara. 

Drosera. 

Gelsemium Semp.__. 

Glonoine. 

Graphites. 

Helleborus. 

Hyoscyamus. 

Hepar Sulph. 

Ipecacuanha. 

Ignatia. 

Kali Bichromium. 

Kali Nitricum. 

Lachesis. 

Lycopodium_ 

Mercurius Protoiodide 
Mercurius Corrosivus. 

Nux Vomica. 

Natum Muriaticum.. 

Nitric Acid. 

Opium. 

Phosphorus.. 

Platina Metallicum_ 

Pulsatilla. 

Podophyllum. 

Rhus Toxicodendron.. 

Rheum. 

Sabina. 

Secale Cornutum. 

Sepia. 

Stannum.. 

Spigelia. 

Spongia Tasta. 

Silicea. . 

Stramonium__ 

Sulphur. 

Tartar Emetic. 

Veratrum Album. 

Zingiber. 


ABBREVIATIONS. 

.. Aeon. 

..Ant. Crud. 

.. Arsen. 

..Apis 
. _ Arn. 

.. Baryta Carb. 
..Bell. 

. .Borax. 
..Bromim. 

.. Bry. 

..Cact, Grand. 
..Calc. Carb. 

.. Camph. 

.. Caps. 
..Carbo Yeg. 

... Caust. 
..Cham. 

.. China. 

. _ _ Cina. 

...Crot. Tig. 
...Coff. 
..Coloc. 

..Cap. 

__Dulc. 

.. Dros. 

. .Gels. 

_.Glon. 

..Graph. 

..Hell. 

_. Hyos. 
..Hepar, 

... Ipec. 

... Ignat. 

..Kali Bi. 
..Kali Nit. 

... Lach. 

--Lye. 

..Merc. Proto. 
..Merc. Sol. 
..Nux Yom. 
_.Natr. Mur. 

. .Nitr. Ac. 
..Opi. 

... Phos. 

. ..Plat. 

...Puls. 

...Pod. 

...Rhus Tox 
.. .Rheum. 

. ..Sabina. 

... Secale. 
...Sep. 

... Stann. 
...Spig. 
...Spong. 
...Sil. 

... Stram. 
...Sulph. 
...Tart. Em. 

... Verat. Alb. 
...Zing. 


\ 































































925 


ABSCESSES, BOILS. 

ABSCESSES, BOILS. 

When the patient presents the following symptoms: Redness, 
swelling, heat with great nervous excitement; restless, anxious feel¬ 
ing, worse in evening and during night; give Aconite. 

Violent burning pain: great debility / threatens to become 
gangrenous; worse during rest; thirst for small quantity, but fre¬ 
quent drinking— Arsenicum. 

The tumor is hard, swollen, with throbbing pains, worse in 
afternoon; pains appear suddenly and leave suddenly— Belladonna. 

Suppuration is inevitable; throbbing pains, with chills; scrof¬ 
ulous persons— Hepar Sttlpii. 

Where pus has formed; if poisonous matter has been intro¬ 
duced into the system; parts assume a purplish hue; gangrene, 
worse after sleep— Lachesis. 

Glandular abscesses; promotes discharge after suppuration has 
taken place— Merc. Sol. or Vivus. 

Suppuration is imminent; discharge becomes thin and watery; 
does not heal—S ilicea. 

Inveterate cases, profuse discharge with emaciation; scrofulous 
persons who are frequently troubled with boils— Sulphur. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

APOPLEXY. 

When the patient presents the following symptoms: Plethoric 
habit. Head hot, throbbing, redness of face; give Aconite. 

Face dark red; veins distended, face and neck; throbbing of 
temporal arteries; drowsiness; loss of conciousness— Belladonna. 

Giddiness; tendency to staggers; dimness of vision; nervous ex¬ 
haustion— Gelsemium. 

Sudden falling down; constriction at throat, twitching and 
jerking of all muscles of body — Hyoscyamus. 

Sedentary-habits; high living; paroxysms preceded by vertigo, 
worse in morning—Hux Vomica. 

Redness, bloatedness and heat of face; patient lies in state of 
unconciousness with half open eyes; snoring respiration ; convul¬ 
sive motions of extremities- -Opium. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

ASTHMA. 

When the patient presents the following symptoms: Great 
fear and anxiety of mind, with dry, croaking cough, and constric¬ 
tion of windpipe; aggravation from dry cold winds; give Aconite. 

Attacks of suffocation, especially at night; great restlessness 
and fear of death , worse lying down; better from warmth , worse 
about 1, a. m. — Arsenicum. 


926 


BRONCHITIS. 


Asthma of sailors as soon as they go ashore; constriction of 
chest with difficulty of breathing; must sit up in bed) spasmodic 
air passages, feel as if full of smoke Bromium. 

Better from lying 'perfectly quiet; dry cough; stitches in 
chest; sitting up in bed causes nausea and fainting Bryonia. 

Nctuseu; rattling in bronchial tubes, but no expectoration 

Ipecac. . . 

Coldness of surface , with clammy perspiration; rattling in 

bronchial tubes— Tartar Emetic. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

BRONCHITIS. 

When the patient presents the following symptoms: In the 
beginning chill, dry, hot skin; great restlessness; short dry cough, 
worse at night and after exposure to dry, cold winds; thirst; give 
Aconite. 

Face flushed, eyes red; fullness in head; spasmodic cough 
which does not allow one to breathe; children cry after coughing; 
sleepy but cannot sleep; starting in sleep— Belladonna. 

Dry cough with stitches in chest (follows well after Aconite); 
sensation when coughing as if head and chest would fly to pieces; 
better by remaining perfectly quiet — Bryonia. 

Hoarseness , particularly in the evening; burning in the 
chest like hot coals; cough with discharge of yellow pus—C arbo 
Vegetabilis. 

Hoarseness morning and evening; when coughing, pain over 
the hip; involuntary emission of urine while coughing — Caus- 

TICUM. 

Suffocating cough with difficulty of breathing; rattling of 
mucus in bronchial tubes; nausea and vomiting of mucus—I pe¬ 
cac. 

Catarrh of whole mucous membrane, nose to chest; cough 
worse at night; perspiration without relief— Mercuries. 

After previous use of cough mixtures; nose stopped up, cough 
with headache (Bry.); fever, with chilliness from the slightest 
motion; dry cough from midnight until morning — Nux Vomica. 

Complete loss of voice; tightness across chest; aggravation 
from talking; cough, with expectoration of rust-colored mucus; 
feeling of weight on chest— Phosphorus. 

Dry cough at night , better from sitting up in bed; loose cough 
with profuse expectoration of yellow or green mucus; chilliness in 
warm room—P ulsatilla. 

Great dryness in throat, with hoarse, hollow, wheezing cough; 
sawing respiration (croupy subjects)— Spongia. 

Chronic form—hoarseness, loss of voice; frequent weak, faint 
spells— Sulphur. 

Large collection of mucus in bronchial tubes, but none is 
expectorated; cold, clammy perspiration— Tartar Emetic. 


CATARRH, OR COLD IN THE HEAD. 


927 


Hollow cough as if proceeding from abdomen or lower part of 
chest; rattling of mucus in chest; thirst; prostration ; diarrhea— 
Veratrum Alb. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

CATARRH, OR COLD IN THE HEAD. 

When the patient presents the following symptoms: I)ry, with 
stoppage of the nose; Aeon., Bry., Nux Vom. Fluent with watery 
or mucous discharge; give Allium Cepa. Arsenicum, Muse. Puls. 

First stage; chilliness, with heat in head and face; from dry, 
cold winds —Aconite. 

Profuse discharge of water from eyes, with burning excoriating 
discharge from nose; violent sneezing, better in fresh air; cough 
hurts the throat —Allium Cepa. 

Frequent sneezing with profuse fluent discharge and stoppage 
of the nose; burning in nose; better from warmth —Arsenicum. 

Sore throat, hoarseness, dry cough ; dryness of throat; children 
cry when coughing ; headache— Belladonna. 

Frequent sneezing and profuse watery discharge; ulcerated 
tonsils; cough worse at night; after perspiring cold is no better— 
Mercurius. 

Fluent during day; stoppage of nose at night; headache, irri¬ 
table; snuffles of infants—Nux Vomica. 

Discharge of yellowisli-green thick mucus; loss of taste and 
smell; worse in a warm room, better in open air— Pulsatilla. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

CHOLERA MORBUS. 

When the patient presents the following symptoms: Violent 
attacks with great prostration; great restlessness; burning in stom¬ 
ach; nausea and vomiting, especially after eating and drinking; give 
Arsenicum. 

Frequent vomiting—food, sour or bitter substances; cutting 
pains in abdomen ; patient very irritable; children want to be car¬ 
ried all the time — Chamomilla. 

Attacks in the night, painless discharges, abdomen bloated ; 
weakly persons after losing much blood or fluids —China. 

Violent cramp-like pain in region of navel, relieved by bend¬ 
ing double or pressing against the part — Colocyntii. 

Vomiting ; constant nausea; stools sour, green as grass , after 
eating unripe fruit—I pecac. 

Occurs in hot weather ; stools profuse, gushing ; restless sleep, 

half- closed eyes—P odophyllum. 

After eating fat , rich food, stools greenish, bilious, watery ; 
worse at night, feels better in a cool place Pulsatilla. 

Violent nausea and vomiting attended with profuse watery 
diarrhea, and severe pinching colic; great thirst for cold drinks; 


928 


CHOLERA INFANTUM. 


countenance pale or bluish with cold sweat on forehead ; pulse fre¬ 
quent and weak—V eratrum Alb. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

CHOLERA INFANTUM. 

(See Cholera Morbus). 

COLIC. 

When the patient presents the following symptoms : Clutch¬ 
ing in the abdomen as if seized with claws ; external pressure and 
bending double relieves ; pains come and go suddenly ; give Bella¬ 
donna. 

Flatulent colic ; rumbling in bowels ; belching rancid food— 
Carbo Yegetabilis. 

Flatulent colic; abdomen distended like a drum; very impa¬ 
tient, cross, children want to be carried— Chamomilla. 

Yiolent cutting constrictive pains; feeling in abdomen as if 
intestines were being squeezed between stones , relieved by bend¬ 
ing up double —Colocynth. 

After unripe sour fruit, nausea and inclination to vomit; cut¬ 
ting and pinching in abdomen— Ipecac. 

Pressure in stomach as from a stone ; high livers, colic from 
indigestion—Nux Vomica. 

After rich greasy food—P ulsatilla. 

Pain in abdomen as if cut with knives; violent nausea and 
vomiting; coldness of surface of body. Give the patient copious 
draughts of hot water, apply dry heat to extremities —Veratrum 
Alb. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

CHICKEN POX ( Varicella ). 

If there is much fever, give Aconite. 

Disturbance, of brain, sleepless —Belladonna. 

In the eruptive stage—T artar Emetic. 

CONSTIPATION. 

If the patient presents the following symptoms ; Great inac¬ 
tivity of lower bowel with dryness, much straining and pressing to 
pass even soft stool ; give Alumina. 

Hard , dry stools as if burned; headache as if skull would 
split —Bryonia. 

Stools large, hard, partly digested ; constipation of children— 
Calcaria Carbonica. 

Constipation with rush of blood to the head ; frequent urging 
to stool without effect; high livers and abuse of drugs—Nux Vom¬ 
ica. 


COUGH. 


929 


Torpor of bowels ; stools small, hard, black balls like sheep's 
dung; constipation from fright or fear —Opium. 

Stool recedes back into rectum after having partly passed; dif¬ 
ficulty of expulsion; infants and scrofulous children—S ilicea. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

COUGH. 

Dry cough —Aeon., Bell. Bry., Nux Vom., Phos. 

Loose —Dulcamara, Pulsatilla. . 

Where there is short dry cough, worse at night, plethoric 
habit; induced by cold west (dry) wind; beginning of cold; give 
Aconite. 

Dry cough as if caused by smoke of sulphur, with sense of suf¬ 
focation; restlessness; worse about 1 a. m.—Arsenicum. 

Dry spasmodic cough; wakes from sleep; sensation of dust in 
throat / redness and heat of face, throbbing headache —Belladonna. 

Dry cough with stitches in chest , compelling patient to hold 
chest with hands; sensation as if head and chest would fly to pieces 
when coughing—B ryonia. 

Dry spasmodic cough in children troubled with worms; cough 
with gagging; constantly picking and boring at nose; useful in 
whooping cough— Cina. 

Croupy cough; dry hoarse cough, worse in morning; worse 
from uncovering even a hand —IIepar Sulph. 

Dry spasmodic cough when lying down, relieved by sitting up; 
twitching of muscles—H yoscyamus. 

Suffocating cough, with rattling of mucus in bronchial tubes 
when breathing', much nausea— Ipecac. 

Cough with stringy expectoration — Kali Bichromium. 

Cough worse at night and in damp, rainy weather; perspiration 
without relief; sounds as if whole inside of chest were dry— 
Mercurius. 

Dry cough, with pain in head as if skull would burst, with 
bruised feeling in region of stomach; constipation, after abuse of 
cough mixtures— Nux Vomica. 

Dry tickling cough with tightness across chest; worse from 
talking, reading aloud, laughing or drinking; hoarseness —Phos¬ 
phorus. 

Dry cough at night going of when sitting up in bed; (Hyos); 
or morning cough with profuse expectoration of yellowish or green¬ 
ish mucus; all the symptoms worse toward evening— Pulsatilla. 

Loose cough without expectoration; nausea and vomiting of 
mucus —Tartar Emetic. 

Deep hollow cough from tickling low down in bronchial 
tubes; violent cough with blueness of face and involuntary urination 
(Caust.); great weakness; whooping cough— Veratrum Alb. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

59 


m 


CROUP. 


CROUP. 

When the patient presents the following symptoms, inflamma¬ 
tory feverish, dry, hot skin; great restlessness; hoarse barking 
cough; on attempting to swallow, child cries from pain in throat— 
Aconite. 

Give until cough loosens, and then follow with Hepar. Sulpli., if 
cough is hoarse, hacking or loose, rattling and shaking, with aggra¬ 
vation from getting uncovered; or Spongia if there is wheezing, 
sawing respiration; the stridulous sound is heard during inspiration 
and the cough during expiration. 

Blue eyes, light hair; great difficulty of breathing ; child gasps 
for air, spasm of larynx, dry, hoarse, spasmodic cough— Bromium. 

Dark hair and eyes; soreness and pain in chest and throat; 
which child manifests by grasping with hand (Aeon.); dry, short, 
barking cough —Iodine. 

Membranous croup; the air as it passes through the throat 
sounds as if passing through a metallic tube; violent wheezing and 
rattling —Kali Biciiromium Zinc. 

Face cold, bluish, with every cough; sounds as if chest were full 
of mucus, but none comes up; prostrated —Tartar Emetic. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

MILK CRUST. 

Where the following symptoms are present: Scrofulous chil¬ 
dren; eruption moist with falling off of hair; give Baryta Carb. 

The eruption has a raw appearance and discharges a sticky 
glutinous fluid; rawness of bends of limbs, neck, and behind ears 
—Graphites. 


The child has a dry, unhealthy skin; does not like to be washed 
—Sulphur. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

INFLAMMATION OF BLADDER. 

Dry hot skin, intense thirst, frequent and violent urging to 
urinate, retention of urine; great restlessness and anxiety; give 
Aconite. 

Region of bladder very sensitive; urine hot and red; pains 
come on suddendy and cease suddenly— Belladonna. 

Violent pains and burning in bladder; burning and cutting 
during urination; bloody urine—C antharis. 

Ineffectual desire to urinate; persons of sedentary habits; abuse 
of alcoholic stimulants —Nux Vomica. 

Warm sitz baths, cloths, wrung out of hot water applied to 
region of bladder. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 


pale, flabby bodies; perspires on head 


Moist scurfy eruptions 
—Calc. Carbonica. 


DENTITION. 


931 


DENTITION (Teething). 

Where the patient presents the following symptoms: Constant 
restlessness, thirst, dry, hot skin; give Aconite. 

Gums swollen and inflamed; convulsions; wakes from sleep as 
in cl fright; moaning in sleep; hot head — Belladonna. 

Child nervous; cannot bear a doivnward motion; sore mouth , 
causing child to cry when nursing —Borax. 

Large head \ perspires on head; teeth slow in coming; white 
chalk-like stools; vomits milk in thick curds— Calcarea Carb. 

Irritable and sensitive; wants to be carried all the time; starting 
and crying out (Bell.); one cheek red, other pale; diarrhea with 
greenish, yellowish or whitish mucous stools— Chamomilla. 

Child very excitable, sleepless— Coffee. 

During dentition, sour smelling diarrhea; colic before stool 
and urging after, sour smell of whole body; twitching during sleep 
—Rheum. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

DIARRHEA. 

Acute with great prostration— Arsenicum, Camphor, Secale 
C oRNUTUM, VeRATRUM Alb. 

Chronic form —Arsenicum, Calcarea Carb, Podophyllum, 
Sulphur. 

When caused by cold drinks— Arsen. Bry. Pulsatilla. 

Taking drugs— Nux Vomica. 

Eating fat food— Pulsatilla. 

“ unripe fruit—I pecac. 

“ milk—C alcarea Carb. 
u veal—K ali Nitricum. 

Caused by fright—A con., Opium. 

“ “ grief—G els., Colocynth, Ignat. 

“ “ joy—C offee. 

“ “ impure water—Z ingiber. 

“ “ getting wet—R hus. Tox. 

Painless diarrhea— China., IIyos., Pod. 

When the patient presents the following symptoms: Stools 
thick, dark green, mucous, or black and watery, with burning at 
the anus; great weakness and restlessness; worse from cold food or 
drink— Arsenicum. 

Or, diarrhea worse w r hen weather changes from cold to warm; 
worse in morning (Podoph.) and from moving about, after sup¬ 
pressed eruptions—give Bryonia. 

Diarrhea of scrofulous persons; stools whitish or watery; pro¬ 
fuse sweat on head; (children when teething); sour vomiting— 
Calcarea Carbonica. 

Stools green, watery, preceded by colic, smelling like rotten 
eggs; children are very fretful; can only be quieted by 




/ 


932 DIPHTHERIA. 

- i 

being carried about/ one cheek flushed the other pale — Chamo- 

MILLA. 

Stools yellowish , watery , whitish or black , painless, undigested, 
with distended abdomen— China. 

Stools white, child picks at the nose, restless sleep—C ina. 

Stools saffron yellow, fatty , stringy and watery with discharge 
of flatus; pain in abdomen as if intestines were being squeezed 
between stones — Colocynth. 

Stools yellow watery or greenish yellow, expelled with great 
force all atonce\ aggravation after drinking, while eating— Croton 
Tiglium. 

Diarrhea induced by sudden fright, grief or bad news— Gelse- 
mium. 

Painless, yellow, watery, involuntary stools; during typhoid 
fever; aggravated from mental emotions—II yoscyamus. 

Stools grass green , sour, fermented, nausea and colic; paleness 
of face, cold extremities— Ipecac. 

Stools dark green , slimy or bloody , with urging after stool , 
never get done , feeling worse at night and in warm weather; sore 
mouth with increased flow of saliva —Mercurius. 

Diarrhea worse in morning and after taking mixtures ; small 
brown mucous stools— Nux Vomica. 

Painless diarrhea, always worse in the morning and in hot 
weather; profuse watery bilious stools— Podophyllum. 

Stools green, brown, fermented; sour smelling of children/ 
whole body smells sour/ urging after stool— Pheum. 

Early morning diarrhea driving patient out of bed at 5 a. m. 
without pain; after suppressed eruptions— Sulphur. 

Profuse watery, blackish, greenish stools; severe pinching colic, 
causing cold sweat to stand on forehead; great exhaustion after 
stool; great thirst for cold water— Veratrum Album. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

DIPHTHERIA. 

Great dryness of throat, tonsils bright red, great difficulty of 
swallowing, very restless and drowsy but cannot sleep; throat feels 
worse on right side\ before deposit of membrane— Belladonna; 
give every hour. 

If membrane appears on right tonsil and throat has brownish 
red appearance, with nose stopped up; pain in throat when swallow¬ 
ing; the nostrils dilate with every breath; with red sandy sediment 
in the urine; worse from 4 to 8 p. m.; goes from right over to left 
side— Lycopodium. 

Disease appears on the left side, and during attempt to swal¬ 
low liquids there is more suffering than from swallowing solids, 
and the pain extends into the left ear; feels worse after sleeping 
and cannot bear anything to touch outside of the throat; dis- 


DYSENTERY. 


933 


charge from mouth and nose has a putrid smell; goes from the left 
side over to right side— Lachesis. 

Hoarse, croupy cough, with expectoration of stringy mucus; 
dirty yellow deposit on back part of throat —Kali Bichromium. 

Great difficulty of swallowing ; violent aching in back and 
extremities; sensation as if swallowing an apple core; dark color of 
throat—P hytolacca. 

Yellow coatiny on back part of tongue / swelling of glands 
under the jaw; deposit covers the whole of throat and palate— Mer- 
curius Protoiodide. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

I)o not trust too long to domestic treatment in this disease, 
procure the services of a good homeopathic physician. As a local 
application, alcohol diluted with one-half its volume of water for an 
adult, and two-thirds (-§) for a child may be used as a gargle or 
spray, as can be best applied. The diet should be nourishing; good 
fresh milk, mutton broth and eggs are the best articles of diet. 

DYSENTERY. 

In the beginning, and when the days are warm and nights 
cool with general fever and restlessness, thirst and anxiety—give 
Aconite. 

Stools dark, black, mixed with blood; putrid foul smelling, 
involuntary with intense burning in rectum; thirst for little and 
often \ worse after drinking; rapid prostration —Arsenicum Alb. 

Stools greenish, slimy, bloody; great pain during and after 
stool; pains in abdomen coming suddenly and going suddenly; 
starting and jumping during sleep; dry mouth and throat with 
little sleep — Belladonna. 

Disease caused by getting over-heated and taking cold drinks 
when system was very warm; patient wants to keep perfectly 
quiet / drinks large quantities but not very often —Bryonia. 

Stools look like scrapings of the intestines; painful urination 
—Cantharis. 

Stools bloody, mucous; chilliness after drinking / urging after 
stool great—C apsicum. 

Stool bloody, mucous; violent colicky pain around navel caus¬ 
ing patient to bend double ; relief after evacuation; worse after a 
meal; from fruit—C olocynth. 

Stools pure blood or bloody mucus] during stool painful strain¬ 
ing ; pain in bladder with scanty urine — give Mercurius Corrosivus. 

Constant urging to stool though little passes ; relief of pains 
after stool; persons of intemperate habits or after taking mixtures 
for diarrhea—Nux Vomica. 

Stools reddish, mucous; worse from having gotten wet; relief 
from walking about — Rhus Tox. 

Boil the water for the patient to drink and allow it to cool. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 


934 


DIFFICULT MENSTRUATION. 


DIFFICULT MENSTRUATION. 

Pain precedes the flow, with congestion to the head; redness of 
face; hearing down pains; discharge hot; bright red—give Bella¬ 
donna. 

Scrofulous patients, menses have delayed; swelling and tender¬ 
ness of breasts— Calcarea Carbonica. 

Labor like pains in womb, patient irritable, cannot stand the 
pain— Chamomilla. 

Li^ht hair, blue eve, delayed menses, dark flow, flows and then 
stops, chilliness, tearful and beside herself with pain— Pulsatilla. 

Colicky pains, great bearing down as if everything would pro¬ 
trude, dark hair and eyes —Sepia. 

For repetition of dose; see page 923. 

DYSPEPSIA (Indigestion). 

In disease caused by overloading stomach, white tongue; alter¬ 
nate constipation and diarrhea; give Antimonium Crudum. 

Derangement from ice-cream, fruits; burning in stomach — 
Arsenicum. 

Throws up food immediately after eating; bitter taste; irritable; 
constipated; headache— Bryonia Alba. 

Sour vomiting; aversion to meat (Caust.); desire for dainties— 
Calcarea Carb. 

Sour rancid belchings; stomach and bowels full of gas; the 
simplest food disagrees— Carbo. Vegetabilis. 

Complete loss of appetite; debility; fermentation in stomach 
and bowels; food passes undigested— China. 

The least food gives a fullness of having eaten a hearty meal / 
rumbling and rolling in bowels, particularly in left side— Lycopo¬ 
dium. 

After highly seasoned food; region of stomach sensitive to 
pressure; pain in stomach after every meal; constipation; wakes at 
3 a. m. every morning—Nux Vomica. 

Tongue coated white; bad taste in the mouth in morning; can¬ 
not eat fat food or pastry; diarrhea at night— Pulsatilla. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

ECZEMA (Eruption on Skin). 

Scrofulous children; eruption moist or dry; unhealthy skin; 
thick crusts burning and itching; chronic form —Calcarea Carb. 

Eczema with oozing of sticky glutinous fluid; rawness in bends 
of elbows, knees and under the arms and back of the ears —Gra¬ 
phites. 

Eruption spreading by means of new pimples appearing just 
beyond old ones; lean persons; skin does not heal readily— ITepar 
S uLPH. 


ERYSIPELAS. 


935 


Scrofulous subjects; dry, scaly, unhealthy skin; itching worse 
at night; eruption worse from scratching— Sulphur. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 


ERYSIPELAS. 

In Erysipelas of face with burning stinging pains, with swell¬ 
ing of eyelids, give Apis Mel. 

Smooth, red, shining; facial erysipelas, with congestion in head; 
head ache—B ell adonn a. 

Barts become covered with watery vesicles; better from warmth 
and motion—Jin us Tox. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 


INFLAMMATION OF STOMACH. 

Feverish, with hot, dry skin; restlessness; vomiting blood; 
sharp pains in stomach— Aconite. 

Intense burning in stomach; vomiting everything eaten or 
drunk ; thirst, but drinks little at a time ; rapid prostration— Arsen¬ 
icum. 

Region of stomach very sensitive, cannot bear the least pres¬ 
sure ; must remain perfectly quiet; vomiting everything eaten or 
drunk (Arsen.), with great thirst for large quantities , but not very 
often; hard dry stools — Bryonia. 

The simplest food disagrees ; vomiting food or water or bloody 
masses; great prostration, coldness of surface ; putrid stools— Oarbo. 
Veg. 

When nausea and vomiting prevail, and after eating sour or 
unripe fruit— Ipecac. 

Victims of strong doses of nostrums; constipation with fre¬ 
quent urging to stool—Nux Vomica. 

Nausea and vomiting with frequent faint spells, wants fresh 
cool air; constant spitting of frothy mucus— Pulsatilla. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 


HEMORRHAGE FROM THE BLADDER. 

When caused by mechanical injuries, give Arnica. 

Constant desire to urinate, with only a few drops of bloody 
burning urine passing; worse from drinking water —Cantharis. 

Urging to urinate, must wait long before it will pass; red sand 
in urine; in persons subject to gravel— Lycopodium. 

Young girls from suppressed menses— Pulsatilla. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

HEMORRHAGE FROM LUNGS. 

Great anxiety of mind with fulness in chest; bright red hem¬ 
orrhage— Aconite. 

After mechanical injury or great bodily exertion— Arnica. 


936 


FALLING OF WOMB. 


Congestion to head and chest, blood bright; red face— Bella¬ 
donna. 

After loss of much blood; ringing in ears ; fainting, etc.— 
China. 

Copious bleeding associated with feeling of great nausea at 
stomach —Ipecac. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

FALLING OF WOMB. 

If caused by mechanical injury with sore, bruised feeling; give 
Arnica. 

Flabby state of body ; menses too frequent; uterus easily dis¬ 
placed— Calc. Carb. 

Pressure in small of back as from a stone; menses too late, 
scanty, thick, black, clotted; bad taste in mouth in morning; light 
hair, blue eyes— Pulsatilla. 

Bearing down as if everything would protrude ; yellow com¬ 
plexion, dark hair and eyes ; greenish yellow discharge— Sepia. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

HEADACHE. 

Head feels as if it would burst; intense throbbing, with intol¬ 
erance of light and noise; face red ; worse while lying down; 
give Belladonna. 

Headache begins on waking in the morning; head feels as if it 
would split; worse from motion; patient irritable— Bryonia. 

Top of head feels as if it would fly off ; rheumatic and men¬ 
strual headaches—C imicifuga. 

Great sensitiveness of all the senses; headache as if a nail were 
driven into the brain; extreme wakefulness; head feels as if it would 
fly to pieces; nervous headaches— Coffee. 

Pleadaclie from suppressed grief; pain relieved by lying down; 
nervous hysterical feelings— Ignatia. 

Nausea and vomiting the most prominent symptom —Ipecac. 

Headache worse in morning; worse from mental exertion; per¬ 
sons of intemperate or sedentary habits — Nux Vomica. 

Headache from eating greasy fat food ; bad taste in mouth in 
morning; with menstrual ailments; in persons with light com¬ 
plexion, blue eyes— Pulsatilla. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

HEART PALPITATION. 

After a fright the heart beats quick and strong, with an anxious 
feeling in the chest; give Aconite. 

After great exertion —Arnica. 

Violent palpitation, with congestion to the head— Belladonna. 


HOARSENESS. 


937 


Palpitation, with great weakness, cold hands, after loss of 
fluids— China. 

Violent palpitation, after great excitement, laughing, etc; 
sleepless—C offee. 

After coffee, wine or spirits — Nux Vomica. 

After fright—O pium. 

Young girls from suppressed menses and at puberty— Pulsa¬ 
tilla. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

HOARSENESS. 

After exposure to cold, dry winds, hoarse, croaking voice, like 
croup; give Aconite. 

Hoarseness, with rough voice; throat dry, red— Belladonna. 
Chronic hoarseness, worse in damp evening air —Carbo Veg- 

ETABILIS. 

Hoarseness early in morning; complete loss of voice— Causti- 

cum. 

Hoarseness after croup, worse in cold air; hoarse barking 
cough— Hepar. 

Hoarseness, with cough; throat feels as if lined with fur , 
worse from talking —Phosphorus. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

INFLAMMATION OF BOWELS. 

In beginning, with chill and high fever, restlessness, dry, hot 
skin; give Aconite. 

Great heat and tenderness of abdomen, worse from least jar of 
bed; face flushed red; starting during sleep; constant moaning— 
Belladonna. 

Stitching or cutting in bowels, worse from least movement; 
lies perfectly still; nausea and faintness from sitting up; thirst for 
large quantities of water at long intervals— Bryonia. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

INFLAMMATION OF EYES. 

Redness and swelling with acute pain, dryness and heat; after 
exposure to cold, dry wind; give Aconite. 

Great intolerance of light ; redness of eyes with dryness of 
eyes; sharp pains extending to brain— Belladonna. 

Scrofulous constitution, chronic cases; swelling and redness of 
eyes, which are stuck together at night (see Graph.); eruptions on 

body or scalp— Calcarea Carb. 

Opthalmia of infants, and during dentition —Chamomilla. 
Scrofulous and chronic cases; a sticky, glutinous fluid oozes 


938 


INTERMITTENT FEVER. 


from the inflamed eyes, sticking them together; eruptions behind 
ears; fat pimple—G raphites. 

Feeling of sand in eyes, with itching burning. Edges of lids 
thickened aqd ulcerated; after suppressed eruptions— Sulphur. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

INTERMITTENT FEVER. 

When the disease is imperfectly developed, before the chill, 
there is headache, yawning, stretching, chill intermingled with 
heat and fever; during fever, great restlessness, thirst, drinking 
little and often; great prostration ; better from warmth / give 
Arsenicum. 

Chill predominates; dry cough; bilious, worse in morning; 
great thirst for large quantities (Opp. Arsen.); constipated— Bry¬ 
onia. 

Thirst several hours before the chill, continuing during chill 
and heat; generally occurs about T to 9 a. m.; severe aching in 
bach and extremities as if bones were broken —Eupatorium Perf. 

Chill toward evening; no thirst; physical prostration; malar¬ 
ious locality— Gelsemium. 

Undeveloped cases; gastric disturbance; much nausea and 
vomiting— Ipecac. 

Chill at 10 a. m.; great thirst; violent headache during fever; 
cases where quinine has been taken; fever blisters on lips— Nate. 
Muriaticum. 

Give remedies only during the interval between paroxysms; do 
not give when chill or fever are present; wait until the sweating 
stage has nearly passed off. It will only aggravate to give during 
paroxysm. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

JAUNDICE. 

Where the following symptoms are present; yellow coated 
tongue, with bitter, bilious vomiting, pains in liver when pressed 
upon; constipation; dry, hard stools; give Bryonia. 

New born children, green, watery, corroding stools— Cham- 

OMILLA. 

Yellow color of skin; loss of appetite; weakness from loss of 
animal fluids; yellow, watery, undigested stools, without pain— 
China. 

Skin very yellow; region of liver very painful; stools grayish- 
white; thickly-coated, flabby tongue— Mercurius. 

Nausea and bilious vomiting; constipation in persons of seden¬ 
tary habits—Nux Vomica. 

Greenish, slimy diarrhea; yellow coating on tongue; bad taste 
in the mouth in morning.— Pulsatilla. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 


KIDNEY COLIC. 


939 


KIDNEY COLIC (Passing of Stone to Bladder). 

This affection presents the following symptoms: Spasmodic, 
crampy pain, extending along ureter to bladder (pain from region 
of kidney to bladder), violent, causing patient great distress. The 
remedies most valuable in this complaint are Belladonna, which is 
indicated by intense pain, which is spasmodic, generally worse on 
right side; urine retained, only passing in drops; and Lycopodi¬ 
um, which will be indicated, if the patient has had previous trouble 
and there has been a deposit of red sand in the urine. Pain in 
back previous to urination. Great benefit will be derived from hot 
application to seat of pain and from warm baths. 

For repetition of dose see page 923. 

LEUCORRHEA (Whites). 

Where there is: milk-like discharge; too early and profuse 
menstruation ; scrofulous constitutions ; give Calcarea Carbonica. 

Menses late and scanty; flows and stops and flows again ; blue 
eyes, light hair ; mild disposition, milky discharge— Pulsatilla. 

Yellowish or greenish water, pus-like, badly smelling, with 
much itching in parts; dark hair and eyes— Sepia. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

MEASLES. 

Where there are in the beginning, fever, hot skin, and restless¬ 
ness; give Aconite. 

If eruption is slow to appear, and dry tight cough, with stitches 
in chest— Bryonia. 

In beginning, catarrhal symptoms ; thick yellow discharge from 
nose ; hoarse cough, thick yellow expectoration; diarrhea at night 
—Pulsatilla. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

MORNING SICKNESS (Pregnancy). 

Where there are the following symptoms: Vomiting especially 
after eating; thirst but can take only a little; very weak; letter 
from hot drinks —Arsenicum. 

Nausea on waking in morning ; feels better by keeping per¬ 
fectly quiet; dry mouth and tongue— Bryonia. 

Heart burn ; sour vomiting; scrofulous constitutions ; cold 
damp feet— Calc. Carb. 

Loathing sight and smell of food; when attempting to eat, 
nausea and vomiting— Colchicum. 

Continual nausea ; vomiting mucus — Ipecac. 

Nausea in morning after eating, or while eating; constipation, 
and sedentary habits—Nux Vomica. 


940 


MUMPS. 


Bad taste in mouth in morning; eructations, tasting of food; 
vomiting of mucus ; mild disposition, inclined to shed tears— Pul¬ 
satilla. 

Excessive vomiting, with coldness of surface of body; prostra¬ 
tion and great thirst for cold water—V eratrum. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

MUMPS. 

Bright red swellings of glands, especially on right side; red¬ 
ness of face and eyes ; headache ; sleepy, but cannot sleep— Bella¬ 
donna. 

Hard swelling of gland, with stiffness of jaws and difficulty of 
swallowing; offensive breath and profuse secretion of saliva; worse 
at night — Mercurius. 

When disease goes to genital organs; thickly coated tongue; 
bad taste in morning— Pulsatilla. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

NEURALGIA (Tic Doloreux). 

Pain generally on one side, worse at night with great restless¬ 
ness ; face red, hot; give Aconite. 

Violent shooting or tearing pain in eye-ball, generally worse on 
right side ; twitching of muscles of face ; worse from light and noise 
in afternoon— Belladonna. 

Intolerable pains, especially at night, causing hot perspiration 
about the head ; very sensitive to pain —Cham. 

Periodical attacks, fleeting tearing pains, worse from least con¬ 
tact ; ringing in ears, worse every other day; weakly persons— 
China. 

Neuralgia of left side of face (Spig.); worse from touch , better 
from rest and warm applications— Colocynth. 

Pains worse at night in bed; pain starts in decayed teeth; 
perspiration which affords no relief—M ercurius. 

Pains aggravated by rest, better from warmth, aggravation 
from getting wet— Rhus Tox. 

Neuralgia on left side of face (Coloc.); especially about left eye 
—Spigelia. 

Pains start in a decayed tooth and extends to the eye, drawing 
tearing pains ; very sensitive to least expression —Staphysagria. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

NOSE-BLEED. 

Sanguine plethoric persons with fullness of head, bright-red 
blood; give Aconite. 

After injury— Arnica. 


PILES. 


m 

Congestion to head; bright red blood, bowing freely—B ella¬ 
donna. 

Bleeding from overheating ; instead of the menses — Bryonia. 

Binging in ears, faintness, weakly persons—C hina. 

bor repetition of dose, see page 923. 

PILES. 

When the patient presents the following symptoms: Large 
purple tumors with little hemorrhage; severe backache, worse from 
the least exertion; rectum feels dry, and as if full of small sticks ; 
give LEsculus IIipp. 

Blind or bleeding piles, with feeling as if gravel or sand in the 
rectum ; bleeding with feeling of exhaustion —Collinsonia. 

Profuse bleeding piles, with soreness and rawness ; dark blood 
—Hamamelis. 

Frequent and ineffectual urging to stool with blind or bleeding 
piles ; chronic constipation, persons of sedentary habits—Nux 

V OMICA. 

Blind or bleeding, chronic cases; pains shoot up the back — 
Sulphur. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

PLEURISY. 

Chill, fever, thirst; tossing about with violent piercing pain in 
chest, hindering respiration; dry cough; give Aconite. 

After mechanical injury; bruised feeling of ribs —Arnica. 

Lies on affected side/ stitching pain from the least movement/ 
thirst for large quantities at long intervals; nausea and faintness on 
sitting up—B ryonia. 

From exposure to wet; straining or lifting; pain worse during 
rest (Opp. Bry.), better from walking about, and from warmth— 
Rhus Tox. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

PNEUMONIA (Inflammation of Lungs). 

Beginning: Chill, high fever, dry cough, shortness of breath, 
pains in chest; give Aconite. 

Cough with expectoration of tenacious mucus of misty or 
reddish color; lies on affected side; acute stitching pains in chest; 
pain worse from least movement; breathing or coughing; thirst— 
Bryonia. 

Tightness across chest; dry cough ; rusty expectoration (Bry.) ; 
difficulty of breathing ; tall slender persons, sleepy— Phosphorus. 

Short breathing, moaning with every breath ; hoarse cough, but 
nothing coming up ; cold sweat, blueness of face (children)— Tartar 
Emetic. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 


942 


RHEUMATISM. 


RHEUMATISM. 

In red swelling of part; very sensitive to touch ; feverish, rest¬ 
less; acute attacks; give Aconite. 

Worse from motion; swelling and faint redness of part; stitch¬ 
ing pains—B ryonia. 

About the heart—feeling like an iron band about the heart— 
Cactus G. 

Pains worse during rest (Opp. Bry.), and on beginning to 
move; relief after getting “warmed up ”—Bhus Tox. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

SCARLATINA (Scarlet Fever). 

During epidemics, give children a dose of Belladonna, 6tli or 
30th dilution daily ; this will prevent many attacks, and will lighten 
the attack, should the child have it. 

In beginning before eruption makes its appearance, when there 
is fever, thirst, restlessness, vomiting—a dose or two of Aconite. 

The eruption does not come out well, or disappears, with head¬ 
ache and cough— Bryonia. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

Eruption smooth, shining, red tongue, white with red edges; 
throat inflamed, dry, dark red; throbbing in head ; redness of face ; 
jumping during sleep— Belladonna. 

This remedy will be indicated in the majority of cases, and will 
take them through without the need of any other. Give a dose once 
in two or three hours. If the case does not progress favorably from 
the first, consult a homeopathic physician as soon as possible. Do 
not trust to domestic treatment, if there is any severity of the 
symptoms. 

SCIATICA (Sciatic Neuralgia). 

In acute cases, after exposure to dry cold atmosphere, with 
fever, restlessness, etc.; give Aconite. 

If from strain, bruise, mechanical injury —Arnica. 

Pain in hip worse from the least motion— Bryonia. 

If caused by exposure to wet, straining or lifting, worse in cold 
damp weather and from keeping quiet (Opp. Bry.); pain relieved by 
heat and exercise—Bn us Tox. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

SMALL-POX. 

In beginning, during febrile stage, headache, bleeding at the 
nose, restless, anxious ; give Aconite. 

Eruption dark, skin blue; great prostration; extreme thirst 
drinking little but often; hemorrhagic variety —Arsenicum Alb. 

Pain in back as if it would break; high fever; sore throat; 
sleepy but cannot sleep; throbbing pain in head— Belladonna. 


SORE THROAT. 


943 


Hemorrhagic variety; bleeding from nose and gums of dark 
blood ; bloody stools —Hamamelis. 

Ulcerated throat, prof use flow of saliva; swollen tongue; per¬ 
spires without relief; stage of maturation —Mercurius Sol. 

Complete loss of consciousness; brain affected —Opium. 

Typhoid character; tongue dry, sore, cracked; restless, worse 
when keeping quiet; delirious; corners of mouth sore and ulcerated 
—RhusTox. 

When disease goes to brain, and in scrofulous constitutions— 
Sulphur. 

If throat and chest are involved and there is cough, pustules 
well formed, with fever —Tartar Emetic. This remedy is nearest to 
the specific for this disease. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

SOllE THROAT. 

Chronic sore throat; enlargement of tonsils; tonsils enlarge 
from the least cold —Baryta Carb. 

Great dryness of throat, redness, pain in swallowing, constant 
inclination to swallow; worse on right side —Belladonna. 

Sensation as if splinter was in throat, worse in morning; 
scraping in throat—II epar Sulph. 

Pain and soreness begin on left side; when swallowing pain 
extends into left ear ; can bear nothing to touch neck externally—- 
Lachesis. 

Soreness begins on right side (Bell.); goes over to left —Lycopo¬ 
dium. 

Palate swollen; swelling and inflammatory redness of throat; 
ulcers on tonsils ; profuse secretion of saliva in mouth; glands swol¬ 
len under jaw, worse at night —Mercurius Sol. 

Hoarseness with loss of voice; rawness and scraping in throat; 
dryness of throat, day and night, feels as if cotton was in throat— 
Phosphorus. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

SPASMS (Convulsions). 

During teething, with high fever, restlessness —Aconite. 

Heat of head, red face; starting and jumping during sleep; 
twitching of face, mouth, eyes ; foam at mouth— Belladonna. 

Hot sweat on head ; one cheek red, other pale ; constant moan¬ 
ing, wants to be carried all the time; during teething —Chamo- 
milla. 

Children troubled with worms ; constantly picking and boring 
at nose; urine turns milky after standing; frequent swallowing as 
if something was rising in throat— Cina. 

Twitching and jerking of all the muscles; trembling and foam 
at the mouth, with deep sleep— Hyoscyamus. 


SORE MOUTH. 


944 


Spasms return at change of moon; wormy children; perspira¬ 
tion about the head during sleep—S ilicea. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

SOKE MOUTH. 

Bluish livid ulcers in mouth, burning like fire — Arsenicum 

Alb. 

Gums loose, receding from teeth; bloody saliva— Carbo Vege- 
tabilis. 

Teeth loose , gums painful ; copious saliva, tongue swollen, 
metallic taste—M ercurius Sol. 

After abuse of mercury; stinging pains; corners of mouth sore 
teeth loose— Nitric Acid. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

SUNSTROKE. 

If head has been exposed to direct rays of sun ; throbbing in 
head, violent thirst, great restlessness— Aconite. 

Headache and fullness as if head would burst; red face —Bella¬ 
donna. 

Feeling as if temples and top of head would burst open; vio¬ 
lent throbbing ; increased action of heart —Glonoine. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

TONSILITIS (Quinsy Sore Throat). 

Chronic inflammation and swelling; tonsils enlarge from every 
cold, and ulcerate —Baryta Carb. 

Swelling of tonsils, especially the right, when drinking fluid 
returns through the nose; dark red look, very painful and dry— 
Belladonna. 

Sticking pain as if a fish bone was in throat / persons of 
scrofulous habit; disease recurs frequently; when suppuration seems 
inevitable— Hepar Sulph. 

Left side , cannot bear anything to touch the throat; worse after 
sleeping; pain extends to left ear— Lachesis. 

Tonsils dark red and ulcerated; breath offensive, with sore 
mouth and much saliva; glands swollen; perspiration, but it does 
not relieve; worse at night —Mercurius Sol. 

When abscess is formed, to hurry breaking, and when the 
throat feels filled up; throbbing pain, follows well after— Hepar 
Sulpit, Silicea. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

TOOTHACHE. 

Patient frantic; cannot stand the pain, with great restlessness; 
throbbing pain at night —Aconite. 


TYPHOID FEVER. 


945 


After having teeth filled, aching; bruised feeling— Arnica. 

Pains come on suddenly and leave suddenly ; generally worse 
in right side; worse when lying down ; face red ; pains in teeth, 
eyes, face—B elladonna. 

Teeth feel too long\ pain in sound teeth; worse from warm 
food or drink, (Cham., Puls.); wants to keep perfectly quiet — Bry¬ 
onia. 

Hollow teeth worse from draft of air ; teeth feel sore— Calcarea 
Carb. 

Intolerable pains, after taking cold when in a perspiration; 
drawing, jerking, beating, stitching pain; worse from warm drink— 
Chamomilla. 

Tain relieved by cold water ; very wakeful , excited — Coffee. 

Pain in several teeth at the same time; decayed teeth, worse in 
cool damp air at night and from eating; much saliva in mouth— 
Mercurius Sol. 

Worse during rest and in damp weather; better from moving 
about and warmth; worse from getting wet —Bhus Tox. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

TYPHOID FEVER. 

This fever can hardly come under domestic treatment. But 
as the treatment in the beginning of this disease is of the utmost 
importance, we give indications for a few of the most prominent 
remedies for the beginning of the disease. 

In general, Bryonia will be the remedy first called for and will 
he indicated by the following symptoms: The patient will com¬ 
plain of headache which is of a splitting character and is worse in 
the morning and from moving; the tongue will be coated white at 
first and then become dry and brown; cannot sit up from nausea 
and faintness; thirst for large quantities of water at long intervals; 
•constipation, dry, hard, brown stools ; soreness in region of stom¬ 
ach. 

Or, patient is prostrated; there are diarrhea, tenderness of 
abdomen to pressure, dry black or brownish lips; tongue dry, red, 
smooth, or red at tip in the shape of a triangle; pains in extremi¬ 
ties, worse dwring rest; reddish stools, jelly-like, or like washings 
of meat — Rhus Tox. 

Trembling of tongue when being protruded, which is red or 
black, dry and bleeding; stupor and muttering; symptoms all worse 
after sleeping — Lachesis. 

Much disturbance of stomach with white coated tongue and 
nightly diarrhea; craves cool, fresh air; mild disposition, light hair, 
blue eyes— Pulsatilla. 

Great restlessness, jumping out of bed with desire to escape; 
loss of consciousness; twitching of muscles ; stools and urine pass 
involuntarily : ton me red, dry, cracked—H yoscyamus. 


URINARY DIFFICULTIES. 


940 

As an intercurrent remedy and when other remedies do not act 
well, and the tongue is coated thick white all over , with the excep¬ 
tion of the edge all around , which is red; early morning diarrhea 
at 5 a. m ., every morning —Sulphur. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

URINARY DIFFICULTIES. 

When the symptoms are : Scanty, red, hot urine, with fever 
and restlessness ; give Aconite. 

Frequent desire with passage of only a few drops, with swell¬ 
ing of evelids—A pis Mel. 

Inability to retain urine; feels as if a worm was in bladder; 
backache as if it were broken —Belladonna. 

/Scalding urine , sometimes mixed with blood; constant desire 
—Cantharis. 

Red sandy sediment in urine —Lycopodium. 

Wetting the bed, particularly of little girls —Pulsatilla. 

Children wet the bed, especially if afflicted with worms —Oina, 
Silicea. 

Old men, urinary complaints —Digitalis, Conium. 

Caused by drugs, high living, abuse of spirits — Nux Vomica. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

UTERINE HEMORRHAGE. 

When persons of full habit are troubled with active hemor¬ 
rhage, and are very restless ; give Aconite. 

Violent pain in small of back ; profuse bright red blood, which 
feels hot to the parts ; plethoric persons ; congestion to head —Bel¬ 
ladonna. 

After miscarriage or labor, discharge of dark clots, weakness, 
faintness, ringing in ears, wants to be fanned —China. 

Discharge of dark stringy blood, with sensation as of something 
alive in the abdomen —Crocus Sativa. 

C ontinual flow of bright red blood , with nausea ; cramps in 
stomach; great weakness—I pecac. 

Discharge is arrested for a while and then returns again; wants 
doors and windows open; mild disposition, blue eyes, light hair— 
Pulsatilla. 

Discharge of bright red blood, with pain in thighs; pain from 
back through to the front; sometimes mixed with dark clots —Sa¬ 
bina. 

Chronic hemorrhage, excited from the least cause; yellow com¬ 
plexion ; bearing down pain —Sepia. 

Discharge of dark liquid blood with little or no pain; pale 
face, coldness of extremities, but does not want to be covered; worse 
from warmth —Secale Cor. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 


VERTIGO. 


m 


VERTIGO (Dizziness). 

Where occurring from heat of sun, use Aconite, Bell., Glo- 
noine (see sunstroke). 

Biliousness —Bryonia, Nux Vomica. 

Deranged stomach—P ulsatilla. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

VOMITING. 

When it results from overloading the stomach, white coated 
tongue; give Antimonium Crud. 

Vomiting immediately after eating or drinking, with great 
'prostration —Arsenicum Alb. 

Bitter bilious vomiting; constipation; worse from motion and 
in moving after eating and drinking— Bryonia. 

Vomiting of children; colicky pains around navel —Chamo- 

MILLA. 

Great nausea / vomiting of mucus or sour substances—I pecac. 

Vomiting of drunkards; empty retching in the morning; sore 
feeling in region of stomach when vomiting—Nux Vomica. 

Vomiting in evening of bitter or sour fluids, or of undigested 
food; during suppression of menses and from taking cold —Pulsa¬ 
tilla.. 

Vomiting, with cold sweat on forehead, of mucus with con¬ 
tinuous nausea and prostration —Tartar Emetic. 

Vomiting bile or blood or blackish substances with great pros¬ 
tration and coldness of surface of body; thirst for very cold drinks 
—Veratrum Alb. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

VOMITING OF BLOOD. 

If caused by mechanical injury, take Arnica. 

Vomiting brownish or blackish substances; great prostration; 
restlessness; burning in stomach—A rsenicum. 

Weak, pale after great loss of blood— China. 

Sudden attacks with great nausea at stomach; paleness and 
coldness—I pecac. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

WORM SYMPTOMS. 

Constant boring at nose; pain in region of navel; abdomen 
hard and distended; frequent swallowing; restless sleep— Cina. 

Child worse about change of moon—S ilicea. 

Discharge of mucus from the bowels, mixed with worms; 
child has pain in abdomen and wants to lean against something 
hard —Stannum. 


948 


WHOOPING COUGH. 


For pin-worms, give Ipec., Lyc. and Verat. in rotation, one 
week each, three doses per day. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

WHOOPING COUGH. 

In the beginning, feverish, dry cough; child grasps at throat 
every time it coughs; restlessness; give Aconite. 

Child gets very red in the face with every coughing spell; (gets 
blue, Ipecac); hard cough in paroxysms, without expectoration— 
Belladonna. 

Cough after eating or drinking, with pain in chest and with 
vomiting; great thirst; useful in first stages— Bryonia. 

Last stages; great exhaustion after every coughing spell, with 
blue skin, cold sweat; coughing and vomiting after every meal— 
Carbo Yeg. 

Child very fretful; must be carried all the time; green, watery 
corroding diarrhea— Chamomilla. 

Picking of nose; worm symptoms; child becomes stiff during 
paroxysm of coughing; blue around mouth —Cina. 

Violent paroxysms of cough; child becomes rigid as if dead; 
vomiting after paroxysm; a swallow of cold water relieves the cough 
—Cuprum. 

Worse about twelve at night; violent paroxysms; child almost 
suffocates; bleeding from nose and mouth —Drosera. 

Child becomes stiff and blue in the face, chest seems full of 
mucus, but does not yield to coughing; (similar to Tart. Em.), vom¬ 
iting mucus —Ipecac. 

Pullsatilla, said by some to be a great remedy to give as a 
preventive, and in the beginning of an attack. Blue eyes, blonde 
hair, loose cough with profuse expectoration. 

Constant rubbing of nose and face during cough; sneezes dur¬ 
ing cough; water at nose and eyes; cough excited by cold drink 
(Opp. Cup.)— Squilla. 

Gough preceded hy crying; rattling cough; chest seems full 
of mucus, but does not yield to coughing (Ipec.); nausea and vom¬ 
iting, with cold sweat on head—T artar Emetic. 

Convulsive stage; worse in the spring and fall; child exhausted 
after every coughing spell, with cold sweat on forehead; attacks 
occur on entering a room, and from drinking cold water; (see 
Squilla)— Verat. Alb. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

DISORDERS OF NURSING. 

Sore Nipples. 

In first days, when nipples feel sore or bruised, Arnica tincture 
diluted with water locally, and Arnica taken inwardly will relieve. 


SUPPLY OF MILK. 


949 


Ulcer on nipple discharging pus, and when patient is of scrofu¬ 
lous constitution— Calcarea Cakb. 

Oozing of sticky glutinous fluid, forming a crust, in fleshy sub¬ 
jects, and those with unhealthy skin— Graphites. 

Supply of Milk. 

If supply of milk does not come readily consult the following. 
If skin is hot, and there is thirst and restlessness —Aconite. 

Breasts feel heavy, appear hard and red and hot, with drowsi¬ 
ness and headache— Belladonna. 

Breasts feel heavy like a stone, with dry lips and mouth, and 
headache with nausea and faintness on sitting up —Bryonia. 

Breasts distended, milk scanty; feels cold air readily; want of 
vital activity— Calcarea Carb. 

Pain extends from nipple to the shoulder-blade, when child 
nurses—C roton Tiglium. 

Infant refuses breast, or vomits immediately after nursing— 
Silicea to mother. 

Excessive flow T of milk will be met by Calcarea Carb., or by 
careful attention to general health, and administration of proper 
remedies to correct any symptoms that may occur in other portions 
of body or functions. 

For inflammation of the breast the remedies mentioned under 
Supply of Milk will suggest themselves ; but generally, Acon., 
Bry., and Belladonna will be the ones needed. 

For “ague” of the breast, Acon., Bry., and Bell., according 
to indications. Aconite with chill, fever, thirst, restlessness, etc. 

Bryonia will follow w r ell after the Aconite, and when the 
breast is heavy like a stone, with splitting headache, nausea and 
faint from sitting up. 

Belladonna when there is heaviness and redness, and heat of 
breast, and the face is red and patient drowsy, but cannot sleep. 

Phytolacca Decandra when breast threatens to becomes 
inflamed, and when it is very hard from the first. It is useful 
when abscess threatens or has formed. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

Milk Leg. 

Whitish swelling on foot and leg, with sensation of coldness, as 
though a cold damp cloth covered it; milk suppressed; menses 
have been generally too profuse— Calcarea Carb. 

Drawing pain from hip to foot, with a pale pink swelling of 
the leg; worse from motion ; dry lips and mouth, and thirst— 
Bryonia. 

Worse in w T arm room; it aggravates all her suffering; pale 
swelling with suppression of milk, with bad taste in the mouth; no 
thirst —Pulsatilla. 


950 


SLEEPLESSNESS OF INFANTS. 


Great restlessness; worse from keeping the limb quiet; better 
from warmth —Bhus. Tox. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 

Sleeplessness of Infants. 

From colic, teething and cold, Chamomilla; from excitement 
—Coffee, Belladonna. 

Earache, induced by cold, with fever and restlessness, Aconite, 
followed by Pulsatilla if not relieved; if swelling about the ear— 
Murcurius. 

In cases of styes Pulsatilla will generally suffice. If condi¬ 
tion becomes chronic, Sulphur or Hepar Sulphur, or Lycopodium. 

For repetition of dose, see page 923. 


DIVISION EIGHTEENTH. 


HOME. 


BY 0. I). M. CAMPBELL. 


This is one of the most common words which we all under¬ 
stand, perhaps, after our several fashions, but which none is able 
precisely to define. It would seem to mean one thing to one man, 
and something quite different to another, very much according to 
the capacity, culture and disposition of each. Our ideas of home 
are somewhat like our ideas of God. The Great Spirit of the savage 
does certainly not much resemble the God of the enlightened Chris¬ 
tian. Many of the attributes of these beings are just the opposites 
of each other. But, behind the crude or imperfect notions of each 
there might, perhaps, be discovered a Divine Reality, if one were 
only wise and great enough to find it. So, though men differ 
widely in their conceptions of what constitutes a home, there may 
possibly be some common elements, apparent to the eye of a close 
and exclusive analysis, in which all would agree, and which must 
therefore constitute the real and only essentials of that substantial 
thing which all men quickly recognize, but upon all the conditions 
of which so few are entirely agreed. 

ITS INDEFINABLE CHARM. 

It would further seem that, among these essential elements of 
home, and perhaps first among them, is a nameless if not wholly 
indescribable charm. This is like the fragrance of an odoriferous 
shrub or flower, which proclaims its neighborhood through miles of 
distance, and is strongest in the silence and darkness of the night. 
Something like this is the charm of home. The heart scents it 
from afar, when the eye cannot behold it, and gloats on the ideal 
picture of its beauties amidst the silence of solitude and the black¬ 
ness of actual desolation. Hence, none have written more elo¬ 
quently upon the charms of home than the homeless. The author 
of k * Home, sweet home,” was a wanderer and an exile, and sang but 
the passionate picture of his own sad and lonely heart. Itest, 
peace, love, friendship, joy—these, and much more which we can¬ 
not name or characterize, are the constituents of that wonderful 
charm which dwells in the word Home. These are the breath of 





952 


TIIE COMMON IDEAL. 

its fragrance and the odor of its thought. These, with the simple 
utterance of the name, let into the heart, as through an open win¬ 
dow, the light of beauty and the atmosphere of purity, and it is 
these that render a home, whether real or fancied, u the dearest spot 
on earth” to every man. 

THE COMMON IDEAL. 

The influence of this most wonderful and sacred of all institu¬ 
tions is, in its nature, purely centripetal, or attractive; it is the 
gravitating force which restrains humanity from wide and lawless 
wandering, and it operates in two directions; it pulls forward and 
it drags backward; it incites to build, and it acts to restrain. Its 
antitype is in the heart of every good man and woman. It is an 
ideal picture, which all feel that they must somehow place upon the 
canvas of their lives; an imaginative structure, which they must 
build at the cost of all their earthly possessions, or life itself will be 
destitute of meaning and of end. To this, they are naturally and 
irresistibly drawn. This is the meaning of labor, of enterprise, of 
thought, and of all the passionate attachments of the heart. The 
visions of the youth, and the dreams of the maiden have this com¬ 
mon interpretation. The apparently mysterious forces of sexual, 
kindred and social attachments and aversions find here their clear 
solution, and draw hence all their spring and energy. Love and 
hate, friendship and dislike, coldness and indifference, the realities 
of time, and even the visions of eternity, are inspired by this pas¬ 
sionate longing for home. It is just because this longing is so sel¬ 
dom satisfied, this vision so rarely realized ; because the actual 
experience of home has disappointed by its imperfectness and 
pained by its discords; it is because of this that men and women, 
despairing of their ideals in this world, have looked to realize them 
in another and better, and so come to think that the disappoint¬ 
ments of earth may be atoned for by the fruitions of heaven. It is 
thus seen that the design of all theology, and even of all religion, is 
the realization of this common desire for a perfect home, hell itself 
being but the everlasting limbo to which the revengeful heart con¬ 
signs the enemies and disturbers of its domestic peace. 

ITS RESTRAINING INFLUENCES. 

Imperfect, however, as is the home of earth, and far as it com¬ 
monly falls short of realizing the ideal of youth and maturity, yet, 
once built, according to man’s best, it throws around him an indis¬ 
soluble chain. To maintain it in being and add to its attractions, 
becomes now the one purpose of his life and labor. For this, he 
toils by day and watches by night. In the field, the shop, the office, 
the laboratory, the library, the forum—everywhere—the worker 
works for home. Allured to the paths of adventure, vice or crime, 
he is held back by the tie of home. Driven to despair by want or 


I 


THE INTEGRITY OF HOME. 953 

Moe, and longing for the rest of the grave, the rash hand of the 
suicide in thought is paralyzed by the memories of home. Frantic 
with rage or bitter with revenge, the thought of direful conse¬ 
quences to those he loves curbs the wrath which might wreak itself 
in blood. If lie is a good citizen—the conservator of those moral 
influences which hold society within the bounds of order and 
decorum—all this is due to the domestic stake he must venture for 
the gratification of an illegal avarice or illicit lust. In short, the 
factors of every enduring social state and the constituents of every 
permanent and advancing civilization, lie in the homes they 
embrace and of whose tender energies they are the crystallized 
expression. If there be virtue, honor, worth, purity and peace on 
earth, they were born in its homes and will perish with their 
extinction. 

THE INTEGRITY OF HOME—THE SAFE-GUARD 

OF NATIONAL STABILITY. 

The convulsions which occasionally shake society to its national 
centres and threaten the overthrow of all the institutions which 
Time has consecrated, issue from those apparently sudden and 
cyclic changes which periodically occur in the domestic tempera¬ 
ture of the world. When at any period in the history of a nation, 
love becomes a jest, friendship a myth and honor a name; when 
the night of Despotism has settled down clear and cold and drear, 
extinguishing those fires of purity and trust which burned upon 
the hearth of home; then the wild ruffianism of the individual man 
breaks forth in anarchy and blood. As it was with France in ’89, 
so will it be with every nationality on the earth; when the state, by 
its arbitrary social distinctions and unequal laws, invades and 
tramples upon the sacredness of home, it simply takes its own life ; 
because the state is the product of its homes and has unnaturally 
destroyed those factors of which its dignity, grandeur and authority 
were the mere multiple. When the state becomes paternal in its 
government; when it undertakes to educate or to regulate, in any 
other interest than the conservation of the public peace, the children 
of its citizens, then it usurps the highest and dearest prerogative of 
the royalty of home, and it will, in time, snatch all the others; and 
then, indeed, it will have committed national suicide, for society 
will dissolve and go back to its original elements. The Spirit of 
Progress, so-called, who now stands embracing the pillars of the 
temple of our National Freedom, is the Blind Sampson, whose 
strength is coming fast, and who will soon bow himself to bury all 
in a common ruin. 

THE FIRST CONDITIONS OF HOME. 

Such, then, being the influence and effects of the home it may 
its well, if possible, that we should form some distinct conception of 
be essential conditions. 


951 


CONSECRATED 1IY TIES OF PARENTAGE. 


The first of these is, obviously, the presence of one man and 
one woman, who have mutually chosen each other out of all the 
world, and who are held together by the same attraction of mutual 
and exclusive choice. This it is that makes true marriage; and 
those, and those only, who are thus wedded are true husbands and 
true wives. They may be of any faith, or of no faith. The cere¬ 
mony which united them may be gorgeous and elaborate as that of 
Rome, or simple and natural as that of an untaught savage. The 
essential thing is, that they love and prefer each other to all the 
world. This being granted, they are the common centre of the 
circle of home. They make its earliest constituent, and its prime 
and essential condition. Without this, there may be much that is 
charming and bright, but there is no home. Indeed, whatever of 
brightness or of charm may be discerned in those broken circles to 
which this element is wanting, will be found, on a careful examina¬ 
tion, to owe their presence to the sacred memory and still potent 
influence of this primal fact. If the children cling to the old roof- 

tree, under whose shelter sits the lonelv and widowed husband or 

7 •/ 


wife, it is because the vacant place was once so honorably and ten¬ 
derly filled that the simple recollection of the lost has still the power 
to charm and bind. It is a power so enduring and sacred that 
death itself cannot quite cancel it. This, then—the presence of one 
man and one woman, joined together in a tender and sacred union 
of hearts—makes the earliest element of the real home. 


CONSECRATED BY TIES OF PARENTAGE. 

The next—and the immediate and proper consequence of this 
—is the presence of parents and children. When the loving wife 
ripens into maternity under the chaste and tender influence of her 
husband’s embraces, she is not only fulfilling the ends of Nature 
and the law of God, but she is adding another and equally essential 
constituent to the home. Indeed she is helping, as in no other way 
so efficiently she can help, to build the home. Not all the domestic 
virtues combined can atone for the barrenness. This is the greatest 
of all misfortunes. Until her babe smiles in its mother’s face and 
coos in its father’s arms, their common being is incomplete. Strange 
and awful depths of tenderness are unsealed by the presence of the 
little one, whose waters could never else have purified and gladdened 
the hearts of the husband and wife. Holding this treasure in their 
arms, they taste a divine joy and unlearn the hardened selfishness of 
life. Their union is now first complete. They are not merely hus¬ 
band and wife, but the common parents of that bud of being which 
they see unfolding under their eyes; and this fact invests either with 
a new and unspeakable dearness to the other. It is no longer John 
and Jane, that each sees in the other, but the father and mother of 
my boy; and both feel that the mutual tenderness of wedded love 
bore no comparison to the mutual tenderness of wedded parentage. 


SACRED DUTY OF MOTHERHOOD. 


055 


And besides this, the birth of the little stranger has, in some new 
and mysterious way, made them akin to all humanity. The child¬ 
hood of the world has crept into their bosoms and made its home 
there. They love all children for their own child’s sake. Even the 
beggar’s brat, which they were wont to pass with disgusted feelings 
and averted eyes, seems now to be invested with a new and inex¬ 
plicable charm. Their eyes have been somehow unsealed, so that 
they can look through the dirt and rags down to the angel nature 
which they hide. 

SACKED DUTY OF MOTHERHOOD. 

It seems hardly conceivable that any wife could be willing to 
forego this divine joy of motherhood and this sacred duty of home- 
building, for the unnatural claims and doubtful pleasures of fashion¬ 
able society; yet such wives we are assured there are, and not a 
few. In the larger towns and cities—the so-called centres of civi¬ 
lization—it is said that, with many society-ladies, motherhood is 
dreaded as a curse and prevented by crime. Undoubtedly, so far as 
they are concerned, the sin brings its own punishment, and the 
punishment is sufficiently severe. It makes no difference, that they 
are for the present unconscious and dreadless of that harvest of woe 
whose seeds their jeweled hands are sowing every day. It will come 
soon and fast enough. In broken health and blighted life—in 
loneliness and lovelessness—they will realize, at last, that they are 
reaping as they have sown. But the crime against society—the sin 
against government and race—the infidelity to marriage vows and 
obligations—the putting out of the light of a home—the blighting 
of human possibilities of greatness ancl worth—the destruction of a 
factor in the purity of society and the strength of a state, what per¬ 
sonal suffering of the wretched criminal can atone for this? During 
an eternity of misery—could she suffer it—this sin would grow 
blacker by all the smoke of her torment, and greater with every 
groan of her anguish. The sufferings of the sinner cannot undo the 
sin; albeit, it is ordained, by the organic law of our being, that the 
sinner shall suffer. We see, however, still more distinctly, by the 
lurid light of such a crime against nature and society, how essential 
is that second condition of home, which we have named as the rela¬ 
tion of parents and children. 


HOME AN ABIDING PLACE. 

Another of those essential constituents of home whose import¬ 
ance it would be difficult to exaggerate, is a dwelling-place. This, 
if possible, should be the inalienable possession of its occupants. 
Let it be altered, improved, amended, if they will and can, but 
never, save under the stress of urgent necessity, abandoned. The 
local attachments of our nature are strong and ineradicable. The 
popular proverb, “ A rolling stone gathers no moss,’' is fairly appli- 


956 


HALLOWED BV ASSOCIATIONS. 


cable not alone to material possessions, but to those higher acquisi¬ 
tions which enrich the understanding and the heart. These are 
rubbed away and lost by the sharp attritions of local change, until 
one becomes a mere human boulder, the mechanical result of the 
circumstances which have swept, tossed, and washed him hither and 
thither, and left him lying helpless and supine, at the mercy of every 
elemental and impulsive force. The steady and unchanged home¬ 
stead, on the other hand, is the soil in which the dwellers are in¬ 
fixed like the strong rocks, which laugh at the storms of life, and 
successfully resist all violent and injurious change. 

HALLOWED BY ASSOCIATIONS. 

In process of time, there are transferred to such a spot and 
made a part of it, innumerable associations, joyful or sad, but all 
alike tender and endearing. The graves of forefathers and mothers, 
the home-coming of brides, the departure of sons and daughters, the 
birth and death of children—all have left their traces on house and 
furniture and soil. These dumb, material things are eloquent of all 
the interests and emotions of the home circle. They bind its mem¬ 
bers to the spot, or force them, if they wander, 

“ To drag, with every step, a lengthening chain.” 

Years afterward, indeed, when the family is extinct or scattered; 
when the fences are fallen down, the hearth-stone cold and the house 
a battered ruin; the footstep of a lonely stranger, treading there, is 
repelled by unseen forces, and something says, 

“ As’plain as whisper in the ear, 

The place is haunted.” 

Haunted, indeed and forever, it is, by the undying ghosts of the pas¬ 
sionate hearts that once dwelt and revelled there. 

So strong, so enduring, so imperishable is the influence of a 
dwelling place. No doubt, some cannot have it. It is out of their 
power to purchase and own their own dwellings. The necessity of 
their pecuniary circumstances or local surroundings forces them to 
rent and occupy, on such terms as they may, the hired tenements of 
others. This is especially true of the working classes in the cities. 
But even they may shun, as much as possible, removals from house 
to house. They may select a modest dwelling, at a price so distantly 
removed from the outer margin of their means as to promise perma¬ 
nence of occupancy if they so choose, and stay there; and this will 
prove, in time, a tolerable substitute for ownership. Gradually, the 
place will grow warm and dear to them. Should their pecuniary 
circumstances solidly improve, then, instead of seeking another and 
more eligible situation, let them take a long lease of the one they 
now occupy, and proceed to renovate it in accordance with their 
better tastes and larger abilities. This will give them that fixedness 
of abode which is essential to home, and which no money expended 
elsewhere can purchase. 


TIIE SPURIOUS HOME. 


957 


THE SPURIOUS HOME. 

But a worse practice than that of frequent removals seems to 
be steadily gaining ground in the towns and cities; and that is, the 
custom of family-boarding. This, it is urged, is both convenient 
and cheap. The wife has more leisure for society, and the husband 
more time and money for business and pleasure. Neither is wor¬ 
ried or hindered by the annoyances of housekeeping. All this may 
be true; though we doubt about the economy, from what seems to 
us the sufficiently significant fact, that poor families cannot afford 
to board. They make a home for themselves because they must. 
It would seem, then, that families board not because they cannot 
afford to keep house, but because they cannot afford to do so in a 
certain style which they deem essential to their social standing. If 
they could go to a grand and splendidly appointed house, they would 
all go to morrow, and we should hear no more of the conveniences 
of boarding. Then, it is to this false and tyrannical god of Social 
Appearances that they sacrifice their comfort, their privacy and 
their home; for in boarding they can have none of these. They 
cannot choose their own table, their own hours, their own company, 
or their own entrances and exits. They must go in and out, up and 
down, at the beck and call of others. Their children must be de¬ 
prived of their natural liberty, of all wholesome discipline, and exposed 
to the baneful influence and injurious caprices of strangers. Above 
all, they must be homeless; for a boarding-house is not, and cannot 
be made a home for any one—not even for its keepers. And to 
compensate for all this they have two priceless privileges: The lux¬ 
ury of being considered respectable, and the liberty of grumbling; 
and it must be confessed that they exercise the last so constantly 
that, one would think, it must be inexpressibly dear to them. If its 
exercise, however, can compensate them for the ruin of two homes 
—their own and that of the family with wh >m they board—we 
must say, that they richly deserve that curse of homelessness which 
they suffer and inflict. However, should they be forced by kind 
adversity to abandon the boarding-house, though for the poorest 
tenement in all their knowledge, they will learn at last, with grate¬ 
ful and happy hearts, how much truth lives in the immortal line, 

“ Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.” 


MORAL ASPECTS OF HOME. 

No consideration of what is involved in the subject of home 
would be complete without some allusion to its moral aspects, and 
the mutual relations of those who constitute the household. Home 
is something more than the mere dwelling place, set apart for the 
physical comfort and convenience of its inmates, and without the 
presence of its higher attributes, and the realization of its moral 
duties and responsibilities, it is incomplete, if it be not the mere 


958 


MORAL ASPECTS OF HOME. 


empty semblance of wliat the home should be. The complete home 
embraces within it limits a perfect system of social government, and 
it is in these integers of the aggregate community that there is to 
be found the highest guarantee of the stability of the whole social 
fabric of the state. It is not only the temple of domestic virtue, but 
it is the school in which men and women are qualified for their ul¬ 
terior duties of citizenship. Here in youth are learned the princi¬ 
ples of obedience to constituted authority, which in manhood are 
carried into the wider sphere of social duties. Here the edifice of 
character is founded; the moral stature trained to grow apace with 
physical and intellectual development, and the impress given which 
stamps its seal of expanding influence upon the future life, and its 
ever broadening associations. 

Domestic Discipline —Nothing is more absolutely essen¬ 
tial both to the future well-being of children and to the proper har¬ 
mony of the household than that the youth should be thoroughly 
trained in the habits of obedience, and taught to honor and respect 
the parental authority. Filial respect is the surest foundation of an 
upright character, and it is the chief guarantee of the parents for 
the realization of the rewards to which they look forward for the 
care and labor expended upon the infancy and youth of children. 
Yet in no respect are parents as a rule more careless than in this. 
The true foundation of filial obedience is affection, which makes the 
duty a pleasure, and renders its performance doubly grateful to both 
parent and child. In order to insure the proper cultivation of this 
trait, the habit should be carefully inculcated from the earliest dawn 
of intelligence, until it becomes by custom a part of the nature of the 
child and is crystallized into character in the development of youth. 
Too commonly carelessness and indifference on the part of parents 
allow the child to drift without guidance in this respect, until they 
find themselves confronted with a hardened will set up in opposition 
to the demands of duty. True, the parental authority may then be 
asserted; obedience may still be enforced; but then a charm in the 
household is broken which can never be restored, a chord of har¬ 
mony severed whose music will never again vibrate in the heart of 
parent or child, and one of the sweetest of domestic pleasures will 
have been banished from the family hearth. That obedience of 
children which is founded from earliest infancy on love and respect, 
will blossom perennially in the hearts of both parents and children, 
and shed enduring fragrance upon every relation of life. 

The Sense of Honor —It may be assumed that all parents, in 
discharging the solemn responsibility of forming the character of 
those whom they have brought into being, and whom they are 
called upon to equip physically, mentally and morally for the vicis.- 
situdes of life, will take care that the character of the youth is 
founded in honesty, industry, sobriety, integrity, fidelity, economy, 
perseverance and self-reliant determination, which are the weapons 
in the armory of character by which success is to be wrested from 



MORAL ASPECTS OF HOME. 


959 


all conditions. But too little attention is often paid to the true 
ground upon which these qualifications should be based. Youth 
should be taught in the lessons of the domestic hearth, both by 
precept and example, that it is not only necessary and desirable 
that honesty, integrity and industry are to be cultivated because 
they are essential to material success, but in a better and higher 
sense, because they bring even greater rewards in the moral duty of 
performance, and the consciousness of its upright discharge which 
is the true measure of self-respect. Character which is to be a 
blessing to its possessor and to all its associations, should be early 
grounded in what Burke describes as that “ Chastity of honor 
which feels a stain like a wound.” This is the highest safeguard 
of moral uprightness, and the surest shield against the temptations 
of life. 

Sympathy —There ought to be few higher pleasures in life 
than the companionship of our children, whether it be in the prat¬ 
tling innocence of childhood, the buoyant exuberance of expanding 
youth, or the glowing anticipations of approaching maturity. The 
parent who can find no congenial companionship in his child ; who 
cannot enter into its feelings, pleasures and aspirations with ready 
sympathy, may depend that he lacks something which is essential 
to his best realization of domestic happiness. Too often this is the 
result of the unhealthy habit of exclusive devotion to the absorbing 
cares of business, which robs so many of our people of the full 
enjoyments of the best rewards of life. Companionship, even c rn- 
araderie of parents and children is a mutual benefit as well as a 
mutual pleasure. It is a healthy and wholesome relaxation to the 
parent; it brings mental improvement and moral dignity to the 
youth, and it is the easiest road to the establishment of that perfect 
confidence, which should always characterize their mutual relations, 
and is essential to their mutual welfare. 

Influence of Example —Among the influences which sur¬ 
round the home, none is more powerful in moulding the character 
of children and so impressing every aspect of the domestic relations, 
than the force of example in the various duties of life by the parent. 
How can parents expect or hope that their children will grow up in 
cleanliness of mind, manners and morals, no matter how assidu¬ 
ously the principles of rectitude are taught, who dishonor by their 
ow r n practices the precepts they seek to impress upon the young? 
The power of example is stronger than the force of preaching. The 
very confidence and respect which children have by intuition for 
parents, adds redoubled force co the strength of pernicious example. 
You may teach a child that a habit is pernicious, but if you do not 
apply that rule to your own conduct, he will follow your exam¬ 
ple, and regard your advice as an abstract theory which it is not 
necessary to practice. If you desire your son to grow up to honor¬ 
able manhood, be punctiliously honorable with him, even in the 
smallest things and from earliest childhood; see that your 


MORAL ASPECTS OF HOME. 



language and habits are cleansed from every taint from which you 
would guard his innocence; see that your passions are kept under 
control, and that your own dignity and self-respect are always 
maintained, and you will find not only the pleasure which you seek 
in the development of his character, but an added reward in the 
improvement of your own. 

Home and Health —The laws of health make an imperative 
demand for ample seasons of recreation and relaxation from the 
continuous strain of the labors of existence and the cares of business. 
In no other place can pleasure and relaxation be found of as elevat¬ 
ing and healthful a nature as among the pure and wholesome 
influences of home, in the loving society of wife and children. And 
yet to how great an extent are they neglected in the high-pressure 
rate of modern American life, depriving both the heads of families 
and their dependents of their best and most pleasurable associations, 
of their purest enjoyments, and of the best stimulus for renewed 
encounter with the cares of life. Even where those salutary 
influences are not neglected for doubtful if not injurious pleasures, 
it is too much the custom to bring the shop or the counting-house 
into the home. There is a lesson which might be learned with 
advantage by thousands of business men in the following extract 
from an article on this subject, in the Golden Key , by Mr. I. 
Harley Brock: 

“ If there be a fault to be found with the progressive, vigor¬ 
ous, energetic mode of life which is distinctively American, the 
characteristic of the healthy vitality of our people and their insti¬ 
tutions, it is the tendency, too often developed, to allow the mind to 
become wholly engrossed in the care of business to the neglect of that 
large fund of resources for the higher enjoyment of domestic and social 
life, which every man with a sound mind in a healthy body inherently 
possesses. And this, when it does occur, invariably encroaches 
upon that period of life in which the capacity for rational enjoy¬ 
ment and wholesome pleasures is in its most vigorous stage. It is 
the too common mistake of the man of business to put off for the 
future day, when he shall have reached the affluence at which he 
aims, the exercise of that faculty of enjoyment which he robs of its 
present gratification with a promise to pay in the indefinite future, 
in order that he may redouble his attention to business pursuits. 
This is doubly a mistake, in that the future may never be reached; 
and if it be, then may be found that the time has gone by; that 
the capacity has perished in its neglect; that it is impossible to 
rekindle the fires of youth in the ashes of old age, and that when 
once resolved to devote the remnant of life to the pursuit of pleas¬ 
ure fairly won by arduous toil, there remains only the desire with¬ 
out the realization—able to ‘clip Elysium, but to lack its joy.’ 
He who keeps life well balanced, neither evading its duties nor re¬ 
fusing its passing rewards, will find in the end that he has made as 


EDUCATION OF CHILDREN. 


961 


satisfactory progress in worldly prosperity, and has lived a better 
and brighter life.” 

EDUCATION OF CHILDREN. 

Among the chief of the duties and responsibilities of the heads 
of the Home, that which embraces the education of children is para¬ 
mount in importance, and ought to be the subject of earnest and 
anxious forethought, and of unremitting and watchful care. The 
object of all parents ought to be, and is, except where unnatural and 
abnormal conditions exist, to bend the utmost energies and to strain 
every available resource to so equip the youth or maiden for their 
future life, as to best insure their happiness and prosperity. To this 
end, therefore, it is primarily of importance that youth should be 
endowed with a sound mind in a sound body —menssana in cor pore 
sano/ and this embraces as well the health of the morals, for all 
experience goes to show that there can never be perfect or lasting 
physical and intellectual vigor without moral health. These three 
graces of manhood and womanhood go hand in hand through life; 
whenever one is absent, the others are certain to languish and 
decay. It is unfortunately the great defect of American domestic 
education that the moral side of life is not regarded, as it ought to 
be, as strictly essential to and belonging to the duty of physical and 
mental education. Perhaps no people in the world are so lavishly 
liberal in their treatment of the youth as are the people of America. 
The great masses of our citizens, having to carve their own fortunes 
out of their capital of industry and energy, find always the gratifi¬ 
cation of a laudable ambition which had been denied to themselves, 
in the effort to improve the social, intellectual and material fortunes 
of their children. The clerk or mechanic, forced by the hard exi¬ 
gencies of his early circumstances to forego many of the graces, 
refinements and luxuries of life, now that thrift and energy have 
made him the master of ample competence, finds peculiar pride and 
pleasure in taking care that his children experience none of the pri¬ 
vations which he so well knows how to appreciate. The mother who 
in the springtide of her own existence was compelled to self-denial, 
is prone to take a lavish satisfaction, in indulgence in dress and social 
pleasures to her daughters. In both cases the instinct is natural 
and laudable; but it also contains the element of the very greatest 
dan o-er to which children so situated are exposed in their education. 
Such indulgence is too apt to lead to pride of person, of position, and 
of purse, which warp and pervert the noblest, highest and most gen¬ 
erous instincts of manhood and womanhood, and expose those so 
educated in false kindness, to the ever present risk oi being 
stranded upon the shoals of utter helplessness by the first unex¬ 
pected tempest of adversity. If the father, while denying no 
wholesome luxury or refinement of life to his son, were also to 
ground him upon those solid virtues of self-denial which he in his 


962 


EDUCATION OF CHILDREN. 


youth practiced from necessity; and if the mother without casting 
any shade upon the sunny youth of her daughters, were to teach 
them for their pleasure what it had been her task to practice in 
youth, the homely but substantial accomplishments of housewifery, 
these sons and daughters would achieve happier lives for themselves, 
and would escape many a trap and pitfall which the whirligig of 
time, in its eccentric and uncertain course, may bring them into con¬ 
tact with. Every son of wealth should learn a trade or calling; every 
daughter of affluence should graduate as a housewife. To affect to 
sneer at wealth is both absurd and vulgar, for in general its enjoy¬ 
ment implies the possession of some of the most worthy virtues; but 
the young should be taught this lesson, without which their educa¬ 
tion will never fit them for the highest and best achievements of life, 
viz.: that moral worth, not material wealth, makes up the highest 
dignity of manhood and womanhood; that well-earned self-respect 
is the highest reward any man can compass; that whoever possesses 
these, whether mechanic or millionaire, meet upon a common plane, 
and that upon the highest and best level of existence that human 
life can achieve. 

Good Manners —While care is taken in the education of the 
young, that the development of physical perfection is accompanied 
by the healthy progress of mind and morals, what are called “ good 
manners ” must not be lost sight of. To paraphrase the catechism 
these are “ the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual 
grace.” They constitute the manifest expression of mental and 
moral health—not the expression of profession, but the spontaneous 
effusion of a well-constituted character. They are the blossoms 
which bloom upon the tree of worth and goodness, instinct with 
the fragrance of every virtue from which they seek the springs of 
existence. Good manners do not mean the mechanical observance of 
social formalities, the cold and unsympathetic routine of propriety. 
Courtesy of speech and manner, even if it be only following the 
adjunct to “ assume a virtue if you have it not,” is always pleasi ng 
and agreeable; but that is as “ the tinkling cymbal,” when com¬ 
pared with the grateful music which is awakened in the chords of 
a good heart by the impulses of an upright mind. Good manners, 
so considered, are the stamp which attests the unalloyed gold of a 
sweet and harmonious disposition, and no base or spurious counter¬ 
feit, however perfect the imitation or however bright and plausible 
the resemblance, can ever seek to rival its perfection. It should be 
the constant care of parents to teach the young that the courtesies 
of life are something real, and not a mere hollow form; and in 
training them in their conventional modes of expression, to gift the 
youth with those graces of character which shine out in good man¬ 
ners—deference and obedience to elders and superiors, respectful 
homage to the aged, chivalrous protection for the weak and feeble, 
sympathy with the unfortunate and even with the erring, and pleas¬ 
ure in adding to the happiness of others. These constitute true 



EDUCATION OF CHILDREN. 


963 


politeness, and their exercise is not only a principal charm of life 
for their possessor and those on whom they are reflected, but they 
are also a powerful influence in the nromotion of the material wel¬ 
fare. 

Care of the Person —When it was written that “ cleanliness 
is next to godliness,”—whether it was meant to imply mere bodily 
cleanliness, or as well purity of the mind, the manners and the 
morals—there was a good deal more philosophy conveyed in the 
proverb than is expressed. The hath of the Mohammedan is a part 
of his religion, and strict cleanliness was one of the most rigid 
injunctions of the Mosaic law. It would be an inestimable boon to 
the physical welfare of modern Christian countries if this virtue of 
the Eastern infidels could be but made a part of the ordinary relig¬ 
ious obligation. Scrupulous cleanliness of the person is something 
that one not only owes to himself and to his neighbors, but it is, as 
well, one of the most substantial comforts and grateful luxuries at 
our command, while the return in physical benefit which it confers 
ought to be in itself a sufficient incitement to its systematic cultiva¬ 
tion. It is greatly to be feared that this is the point of all others 
where physical education in America is lacking, and that while, in 
a sense, personal vanity compels the preservation of a presentable 
surface, the fair exterior which our average citizen of either sex 
presents is but the whiting of the sepulchre. “ Shall I wash for a 
high neck dress or a low neck dress, mother?” is a current witicism 
which points at what we must fear is, to a large extent, a palpable 
truth. How many hundreds out of every thousand go from 
month to month, without any other purification than the hand-basin 
affords, and yet would be unanimously indignant if the whisper 
“unclean” were ever so gently to assail them? In how many 
thousands of houses do we find the piano, but not the bath-room? 
And yet people consider themselves refined and cleanly, and have 
no conception of the horror and disgust with which they would 
regard the revelations which a Turkish bath might make for them! 

The care of the person ought to be made a very essential part 
of the education which belongs to Health and Home, and strict 
habits in this regard should be scrupulously cultivated. The bath 
to even the youngest child should be graduated into a habit and 
cultivated into a luxury. As children grow older they should be 
taught the most punctilious and exact habits for the care of the 
person, and with particular regard to the hair, the teeth, the nails, 
and the hands and feet; not on the ground of vanity, or even of 
health necessarily, but as a matter of self-respect. These habits of the 
body will be conveyed again to the apparel, for the youth or 
maiden who has been trained to fastidious cleanliness of the person 
will not be able to endure contact with soiled linen, unpolished 
boots, frayed gloves or an ill-conditioned or untidily kept hat. . The 
care of the person has these claims to our regard: It is essential to 
personal comfort; it is inseparable from personal dignity and self- 


964 


EDUCATION OF CHILDREN. 


respect; when cultivated, it is transformed from a duty into a 
wholesome and grateful luxury; and it brings a more abundant 
return in the store it adds to the blessings of health, than anything 
else within our power to compass. And moreover, it is the one 
luxury that is within the reach of all, and for neglect of which no 
one can excuse himself to himself. 

Companionships —In the modern system of education, it has 
been found that in forming the mind and directing the intelligence 
of the young and impressionable, there is no mode of teaching so 
effective as that of object lessons. As a matter of fact, until the 
character has fully matured and during the whole period of the 
greatest susceptibility and impressibility, the whole life of youth is 
a series of practical object lessons. Those which he encounters in 
the Home, we must assume to be of the healthest and most elevat¬ 
ing tendency; but the prudent parent will look well and watchfully 
to the external influences to which their children are subjected. The 
most potent of these is that of companionship, and in this regard 
too great care cannot be taken that the associations. are clean and 
wholesome. The solicitude of the parent, however, in this regard 
must be governed by discretion and judicious supervision. Too _ 
frequently it is the case, either through carelessness or unintentional 
neglect, arising from absorption in the cares of business, that the 
young are allowed to drift into unprofitable companionship, and 
when this is perceived it is sought to remedy it by restraint. Al¬ 
most inevitably this results in re-action and serves to intensify the 
danger. The best and most effective way is to so thoroughly imbue 
the young mind with the pride of probity, and the sense of honor, 
that contact with anything vicious or immoral arouses a sense of 
repugnance and antagonism which is a certain safeguard against 
contamination; and youth should at the same time be led to the 
understanding that that which is simply.idle and frivolous, though 
apparently harmless, is the bridge by which the positively vicious 
and immoral is reached. This is essentially true of the influ¬ 
ence of books. Indeed, it may be believed that the companionship 
of books has a more direct, absorbing and positive influence than 
that of the social surroundings; and tliis is eminently and emphati¬ 
cally true of youths of studious or sensitive disposition. Too care¬ 
ful supervision cannot therefore be exercised over what the child is 
allowed to read. The fecundity of the printing press in these days 
has let loose upon society an overwhelming flood of idle, frivolous, 
vicious, utterly unprofitable and to a large degree prurient and 
immoral literature, if it can be dignified by the name, which is a 
constant menance to the mental and moral health of the young. It 
is a mistake, however, not to allow the mind of the youth a sufft- 
cient pabulum of wholesome literary recreation. Wholesale and 
unreasonable condemnation of reading for pleasure is almost certain 
to drive the young to dangerous indulgence in secret. Rather 
choose for him a fair allowance of clean and wholesome books of 


SELECTION OF OCCUPATION. 


965 


useful and practical knowledge, conveying profitable moral lessons, 
and at the same time improving his ideas upon composition and his 
faculty of language. Lead him to understand and realize that com¬ 
panionship with the dime-novel, or the vicious class of fiction, is 
degrading and disgraceful, and you will thus educate his taste up to 
a refinement in such matters which will be his surest safeguard 
against the evil companionship of objectionable books. 

SELECTION OF OCCUPATION. 

The selection of an occupation is something which more con¬ 
cerns the ulterior objects of the home education, than those things 
which strictly pertain to the cares, duties, trials and privileges of the 
home circle. Home is the school in which the youth has received 
his mental, physical and moral training, and from which he is about 
to graduate with the diploma of paternal approval, sealed by the 
devotion, love and hope of the mother whose tender solicitude 
watched by his cradle, and whose fondest prayers will accompany 
him into the future which he is to make for himself. The choice 
of an occupation is something which may be and should be left to 
the decision of him who is to put all his future at stake upon it. 
But his qualification to make that choice will have rested solely 
upon the formation of his mind, of his feelings, or of his inclina¬ 
tions or prejudices, which rest to a large extent, if not solely with 
the parental function. And in this duty of guiding the inclination 
or interest which every youth has as to his career, into channels 
which shall best promote his future welfare and happiness, there is 
one rule that should govern alike rich and poor, high and low, and 
that is, that the dignity of labor, of duty, of life with an object in it, 
is essential to the true happiness and well-being of every human 
being. The man without an occupation—be he ever so high or ever 
so humble, born to purple or to penury, nursed in the lap of luxury 
or in the hard cradle of poverty—is an anomally in life, a waif 
upon the bosom of the sea of existence, helpless, hopeless, purpose¬ 
less ; doomed certainly to wreck, disaster and destruction, either 
mentally, morally, physically or financially. All experience proves 
that in one or other oi these shapes the fate of his useless being will 
overtake him. Let the children of the poor be taught that in what¬ 
ever sphere of labor they may elect to work out their lot, if they 
but bring to bear probity and perseverance, honesty and earnestness 
and the sense of duty, all the best prizes of life lay open to them. 
Let the children of the rich be taught to respect the dignity of 
labor and to comprehend the vicissitudes of fortune, and while 
qualifying themselves for a wholesome and useful life in that more 
favored sphere in which they have been born, acquire also some 
practical vocation which shali never in any emergency leave them 
quite without the resources of self-respecting independence. 


DIVISION NINETEENTH. 


DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 


Edited by Jonathan Periam, Author of The American Cyclopedia of 
Livestock; Home and Farm Manual; American Encyclopedia 
of Agriculture ; Farmers’ Stock Book, Etc. 


THE HORSE. 

Of all the domestic animals, the horse is the chief, and stands 
nearest to man, both as regards purposes of utility and pleasure. It 
is the indispensable coadjutor of man in every sphere of labor, and 
is essential to almost all his undertakings. Whether in tilling the 
soil, gathering the harvest, marketing the produce, or going to and 
fro either for pleasure or protit, the horse is man’s most useful and 
most familiar friend. It has been said with a good deal of truth 
that you may gather the character of a man from the appearance of 
his horse. If he be a man of prudence and of proper pride, he will 
have the best horse for his purpose his means will allow; if he be 
just, generous and humane, the horse will show by the marks of good 
treatment and good feeding, that his services and his value are 
appreciated. 

Perhaps there is no other direction in which men are custom¬ 
arily so wasteful of their resources as in the treatment of their 
horses. These are treated too often as if the only obligation they 
entailed upon their owners was that of feed and shelter, and as if, 
instead of possessing an anatomy of flesh and blood, they were 
endowed with frames of iron and lungs and arterial structures of 
leather. Under the ordinary treatment the horse is deprived fully 
on an average of one-half the natural term of his existence, and is 
a useless hulk at ten or twelve years of age, when by careful atten¬ 
tion to his physical needs, he would be a sound and serviceable 
animal at twenty. 

How to Tell the Age of the Horse —The age of the 

horse is of the utmost consequence to the intending purchaser, be¬ 
cause upon that depends the value of the investment you make in 






TEETII OF THE HORSE. 


967 


liim, and therefore, his soundness having been established, the age 
of the horse largely determines his value. This is to be arrived at 
with sufficient accuracy by his “ mouth,” the distinguishing marks 
being the appearance of the teeth, which is, with a margin of allow¬ 
ance for variations of feeding, uniformly characteristic at different 
ages. 

A colt sheds two teeth above and below at two; one on each 
side, above and below at three ; and corner ones at four ; at live the 
teeth have grown up on the outside, but the corner teeth have not 
grown up on the inside; at six the center teeth below are smooth ; at 
seven one on each side; at eight all smooth below; at nine the center 
teeth above are smooth. 

Teeth of the Horse —Owing to the fact that the permanent 
front teeth of the horse—which horsemen call nippers—wear down, 
so as to present a different appearance at different stages of this 
wearing process, we have always a means of knowing the age of a 
horse up to a certain period. How this may be done, will be seen, 
by certain plain and simple directions, coupled with illustrations as 


Fifjvre 1. 



Three-Years-old Mouth. 

♦ 

o«iven, which will enable any one to put them in practice. It should 
be remarked, however, in this connection, that the rapidity with 
which a colt’s teeth wear down will depend, to some considerable 
extent, upon the kind of food upon which he is raised ; those fed on 
grain and hay wearing down much faster than tluxe fed chiefly on 



























968 


TEETH OF THE HORSE. 


grass; and those fed on gritty pastures still faster. As answering 
all the purposes necessary to the information desired to be conveyed, 
Fig. 1 correctly shows the mouth of the colt at three years of age. 

At this age, the mouth presents the appearance shown above, 
the development of the teeth varying somewhat in different horses. 
In four or six months, after this age, one of the nippers falls out 
on each side, and a permanent tooth appears in its place. The cor¬ 
ner nippers are also much worn, and the mark in them has nearly 
disappeared. At four years of age, the following changes will be 
observed, from the appearance of the mouth as shown in the cut 
{Fig, 1). The central nippers will have begun to lose their sharp 


Figure 2. 



Mouth at Four and a Half Years. 


edges, and be considerably more grown. The next nipper, on each 
side, will be grown almost to its full size, with its edges very sharp, 
and the mark deep and plain. The corner milk nippers will still 
remain, unless they have been removed, which is sometimes done 
to hasten the growth of the permanent teeth, and to make the horse 
appear older than he really is, by four or five months. 

As shown in the cut (Fig. 2) between four and a half and five 
years, the corner nippers fall out and the tusks, or canine teeth, 
come through the gum. 

The number of teeth in a horse’s mouth is complete at five 
years of age. The incisors present the appearance as shown at 
Fig. 3, modified as to wear, if hard food has been given or if the colt 
has been fed on gritty pastures. 





























TEETH OF THE HORSE. 


969 


Figure 3. 



Mouth at Five Years. 


The above cut shows the teeth at this age, and, on comparing 
it with their appearance in Fig. 3, the growth of half a year may 
be seen. After five years, there is no more shedding of a horse’s 
teeth, so far as the incisors and canines are concerned. They are 
the permanent teeth and the horse is said to have a full mouth. 


Figure A 



Lower Teeth of a Six-Year-Old. 

Up to the six-year-old mouth and from that to the eighth or 
ninth year the age of the horse can be definitely known by the 










































































































































970 


TEETH OF THE HOUSE. 


appearance of the incisors. At six years is perhaps the best by 
which the horse’s age can be certainly and precisely told; though 
by careful observation, one may come very near the truth some 
years later. At this age (six years), it is the lower jaw that we 
must study, as shown in Fig. F 

This cut shows the marks in the central nippers almost worn 
out, but still looking like surrounding circles of brown matter in 
the middle ; next to this appears the cement, then the enamel, then 
the dentine, with a thin layer of enamel outside. Up to this time 
the nippers are nearly perpendicular to each other, only a slight 
convexity being apparent where they are seen together. 


Figure 5. 



Upper Nippers of Eight-Years-Old. 


An appearance, similar to that already shown in the lower nip¬ 
pers at six years of age, will be observed in the upper nippers at 
eight. This will appear in the cut F\g. 5. 

The upper middle nippers are quite worn down at nine years 
of age, the next pair have only a small mark left on their level sur¬ 
face, and the corner ones have only a black stain, without any notice¬ 
able sinking in the middle. 

After a horse is nine years of age, you can only approximate 
his age from the teeth._ They grow in length slowly, and are 
nearer in a line with the jaw. The surface of the nippers, as seen 
by the eye, assumes a triangular shape, in place of the oval appear¬ 
ance shown in Fig. 5 , and this shape again disappears after twelve 
years of age, the tooth becoming almost round. As the length of 
the tooth increases, the color is changed until, in the oldest 













TO BREAK A HORSE OF SCARING. 


971 


horses, it becomes a dirty yellow, streaked with brown and black; 
and the tushes wear almost out, and sometimes drop out. 

As age increases the teeth wear more and more and from 
appearing round, they become oval again ; but this oval shape 
instead of appearing in the line of the teeth, is from front to rear. 
The marks in old age are completely'’' worn out because the shape 
appears in conformity with the wear of the teeth. A six year nip¬ 
per dissected from the jaw will be oval as to its upper surface. A 
little lower down it will be round, still lower the oval shape will 
continue to be more and more assumed in a line from front to rear, 
and the teeth from the peculiar course of the entire tooth will con¬ 
tinue to point nearer and nearer straight out of the mouth. At 
eight ^ears the incisors are all oval, the length of the ovals running 
across the line of the teeth. With age the teeth get rounder, and a 
separation begins to be seen between them. At nine the central 
nippers, show in a rounded form as to their upper surface. At 
ten the others begin to show the same form. At thirteen years 
the corner incisors present the same appearance. At fourteen the 
central nippers begin to show a triangular shape. At seventeen the 
incisors are all triangular. At nineteen the angles begin to wear 
off, and the central nippers are again oval as in the six-year-old 
mouth, but in the direction as stated: that is, from outside to in¬ 
side. At twenty-one years all the nippers present this form. Hence 
when this is observed a horse is said to be “ of age.” 

TO BREAK A HORSE OF SCARING. 

Turn your horse into the barn-yard, or a large stable will do, 
and then gather up something that you know will frighten him—a 
red blanket, a buffalo-robe or something of that kind. Hold it up 
so that he can see it. He will stick up his head and snort. Then 
throw it down somewhere in the center of the lot or barn and walk 
off to one side. If he is frightened at the object he will not rest 
until he has touched it with his nose. You will see him begin to 
walk around the robe and snort, all the time getting a little closer, 
as if drawn up by some magic spell, until he finally gets within reach 
of it. He will then very cautiously stretch out his neck as far as 
he can reach, merely touching it with his nose, as though he 
thought it was ready to fly at him. But after he has repeated these 
touches a few times (though he has been looking at it from the 
first), he seems to have an idea what it is. And after he has found, 
by the sense of feeling, that it is nothing that will do him any 
harm, he is ready to play with it ; and should he run in that lot a 
few days, the robe that frightened him so much at first, will be no 
more to him than a familiar stump. In the same manner the 
young horse should be accustomed to various strange sights and 
objects. At length the voice of the master will reassure the animal 
under any circumstances. 


972 


IIOW TO MANAGE A STUBBORN HORSE. 


HOW TO 31 AN AO E A STUBBORN IIORSE. 

If the horse, instead of being wild, seems to be of a stubborn 
or mulish disposition, if he lays back his ears as you approach him 
or turns his heels to kick you, he has not that regard or fear of man 
that he should have to enable you to handle him quickly and easily. 
It may be necessary to give him a few sharp cuts with the whip 
about the legs, pretty close to the body. It will crack keenly as it 
plies around his legs, and the crack of the whip will affect him as 
much as the stroke; besides one sharp cut about his legs will affect 
him more than two or three over his back, the skin on the inner 
part of his legs or about his flanks being thinner and more tender 
than on his back. But do not whip him much—-just enough to 
excite his sense of fear. But whatever you do, do quickly, sharply 
and with a good deal of fire, but always without anger. Never go 
into a pitched battle with your horse and whip him till he is mad 
and will fight you. You had better not touch him at all, for you 
will establish, instead of fear and regard, feelings of resentment, 
hatred and ill-will. It will do him no good, but an injury, to strike 
a blow, unless you quell him. As soon as you have frightened him 
so that he will stand up straight and pay some attention to you, 
approach him again and caress him a good deal more than you 
whipped him; then you will excite the two controlling passions of 
his nature, love and fear, and then he will fear and love you too, and 
as soon as he learns what to do, will quickly obey. 


HALTERING THE COLT. 

As soon as you have gentled the colt a little, take the halter in 
your left hand and approach him, and on the same side on which 
you have gentled him. If he is very timid about your approaching 
closely to him, you can get up to him quicker by making the whip 
a part of your arm and reaching out very gently with the butt-end 
of it, rubbing him lightly on the neck, all the time getting a little 
closer, shortening the whip by taking it up in your hand until you 
finally get close enough to put your hands on him. If he is inclined 
to hold his head from you, put the end of the halter strap around 
his neck, drop your whip and draw very gently; he will let his neck 
give and you can pull his head to you. Then take hold of that part 
of the halter which buckles over the top of his head, and pass the 
long side, or that part which goes into the buckle, under his neck, 
grasping it on the opposite side with your right hand, letting the 
first strap loose; the latter will be sufficient to hold his head to you. 
Lower the halter a little, just enough to get his nose into that part 
which goes around it; then raise it somewhat and fasten the top 
buckle, and you will have it all right. The first time you halter 
a colt you should stand on the left side, pretty well back to his 


HALTERING TIIE COLT. 


973 


shoulder, only taking hold of that part of the halter that goes around 
his neck; then with your hands about his neck you can hold his 
head to you, and raise the halter on it without making him dodge 
by putting your hands about his nose. You should have a long 
rope or strap ready, and as soon as you have the halter on, attach 
this to it, so that you can let him walk the length of the stable with¬ 
out letting go of the strap, or without making him pull on the hal¬ 
ter; for if you only let him feel the weight of your hand on the 
halter and give him rope when he runs from you he will never rear, 
pull or throw himself, yet you will be holding him all the time and 
doing more towards gentling him than if you had the power to curb 
him right up and hold him to one spot; because he does not know 
anything about his strength, and if you don’t do anything to make 
him pull, he will never know that he can. In a few minutes you 
can begin to control him with the halter; then shorten the distance 
between yourself and the horse, by taking up the strap in your 
hand. 

Leading—As soon as he will allow you to hold him by a tol¬ 
erably short strap, and step up to him without flying back, you can 
begin to give him some idea about leading. But to do this do not 
go before and attempt to pull him after you, but commence by pull¬ 
ing him very quietly to one side. He has nothing to brace either 
side of his neck, and will soon yield to a steady, gradual pull of the 
halter; and as soon as you have pulled him a step or two to one side, 
step up to him and caress him, and then pull him again, repeating 
this operation until you can pull him around in every direction, and 
walk about the stable with him, which you can do in a few minutes; 
for he will soon think, when you have made him step to the right or 
left a few times, that lie is compelled to follow the pull of the hal¬ 
ter, not knowing that he has the power to resist your pulling; 
besides, you have handled him so gently that he is not afraid of you, 
and you always caress him when lie comes up to you; he likes that 
and will easily follow you after he has had a few lessons of that 
kind; if you turn him out in a lot he will come to you every oppor¬ 
tunity he gets. You should lead him about in the stable some time 
before you take him out, opening the door so that he can see out, 
leading him up to it and back again, and past it. See that there is 
nothing on the outside to make him jump when you take him out, 
and as you go out with him try to make him go very slowly, catch¬ 
ing hold of the halter close to the jaw, with your left hand, while 
the right is resting on the top of the neck, holding to his mane. 
After you are out with him a little while, you can lead him about as 
you please. Don’t let any second person come up to you when you 
first take him out; a stranger taking hold of the halter would 
frighten him and make him run. There should not be even any 
one standing near him, to attract his attention or scare him. If you 
are alone and manage him right, it will require little more force to 
lead or hold him than it would to manage a broken horse. 


074 


PULLING ON THE IIALTER, 


PULLING ON THE HALTER. 

You should lead a broken horse into the stable first, and get 
the colt, if you can, to follow in after him. If he refuse to go, 
step up to him, taking a little stick or switch in your right hand; 
then take hold of the halter close to his head with your left hand, at 
the same time reaching over his back with your right arm, so that 
you can tap him on the opposite side with your switch; bring him 
up facing the door, tap him lightly with your switch, reaching as 
far back with it as you can. This tapping, by being pretty well 
back and on the opposite side, will drive him ahead and keep him 
close to you; then by giving him the right direction with your left 
hand, you can walk into the stable with him. Never seek to 
£et a colt into the stable bv main force. Human brute force 
against animal brute force never accomplished any good result, 
whether the animal was large or small. If you cannot lead him in 
at once in this way, turn him about and walk him around in every 
direction until you can get him up to the door without pulling at 
him. Then let him stand a few minutes, keeping his head in the 
right direction with the halter, and he will walk in in less than ten 
minutes. Never attempt to pull the colt into the stable. That 
would make him think at once that it was a dangerous place, and if 
he was not afraid of it before, he would be then. Besides, w r e do 
not want him to know anything about pulling on the halter. Colts 
are often hurt, and sometimes killed, by trying to force them into 
the stable; and those who attempt to do it in that way, go into an 
up-hill business, when a plain, smooth road is before them. 

The Stall —If you want to hitch your colt, put him in a tol¬ 
erably wide stall, which should not be too long, and should be 
connected by a bar or something of that kind to the partition behind 
it, so that after the colt is in he cannot get far enough back to take 
a straight, backward pull on the halter; then, by hitching him in 
the centre of the stall, it will be impossible for him to pull on the 
halter, the partition behind preventing him from going back, and 
the halter in the centre checking him every time he turns to the left 
or right. In a stall of this kind you can break the horse to stand 
hitched by a light strap, anywhere, without his ever knowing any¬ 
thing about pulling. But if you have broken your horse to lead, 
and have taught him the use of the halter (which you should always 
do before you hitch him to anything), you can hitch him in any 
kind of a stall, and give him something to eat to keep him up to his 
place for a few minutes at first, and there is not one colt in fifty 
that will pull on his halter. 

Another Method —First, buckle a strap around the left 
fore-leg of the animal, just above the knee; then pass the halter-strap 
through the hole in the manger and make it fast to the strap around 
the fore-leg. As the horse pulls back, it pulls his fore-leg forward; 
and no horse will enjoy breaking his halter at the expense of hrs 


TO MAKE THE COLT TAKE THE BIT KINDLY. 


975 


leg. A few trials will generally cure him. But, a horse once 
having firmly acquired a vice, he is never after perfectly safe. 

TO MAKE THE COLT TAKE THE BIT KINDLY. 

Use a large, smooth, snaffie-bit, so as not to hurt his mouth, with 
a bar on each side to prevent the bit from pulling through either 
way. This you should attach to the head-stall of your bridle and 
put it on your colt without any reins to it, and let him run loose in 
a large stable or shed some time until he has become a little used to 
the bit and will bear it without trying to get it out of his mouth. 
It would be well, if convenient, to repeat this several times before 
you do anything more with the colt; as soon as he will bear the bit, 
attach a single rein to it without any martingale. You should also 
have a halter on your colt, or a bridle made after the fashion of a 
halter, with a strap to it, so that you can hold or lead him without 
pulling on the bit much. He is now ready for the saddle. 

SADDLING. 

Any one man who has discretion and firmness, can put a 
saddle on the wildest colt without help and without scaring 
him. The first thing will be to tie each stirrup-strap into a loose 
knot to make them short and prevent the stirrups from flying 
about and striking him. Then double up the skirts and take the 
saddle under your right arm so as not to frighten him with it as you 
approach. When you get to him rub him gently a few times with 
your hand and then raise the saddle very slowly until he can see it, 
and smell and feel it with his nose. Then let the skirts loose and 
rub it very gently against his neck the way the hair lies, letting him 
hear the rattle of the skirts as he feels them against him; each time 
getting a little farther backward and finally slip it over his should¬ 
ers on his back. Shake it a little witli your hand and in less than 
five minutes you can rattle it about his back as much as you please 
and pull it off and throw it on again without his paying much 
attention to it. 

The Girth —As soon as you have accustomed him to the 
saddle, fasten the girth. Be careful how you do this. It often 
frightens a colt when he feels the girth binding him and making 
the saddle fit tightly on his back. You should bring up the girth 
very gently and not draw it too tightly at first, just enough to hold 
the saddle on. Move him a little and then gird it as tightly as you 
choose and he will not mind it. You should see that the pad of 
your saddle is all right before you put it on and that there is noth¬ 
ing to make it hurt him or feel unpleasant to liis back. It should 
not have any loose straps on the back part of it to flap about and 
scare him. ' After you have saddled him in this wav, take a switch in 
your right hand to tap him up with, and walk about in the stable a 


970 


MOUNTING. 


few times with jour right arm over the saddle, taking hold of the 
reins on each side of his neck with jour right and left hands; thus 
marching him about in the stable until jou teach him the use of 
the bridle and can turn him about in any direction and stop him bj 
a gentle pull of the rein. Always caress him and loose the reins a 
little everj time jou stop him. 

The Stable Preferred —You should alwajs be alore and 
have jour colt in some tight stable or shed the first time jou ride 
him; the loft should be limb so that you can sit on his back with- 
out endangering your head. You can teach lnm more in two 
hours’ time in a stable of this kind than jou could in two weeks in 
the common way of breaking colts, out in an open place. If you 
follow this course of treatment you need not run any risk or have 
any trouble in riding the worst kind of a horse. 1 on take him a 
step at a time until you get up a mutual confidence and trust 
between yourself and horse. First teach him to lead and stand 
hitched; next acquaint him with the saddle and the use of the bit, 
and then all that remains is to get on him without scaring him and 
you can ride him as well as any broken horse. 

MOUNTING. 

First, gentle him well on both sides about the saddle, and 
all over, until he will stand still without holding, and is not 
afraid to see you anywhere about him. As soon as you have him 
thus gentled, get a block about one foot or eighteen inches in height 
and set it down by the side of him, about where you want to stand 
to mount him; step upon this, raising yourself very gently; horses 
notice every change of position very closely and if you were to step 
up suddenly on the block it would be very apt to scare him; but by 
raising yourself gradually on it, he will see you without being 
frightened in a position very nearly the same as while you are on 
his back. As soon as he will bear this without alarm, untie the 
stirrup-strap next to you and put your left foot into the stirrup and 
stand square over it, holding your knee against the horse and your 
toe out so as to touch him under the shoulder with the toe of your 
boot. Place your right hand on the front of the saddle and on the 
opposite side to you, taking hold of a portion of the mane and the 
reins as they hang loosely over his neck with your left hand; then 
gradually bear your weight on the stirrup and on your right hand 
until the horse feels your wdiole weight on the saddle; repeat this 
several times, each time raising yourself a little higher from the 
block, until he will allow you to raise your leg overliis croup and 
place yourself in the saddle. 

Mounting from the Block —There are three great advan¬ 
tages in having a block to mount from. First, a sudden change of 
position is very apt to frighten a young horse that has never been 
handled; he will allow you to walk up to him and stand by his 


RIDING. 


977 


side without scaring at you, because you have gentled him to that 
position; but if you get down on your hands and knees and crawl 
towards him he will be very much frightened; and upon the same 
principle he would be frightened at your new position if you had 
the power to hold yourself over his back without touching him. 
Then the first great advantage of the block is to gradually gentle 
him to that new position in which he will see you when you ride 
him. Secondly, by the process of leaning your weight in the stirrup 
and on your hand you can gradually accustom him to your weight 
so as not to frighten him by having him feel it all at once. And in 
the third place, the block elevates you so that you will not have to 
make a spring in order to get on the horse’s back, but from it you 
can gradually raise yourself into the saddle. When you take these 
precautions there is no horse so wild but that you can at length 
mount him without making him jump. When mounting, your 
horse should always stand without being held. A horse is never 
well broken when he has to be held with a tight rein while mount¬ 
ing; and a colt is never so safe to mount as when you see that 
assurance of confidence and absence of fear which will cause him to 
stand without holding. 

RIDING. 

All this preliminary work may be done in the stable. The 
young horse may be first ridden there if there is plenty of room for 
turning freely back and forth. When you want him to start do not 
touch him on the side with your heel, or do anything to frighten 
him and make him jump, but speak to him kindly and if he does not 
start, pull him a little to the left until he starts and then let him 
walk off slowly with the reins loose. Walk him around in the 
stable a few times until he gets used to the bit and you can turn 
him about in every direction and stop him as you please. It would 
be well to get off and on a good many times until he gets perfectly 
used to it before you take him out of the stable. After you have 
trained him in this way, which should not take you more than one 
or two hours, you can ride him anywhere you choose without ever 
having him jump or make any effort to throw you. 

When you first take him out of the stable be very gentle with 
him, as he will feel a little more at liberty to jump or run, and be a 
little more easily frightened than he was while in the stable. But 
after handling him so much in the stable he will be pretty well 
broken, and you will be able to manage him without trouble or 
danger. 

To Prevent —When you first mount him take a 

little the shorter hold on the left rein, so that if anything frightens 
him you can prevent him from jumping by pulling his head around 
to you. This operation of pulling a horse’s head around against his 
side will prevent any horse from jumping ahead, rearing up or run¬ 
ning away. If he is stubborn and will not go, you can make him 

62 




978 


BITTING HARNESS. 


move by pulling liis bead around to one side, when whipping will 
have no effect. And turning him around a few times will make him 
dizzy, and then, by letting him have his head straight and giving 
him* a little touch with the whip, he will go along without any 
trouble. 

Use of the Martingale —Never use martingales on a colt 
when you first ride him; every movement of the hand should go 
right to the bit in the direction in which it is applied to the reins, 
without a martingale to change the direction of the force applied. 
You can guide the colt much better without them and teach him the 
use of the bit in much less time. Besides, martingales would pre¬ 
vent you from pulling his head around if he should try to jump. 
After your colt has been ridden until he is gentle and well accus¬ 
tomed to the bit, you may may find it an advantage, if he carries his 
head too high or his nose too far out, to put martingales on him. 

You should be careful not to ride your colt so far at first as to 
heat, worry or tire him. Get off as soon as you see he is a little 
fatigued; gentle him and let him rest; this will render him kind and 
prevent him from getting stubborn or vicious.' 

Horsemanship —The rider should, in the first place, let the 
horse know that he is not afraid of him. Before mounting a horse 
take the rein into the left hand, draw it sufficiently tight, so you can 
control him, put the left foot in the stirrup and rise quickly into the 
saddle. When you are seated, press your knees to the saddle, let¬ 
ting your leg from the knee stand out, turn your toe in and heel 
out, sit upright in your saddle, throw your weight fonvard—one- 
third of it in the stirrups—and hold your rein tight enough to 
control the horse. 


BITTING HARNESS. 

Farmers often put bitting-harness on a colt the first thing they 
do to him, buckling up the bitting as tight as they can draw it to 
make him carry his head high, and then turn him out in a lot to 
run a half-day at a time. This is one of the worst punishments 
that they could inflict on the colt and very injurious to a young 
horse that has been used to running in pasture with his head dow T n. 
Colts are often so injured in this way that they never get over it. 

A horse should be well accustomed to the bit before you put on 
the bitting-harness, and when you first bit him you should only rein 
his head up to that point where he naturally holds it, let that be 
high or low; he will soon learn that he cannot low'er his head and 
that raising it a little will loosen the bit in his mouth. This will 
give him the idea of raising his head to loosen the bit, and then you 
can draw the check-rein a little tighter every time you put it on and 
he will still raise his head to loosen it. By this m6ans yon will 
gradually get his head and neck in the position you want him to 
carry them, and give him a nice and graceful carriage without 
serious strain of muscles, or causing his mouth to get sore. 


DRIVING A WILD AND VICIOUS HORSE. 


979 


if you put the bitting-liarness on very tight the first time, he 
cannot raise his head enough to loosen it, but will bear on it all the 
time and paw, sweat and throw himself. Many horses have been 
killed by falling backwards with the harness on; their heads being 
drawn up, strike the ground with the whole weight of the body. 
Horses that have their heads drawn up tightly should not have the 
harness on more than fifteen or twenty minutes at a time, at first, 
but eventually the colt may be allowed to exercise with it on for an 
hour or more. 

DRIVING A WILD AND VICIOUS HORSE 


Procure a strong strap, an inch and a half wide, with a loop at 
one end, and long enough so the end may be passed once at least 
around the leg near the knee, when the hoof is turned up to the 
body. Raise the foot, until the sole is turned upward, and close to 
the body. Fasten the end of the strap by passing it twice about the 
leg just above the pastern joint in a loop, or a ring may be used for 
the leg above the knee, and a second strap to fasten to the lower part 
of the lesr and connect them with. There is somethin^: in this 
operation of taking up one foot that conquers a horse quicker and 
better than anything else you can do to him. There is no process 
in the world equal to it to break a kicking horse. When you first 
fasten up a horse’s foot he will sometimes get wild and strike with 
his knee and try to get it down; but he cannot do that and will soon 
give up. When you find that he is conquered, go to him, let down 
his foot, rub his leg with your hand, caress him and then let him 
rest a little; then put it up again. Repeat this a few times, always 
putting up the same foot, and he will soon learn to travel on three 
legs so that you can drive him some distance. As soon as he gets 
a little used to this way of traveling put on your harness and hitch 
him to a sulky. If he is the worst kicking horse that ever raised a 
foot you need" not be fearful of his doing any damage while he has 
one foot up, for he cannot kick, neither can he run fast enough to 
do any harm. And if he is the wildest horse that ever had harness 
on and has run away every time he has been hitched, you can now 
hitch him in a sulky and drive him as you please. Thus you will gen¬ 
erally cure him at once of any further notion of running. Kicking 
horses have always been the dread of everybody. An inveterate 
kicker may attempt his trick with every new driver, but the man 
who has subdued him as stated, can drive him. 

But by this new method you can hitch them to a rattling 
sulky, plow, wagon, or anything else in its worst shape. They may 
be frightened at first, but cannot kick or do anything to hurt thein- 
selvesf and will soon find that you do not intend to hurt them, and 
then they will not care anything more about it. You can then let 
down the leg and drive along gently without any further trouble. 
By this process a bad kicking horse can be taught to go gently in 
harness often in a few hours’ time. 


9S0 


TO CURE BALKY HORSES. 


TO CURE BALKY HORSES. 

Horses know nothing about balking, except as they are brought 
into it by improper management. When a horse balks in harness, 
it is orenerally from some mismanagement, excitement, confusion, 
or from not knowing how to pull, but seldom from any unwilling¬ 
ness to perform all that he understands. High spirited, free-going 
horses are the most subject to balking, and only so because drivers 
do not understand how to manage them. A free horse in a team 
may be so anxious to go that when he hears the word he will start 
with a jump, which will not move the load, but give him such a 
severe jerk on the shoulders that he will fly back and stop the other 
horse ; the teamster will continue his driving without any cessation 
and by the time he has the slow horse started again he will find that 
the free horse has made another jump and again flown back. Then 
perhaps he has them both badly balked, and so confused that neither 
of them knows what is the matter, or how to start the load. • 

Bad Management —Next will come the slashing and crack¬ 
ing of the whip and hallooing of the driver, till something is broken 
or he is through with his course of treatment. What a mistake is 
made by whipping the horse for this act. Reason and common 
sense should teach the driver that the horse was willing to go, but 
did not know how to start the load. And should he whip him for 
that? A man should act rationally; should not fly into a passion, 
but should think before he strikes. It takes a steady pressure against 
the collar to move a load and you cannot expect an animal to act with 
a steady, determined purpose while you are whipping him. There 
is hardly one balking horse in flve hundred that will pull true from 
whipping. It will only make him more liable to balk another time. 
You always see horses that have been balked a few times turn their 
heads and look back. This is because they have been whipped and 
are afraid of what is behind them. This is an invariable rule with 
balked horses. 

The Right Way —When your horse balks, or is a little 
excited, if he wants to start quickly, or looks around and don’t want 
to go, caress him kindly, and if he don’t understand at once what you 
want him to do, he will not be so much excited as to jump and break 
things and do wrong through fear. As long as you are calm and 
can keep down the excitement of the horse, there are ten chances to 
have him understand you where there would not be one under harsh 
treatment; and then the little flare-up would not carry with it any 
unfavorable recollection and he would soon forget all about it, and 
learn to pull true. Almost every wrong act the horse commits is 
from mismanagement, fear, or excitement ; one harsh word will 
so excite a nervous horse as to increase his pulse ten beats in a 
minute. 

When we remember that we are dealing with dumb brutes, and 
reflect how difficult it must be for them to understand our motions, 


TO CURE BALKY HORSES. 


981 


signs and language, we should never get out of patience with them 
because they do not understand us, or wonder at their doing things 
wrong. With all our intellect, if we were placed in the horse’s 
situation, it would be difficult for us to understand the driving of 
some foreigner, of foreign ways and foreign language. We should 
always recollect that our ways and language are just as foreign and 
unknown to the horse as any language in the world is to us and should 
try to practice what we could understand were we the horse, 
endeavoring by some simple means to work on his understanding, 
rather than on the different parts of his body. 

Almost any team, when first balked, will start kindly if you let 
them stand five or ten minutes, as though there were nothing wrong, 
and then speak to them with a steady voice and turn them a little 
to the right or left, so as to get them both in motion before they 
feel the pinch of the load. If you want to start a team that you are 
not driving yourself, that has been balked and whipped for some 
time, go to them and hang the lines on their hames, or fasten them 
to the wagon, so that they will be perfectly loose; make the driver 
and spectators (if there be any) stand off some distance to one side 
so as not to attract the attention of the horses; unloose their check- 
reins so that they can get their heads down if they choose; let them 
stand a few minutes in this condition until you can see that they 
are a little composed. While they are standing you should be about 
their heads, gentling them; it will make them a little more kind. 
When you have them ready to start, stand before them, and as you 
seldom have but one balky horse in a team, get as near in front of 
him as you can, and if he is too fast for the other horse, let his nose 
come against your breast; this will keep him steady, for he will go 
slow rather than run on you. Turn them gently to the right, with¬ 
out letting them pull on the traces, as far as the tongue will let 
them go; stop them with a kind word, gentle them a little, and then 
turn them back to the left by the same process. You will have 
them under your control by this time, and as you turn them again 
to the right, steady them in the collar, and you can take them where 
you please, unless the load is beyond their power to move. 

To Start The Balky Horse —There is another plan that 
will generally start a balky horse, but not so surely. Stand him a 
a little ahead so that his shoulders will be against the collar, and 
then take up one of his fore feet in your hand, and let the driver 
start them, and when the weight comes against his shoulders he 
will try to step; then let him have his foot and he will go right 
along. If you want to break a horse from balking that has long 
been in that habit you ought to set apart a half-day for that pur¬ 
pose. Put him by the side of some steady horse ; have check-lines 
on them; tie up all the traces and straps, so that there will be noth¬ 
ing to excite them; do not rein them up, but let them have their 
heads loose; Walk them about together for some time as slowly 
and lazily as possible; stop often, and go up to your balky horse 


982 


PULLING BxYCK. 


and gentle him. Do not take any whip about him, or. do anything 
to excite him, but keep him as quiet as you can. He will soon learn 
to start off at the word, and stop whenever you tell him. As soon 
as he performs right, hitch him in an empty wagon; have it stand 
in a favorable position for starting. It would be well to shorten the 
stay-chain behind the steady horse so that, if it is necessary, he can 
take the weight of the wagon the first time you start them. Drive 
but a few rods at first; watch your balky horse closely and .if 
you see that he is getting excited, stop him before he stops of his 
own accord; caress him a little and start again. As soon as they go 
well, drive them over a rise of land a few times and then over a 
greater one, occasionally adding a little load. This process will 
make any horse true to pull for a careful driver. 

Other Methods —There are various other methods often 
practiced as, building a fire under a horse ; filling his mouth with 
earth; taking him out of the harness and whirling him around in a 
circle until he is dizzy; tying some hard substance in his ear and 
various other such means. The horse will often start off after such 
practice. It is simply that the horse has had his mii\d thrown in a 
new direction. lie has forgotten the previous trouble, and the 
driver has probably become calm. Any other more suitable means 
would better have accomplished the object. In fact, if the horse 
cannot be made to perform without undue abuse, arbitrary and 
brutal means will not permanently effect a cure. 

PULLING BACK. 

A horse may generally be broken of this disagreeable and 
annoying habit by the following means: Place on his head a strong 
leather head-stall halter, with iron rings strongly sewed at the junc¬ 
tion of the cheek-pieces and nose-band. Have a strong surcingle 
made out of wide webbing cloth or leather, on each side of which, 
in a line with the base of the tail where the crupper-strap comes, sew 
two iron rings. Take a stout piece of marline, such as is used by 
the riggers of vessels, sufficient in length to secure one end firmly 
to the ring on the off or right-hand side of the halter; pass back 
through the ring sewed in the surcingle on the same side, thence 
under the tail and forward on the left side through the ring sewed 
on the near or left-hand side of the surcingle ; also through the 
ring sewed on the same or near side of the cheek-piece and nose¬ 
band of the halter. Then tie this end of the marline to the ring 
used for tying the animal in the stall. Oil the marline well before 
using, in order that it may readily pass through the riitgs. This 
will prove an efficacious remedy, and at the same time a perfectly 
harmless one to the animal. 

EDUCATION OF THE HOUSE. 

Breaking to Harness —Take the horse in a tight 
stable, as you did to ride him; with the harness go through 


EDUCATION OF THE HOESE. 


983 


the same process you did with the saddle, until you get him 
familiar with it, so that you can put it on him and rattle 
it. about without his caring for it. As soon as he will bear 
this, put on the lines, fondle him as you draw them over him and 
drive him about in the stable till he will bear them over his hips. 
The lines are a great aggravation to some colts and often frighten 
them as much as if you were to raise a whip over them. As soon 
as he is familiar with the harness and lines, take him out and put 
him by the side of a gentle horse and go through the same process 
that you did to gentle the balking horse. Always use a bridle with¬ 
out blinds when you are breaking a horse to harness. 

To Make a Horse Lie Down —What we want to teach 
the horse must be commenced in some way to give him an idea of 
what you require him to do and then be repeated till he learns it 
perfectly. To make a horse lie down, bend his left fore-leg and 
slip a loop over it, so that he cannot get it down. Then put a 
surcingle around his body and fasten one end of a long strap 
around the other fore-leg, just above the hoof. Place the other end 
under the surcingle, so as to keep the strap in the right hand; stand 
on the left side of the horse, grasp the bit in your left hand, pull 
steadily on the strap with your right, bear against his shoulder till 
you cause him to move. As soon as he lifts his weight, your pull¬ 
ing will raise the other foot and he will have to come on his knees. 
Keep the strap tight in your hands, so that he cannot straighten his 
leg if he raises up. Hold him in this position and turn his head 
toward you; bear against his side with your shoulder, not hard, but 
with a steady, equal pressure, and in about ten minutes he will lie 
down. As soon as he lies down he will be completely conquered and 
you can handle him as you please. Take off the straps and 
straighten out his legs, rub him lightly about the face and neck 
with your hand the way the hair lies, handle all his legs, and after 
he has lain ten or twenty minutes, let him get up again.' After 
resting him a short time, make him lie down as before. Kepeat the 
operation three or four times, which will be sufficient for one lesson. 
Give him two lessons a day, and when you have given him a few 
lessons he will lie down by taking hold of one foot. As soon as 
he is well broken to lie dowm in this way, tap him on the opposite 
leg with a switch when you take hold of his foot and in a few days 
he will lie down from the mere motion of the switch. 

To Make a Horse Follow —Turn him into a large stable 
or shed—where there is no chance to get out —with a halter or 
bridle on. Go to him and gentle him a little; take hold of his 
halter and turn him towards you, at the same time touching him 
lightly over the hips with a long whip. Lead him the length of 
the stable, rubbing him on the neck, saying in a steady tone of voice 
as you lead him, “ Come along,” using his name always. Every 
time you turn, touch him lightly with the whip, to make him step 
up close to you and then caress him with your hand. He will soon 


984 


EDUCATION OF THE HORSE. 


learn to follow closely to escape the whip and be caressed; thus you 
can make him follow you around without taking hold of the halter. 
If he should stop and turn from you, give him a sharp cut about 
the hind legs and he will soon turn his head towards you, when you 
must always caress him. A few lessons of this kind will make 
him run after you when he sees the motion of the whip ; in twenty 
or thirty minutes he will follow you about the stable. After you 
have given him two or three lessons in the stable, take him out into 
a small lot and train him, and from thence you can take him into 
the road and make him follow you anywhere and run after you. 

To Make Him Stand Without Hitching —After you 
have him well broken to follow you, stand him in the center of the 
stable and begin at his head to caress him, gradually working back¬ 
ward. If he move, give him a cut with the whip and put him back 
in the same spot from which he started. If he stand, caress him 
as before and continue gentling him in this way until you can get 
round him without making him move. Keep walking around him, 
increasing your pace, and only touch him occasionally. Enlarge the 
circle as you walk around, and if he then move, give him a cut with 
the whip and put him back to his place. If he stand, go to him 
frequently and caress him, and then walk around him again. Do 
not keep him in one position too long at a time, but make him 
come to you occasionally and follow you around the stable. Then 
stand him in another place and proceed as before. You should not 
train your horse more than half an hour at a time. 

To Break a Horse from Kicking —An old horse-trainer 
gives the following directions: 

“ Take his tail, part it in the middle and tie a knot in it, and 
pass the halter-strap through the loop made in the tail by the knot, 
and make it fast so that the horse cannot go in any way except in a 
circle. Then take a pole and work it up and down his legs while 
he is circling in the ring. The object is to get him used to having 
his legs handled. Work him for about ten minutes in that posi¬ 
tion, and then cut a bush about the size of a common current bush, 
tie this to his tail, so that it will drag on the ground, then whirl 
him for about fifteen minutes more, then put the harness on him : 
if he works all right, well and good; if he does not, go through the 
operation again. 

“ Another way of breaking a kicker is with a small cord about 
twenty feet long and about three-eighths of an inch thick. Pass it 
over the horse’s neck, putting the center of the cord on the horse’s 
withers and crossing the cord in the horse’s mouth, then bring it 
back to the hind legs, making it fast by buckling a leather strap 
around the legs, between the pastern and the coronal joint. Then 
fasten 'your line in the cord that is on the horse’s neck, stand off 
and start him; when he makes an attempt to kick the cord draws 
and hurts his mouth and as a horse can think of but one thing at a 
time, he thinks of his mouth and forgets to kick. This plan is 


TREATMENT OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 


985 


almost sure to break him, as I never knew a horse to kick more than 
three to live times with this training.” 

Crib-biting —Is a habit many horses learn to crib from decayed 
or aching teeth. The spasmodic cribbing cannot be cured. It may 
be prevented by buckling a strap so tight about the neck that it 
cannot be given the peculiar arch necessary to cribbing. Another way 
is to keep a wire muzzle on his head continually, only removing it 
at meal-times, adjusting it again immediately after he has finished 
his meal. Another way may be adopted as a preventive ; remove 
the manger entirely and feed his hay from the floor and his grain 
from a nose-bag, and nail sheet-iron or zinc, full width, commenc¬ 
ing two feet six inches from the floor, extending upwards and 
around the partition walls of his stall. This will prevent him from 
fastening his teeth on any object that will allow him to crib. 
Ordinary care and judgment with regard to food and treatment is 
all that is necessary in ordinary cases of crib-biting. 

To Catch a Horse in a Pasture —The most successful 
method, if the horse has a trick of refusing to be caught, is to turn 
him into the smallest lot you have, so that when he runs from you 
he must circle about this small enclosure. Walk slowlv around in 
the center of the lot, following the motions of the horse, until he 
stops, and then go up to him and caress him, always speaking 
kindly to him. Keep this up until he will allow you to approach 
him without shying or running. A few lessons of this sort will 
entirely correct his bad habit, which proceeds entirely from fear, 
and he will soon follow you like a dog. 

To Break a Horse of Jumping —Sew a strap of leather 
one and one-half or two inches broad to the head-stall, so that it 
will pass directly across the eyes of the horse. Split the leather 
into four or five strips. It must be so arranged that when he 
raises his head to jump these strips will come directly over his eyes, 
and he will at once desist from jumping any fence. 

TREATMENT OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 

Kindness —Domestic animals of all kinds should be treated 
with gentleness and mildness; men or boys who are rash and bad- 
tempered, ought not to be permitted to have charge of them. 
Animals that are kept in constant fear of suffering never thrive 
well, and they often become vicious and intractable by unkind and 
cruel treatment. 

Salt Essential to Health —All domestic animals should 
be abundantly furnished with salt. Horses and pigs should occas¬ 
ionally have ashes given them in their food; and pigs ought at all 
times, when confined in pens, to be supplied with charcoal, bitum¬ 
inous coal or rotten wood, as, besides being an alterative, it is a 
cheap and valuable remedy against indigestion. 

Proper Time for Blanketing Horses— When a horse 


986 


HOW TO GIVE MEDICINE. 


becomes heated by exercise, he should be walked about for a few 
minutes—a longer or shorter period, according to the circumstan¬ 
ces, until cooled down to about the ordinary temperature, but 
not in any degree towards chilliness; then throw on the blanket and 
lead him to the stable. 

HOW TO GIVE MEDICINE. 

Every person should learn to give a ball or a drench. A horse 
ball is the size and shape of the thumb. A drench is a liquid com¬ 
pound to be given from a bottle. There is a right way and a wrong 
way to give either. Little is to be accomplished by main force. An 
animal will always fight against this. The practitioner will give a 
ball or a drench without tying up the horse’s head. The novice had 
better do so. Draw up the horse’s head to such a height that the 
operator can reach the mouth. Tie with straps leading from the 
halter ring to each side of the stall so that the animal cannot throw 
his head from side to side. Take out the horse’s tongue, holding it 
out from the side beyond you. Do not pull hard, only enough to 
fairly stretch the tongue out. Lay the ball well back in the mouth 
in the proper direction for swallowing. When it is placed let the 
tongue relax slowly into the mouth, and the ball will be swallowed. 
To drench, take out the tongue as before. Have the liquid in a 
long-necked very strong bottle, insert the neck between the incisors 
and grinders, and as well back as possible. Release the tongue, 
keeping the mouth of the bottle well up in the roof of the mouth, 
between the grinders, pour the contents slowly in as the animal 
can swallow, holding the head with the fingers over the jaw 
between the nippers and grinders. If the bottle is broken or the 
animal struggles, release the head instantly. Small doses may be 
given with a syringe, and small animals may be dosed from a 
spoon. 


DISEASES OF HORSES. 

The reader will find the remedies here given different from 
those in other treatises on this subject, being generally home reme¬ 
dies and readily available, at any time in any household. 


BIG HEAD. 

There are various injuries to the head called big head, big jaw, 
etc. If these affect the bone, are cancerous, or present the out¬ 
ward exhibition of tuberculosis, whether the bone softens and 
decays, or becomes hard and brittle, as in the case of tumors of the 
bone of the horse’s jaw, they are considered incurable, and are 
undoubtedly so. If the true nature of the disease is known early, 
blistering may scatter the affection. 




BOTS. 


987 


Symptoms —There will be difficulty in eating; the enlarge¬ 
ment increases fast; 'fever and emaciation follow, and if not 


promptly treated death will ensue. 

Remedies —Apply the following blister: 

Linseed oil .1 pt. 

Oil of spike.1 oz. 

Turpentine. .... 2 oz. 

Pulverized cantliarides. 1 dr. 

Apply to the affected parts, heating with a hot iron, for three 
days; then grease, wash off and apply as before until healed. 

2. Take of powdered gentian.4 drachms. 

“ “ phosphate of iron.. 2 “ 

“ “ linseed cake.4 pounds. 


Give the whole of this quantity in the horse’s feed, every 
twenty-four hours, until relief is perceptible; then give about one- 
fourth the quantity. 

As a constitutional remedy give the horse a small tablespoonful 
of the seed of stramonium (Jimson weed), once a day for nine days. 
Discontinue its use for nine days, then give for nine more. Three 
treatments of nine days days each will generally suffice. 

Feed no corn, and the hay and oats should be perfectly sound. 
Every effort should be made to restore the general health of the 
horse. He may be worked regularly, but moderately. The stable 
should be well ventilated, dry and clean. 


BOTS. 

Symptoms —An unhealthy coat, and loss of flesh after turn¬ 
ing out from pasture. Cannot be distinguished from those of colic, 
unless near the time of maturity. Bots are not easily displaced. 

Remedies —1. Dissolve a lump of alum the size of a walnut 
in a pint of water and give immediately. It may, in some cases, be 
necessary to repeat the dose. 

2. Give one pint of milk and one of molasses, followed by a 
dose of castor-oil (eight or ten tablespoonfuls). This is an old 
remedy, but often efficacious. 

" 3. Take of raw linseed oil.1 quart. 

Molasses.1 t( 

New milk. 2 “ 

Warm sage-tea.2 “ 

Give as follows: Fifteen minutes after giving the milk and 
molasses, give the sage-tea, and half an hour after this, give the lin¬ 
seed-oil. Lard is sometimes given in place of the oil.. 

4. Mix one pint honey with one quart sweet milk, give as a 
drench. One hour after dissolve one ounce pulverized copperas in 
a pint of water; use likewise; then give one quart of linseed oil. 
This will generally prove effectual. 














988 


BRUISES AND SPRAINS. 


BRUISES AND SPRAINS. 

Symptoms —Lameness, tenderness on pressure, peculiarity of 
movement 

Remedies — 1 . Apply twice a day a strong decoction of 
wormwood, made with hot vinegar, and it will be found to surpass 
in efficacy any liniment that can be obtained for simple bruises and 
sprains. 

2. One of the very best means for the relief of sprains is a 
thorough application of beef-brine to the part, by bathing, and 
wrapping the part in cloths saturated with the brine. 

3. Plaintain leaves, mixed with vinegar, is likewise a prompt 
and effectual application. It is to be thoroughly bruised, and a 
small quantity of vinegar added, and applied in the form of a poul¬ 
tice, and occasionally renewed. This has been known to cure sprains 
in twenty-four hours. 


BROKEN WIND. 


Symptoms —Broken wind may be detected by the double 
inspiration. Inspiration is performed as usual; then comes a rapid 
but not violent act of expiration, followed by a forcible repetition of 
the same, in which all the muscles of respiration are called into 
play. This is most manifest when the horse has been galloped. 

Remedies —There is no cure for this disease if confirmed in 
its character; the treatment can only be palliative. Latterly arsenic 
has been used successfully in connection with green food. It is 
best given to the extent of fifteen grains daily, in broken doses five 
grains each dose, and given at equal periods, for two or three weeks, 
or one ounce of Fowler’s solution of arsenic may be given. In 
either case the operator should watch the effect carefully. Begin 
with one dose a day, and increase up to three as the animal may be 
able to take it. 

The feed of broken winded horses should consist chiefly of 
bright, clean hay, with a proper amount of oats; and beans may be 
added when the horse is not young. He should be confined to slow 
work. 


Carrots sliced and mixed with bran is an excellent diet for 
relieving this affection. 

It should always be borne in mind that the food of the horse 
should be in as small a compass as possible. The water should never 
be given within an hour of going out of the stable, and whether at 
work or not, he should be watered often, and but little at a time. 


BRONCHITIS. 

Symptoms —This disease is characterized by two distinct 
stages, with the following symptoms: 




CATARACT. 


989 


First —Acute, the horse is suddenly attacked with an irritable 
cough and sore throat, with feverish symptoms, such as quick, wiry 
pulse; mucous membranes of nose and mouth redder than usual; and 
hurried breathing. 

Second —Chronic, sets in after the acute stage has subsided; 
is marked by a discharge of watery and sometimes mucous fluid 
from the nose, and the breathing is attended with a wheezing sound 
and an occasional cough. 

Remedies —To relieve congestion of the parts most affected, 
and equalize the circulation, use drachm doses of powdered lobcdia 
seeds twice a day, with warmth and moisture applied to the throat 
externally. Encircle the throat with a piece of soft flannel and con¬ 
tinue till certain the remedy has taken effect. To protect the muc¬ 
ous membranes of the air passages from irritation, no better article 
exists than slippery elm. A small portion of the powdered bark is 
stirred into boiling water to form a mucilage, just thick enough to 
drink. To a pint of this add two ounces sirup of garlic, and give 
twice a day. The bowels are to be kept loose by soft feed, given 
while warm, with plenty of tepid drink, gruel, seasoned with 
salt, etc. 

This is an admirable treatment for this difficulty. 


CATARACT. 

Symptoms —In the early stage of the disease a small white 
speck appears in the centre of the lens of the eye. Sometimes, 
however, it is first observed at the upper or lower margin of the 
pupil; it gradually increases in size until the sight is wholly oblit¬ 
erated. Cataract, being well defined the only remedy is extirpation 
by a competent veterinary surgeon. 

In case of spurious cataract, the following will generally remove 
the difficulty: Burnt alum, finely pulverized and blown into the 
eye with a pipe-stem or goose-quill. The oil of winter-green is 
likewise used. It should be injected with a small glass syringe, 
xk few drops are sufficient. The injection is to be repeated in three 
days. 


CATARRH, OR COLD. 

Symptoms —There is invariably some degree of feverishness 
—sometimes quite marked—sometimes noted only on close atten¬ 
tion. Usually the pulse will be at forty to fifty; appetite impaired, 
and often sore throat with more or less cough. Interior of nostrils 
unnaturally red, at first dry and swollen, followed by a watery dis¬ 
charge, which soon becomes thick, yellow, and in bad cases, 
purulent. The eyes are generally affected and the inner corners 




990 


COLIC. 


blood-sliot, and frequently with watery discharge from the eyes. 
There is always an expression of sleepiness or dullness. 

Remedies —1. The diet should consist of scalded bran, and 
other soft food, and he given warm. A quart of llax-seed tea, 
sweetened with honey may he given night and morning. If the 
throat is sore, a little powered hloodroot should be added. Keep the 
bowels open with injections of warm water, into which a small 
quantity of soft soap may be stirred. If the case is attended with a 
troublesome cough, give plenty of meal gruel, adding to each dose 
or administration, one drachm of balsam of hr or copaiba. 

2. An effectual remedy for the sore throat in this disease, is to 
rub the throat with kerosene; then saturate two or three thicknesses 
of flannel with the same and bind around the throat. When the 
soreness is cured, remove the flannel gradually, a fold at a time. 

3. Mix half an ounce of nitre with water and let the horse 
drink it. It is best first to dissolve the nitre in a pint of water, 
which can then be added to a larger quantity—as much as the horse 
will drink. Give your horse a bran mash every second morning. 
If the disease has become chronic, inject a weak solution of alum 
into the nostrils. This will remove the discharge. 

Colds —To cure coughs and colds give twenty grains of 
bromide of potassium in a bucket of water, three times a day for 
four days. This includes all kinds of cough, except that brought 
on by heaves. Another excellent treatment is to give a cold bran 
mash once a day with half a pound of linseed and one ounce of 
saltpetre in each mash. 


COLIC. 

Symptoms —Acute pain, stamping, looking at the flanks, roll¬ 
ing; then, perhaps an interval of rest or quiet; then another 
paroxysm, with repeated efforts to strike the belly with the legs 
and feet, sometimes even drawing blood in their frantic struggles to 
get relief. The surface of the belly remains cool, and the pulse but 
slightly accelerated; but the attacks are usually quite sudden and as 
suddenly cease. In inflammation of the bowels the symptoms are 
similar, but the belly is never actually touched in striking. 

Remedies — 1 . Give one ounce (two tablespoonfuls) of the 
tincture of asafetida. It very seldom fails to cure in twenty to 
thirty minutes, but if it should fail, repeat the dose. It is generally 
known that to drench a horse with salt-water will cure some forms 


of colic. 

2. Take soft soap.1 gill 

Warm water.3 pints. 


Inject into the rectum with a syringe or cow’s horn. Usually 
one injection is sufficient to effect a cure. 

3. Those who have employed saleratus in colic regard it as a 





CONTRACTION OF THE HOOF. 


991 


superior remedy. They dissolve and use at a dose one-half to two- 
tliirds of a teacupful. 

4. Dr. Goss says he has saved the lives of many valuable 
horses, affected with this disease, by the use of tobacco; infuse an 
ounce in a pint of water and use as an injection. 

5. The following is a prompt and speedy remedy for this dis¬ 
ease, either in man or beast: Dissolve four ounces of sugar in 
two quarts of hot water. Drench the horse with it while it is yet 
warm as can be borne. This is an excellent simple remedy for 
almost every form of colic. Should the horse, in any case, not be 
relieved in twenty or thirty minutes, repeat the dose. 

6. Some veterinary surgeons who have used the following 
pronounce it a speedy cure for this disease: Steep four ounces of 
green tea in a pint and a half of water. Use as a drench. 

For Flatulent or Wind Colic —Give the following in one 
dose: One-half pint of water; eight tablespoonfuls of whisky, and 
two ounces of sulphuric ether. One dose will generally be suffi¬ 
cient. Two ounces of gunpowder given at a dose will often afford 
relief. 


CONTRACTION OF THE HOOF. 

Symptoms —While standing in the stable the horse will 
point with, or place forward, one foot; or if both be affected, alter¬ 
nately the one and the other. While not exhibiting the decided 
lameness which indicates a sprain, his step will be short and quick 
and the foot placed tenderly on the ground, and he is constantly 
tripping or stumbling. In most cases the heels appear narrower 
and the foot longer. 

Remedies —Most cases of this affection are caused by the 
ignorance and errors of the smith who does the shoeing. But when 
associated with inflammatory action of the cartilages it must be 
treated in the same manner as founder. In all cases we must give 
the frog a bearing on the ground, and to do that the shoe must, or 
ought to be, removed. 

1. A dry, brittle, and contracted hoof may be improved by 
repeated poulticing with soft soap and rye meal, applied cold. So 
soon as the hoof softens, let it be dressed, night and morning, with 
turpentine, linseed oil, and powdered charcoal, equal parts. Still 
a run at grass, in soft pasture, with tips only on his feet, will do 
more than any other treatment. But if the horse must be kept in 
the stable, the best application to make is a stuffing of wet oakum, 
which can be removed at pleasure. To keep it in contact with the 
sole, insinuate two thin strips of wood between the shoe and the 
sole, one lengthwise, the other crosswise. This affords considerable 
pressure to the foot, is cooling and cleanly and is the best thing 
known for the purpose. 



092 


COHNS. 


2. Rasp the front part of the foot and saturate the whole foot 
with the following hoof liquid: Eight ounces spirits turpentine, 
six ounces oil of tar, six ounces linseed oil, four ounces oil origanum. 
Mix and apply every morning. 


CORNS. 

Symptoms —In the angle of the inner heels, the horn of the 
sole has sometimes a reddish appearance and is more soft and 
spongy than at any other part, and the horse flinches when this part 
is pressed upon. 

Remedies —Remove the shoe, cut out the bruised part, fill 
with turpentine and lard, equal parts. Heat in with a hot iron. 
The after treatment is to keep the sole soft and moist by an occa¬ 
sional poultice of linseed meal, first well cleaning the sole, and to 
have the shoes reset often. 


COUGH, CHRONIC. 

Symptoms —Are all summed up in the presence of a dry 
cough without fever, or indications that the horse has taken cold. 
The cough is seldom manifested in the stable, or while standing at 
ease; but appears readily when driven faster than a walk. A few 
dry coughs are then given, and then the horse may be able to pro¬ 
ceed witli his usual work ; but after resting even for a short time, 
and then resuming exercise, the cough is again heard, and thus 
becomes very annoying. 

Remedies. — 1 . A pallative remedy and a good one is one- 
half pint each of tar-water and lime-water, and one drachm of 
powdered squills; this dose to be given every morning until relief 
is obtained. 

2. If there seems greater distress apply the following blister 
to the chest: Croton oil, one drachm; sulphuric ether and alcohol, 
of each ten drachms. Rub well into the chest until the skin becomes 
very sore; then apply lard daily until healed. 

3. See that the hay is not musty and feed roots and laxative 
food. Cut cedar boughs fine and mix with his grain; or boil a 
small quantity of flax-seed and mix it in a mash of scalded bran, 
sweetening lightly with honey or sugar. 


CRACKED HOOFS. 

Symptoms —Are mechanical and can scarcely escape obser¬ 
vation. 

Remedies —The hoof should be pressed together and clinched 
by a thin horse nail. 




DIABETES, OR PROFUSE STALING. 


993 


Then apply the hoof-ointment (for mode of preparing it see 
“ Hoof-Bind ”) once a day for the first two or three weeks; after 
which once m two or three days. 

The ointment is only employed for the purpose of expediting 
the cure. The animal should not be put to heavy pulling during 
the treatment. 


DIABETES, OR PROFUSE STALING. 

Symptoms —Frequent or constant effort to urinate. Urine 
generally deep color and often quite dark. These frequent efforts 
to void the urine, are, in severe cases, attended by great pain, mani¬ 
fested by the countenance, groans, and frequent looking toward 
the loins. The pulse is quick and hard. The hind feet are kept 
wider apart than in health—the back is arched, and the horse will 
move only when compelled. 

The above symptoms combined, indicate diseased kidneys; but 
if the urine be clear or natural color, with the above attending 
symptoms, the trouble is in the neck of the bladder. 

Remedies — 1 . Feeding a bran-mash containing carrots will 
ordinarily relieve this disease. 

2. If the case is severe give twice daily: Iodine, one-half 
drachm; sulphate of iron, two drachms, and powdered gentian, one- 
half ounce. Mix into a thumb-shaped ball with molasses. Five or 
six doses should effect a cure. 


DIARRHEA. 

Symptoms —It is not uncommon for a horse while on full 
feed and after a hearty draught of water, to have several loose evac¬ 
uations from the bowels, soon after being started off for a day’s 
travel. This state of the horse need cause no fear, however, as the 
animal can perform his active duty far better on a ^gorged stom¬ 
ach, and no active treatment should be taken to check this condition. 

When the diarrhea evidently results from a deranged action of 
the liver, manifested by copious watery discharges with fecal matter 
and slime of a dark yellow tinge, the disease then often runs into a 
chronic type, with impaired appetite and general debility and loss 
of flesh. 

Remedies — 1 . In nearly all cases of chronic diarrhea use 
freely, and with perfect success, finely powdered charcoal—four 
tablespoonfuls of the powder in a liberal supply of wheat flour gruel, 
seasoned with equal parts of salt and cinnamon. Should an astring¬ 
ent be really needed after these copious discharges have continued 
for several clays, add to each administration of the flour-gruel one 
ounce of powdered Bay berry bark. 

63 




994 


distempp:r, or strangles. 


2. For simple diarrhea, use: 

Gum-Arabic.2 ounces 

Boiling water..1 pint 

Dissolve and then add 

Oil of peppermint. ....25 drops. 


Mix, and give at a dose, and repeat night and morning. 
3. The following will be found a good remedy: 


Gum-Arabic.1 ounce 

Powdered chalk..1 ounce 

Essence or oil of peppermint .20 drops 

Water.£ pint 

Mix and give twice a day. 


DISTEMPER, OR STRANGLES. 

Symptoms —The attack as a rule is light, but often malignant 
and difficult to manage. There will he more or less fever, the 
mouth hot, limbs cold, coat staring, loss of appetite and often ner¬ 
vous prostration; the throat becomes swollen; there is cough with 
difficulty in swallowing; the nose runs and the mucus soon 
becomes purulent. 

Treatment —In malignant cases the advice of a veterinary 
surgeon should be obtained, since there may be complications that 
cannot be understood by the ordinary observer. Good nursing 
throughout the disease is essential. The animal must be kept warm 
and free from draughts. Keep up the strength with soft, nourish¬ 
ing food and gruels. Do nothing to deplete the system. If there 
is obstruction of the bowels give injections of warm water and 
soap-suds to relieve the bowels. Apply hot linseed poultices to the 
neck until the swelling breaks, or at least is very thin, when it may 
be punctured with a knife to let the pus escape. Allow it to dis¬ 
charge freely, simply washing with warm water to keep it clean and 
syringing it with the same if necessary. During the length of the 
fever stage give every three hours a wineglassful of the follow¬ 
ing, with a syringe gently injecting it well back into the mouth: 
Sweet spirits of nitre, one ounce; tincture of aconite root, one 
drachm; fluid extract of belladonna, two drachms; and one ounce 
each of the following: Saltpetre, tincture of gentian, and powdered 
sal. ammoniac; add water to make one pint and give at intervals 
as above directed, gradually increasing to three times a day. As 
improvement becomes evident, change to the following during con¬ 
valescence: Take of tincture of iron and tincture of gentian each 
one ounce; add water to make twelve ounces; give two tablespoon¬ 
fuls three times a day until the appetite returns. 










DYSPEPSIA. 


995 


DYSPEPSIA. 

Symptoms —The horse shows an unthrifty condition, and 
dry, pin-feathered coat; his body shrivels and contracts; has a dry¬ 
sounding cough, mostly noticed after meals, especially when he has 
just made a hearty one on foul litter, which he is quite apt to do, 
though at other times he is quite fastidious. An offensive breath 
is common, and the excrement also has an unpleasant smell, and is 
variable in color and consistence; often hard and covered with 
slime; at other times soft, when the presence of worms can be 
detected. The urine is scanty, and either colored or thickened with 
foreign material; in fact, both the functions of excretion and secre¬ 
tion are impaired. 

Remedies —1. A change of food is one of the best means 
that can be employed for the cure of this disease, as all domestic 
animals suffer in health if constantly fed on the same articles of 
food. To prevent cattle and sheep losing their condition, their 
pasture is changed from time to time; yet horses are expected to 
go on eating hay and oats for years together, without injury to 
health, and at the same time exposed to a very irregular amount of 
exercise. 

When proper attention is paid to the frequent change of food, 
the appetite will seldom fail in a horse of good constitution; if 
he is regularly worked the dyspeptic stomach generally is restored 
to its proper tone. 

2. Evaporate the liquid substance from beef-gall; give of the 
wax a piece as large as a grain of wheat, three times a day for ten 
days. This will be found to produce most satisfactory results. 

3. A run at grass is one of the best means of effecting a 
permanent cure. At the same time give a tablespoonful in soft feed, 
night and morning, of the following: 


Sulphate of iron,. i ounce. 

Nitrate of potash,.1 ounce. 

Fengreek seed,.2 drachms. 

Linseed meal,.2 ounces. 


Powder and mix with the food. 


DYSENTERY. 

Symptoms —An advanced stage of diarrhea. The amount 
of mucus surrounding the feces will give evidence of the inflam¬ 
mation. The discharges may or may not be bloody. 

Remedies —Rice water should be the sole drink in diarrhea 

or dysentery. 

1. For dysentery in colts, steep a handful of the inner bark of 
white oak in a quart of boiling water. When cold, give half a 
teacupful every night and morning, and increase or make stronger 
as needed. This is one of the best remedies in use for checking the 







996 


EPIZOOTIC—INFLUENZA-PINK EYE. 


disease gradually. Many colts are lost every year by checking the 
discharge too suddenly. 

2. Give the whites of three eggs and a teaspoonful of alum 
at each feed until cured. This is for the full grown horse; if it be 
a colt affected, rub the gums from the center-nippers above and 
below, and give one third the quantity. 

3. If long continued give, powdered ipecac, one drachm, pow¬ 
dered opium, twenty grains, and castor oil six to eight grains, in a 
pint of boiled starch; give every six hours, up to three or four 
doses, for a full grown horse. 


EPIZOOTIC—INFLUENZA—PINK EYE. 

Symptoms —At first the horse is dull or dumpish, indicating 
debility. This is a remarkable feature which seldom presents itself 
in any other form of disease so early. To a casual observer, the 
horse looks as if he had been sick for months. The eye is also 
indicative of the disease; its vessels are turgid and have a red 
appearance, hence the term Pink Eye. The lids are swollen, and 
the animal shrinks from light as if its rays caused pain; the tears 
trickle from the eye. The hind legs swell, and frequently other 
parts of the animal become dropsical. This swelling of the legs, 
be it more or less, is, with the other features named, characteristic 
of the disease. The hair has an unhealthy appearance. The ears, 
nose and limbs are cold or hot, according to the stage of the dis¬ 
ease. 

The appetite is poor from the first, and any attempt to swallow 
shows the throat to be excessively sore. The back part of the 
mouth is thickly coated, and saliva runs freely—although not always, 
as sometimes the mouth is dry and feverish; the excrements are 
voided in small quantities; all the functions are torpid as is the 
animal itself. In a few days a nasal discharge sets in, which is con¬ 
sidered a favorable symptom. Sometimes, however, .the disease 
terminates in abscesses under the jaws, and the animal has a trouble¬ 
some cough. These are the main features of this disease, but they 
vary in different subjects, both in mode of attack, intensity, dura¬ 
tion and termination. 

Remedies —1. The smoke of sulphur, in the stable until 
the horse coughs slightly, will facilitate a cure. 

2. The following remedy is much in vogue with farmers in 
the West, and is said to be an excellent remedy: Throw live coals 
into a tin can; put on feathers; then put the can in a sack and hold 
over the horse’s nostrils until he begins to cough. Repeat two or 
three times, unless a free discharge of the nostrils is sooner pro¬ 
duced. 

3. Good nursing is the best treatment. Blanket the animal, 
and let the stable be well ventilated, but free from draft. For the 



EYE AFFECTIONS. 


997 


cough and sore throat give as a dose two or three times a day, the 
following: J 

Iodine,.20 grains. 

Iodide of potassium, .1 drachm. 

Sweet spirits of nitre,.2 ounces. 

Mix in one pint of water gruel. As the animal recovers give 
soft, nourishing food. 

4. The following is the popular treatment with many veteri¬ 
nary surgeons for this disease. For the cough, take of: 

Spirit of nitric ether,.7.10 ounces. 

Laudanum,.4 drachms. 

N itrate of potash,.3 “ 

Water,. 1 pint. 

Mix, and give as a drench night and morning. 

After the cough has subsided somewhat, and convalescence has 
set in, give the following as a stomachic ball: 

Extract of gentian,.6 drachms. 

Powdered ginger,.... 2 “ 

Mix. 


EYE AFFECTIONS. 

To Test Horses’ Eyes —Look at the eye when the horse is 
in a dark stable; then turn him about to a strong light, and if you 
observe that the pupil contracts and appears much smaller than in 
the first instance, you may infer that he has a good strong eye, but 
if the pupil remain nearly of the same size in both cases, his eyes 
are w T eak, and you had better have nothing to do with him. 

Remedies —1. For sore and scummed eyes on horses, take 
fresh butter or sweet lard, honey and the white of three eggs, well 
stirred up with salt ground to a fine powder; mix it well and apply 
to the eye with a feather. Also rub above the eye, in the hollow, 
with the salve. Wash freely with cold soft water, to which a little 
black pepper is added. 

3. For a bruised eye, take rabbit’s fat or fresh butter and use 
as above directed. Bathe freely with fresh rain-water. Many 
bloodshot eyes have been cured with this simple remedy. 

4. For removing film and granulations from horses’ eyes, 
pulverize to a fine powder, equal parts of loaf-sugar and salt. Of 
this preparation fill an ordinary goose-quill to the extent of one- 
fourth of an inch. Blow it into the eye of the horse twice a day. 
Two hours after each operation, wash his eyes with warm milk. One 
week’s use of this remedy will effect a cure. 


FISTULA. 

Symptoms —Inflammation and tenderness of the points of 
the spinal joints mostly pressed by the saddle. When this inflam- 













998 


FISTULA. 


mation is neglected, it soon leads to the formation of an abscess, 
which may be known by a feeling of shifting or changing under 
pressure of the fingers. 

Remedies —1. The tumefied parts should be kept constantly 
wet by means of bandages thoroughly saturated in a mixture cum 
posed of equal parts of pure cider vinegar and cold water. This 
treatment should be well persevered in for a few days. Should the 
tumor in the meantime increase in its size and the parts develop 
much heat, a poultice of bruised flaxseed should be applied twice 
daily for forty-eight or ninety-six hours, or until the tumor mani¬ 
fests a fluctuating feeling. You will please note that no procrasti¬ 
nation should be indulged in, such as waiting patiently for the 
tumor to break of its own accord, but as soon as the pus or matter 
can be distinctly felt by pressure, make an incision slantingly with 
a sharp knife upon the right side of the neck at the base of the 
abscess. The incision or ciit must not be made so deep as to come 
in contact with the spinal cord or marrow. The opening at the base 
of the tumor should be made sufficiently large to allow the pus to 
freely escape as fast as it forms. A seton should be passed down 
from the natural opening at the top of the tumor through the 
artificial opening made at its base. Before inserting the seton it 
should be dipped in tincture of cantharides. This will be found 
the safest and best plan to adopt for promoting healthy granulation 
and adhesion of the walls of the tumor. The fistulous track is not 
probably very long and the tape-seton will work its way gradually 
but efficaciously out, by which time the cure is made. A stimulus 
is also necessary, to be applied to the interior of the tumor by 
re-saturating the seton, in three or four days after it is first inserted, 
with a solution made by dissolving ten grains of nitrate of silver 
in one ounce of cold water. This latter named stimulus should be 
applied twice per week until a healthy discharge of pus appears; 
then stop. In the opening, from the top down to the artificial 
opening at the bottom, should be injected three times a week a 
lotion composed of one drachm of chloride of zinc dissolved in 
one pint of cold water. Apply the zinc lotion in half an hour after 
using the cantharides tincture and the nitrate of silver solution. 
The tincture of cantharides should only be applied once, and the 
nitrate of silver solution on the third or fourth day after and con¬ 
tinued as long as found necessary; but the zinc-lotion should be 
applied once daily until a healthy granulation takes place; then 
every second or third day until the parts heal soundly. If pipes 
are really found they must be opened to the bottom else no healthy 
state can be expected. 

2. When the fistula makes its appearance, rowel both sides or 
the shoulder; if it should break, take one ounce of verdigris, one 
ounce of oil-resin, one ounce of copperas, pulverize and mix 
together. Use as a salve. 

3. Take of Spanish flies one ounce, gum euphorbium three 


999 


FOUXDEIi. 

drachms, tartar-emetic one ounce, rosin three ounces; mix and 
pulverize, and then mix them with a half pound of lard. Anoint 
every three days for three weeks; grease the parts affected with lard 
every four days. Wash with soap and water before using the salve, 
ihe above is recommended also as an efficient remedy in outside 
callus, spavin, ring-bone, curbs, etc.; also for poll evil. 


FOUNDER. 

Symptoms —Painful, inflammatory affection of tendons, 
muscles, ligaments and extremities of bones, especially in the feet, 
and has various degrees. In the lighter variety, the animal is 
anxious, slow; the affected feet are warm and sensitive to pressure; 
the animal likes to remain lying down; when standing it puts one 
or the other fore-leg forward, and rests principally upon the hind 
feet* The appetite is not bad. In a higher degree, the animal does 
not wish to stir; the feet are hot and painful; if only the fore-feet 
are affected they are put forward and the weight of the body bears 
upon the liind-feet; but, if all the four feet are affected, the animal 
is tormented by anguish, trembles, and raises first one foot, and then 
another. 

Remedies —1. The seeds of the sunflower are a well known 
remedy for the cure of founder. Immediately on discovering that 
your horse is foundered, mix about a pint of the whole seed in his 
food, and continue this from time to time till a cure is reached. 

2. A horse may be worked the next day after being foundered, 
and permanently cured in twenty-four hours by prompt use of the 
following remedy. Boil or steam stout oat straw for half an hour ; 
then wrap around the horse’s leg quite hot, and keep steam in by 
binding with woolen cloths. After six hours renew the appli¬ 
cation. Some persons take one gallon of blood from the neck vein 
in addition to the above.— A. J. Smith , V. S. 

3. Among the remedies in use, for this difficulty, is alum. 
Give a tablespoonful (dissolved) two or three times a day. 

4. For treating this disease in its early stages, place the 
horse’s feet in water that is as hot as he can bear, and letting them 
remain for six hours, being careful to keep up the temperature of the 
water, even increasing it as he becomes accustomed to the heat, you 
will find him greatly improved at the end of the above specified 
time. 

After this, use the Hoof-Ointment (see “ Hoofbind ”), 
heating it into the bottom of the hoof with a hot iron, and immed¬ 
iately afterwards give the horse a gentle laxative of: powdered aloes 
2 to 4 drachms, bi-carbonate of soda 1 ounce, in a pint of warm 
meal or gruel. If the disease becomes chronic but little can be 
done to relieve the stiffness. 



1000 


FOUL SHEATH. 


FOUL SHEATH—DIRECTIONS FOR STALLIONS. 

The sheath of a stallion may be kept clean by occasionally 
washing with Castile-soap and warm water, applied with a very 
soft sponge; the ponch should be thoroughly dried from all soapy ma¬ 
terial, both inside and outside; the inside may then be rubbed slightly 
with olive oil. Considerable care and judgment must be exercised 
in washing the sheath during the winter and early spring months, 
or the animal will not do well subsequently. No foreign bodies or 
material that may be found in any way attached to the inside of the 
pouch or sheath should be violently rubbed off with the sponge nor 
picked off with the fingers when washing, but all must be soaked off 
by means of the soapsuds. The oil above prescribed must be used 
very sparingly, as when it is used too lavishly it will cause dirt to 
collect in the parts anointed. 

Feed —Six to eight quarts of sound and sweet oats, and four¬ 
teen pounds of sweet and sound hay per day, is generally suffi¬ 
cient grain and provender for a horse; and a few carrots or Swedish 
turnips, well washed and sliced, may be added with advantage. A 
large piece of rock-salt should be kept in his feed-box. Two or 
three hours of moderate exercise daily is necessary for a horse to keep 
him in good normal condition. Where this cannot be given he 
should be turned out daily during the winter and spring months, in 
pleasant weather, in an enclosure. 


FLAT FOOT. 

Remedy —The only remedy for this is to throw the weight off 
the heel. To do this, the shoe should be sprung backwards* from 
the last nail-hole, so that it will tend to curve downwards; this will 
make the shoe spring with every step of the horse, and lessen the 
weight on the heel. A horse shod in this way will walk with much 
more ease. 


GALLING THE SHOULDERS. 

Remedies — 1 . The following is recommended for this pur¬ 
pose: Wash the shoulders of the horse with strong alum-water twice 
a day for several successive days before using him; also use as a 
wash a strong decoction of white-oak bark, or, while letting the 
horse rest, raise the collar and pull it forward and rub the shoulder 
with the hand. 

2. Another plan is to wash with a lather of Castile soapsuds, 
and leave the lather of soap on the shoulders. 

3. To prevent galling when tender shoulders are suspected, 
wash the parts with slightly salted cold water every night, after first 
washing with Castile-soap and water. Then rub the parts dry. 

For ointment see page 1020. 





GLANDERS. 


1001 


GLANDERS. 

Symptoms— Its chronic character and insidious onset dis¬ 
tinguish it from catarrh. It is confined at first to the internal lining 
of the nostrils which presents a leaden or purple color (not red as in 
catarrh) at first very light. This is accompanied by a thin acrid 
discharge, generally from one nostril, transparent and without 
odor. After an indefinite period the second stage intervenes, the 
discharge increased in quantity and slightly sticky. The lym¬ 
phatic glands below the jaw enlarge and become adherent to the 
bone, feeling hard to the touch. This is the diagnostic sign of 
glanders, when the patient ought to be destroyed, as the disease is 
contagious both to other animals and to man himself. In the third 
stage the discharge is pure pus. The lining membranes of the nose 
exhibits ulcers, the sores spread to the larnyx, ulcers breaks 
out on the body and the animal soon dies. 

There is no cure for glanders; tmce it is well defined, kill the 
horse, bury deeply, and thoroughly disinfect the stable. 


GRAVEL, OR STONE IN THE BLADDER. 

Symptoms —Difficulty of voiding the urine, which gen¬ 
erally conies away in jets, after great straining and groaning. 
The horse remains with his legs extended for some time afterwards, 
and thus indicates that his bladder is not relieved. Often there is 
muco-purulent matter mixed with the urine, which is rendered 
thick and glutinous thereby, but this happens only in cases of long 
standing. A horse with the gravel acts very much as a horse does 
with the colic, except the throwing of the head to the side. 

Remedies —1. Make a decoction of one-half pound of hops 
and three pints of water, and give it as hot as you think the horse 
can endure. 

2. The common garden beet is a popular remedy in almost 
any form of this disease. It should be prepared as follows : Boil a 
quantity, as if preparing them for the table; then boil the juice to 
nearly a sirup. Of this, give the horse from one-half to a pint 
twice a day. The worst cases have been cured by this remedy, when 
all other means had failed. 

4. Persons who have used the following remedy say they have 
been uniformly successful in curing this disease: Steep one pound 
of hops in a half-gallon of water and give it as hot as the horse can 
bear it. It should be given twice a day. But it must be remem¬ 
bered that once the calculus has become imbedded in the neck of 
the bladder, only a surgical operation can remove the difficulty. 


See Scratches. 


GREASE. 




1002 


GRUBS. 


GRUBS. 

Symptoms —A thick round lump about the size of a raisin 
on the skin, but not painful on pressure, denotes that the larva of 
the gad fly has been deposited beneath the skin and is developing. 
These are usually deposited along the back. 

Remedy —Make an opening with a penknife if necessary, and 
gradually squeeze them out. The grubs may generally be pressed out 
by using the thumbs well pressed down under the swelling, and with 
a firm and continued pressure upwards, the larva will spring out 
sometimes several feet distant. 


HEAVES. 


Symptoms —A cough which has a peculiar wheezing sound, 
somewhat resembling a grunff. The subject is a confirmed dys¬ 
peptic, having a voracious appetite, staring coat, large belly, spare 
muscles, dull, miserable look, drooping head, unwilling to travel 
fast, and when urged to do so soon becomes exhausted and “ used 
up.” These are the principal symptoms, and are common to both 
Heaves and Broken-Wind. 

Remedies —1. It has been discovered that horse-radish is a 
good remedy for the heaves. It is to be given to the horse in his 
feed. 


2. Parties living on the western prairies have almost a sure 
cure at hand by simply turning the horse out where rosin weed is 
plentiful. 

3. Add indigo to water until it is blue, and give a two-gal¬ 
lon pailful two or three times a day. Old horsemen assert that 
they have never known a remedy to bear any comparison to this, 
in value, for curing heaves. 

4. A remedy, which has effected many cures, is to wrap the 
bit of the bridle with tobacco leaves, and keep them on for weeks 
at a time. Moisten a plug of tobacco and from this separate the 
leaves, or use the natural leaf when it can be gotten. 

5. Smart-weed is highly recommended for this disease. 
From one and a half to two pints of a strong decoction of it is to be 
given daily, for ten or twelve days. It may be mixed with the 
horse’s feed. During this time he should be fed on cut or green 
feed. The former should be wet with water. 

6. An old horseman says he has cured many cases of heaves 
with oil tar. He gives the ordinary case a teaspoonful every night or 
every other night, by pouring it upon the tongue, and then giving 
some grain which carries it into the stomach. He says he has 
given very bad cases two or three tablespoonfuls at a dose with the 
best results. He reports it to be one of the best remedies in use, 
and also good for any cough. 



HOOKS. 


1003 


7. If a cough develop indications of heaves, put a spoonful 
of ground ginger once a day in his provender and allow him to 
drink lightly of lime-water, and the difficulty will generally be 
arrested. 


HOOKS. 

Symptoms —The cords back of the eye are enlarged from 
inflammation and by contraction draw the washer out of its nat¬ 
ural position, causing it to swell. 

Remedy —The occasion being general inflammation of the 
eye, bathe with cold water. (See Inflammation of the Eye). 


HOOFBIND. 

Symptoms —This is similar to Contraction of the hoof; which, 

see. 

Remedies —In the outer wall of the foot, all the way around 
the hoof, there should be made grooves, one inch apart. The shoe 
should then be made to circle so as to protect the heel, and should 
be bended, from the last nail-hole back, on the inside instead of on 
the outside. This is to spread the foot. 

Then the hoof-ointment should be applied every morning, in 
the bottom of the hoof. This ointment is made as follows: 


Take of turpentine,..2 ounces. 

Sweet-oil,.2 “ 

Gum-camphor,.2 drachms. 

Oil of spike,.i ounce. 

Corrosive sublimate,.2 drachms. 


Apply twice a day with a sponge. 

The horse’s feet should be soaked in warm water at least three 
times a week. 


HIDEBOUND. 

t 

Symptoms —This is a disorder of the skin produced by sym¬ 
pathy with the stomach. It rarely occurs in any horse but one out 
of health, from a deficiency either in the quantity or quality of the 
food. Sometimes it comes on in the latter stages of consumption 
or dysentery, without any previous mismanagement; but in the 
majority of cases, the cause lies in the food. The skin of a horse in 
health feels supple, and on his sides it may readily be gathered up 
by the hand into a fold; but in hidebound it is as though glued to 
the ribs, and too tight for the carcass. 

Remedies —1. The state of the digestive organs must be 
carefully examined,, and, if possible, rectified. A pint of linseed, 










1004 


INFLAMMATION OF THE BOWELS. 


scalded, and mixed with a bran-mash every night, or scalded malt 
given in equal quantities with the corn; or in the springtime, 
clover or lucerne, will often do more than medicine. Give clean 
hay, free of dust. This together with proper attention and feeding 
of the horse will soon put him in condition. 

2. The following will be found good for horses generally 
when out of condition. One gallon wood-ashes, three pounds salt, 
one pound sulphur, one pound rosin. Mix, dampen, put in trough 
and feed. This should be kept in the trough at all times, or where 
a horse can get to it, whether he be healthy or not. 

3. Take two ounces of finely pulverized gentian-root, Afri¬ 
can ginger and licorice-powder, one ounce finely pulverized iodide 
of potassa and four drachms of tartar emetic; incorporate these 
materials well together in a mortar; then add half a pound of 
bruised linseed-meal; mix all thoroughly together again. Dose of 
the powder, one large tablespoonful, morning and evening, incor¬ 
porated well through a mash composed of equal parts of bran and 
oats, properly salted. This is an excellent “ Condition Powder ” 
under all circumstances. 


INFLAMMATION OF THE BOWELS. 

Symptoms —The indications of this disease and colic are 
very nearly the same—yet there is one marked difference by which 
one can almost always determine. In colic there are frequent 
remissions of pain, while in this, when inflammation has fairly set 
in, there is little or no abatement of symptoms. The patient man¬ 
ifests tenderness or pain upon the slightest pressure on the walls of 
the abdomen. The belly is tense and drawn toward the hips. On 
moving, the horse often groans, and looks towards the flanks. 
When lying down he stretches at full length, throws back his head 
and paws with the fore feet. Sometimes he sweats profusely on 
the flanks and neck, champs or grinds the teeth, the nostrils are 
dilated and breathing hurried; the urine passes involuntarily, and 
the feces are hard and often covered with mucus; the eyes are 
bright and glassy, and the pupils are dilated, and in the last stages 
of fatal cases, cold sweat stands on the body, occasionally tremors 
set in, the limbs, ears, and lips feel cold and clammy, and death 
soon occurs. 

Remedies — 1 . When satisfied that the case is inflammation, 
give a drench of one ounce of common salt in a pint of warm water. 
Give also frequent injections of three quarts of warm water with a 
handful of salt, until the bowels are relieved of the hardened feces 
—give also freely of warm water. ITot water in flannel bandages, 
applied to abdomen and frequently changed, will work wonders. 
When great pain is manifested, warm fomentations of hops will be 
of great benefit. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE EYE. 


1005 


2. A dose of hop tea will be beneficial. Pour one quart boil¬ 
ing water on two ounces hops; when cool, strain and sweeten with 
honey. 

3. Dilute tincture of arnica, one ounce to a pint of water, will 
lessen the pulse and moderate inflammation. During the acute 
stage, the diet should consist only of a slippery elm gruel—after¬ 
ward hay-tea thickened with oat-meal may be allowed. 


INFLAMMATION OF THE EYE. 

Symptoms —Intolerance of light, so that the eye is kept half 
closed, by which it looks smaller than the other; a gummy secre¬ 
tion glues the lids together at the angles; eyelids slightly swollen, 
showing distended veins, with more or less watering. The internal 
surface of the lid is inflamed and the white of the eye often blood¬ 
shot. 

Remedies —1. As soon as inflammatory symptoms appear, 
the horse should be kept free from annoyance of any kind. A cool 
stable, somewhat darkened, will be the most desirable place. A 
very light diet of scalded shorts, or gruel, will be sufficient until the 
inflammation is somewhat abated. An early and careful examina 
tion should be made, to see if the trouble is caused by any foreign 
substance getting or remaining in the eye. Local means to allay 
irritation must now be used. For this purpose many remedies are 
used. A favorite one is tincture arnica one ounce, water one pint. 
Bathe the eye several times a day, using a soft sponge. Bear in 
mind that the eye is a very sensitive organ and must be handled 
with great care and delicacy. The head should be sponged two or 
three times a day with cold water, as nothing equals water for 
inflammation. 

2. Should the constitutional and local treatment be insuffi¬ 
cient, a fomentation of slippery elm and marsh mallows will be of 
benefit. 

3. If profuse secretion of fluid occurs, the following will 
prove of great benefit: Powdered slippery elm bark, two drachms; 
powdered bayberry bark, one drachm; hot water, one pint. Cool, 
strain and use as fomentation. 

4. Should a u speck ” appear on the eye, take tincture of 
bloodroot, one ounce, water one pint. Bathe the eye three times 
a day with this. Be sure some gets within the eyelids. If the 
“ speck ” be large and obstinate, the tincture alone must be applied 
with a camel’s hair pencil. 


INTERFERING. 

Treatment —Buckle a round leather roll, stuffed with cot¬ 
ton, between the pastern joint and the hoof; buckle it so the ends 




1006 


ITCH. 


of the roll will come close together. This roll strikes the opposite 
foot, and will cause the horse to place his foot in a different position 
when he steps. In case “ interfering pads,” if used at any time, 
should rub the legs of the horse and make them sore, the following 
mode of shoeing will in most cases obviate the difficulty. For the 
hind feet have the shoes made considerably lighter on the outside 
than on the inside. Pare the feet slightly lower on the outside, 
leaving them the higher on the inside bar and quarter. Set the 
inside quarter of the shoes a trifle inside of the walls of the feet. 
Make the forward shoes light, with both bars of the shoe equal in 
weight and thickness. Pare the forward feet in the same way as 
above described for the hind feet, and fit the forward shoes close. 
If it is possible to stop the interfering by means of shoeing, the 
way herein described will be found efficacious. 


ITCH. 

Symptoms —Small local sores and falling off of hair sur¬ 
rounding them; rubbing. 

Remedy — 1 . Give one teaspoonful of equal parts of black 
antimony and sulphur, once a day; at the same time reduce the 
daily allowance of food and put the horse on low diet. In a few 
weeks the sores will have disappeared, and the horse will be cov¬ 
ered with a coat of new hair. 

2. Wash the skin thoroughly twice a day with strong suds of 
Castile soap, and rub dry. 


JAUNDICE, OR YELLOWS. 

Treatment —This is not a disease, but a result of derange¬ 
ment of the liver in which the bile is returned to the system. If 
the appearance is connected with specific disease, the disease must 


be treated. If not, give of 

Aloes.5 drachms. 

Ginger.1 “ 

Gentian root (powdered).1 “ 

Powder and mix with enough soap to make a ball and gh 
dose. After operation, as an alterative, take 

Epsom salts.1.4 ounces. 

Nitrate of potash.2 “ 

Linseed-meal. .4 “ 


Mix and give a teaspoonful twice a day in soft feed. 


LAMP ASS. 

Symptoms —An active inflammation of the ridges or bars in 
the roof of the horse’s mouth. Generally most troublesome in the 











LOCK-JAW. 


1007 


young while shedding the coat. It, however, sometimes comes on 
from over-feeding with heating food after having been taken from 
grass. The mucous membrane of the roof of the mouth becomes 
so swollen and tender that the animal cannot eat dry food. 

Remedy —Take a gum-lancet and lance the gums. After 
this is properly done, take a little fine salt and rub the gums with 
it. If the gum-lancet is not at hand, a common pocket-knife— 
which should be very sharp for the purpose—will answer equally 
as well as the lancet. With the knife make slight incisions through 
the prominence, or lance around the teeth, after which apply the 
salt as above directed and, where the lampass is unattended with 
any other local disease, the cure is made and the animal will 
recover his appetite immediately. Lampass should never be burned 
with a hot iron. 


LOCK-JAW. 

• 

Symptoms —Mouth rigidly shut, one or both sides of the 
neck rigid; in the former case the head being turned to one side 
and in the latter stretched straight out; nostrils dilated, the eyes 
retracted with the brows thrust forward over them, and the conn ■ 
tenance anxious and strained. Pronounced cases are difficult to 
treat. 

Remedies —1. Chloroform is a means of arresting the pro¬ 
gress of the disease. Use from one to three ounces, by taking a 
sponge and saturating it with chloroform, and keeping it close to 
animal’s nose until he is under the influence of it. Then take: 

Alcohol. .1 pint. 

Capsicum...1 ounce. 

Make a mixture and rub his legs, and also his spinal column. 

2. Give internally if possible three ounces of powdered lobelia 
seed and one pint of warm water; rub hartshorn over the face and 
neck; hold chloroform to the nose until the jaws open. 

3. Soften two plugs of tobacco in warm water and apply them 
to the jaws of the horse. This has frequently been found to effect 
a cure when other means have failed. 


LAMENESS OF STIFLE JOINT. 

Symptoms —Heat and tenderness of the part; the limb is 
advanced with difficulty. 

Remedies —1. Rest, with infusions of poppy heads, cold water, 
and sometimes a cathartic, will be the proper means of cure. 

2. For chronic stifle lameness with adhesions, or infiltrations 
of the tissues, a few applications of acetate of cantharides will 
usually effect a cure. 






1008 


LICE. 


3. Or take equal parts of powdered alum, honey and # flour. 
Work to a paste and apply. Change every two or three days till a 
cure is effected. 

For liniment, see page 1020. 


LICE. 

Remedies —1. The w T ater in which potatoes have been 
boiled with their skins on is a good local remedy for lice on all 
domestic animals. In cooking potatoes use just water enough to 
cover them, and wet the infected animals with it when it is warm, 
not hot; one or two applications will he found effectual. 

2. Rub into the roots of the hair white precipitate, in powder, 
taking care not to sweat the horse or wet his skin for some days 
afterwards. 

3. Powdered stavesacre seed, two ounces, and water, one quart, 
boiled together for twenty minutes and well rubbed into the 
hair, will destroy the vermin; hut the horse must not be allowed 
to lick himself. 

4. Wash the animal thoroughly with sour buttermilk. It 
destroys the vermin and does not injure the horse. Repeat as neces¬ 
sity may require and blanket the horse until dry. 


MANGE. 

Symptoms —Mange is produced by a parasitic insect; also 
by contact with horses previously affected with the same disease. 
When caused by contagion, as certainly happens in the vast majority 
of cases, the first symptoms noticed will be an excessive itching of 
the skin, which is soon followed by a bareness of the hair in patches, 
partly caused by constant friction. This disease usually shows 
itself on the side of the neck, just at the edges of the mane, and on 
the insides of the quarters near the root of the tail. From these 
parts the eruption extends along the back and down the sides, sel¬ 
dom involving the extremities excepting in very confirmed cases. 
After a time the hair almost entirely falls off, leaving the skin at 
first bare and smooth, with a few small red pimples scattered over it. 
In process of time, the pimples increase in number and size, and 
from them a matter exudes which hardens into a scab. 

Remedies — 1 . Dress the affected parts with a solution of 
carbolic acid in the proportion of half an ounce of the acid to a pint 
of water. If one dressing is not sufficient, after two days it should 
be washed off and another applied. 

2. Another treatment is to wash the affected part with soap 
and warm water, with soda dissolved in it, after which apply a lini¬ 
ment composed of equal parts of oil of tar and oil of turpentine by 




PNEUMONIA, OR LUNO FEVER. 


1009 


means of a brush, every second day for a week. Then wash off 
with soft soap and water. 

3. The following remedy may be relied on as efficacious: 
Take of * 

Common sulphur.6 ounces, 

Sperm or train oil.1 pint, 

Spirits of turpentine.3 ounces. 

Mix and rub well into the skin with a flannel, or, in preference, 
with a painter’s brush. In three days apply again, and the third 
time if necessary. 


PNEUMONIA, OK LUNG FEVER. 

Symptoms —During the accession and early stages of this 
disease, the animal inclines to quietude; is disinclined to move, and 
seems to have a dread of disturbance; stands with his head droop¬ 
ing, seems listless; the breathing is heavy and labored, and becomes 
more and more rapid as the disease progresses; the flank drawn 
inward and thrown out at each respiration; the pulse hard and full; 
the skin is hot and dry, except at the extremities, which are con¬ 
stantly cool. The animal is disinclined to lie down. 

Remedies —1. Take one pint of salt and the yolks of six dozen 
eggs; beat these well together and rub all over the horse with the 
hand, so as to get it well rubbed into the skin. Cover the patient 
with two blankets. It will produce profuse perspiration. After 
perspiration ceases, remove the blankets gradually, remove the egg 
with curry-comb and brush after twelve hours, and feed with bran 
mashes and soft feed. 

2. Give ten drops tincture aconite and same of gelsemium in 
a gallon of water, with the chill taken off. Cover with blankets. 
Repeat in three hours. 

3. Give one drachm of tartar emetic three times a day, and 
two drachms of nitre, to increase the action of the kidneys. The 
diet should consist of a little hay, bran mashes, gruel and grass 
feed, if at the proper season of the year. The same general treat¬ 
ment will apply as for “ Bronchitis,” which see. In the early stage 
of the disease, rub the following liniment well into the surface of 


the body over the lungs: 

Liquor ammonia. ... .2 ounces 

Linseed oil.2 

Spirits of turpentine.2 “ 

Mix and apply. 


POLL EVIL. 

Symptoms —A painful, soft swelling on the poll, accom¬ 
panied by the same sensation of fluctuation, or changing under 










1010 


RETENTION OF URINE. 


pressure, as noticed under the head of Fistula. This is the same dis¬ 
ease only as to its locality. 

Remedies —1. To scatter poll evil take a handful of man¬ 
drake root, bruise and boil, strain and boil down until quite thick; 
then form a salve by simmering with enough lard for that purpose. 
Anoint the swelling every morning until it disappears, which it 
will do if applied while yet the swelling is new. 

2. Another remedy is to take of 


Gum-Arabic.2 drachms 

Caustic potash —.2 “ 

Extract belladonna.2 “ 


Dissolve the gum in as small a quantity of water as possible; 
then add the potash and stir until dissolved, after which add the 
belladonna. Cleanse the sore with Castile soapsuds and inject into 
the pipes with a small syringe. Repeat every other day until a 
cure is effected, which will seldom fail to be done in a short period 
of time. If this does not relieve, cut open the pipes to the bottom 
and dress as directed for “ Fistula;” which see. 


RETENTION OF URINE. 

Symptoms —This disease may be readily recognized by the 
frequent straining of the animal in the endeavor to urinate, and 
tenderness over the spinal column, in the region of the kidneys. 

Remedies —1. Take one-half pound of hops, three drachms 
oil of camphor, grind and mix. Make into three pills and give one 
every day with a drench made of a small spoonful of saltpetre and 
two ounces of water. This remedy rarely fails to give relief. 

2. In severe cases, caused by alkali waters, put strong mus¬ 
tard plaster on back above hips; rub with spirits turpentine when 
removed, and give two ounces of spirits of nitre. 

3. The following are popular professional remedies for this 
disorder. Give as a dose: 

Sweet spirits nitre.2 ounces 

Fluid extract buchu.£ “ 

Holland gin.4 “ 

Mix. Continue twice daily until the symptoms are relieved. 

4. Balsam copaiba.i ounce 

Sweet spirits nitre.2 drachms 

Flaxseed tea.1 pint 

Give as a drench. 

5. Asafetida in the form of a pill the size of six marrowfat 
peas for a dose, given morning, noon and night. 


RING BONE, AND SIDE BONE. 

Symptoms— -An enlargement of the leg, of a hard and un¬ 
yielding nature, either immediately above the hoof, or a little 













RHEUMATISM. 


1011 


higher. In the latter, when thoroughly established, it surrounds 
the joint, whence the name, but in the early stages it appears at 
certain points from which it spreads all around. 


Remedies. —1. Take of : 

Tincture of iodine. 4 ounces. 

Cantharides.. 1 “ 

Mercurial ointment. 2 “ 

Corrosive sublimate. 1\ drachms. 

Turpentine. 2 ounces. 

Lard. 1 pound. 

Mix well together. 


Cut the hair off the part affected, and after applying the oint¬ 
ment rub well with the hand. After two days grease the part with 
lard, and after four days more wash with soap and water and apply 
the ointment again, and repeat every four days. 

2. In all cases in the early development of tumefaction and 
lameness, cooling lotions, hot fomentations, light but nutritious, 
sound and sweet diet, combined with absolute rest for some time, 
are the best means of cure. In this case apply early hot fomen¬ 
tations and acetate of cantharides until the affected parts appear 
tumefied and tender to the touch; then substitute cold water band¬ 
ages and repeat the process if necessary. 

See also remedies under “Spavin,” and applicable to Ring¬ 
bone. 


RHEUMATISM. 

Symptoms —Most frequently attacks the muscles of the 
shoulders or of the loins, sometimes both parts are affected. The 
symptoms are lameness and inability to use the part. If the shoulder 
is affected, the foot is not put to the ground, and when the leg 
is moved backwards and forwards by the hand, great pain is evident. 
In severe cases there is fever, and in a short time the part swells and 
becomes excessively tender. 

Remedies —Cut half a dozen lemons in thin slices. Steep 
them in one quart of water. Care should be taken not to boil while 
steeping. Bathe the affected parts with this solution three times a 
day. Bandage with flannels. Press the juice from two lemons. 
To this add as much water as there is lemon juice, and drench the 
horse with it. Repeat this twice a day. Parties who have used this 
remedy for years, pronounce it the most positive cure they have 
ever found for this disease, in either acute or chronic form. 

2. In severe or long-continued attacks give an ounce of 
bi-carbonate of potash, followed daily by a dose of half the amount; 
with half an ounce of nitrate of potash. If this remedy fail, two 
drachms of iodide of potash may be given in addition. In 
animals which either from previous attacks or constitutionally are 









1012 


SADDLE-GALLS. 


predisposed to this disease, the greatest care, in addition to 
maintaining the system by good feeding, should be taken to have 
them dried and cleaned immediately after their being taken from 
work. The ill effects of allowing horses to stand and get chilled 
after exercise cannot be too carefully guarded against. 


SADDLE-GALLS. 

To prevent saddle-galls the saddles should be lined with some 
smooth hard substance. Flannel or woolen cloth is bad. A hard- 
finished, smooth rawhide lining, similar to those of the military 
saddles, is preferable. Then, if the saddle is properly fitted to the 
horse’s back, there will be no galls unless the horse is very hardly 
used. Galls should be washed with soap and water, and then with 
a solution of three grains of copperas or blue vitriol to one table¬ 
spoonful of water, which will harden the surface and help to restore 
the growth of the skin. White hairs growing upon galled spots 
cannot be prevented. 


SCRATCHES, OR GREASE. 

Symptoms —Scratches or Grease, is sometimes an aggravated 
form of chapped heels. At others, it is ushered in by constitutional 
symptoms, feverishness and hidebound. The first local symptom is 
slight swelling of the skin of the heels and adjacent parts, which soon 
cracks, and the fissures exude an offensive serous discharge, which 
inflames every part it touches and spreads the eruption. The leg 
continues swelling till a remedy is applied. 

Remedies —1. Wash the parts twice a day with Castile-soap 
and water, followed by an application of blue vitriol water. This is 
usually sufficient to cure this difficulty. 

2. Kerosene oil applied once a day for three or four days, is 
reputed a cure. 

3. After the inflamed skin has been subdued by applications 
of carrot poultice, take alum 4 ounces, boiling water, 1 pint; wash 
the affected parts thoroughly twice a day. 

4. In the case of confirmed grease, with icherous swelled 
limbs, give internally 4 to 6 drachms aloes in a pint of water and 
apply the following twice daily after cleaning. Acetate of lead 1 
ounce, sulphate of zinc, \ ounce, water 1 pint. If the parts become 
grapey apply a solution of sulphate of zinc. 


SNAKE BITES. 

Remedies —1. Give the horse, as soon as possible, two to 
four quarts of whisky and apply clay made into a mortar, for twelve 





SPAVIN. 


1013 


or fifteen hours and renewed occasionally. Whisky enough must be 
given to bring the animal completely under its influence. 

2. Immediately after the infliction of the wound, apply 
saleratus moistened and bound on the bite. If considerable time 
has elapsed open the wound with a knife previous to applying. This 
is an effectual remedy. 


SPAVIN. 

Symptoms— Inflammation and exudation of the bony sub¬ 
stance from a tumor in the region of the hock; or accumulation of 
lymphatic humors in the same region. At first the animal seems 
to be afraid of freely using one or the other of the hind legs, and a 
little lameness is perceived at the commencement of moving. 
Afterwards, when returned to the stable after an exertion, the horse 
stands upon the toe of the affected limb; limps considerably on 
turning about and when commencing to walk; after walking a little 
the lameness disappears, and is only perceived again after the horse 
has been standing a few minutes. At this period we begin to notice 
a swelling in the region of the hock, accompanied by increasing 
lameness or complete stiffness; this swelling is either hard and bony, 
or soft. We distinguish several varieties of spavin, according to 
locality and character. 

Remedies —1. Use the following blister after reducing the 
inflammation with fomentations of hot water. 


Corrosive sublimate.-. -Jounce, 

Spanish flies.-J ounce 

Alchohol .-J pint. 


Apply to the parts affected and a blister being raised, grease 
with lard daily until healed, and then again blister and so continue 
until a cure is affected. Ordinarily a few applications will be suffi¬ 
cient. 

2. Foment the spavin twice daily, for half an hour each time, 
with a lye made by dissolving one ounce of sal-soda in one gallon 
of hot water; apply with a sponge, as hot as the animal can bear it 
without causing distress. The lye should be kept at the same tem¬ 
perature during each fomentation. All lye material should be 
carefully but thoroughly removed from the surface of the skin 
when drying the parts immediately after each application. A 
sweating-blister should be applied every night over the region of 
the spavin, and well hand-rubbed into the surface of the skin imme¬ 
diately after the parts have been fomented and dried as above 
described, until considerable irritation is produced on the surface of 
the skin. Then the use of the blister should be omitted for three 
days and applied again in the same way. The blister is composed 
of one ounce each of tincture of cantharides, oils of turpentine, ori¬ 
ganum and spike, two drachms of finely pulverized corrosive subli- 






1014 


SPLINT. 


mate, three ounces eacli of raw linseed oil, camphorated oil, tincture 
of opium and one pint of alcohol. Incorporate these well in a 
bottle and the blister is ready for use. The fomentations must be 
perseveringly applied twice daily as above described during the 
blistering, and for several days after the use of the blister is wholly 
discontinued. 

Feed your horse on mash-food, which should consist of equal 
parts of sound bran and ground oats, with half a pint of bruised 
flaxseed-meal added, properly seasoned with salt, morning and 
evening. Make each mash with cold water. The remainder of the 
food should be grass. This treatment will be found as efficacious 
as any and will leave no scar or blemish behind it, provided it is 
used according to directions. 

3. The following is a good liniment for bone and blood- 


spavin. Take of 

Oil of spike..'.1 oz. 

Oil of amber.J “ 

Spirits of turpentine.2 “ 

Nitric acid.i “ 


The acid must be put into the bottle last. Apply thoroughly 
and it will remove the lameness, though not probably the bunch. 
If the horse has reached the age of four years, fit a bar of lead just 
above the swelling and twist or wire the ends together, so that it 
will constantly wear upon the enlargement. The two together will 
often cure a case in six or eight weeks. 

See also Remedies under head of ‘‘Ringbones,” used also for 
Spavin. 


SPLINT. 

Symptoms —A callous or bony tumor, growing upon one of 
the splint bones, and is often, but not always, accompanied with 
some lameness during its formation. The lameness is caused by 
local irritation and inflammation. 

Remedies — 1 . Procure a probe-pointed, narrow knife, 
shaped like a scimitar, with the cutting edge on the convex side. A 
small opening is made in the skin about an inch below the splint, 
and just large enough to admit the knife, which is then introduced 
and pushed upwards with its flat side towards the skin, till it 
reaches the tumor, when the convex edge is turned toward this, 
and several extensive scarifications are made in the periosteum cov¬ 
ering it, after which the knife is withdrawn and a fine seton-needle 
is introduced in its place, and passed upward until it reaches above 
the splint when it is pushed through, and the tape drawn out, and 
properly secured with a bandage. Of course the horse must be cast 
and properly secured before resorting to the knife. In the course 
of ten days, or a fortnight, the tape may be withdrawn, and the 
splint will almost invariably disappear. 







STAGGERS. 


1015 


2. In most cases the operation is unnecessary, and the appli¬ 
cation of the following blister will have the desired effect: Take of 
biniodide of mercury, 1 drachm; lard, 1 ounce. Mix, and after cut¬ 
ting the hair short, rub a little into the skin covering the splint, 
every night, until a free watery discharge is produced from the sur¬ 
face. To facilitate this the leg should be fomented with very warm 
water every morning and afternoon, and this should be continued 
for several days after the ointment has been discontinued. If, 
after a week’s interval the splint does not appear much reduced in 
size, the ointment should be re-applied, and repeated at similar 
intervals till the swelling is removed. 


STAGGERS. 

Remedies —1. This is a stupid condition occasioned by 
engorgement by eating too much green or other food, liable to fer¬ 
mentation. When discovered, put the horse in a safe place and 
give immediately of aloes, 6 drachms ; raw linseed-oil, 1 pint. If 
it does not operate in twenty-four hours, give injections of warm 
water and soap. There is another form of staggers, allied to apo¬ 
plexy, and dangerous because due to pressure of blood on the brain, 
a horse often becoming unmanageable in harness. Throw cold water 
over the head, first releasing the harness. A horse subject to this 
should never have the collar, headstall or other portions of the har¬ 
ness obstruct the free circulation of the blood. 

2. Give a dose of tartar emetic (2 drachms); if the case is a 
very bad one follow in two hours after by a drench containing half a 
pint of castor oil and six drops of croton oil. The diet should be 
confined to a few mouthfuls of hay or grass, with a plentiful supply 
of water. 


STRAINS. 

Symptoms —Strains are caused by overstretching of or me¬ 
chanical injury to the muscles, ligaments and tendons. Symptoms; 
heat, swelling and pain on pressure or in movement, in the one 
case by flinching and in the other by lameness. Sometimes effusion 
of blood or serum. 

Remedy —1. Foment the affected limb with a lye made by 
dissolving two ounces of sal-soda in a pailful of hot water. Apply 
the lye with a sponge as hot as it can be borne, twice daily 
for one hour each time; keep your lye to this temperature of heat 
during each fomentation; dry the parts fomented each time from 
all the lye material, and bathe them with a strong infusion made 
of either wormwood or hops (use whichever of these is the more 
convenient) and pure cider vinegar; steep the hops or wormwood in 




1016 


SWEENY. 


the vinegar, and apply as hot as it can be used, immediately after 
each fomentation, and hand-rub well in; then cover the limb with 
flannel. This treatment, if thoroughly persevered in, with rest 
from all work added, will generally prove efficacious in a very short 
time. Feed no corn or other heavy grain, whole or ground, 
while your animal is under treatment. Oats and bran and carrots 
or Swedish turnips, with good sound provender, properly seasoned 
with salt, are the kinds of diet that should be fed the animal 
until a full recovery takes place. 

2. Eight ounces spirits of turpentine, eight ounces good 
vinegar, one egg. Mix, shake well, and bathe twice a day with 
the naked hand. This applies to curbs, splints, strains and bruises 
of all kinds. 


SWEENY. 

This is generally the result of injury, either to the shoul¬ 
der or the limb. The muscles fall away from disease. See 
under head of “ Sprains,” and treat as there directed. Then exer¬ 
cise will again cause the muscles of the shoulder to resume their 
normal proportions. 


RUBBING THE TAIL. 

Symptoms —The cause of this difficulty usually originates 
from worms. Many are mistaken in thinking it is a humor of the 
tail, when it is only the worms that irritate the rectum. 

Remedies —1.—Inject a solution of sulphuric ether. If this 
does not allay the irritation, it is simply an irritation of the anus, 
and it needs to be greased thoroughly with citrate ointment. 

2. If the difficulty be really worms, the following will be 
found useful: Take four tablespoonfuls of turpentine and one 
pint of linseed oil. Give as a dose. This will usually afford relief 
in this difficulty. A change of diet is always desirable. Salt in 
the manger is beneficial. Worms, however, notwithstanding the tem¬ 
porary clearance effected by medicine, are apt to re-appear after a 
time. In this case repeat. It is always quite safe to do so after 
the lapse of a week or ten days after the first dose. 


STRING-HALT. 

Symptoms —String-halt is a nervous disease, its origin not 
well known; there is no absolute cure for the disability, but it may 
be alleviated by the following remedies: 





THUMPS. 


1017 


Remedies — 1 . This difficulty has been relieved by the use 
of goose-oil. It is to be applied to the muscles thoroughly two or 
three times a day. 

2. Sweet oil has been used in the same way with success. 


THUMPS. 

Symptoms —This is a spasmodic action of the heart from 
over exertion, and is distinguished by the throbbing. 

Remedies — 1 . Ordinarily there is no permanent cure for 
this disease, although the animal can be relieved to a great extent, 
by placing five drops of aconite on the tongue, and if the horse is 
not relieved by the first dose, repeat the dose at intervals of one 
hour until there is a change for the better perceived. 

2. Give the horse two or three quarts of strong brine, then 
bleed in the third bar of the mouth. Give the brine while bleed¬ 
ing. The object is to relieve the nervous system. 

3. The following is one of the best remedies known: 

Take whisky, 2 ounces; sweet spirits of nitre, ounce; nitrate 
of potash, 1 drachm, in a teacupful of water. Repeat every half 
hour until the horse has recovered. 


THRUSH IN FEET. 

Symptoms —The direct cause of thrush is neglect and over¬ 
sight in the management of the hoof. Its symptoms are a fetid 
odor, combined with morbid exudation from the frog and softening 
of the same. 

Remedies —1. Apply twice a week, as long as it is found 
necessary, a charcoal-poultice made of three parts finely pulverized 
charcoal* and one part of bruised flaxseed meal, mixed with warm 
water. Use the poultice at night. After removing it in the morn¬ 
ing, dress between the clefts of the frog with pyroligneous acid and 
fine table-salt mixed. Be careful to press the acid and salt down to 
the very bottom of the cleft of the frog at each dressing, morning 
and evening. The safest plan to adopt in cases of this kind is to 
treat the disease both locally and constitutionally. For the consti¬ 
tutional treatment take equal parts of finely pulverized sassafras - 
root, lac-sulphur, gentian-root, ginger, charcoal and salt; incorporate 
well in a mortar. One ounce daily is a dose. 

2. Wet thrush is brought on by excessive wet or standing in 
wet stables, causing the frog of the foot to decay. Dry thrush is 
the result of extreme dryness. To cure either, take equal parts 
lard and spirits of ammonia; fill the bottom of the foot with this 
and heat in with hot iron. Thrush almost always causes the foot 
to contract, for which use the hoof-ointment; ” see “ IToof-bind.” 




1018 


URETIIIIAL GLEET. 


URETHRAL GLEET. 

Symptoms —This is simply an augmented secretion of 
mucous matter from the urethra, not contagious or communicable 
by contact. 

Remedies —Take of the following: 


Balsam copaiba.2 oz. 

Sweet spirits of nitre,.1 oz. 

Sirup of garlic,...4 oz. 

Mucilage of gum Arabic,.1 pt. 


The dose is one-half gill daily. 

The sheath and penis should be sponged three times a day with 
cold, soft water, and the horse kept from mares. The same remedies 
are efficient for leucorrhoea in mares, in which cooling applications 
are injected into the vagina. Cleanse the vagina thoroughly with 
injections of tepid water, and inject once a day, sulphate of zinc, 2 
drachms, in 1 pint of tepid water. Follow this once a day with the 
following injection: Carbolic acid, 2 drachms; tepid water, 1 pint. 


WARTS. 

Remedies —1. Touch over the entire surface of the wart 
twice-daily, morning and evening, with a lotion composed of one 
drachm of nitrate of silver dissolved in one ounce of soft water. 
Apply with a camel’s hair brush until the wart disappears, which 
will probably take place in two or three weeks’ time. 

2. Take equal parts of calomel and copperas, mix and apply 
dry. This is also good in indolent cases of sore neck, back, 
shoulder, etc. 

3. To cure a blood-wart, wash it twice a day with a solution 
of blue-vitriol, after which sprinkle some of the same pulverized 
upon the wart, and in due time it will be removed. 


WENS. 

Remedy —Take a half-teacupful of slaked lime and the same 
amount of soft soap; mix well and apply to the wen, in such man¬ 
ner that it cannot spread. From two to four applications will gen¬ 
erally effect a cure. The wen should be lanced at the time of mak¬ 
ing the application, or a day or two after. 


WORMS. 

Symptoms —A rough, staring coat, a craving appetite— 
more or less emaciation—the passage of mucus with the feces, and 









WORMS. 


1019 


often a small portion of this remains outside the anus and dries 
there. That part generally itches, and in the attempt to rub it the 
tail shows the effect of that action. This last symptom may be 
caused by vermin in the tail, or by irritation of the anus from other 
causes; but all these symptoms combined, quite clearly indicate 
worms in the intestines. 

Remedies — 1 . Give a teaspoonful of pulverized alum in 
each feed, for six feeds; this will usually remove worms. 

2. Common salt, 2 ounces, infusion of wormwood, 1 quart, 
use as a drench, for several days in succession, when the wormsjjwill 
be removed. 

3. Linseed oil,.1 pint 

Spirits of turpentine,.2 aspoonfuls. 

Mix and give every morning until the worms are xpelled. 


MOUNTAIN FEVER. 

Symptoms —This disease seems to be peculiar to the North¬ 
western Territories, and on account of resemblance of some symp¬ 
toms, is sometimes called Pink Eye, but is not the regular disease 
so named. The horse affected shows signs of drowsiness, carrying 
the head low, ears often drooping and spreading apart. In walking 
the animal takes short steps, appearing to walk on the toes. The 
most noticeable features are weakness of the back or spine, showing 
derangement of the kidneys. Sometimes the sight is affected, and 
a horse will attempt to jump when ed over a flat board, as if it were 
a gate. 

Remedies —1. An application of spirits of turpentine, on the 
small of the back and behind the ears, has been found effective in 
curing many cases. A half-ounce of spirits of nitre given internally 
will add to the effectiveness of this measure. 

2. A decoction or tea of willow-bark, given as a drench, is a 
favorite remedy in many localities. 

3. Take about two pounds of green sage brush, (such as grows 
on the plains), chop or bruise; add one gallon of water; boil to 
about one pint, and give as a dose one gill, three times a day. Con¬ 
tinue till the fever abates. The worst cases in the state of Oregon 
have been cured by this remedy. 

4. Take one tablespoonful of turpentine and mix with five 
tablespoonfuls of castor oil. Of this give a tablespoonful (in severe 
cases two tablespoonfuls) in half a pint of hot water, as a drench. 
Administer three times a day. 

5. In Washington Territory, Oregon and Idaho, the salts of 
Medical Lake, W. T., are considered a specific for this disease. 





1020 


SUPERIOR LINIMENTS. 


SUPERIOR LINIMENTS. 

Cuts and Wounds of all Kinds —One pint of alcohol, 

half-ounce of gum of myrrh, half-ounce aloes; wash once a day. 

Rheumatic Liniment —Take croton-oil, aqua ammonia, 
f. f. f., oil of cajeput, oil of origanum, in equal parts. Rub well. 
It is good for spinal diseases and weak back. 

For Indolent Cuts or Wounds —Take fisli-worms mashed 
up with bacon-oil, and tie on the wound. 

To Make the Hair Grow —Milk of sulphur one-half 
drachm, sugar of lead one-half drachm, rose-water one-half gill; 
mix and bathe well twice a day for ten days. This is a popular 
remedy, but a good means is careful and clean daily grooming. 

Liniment for the Stifle-Joint on a Horse —One ounce 
oil of spike, half-ounce origanum, half-ounce oil amber. Shake it 
well and rub the joint twice a day until cured, which will be in 
two or three days. But the limb must be so held in position that 
the horse cannot thrust it back. 

Saddle or Collar-Liniment —One ounce of spirits of tur¬ 
pentine, half-ounce of oil of spike, half-ounce essence of wormwood, 
half-ounce of Castile soap, half-ounce gum-camphor, half-ounce 
sulphuric ether, half a pint of alcohol. Wash freely. 

Liniment for Strains and Growth of Lumps— One 
ounce oil of spike, half-ounce origanum, half-ounce amber; aqua¬ 
fortis, and sal-ammonia of each one drachm, spirits of salts one 
drachm, oil of sassafras half-ounce, hartshorn half-ounce. Bathe 
once or twice a day. 

Ointment for Calks and Bruises of the Feet— 

Take of: Lard, 1 pound, rosin, 2 ounces, beeswax, 3 ounces. Melt 
together and add one ounce of powdered verdigris and one-half 
pound of tallow. Stir it all until it gets cool, and apply. It is 
excellent for bruises, calks, etc. 

Sore Shoulder and Back of Horses —1. Wilt the 
leaves of jimson ( stramonium) and apply to the affected parts and 
it will cause them to heal readily, even when the horse is used 
every day. 

2. The following is a good liniment for curing these diffi¬ 
culties: Sweet oil, 2 ounces, gum camphor, 1 ounce; mix and 
apply twice a day. 

Sweet Clover Ointment —Take 5 ounces lard, 3 ounces 
white wax, 3 ounces rosin, 1 pint cider vinegar and 4 quarts of 
sweet clover leaves and blossoms. Boil the vinegar and clover together 
until the strength is extracted from the clover. Strain through a 
cloth; then add the other ingredients and boil until clear. Then 
pour carefully into shallow pans, and when cool, cut into 1J inch 
pieces and wrap in tissue paper. Excellent for abrasions, cuts, 
burns, piles, etc. 

Sprains and Swellings —Take one and a half ounces of 


BLOOD PURIFIERS. 


1021 


hartshorn, one ounce camphor, two ounces spirits of turpentine, 
four ounces sweet oil, eight ounces alcohol. Anoint twice a day. 

Sloan’s Celebrated Horse Ointment —Rosin 2 ounces, 
lard 4 ounces, beeswax 2 ounces, honey 1 ounce. Heat the whole 
until they boil, remove from the lire, and slowly stir in a half-pint 
of turpentine; then stir until cold. It is valuable for bruises, galled 
backs, sores, cracked heels, etc. 


BLOOD PURIFIERS. 

Blood Purifier —Dry red-clover blossoms, and make a 
strong tea of them. Give a pint of this to the horse twice a dav. 
This, likewise, is one of the most effectual remedies known for the 
purification of the blood of man as well as beast. 

Horse-Powder —This condition powder has a wide rep¬ 
utation for distemper, hide-bound, colds and diseases which may arise 
from impurity of the blood. Take one pound comfre}^-root, half- 
pound antimony, half-pound sulphur, three ounces saltpetre, half- 
pound laurel-berries, half-pound juniper-berries, half-pound angelica- 
seed, half-pound rosin, three ounces alum, half-pound copperas, 
half pound masterwort, half-pound powdered charcoal. Mix all to a 
powder and give in most cases one tablespoonful in mash; feed once 
a day until cured. Keep the horse dry, and keep him from cold 
water six hours after using it. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

To Prevent Snow-Balling —Clean the hoofs well, then 
rub thoroughly with soft-soap before going out in the snow. 

To Extricate Horses from Fire —Put the harness on a 
. draught-horse, or the saddle on a saddle-horse, and they may often 
be led out without difficulty. Throw a blanket or coat over the head 
of the animal if practicable. 

To Break a Halter-Chewer —This may be done by 
making a strong solution of Cayenne pepper, and soaking the halter 
in it. The animal will soon learn not to chew this kind of a halter. 

To Distinguish Shoulder from Foot Lameness— 
Take the animal by the bridle-bits and back him; if the lameness is 
in the shoulder, he will drag his foot as he backs; but if it is in the 
foot, he will lift it up from the ground as he moves. 

Another way to locate lameness, is by the motions of the horse 
when in a brisk trot; when he is lame below the knee, he will bow 
his head downward, and when lame above the knee, he nods his 
head upward. 




1022 


CATTLE. 


For Knee-Sprung: Horses —Also galls, sprains, sores, 
etc.: Take fresh angle worms and put them in a vessel for twenty- 
four hours, until they become clean; then put them in a bottle and 
throw plenty of salt on them; place them near a stove and when 
dissolved, apply freely to the parts affected. 

Warbles, or Slight Tumors —These are successfully 
treated by a solution of salt water four or five times a day. An 
essential treatment is to remove the cause of the irritation. The 
horse should, if possible, be exempt from work for a week or two. 
The stuffing in the saddle or other article of equipment should 
be looked to, and if necessary altered. 

Sand for Bedding* —Dry sand is not only an excellent sub¬ 
stitute for straw, for horse’s beds, but superior to straw, as the sand 
does not heat and saves the hoofs of the horses. 

Easy Mode of Drenching a Horse —A drench may 
often be successfully administered in the following manner: Stand¬ 
ing on the right side of the horse, with the bridle in the left hand, 
keeping the horse’s head down in the natural position, introduce a 
long-necked bottle, containing the medicine, into the side of the 
horse’s mouth, and pour out the medicine only as fast as the horse 
will lap or swallow it. Where this simple means fails, see page 986. 


CATTLE. 


CARE AND MILKING OF COWS. 

Good Milking Habit —Cows should always be treated 
with gentleness, especially when young or when the teats are tender, 
in which case the udder ought to be handled with the greatest gen¬ 
tleness; otherwise the cow will be in danger of contracting bad hab¬ 
its and retaining her milk ever after. A cow never lets down her 
milk pleasantly to the person she dreads or dislikes. 

Wrong Method of Milking Cows —Many cows are ruined 
by bad milking. Too frequently, through carelessness and want of 
thoroughness, individuals will cause the usual quantity of milk to 
shrink one-third in two weeks. 

In milking they will seize the root of the teat between the 
thumb and forefinger, then drag upon it until it slips out of their 
grasp; this, together with the rude way of using the teat and udder, 
and their ill disposition to the cow completes the injury. 

To Cure Cows of Kicking —Kicking is sometimes caused 
by sore teats, tender bag, the milker pulling the long hairs on 
the bag, or his having long, sharp finger-nails. In such cases, 
shear off the long hairs and cut off the long nails; bathe the 
chapped teats with warm water and grease them well with lard, and 
if they do not heal readily, or if it is a very severe case, apply 




CARE AND MILKING OF COWS. 


1023 


equal parts of glycerine and tannic acid, mixed, and it will cure 
the difficulty very promptly. Another important consideration is 
to always treat your cow gently. If you find that she has a bad 
temper—and the kicking originates from this cause, then bend the 
fore-leg so as to bring the foot up to the body; then put a small 
strap around the arm and small part of the leg, near the hoof, 
crossing between so as not to slip off over the knee, and buckle. 
In this condition she cannot kick, and it is a good way to subdue 
her. Never confine the hind legs, singly or together, for in doing 
this there is danger of spoiling the animal. Never whip or abuse 
a cow in any case. 

Parsnips Good for Milk —Parsnips cause cows to pro¬ 
duce abundance of milk, and they eat them as freely as they do 
oil-cake, and the milk is very rich. Sheep, when lambing, fed 
with them, produce much milk. 

To Increase the Quantity of Milk in Cold Weather 
—Slightly warm the water given to the cow, and to this add one 
quart of bran to two gallons of water, and a little salt. Give at 
least this amount three times a day. It will increase the amount 
of milk of many cows twenty-five per cent. Never give them 
slops from the kitchen. 

Fattening Calves —Calves will thrive better on milk that 
is not exceedingly rich in butter, than on that which is. The reason 
of this is, the nutritive elements of milk are chiefly in the caseine, 
and not in the butter-making properties. 

If you have a cow that gives rich milk and one that gives a 
quality poorer in butter, it is better to feed the calf on the milk of 
the latter. The calf will thrive better, and you will get more butter 
from the milk of the first cow. 

The following is an excellent food for calves: Take nearly the 
quantity of skimmed milk the calf can drink and add two handfuls 
of oatmeal boiled to a thick mush in water. When milk-warm, 
mix with it the skimmed milk, and feed it to your calf. 

Drying a Cow of Her Milk —It is often neces^ai) to 
dry up the milk when cows are wanted speedily to fatten, and 
this is now and then found to be a difficult matter, especially with 
large and gross beasts. If the flow of milk is suffered to continue, 
it may overload and produce inflammation of the udder, or garget, 
or general fever, or inflammation of the lungs, or foul in the foot. 

Alum in the form of whey, or dissolved in water, will be the 
most effectual. The whey can be prepared as follows: Take alum 
one-half ounce, water two quarts; boil them together for ten min¬ 
utes and strain. Give for a dose. 

Holding the Milk —Laying a wet rag on the back of the 
cow that holds her milk is a very good remedy. Another writer 
says a weight laid on her back, as a bag of earth or sand, will 
often make her give her milk. 


1024 


DISEASES OF CATTLB. 


DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

Garget in Cows. 

This is swelling of the teats and ndder of the cows, caused 
often by not being milked or not having been milked clean. 

Common poke used is one of the best local remedies known. 
Mix a handful of the dried leaves with the food, and prepare an 
ointment by simmering a quarter of a pound of the dried root 
with a pound of lard for two hours. This is to be used on the 
udder after fomentation from one two hours with water as hot 
as can be borne, and then thoroughly drying. Rub in with as 
much friction as can be borne. 

One pint of bean meal, mixed with other meal or mill-feed, 
given to a cow twice a day, for two or three days in succession, is a 
good local remedy for garget. In place of the bean meal, the beans 
may be cooked soft, and fed in like manner. This is simple, but 
found to be a very efficacious application. 

Choked Cattle. 

1. A strong solution of salt water, used as a drench, will often 
relieve this difficulty. 

2. Another mode of relief is to cause the animal to jump over 
as high a barrier as possible. 

3. Another method, that will often cause the obstruction to 
be ejected from the throat, is to discharge a gun or revolver, hold¬ 
ing the muzzle between the horns and a little forward of them. 

4. A flexible rod, with a knob on the end, may force the 
obstruction down into the paunch. 

Scours in Cattle. 

Boil a quantity of w r ild cherry bark for an hour or more. The 
quantity of water should be sufficient to keep the bark covered while 
boiling. Soak corn, oats or barley in this liquid and feed it or 
drench. It has proved one of the best remedies in use for this 
disease. 


Scours in Calves. 

Give a raw egg and repeat the dose twice a day. It can be 
administered by holding the tongue and pouring it down the throat. 
This is an excellent remedy. 

Bloody Murrain or Black Leg. 

1. Drench the animal twice a day with a teacupful of salt 
and as much vinegar. Ro water should be given for ten hours 
after the drenching process. 


1025 


TO REMOVE WARTS ON COWS* TEATS. 

2. Dissolve a tablespoonful of saltpetre in a pint of water. 
This should be given at one dose. Give two doses the first day and 
one dose every succeeding day, until the cure is complete. This 
has been successfully used after all other means had failed. 

3. If bad, first bleed in the foot or leg affected. Then cut a 
hole in the skin just above the soreness, insert a strong solution of 
saltpetre water and work it down over the soreness with the hand. 
Let this and the corruption out by cutting a hole in the skin below. 
When black leg makes its appearance the whole herd should be 
moved to a high, dry pasture. 

4. To prevent murrain in cattle during its prevalence, give them 
every three days one tablespoonful of salt and two of slaked lime. 
Remove to high and dry place. 

To Remove Warts on Cows’ Teats. 

Warts may be removed by cutting them off with shears; and 
this is not a very painful operation for the cow. Large warts may 
be removed by twisting a piece of fine wire sufficiently tight 
around the wart to obstruct the circulation of the blood; and they 
will, in due time, drop off. Warts should not be removed while 
cows give milk. 

Bloody Milk. 

Give a teaspoonful of sulphur in a little dry bran once a day, 
and in severe cases it may be necessary to give it twice a day. 

Swelled Bags. 

Simple inflammation is usually very readily removed when 
caused by cold and exposure, by dissolving one-half ounce of pul¬ 
verized camphor-gum in two ounces of sweet-oil over a slow fire, 
and applying twice a day. 

To Destroy Lice. 

1. Take of 

Coal-oil.£ pint. 

Lard .£ “ 

Melt, mix and apply. It will effectually kill all lice. 

2. Camphor-gum dissolved in spirits will remove lice from 
animals. 

3. They may be removed by dipping the teeth of the curry¬ 
comb or card into coal-oil, and keeping it moist with it while cur¬ 
rying or grooming the animal. 

Remedies for Foot Rot. 

This disease makes its appearance sometimes between the 
the claws of the foot, often in the heel, and, extending up the leg, 

65 




1026 


CHRONIC DIARRHEA IN YOUNG CALVES. 


causes extreme lameness, loss of flesh and loss of milk. It often 
runs through a whole dairy, and its appearance is becoming 
every year more common. 

1. Make an ointment of lard and red precipitate, one 
part of the latter to four of the former, to be applied to the affected 
parts and rubbed in; or in bad cases, when the disease is in the 
heel and upon the leg, it is worked in by holding a hot iron near 
the foot. The foot should be cleaned before the application, by 
washing well with soap and soft water. One application, if thor¬ 
ough, will generally effect a cure; but if all parts are not reached 
by the ointment, a second application should be made in forty- 
eight hours. 

2. Take one teacupful of the best vinegar, two teacupfuls of salt, 
one and one-half teacupfuls of copperas. Dissolve on the stove, but 
not boil. When cool, apply to the affected parts once or twice a 
day. Two or three applications usually cure. 

Chronic Diarrhea in Young- Calves. 

Probably no better remedy can be found for the relief of this 
difficulty than a raw egg to which there is added a teaspoonful of 
black pepper, given twice a day. This should be followed by 
food composed of a little milk and water, thickened with a handful 
of oatmeal. 


Mange, or Scurvy. 

Give one teaspoonful of sulphur once every two days, and in 
extreme cases, one tablespoonful. This is not only a cure for these 
disorders, but it is considered a preventive of black-leg 1 when prev¬ 
alent. 


Hoven, or Bloat in Cattle. 

1. When cattle become bloated from eating clover or other 
green feed, they can often be relieved in the following simple way: 
Insert into the mouth a stick about two inches or more in thickness 
and fasten to the head in such a manner as to keep the mouth wide 
open. The passage from the stomach being thus uninterrupted, 
the gas will be immediately discharged from it, and the trouble 
will cease. The stick should be placed crosswise in the mouth, 
and fastened each end to a horn by a cord. This simple means is 
better than any internal remedy, and much better than to pierce the 
paunch of the beast. 

2. Instead of the usual method of stabbing in the side, give a 
dose of train-oil. This has been often tried with a successful result. 
The quantity of oil must be adapted to the size and age of the ani¬ 
mal. For a grown-up beast, of average size, the right quantity is 
about a pint. 


SPANISH FEVER. 


1027 


3. When an individual is provided with a small rubber hose, 
a cure can be very readily effected by inserting this through the 
mouth into the stomach. 

Spanish Fever. 

Stockmen in the State of Texas pronounce the following a 
successful remedy for the cure of this disease: One-half pint of 
castor-oil, two ounces of s # weet spirits of nitre, and fifteen drops of 
croton-oil, to be taken at one dose, as a drench, and to be repeated 
daily. One dose usually is sufficient to check the fever. 

After-Births. 

Browned or parched oats, fed before and after calving, is said 
to prevent trouble that the cow may otherwise have in voiding the 
after-birth. 

Bronchitis. 

Bronchitis consists in a thickening of the fibrous and mucous 
surfaces of the trachea. The disease is indicated by a dry, husky, 
wheezing cough, laborious breathing, hot breath and dry tongue. 

Apply to the throat warm poultices of slippery elm or flaxseed, 
on the surface of which sprinkle powdered lobelia, moderately 
warm; if the} 7 are too hot they will prove injurious. Administer 
the following drink: Powdered liquorice, one ounce; powdered 
elecampane, one-half ounce; slippery elm, one ounce; boiling water 
sufficient to make it of the consistency of thin gruel. If there is 
difficulty in breathing, add half a teaspoonful of lobelia to the 
above, and repeat the dose night and morning. Linseed or marsh¬ 
mallow tea is good in this disease. The animal should be comfort¬ 
ably housed, and the legs kept warm by friction with coarse straw. 

Inflammation of the Throat. 

In many cases, if attended to immediately, nothing more will 
be necessary than to confine the animal to a light diet, give fre¬ 
quent drinks of linseed tea, and supply warmth and moisture 
locally by a slippery-elm poultice, which can be kept in close con¬ 
tact with the throat if secured to the horns. 


SHEEP. 

CARE OF SHEEP AND LAMBS. 


Keep sheep dry under foot. This is even more necessary than 
roofing them. Furnish them an ample supply of water during the 





1028 


DISEASES OF SHEEP. 


winter months, as well as other seasons of the year. Begin feeding 
grain with the greatest care, and use the smallest quantity at first. 
Never frighten sheep if possible to avoid it. Separate the weak 
sheep from the rest of the flock, in order to give them special 
attention. If a sheep is injured, wash the wound; if flies are trouble¬ 
some, apply spirits of turpentine every day or every second day to 
the wound. Cut tag-locks early in the spring. 


DISEASES OF SHEEP. 


Remedies for Scab. 

1. Mix one part of linseed-oil with two of coal-oil. Apply 
thoroughly every third day for three times. This will cure in 
ordinary cases. 

2. If bad, the following dip is one of the best: Tobacco 
and sulphur, of each one pound; water, five gallons; or in this 
proportion to make enough so that each sheep may be dipped in 
it. Boil the tobacco in the water until the strength is exhausted; 
add the sulphur. Dip in the solution up to the eyes, holding the 
sheep in for three or five minutes, pressing the wool from time to 
time. It must not get in the eyes, mouth or nostrils. Scab is vio¬ 
lently contagious and a pasture once infected should not be used 
for at least a year. 

3. The application of spirits of turpentine and a decoction of 
tobacco is a superior remedy for the treatment of this disease. A 
farmer thus relates his mode of applying the remedy: “I pur¬ 
chased a flock of 150 fine wool sheep which were afflicted with this 
disease. After they had been shorn their backs were covered with 
scabs and sores. I had a large kettle sunk partly in the ground as 
an ex-tempore vat, and an unweighed quantity of tobacco put to 
boiling in several other kettles. The only care was to have enough 
of the decoction, as it was rapidly wasted, and to have it strong 
enough. A little spirits of turpentine was occasionally thrown on 
the decoction, say to every third or fourth sheep dipped. It was 
necessary to use it sparingly, as, not mixed with the fluid and 
floating on the surface, too much of it otherwise came in contact 
with the sheep. Not attending to this at first, two or three of the 
sheep were thrown into great agony and appeared, to be on the 
point of dying. I had each sheep caught, and its scabs scoured 
off by two men who rubbed them off with shoe-brushes, dipped in 
suds of tobacco and soft soap. The two men then dipped the sheep 
all over in the large kettle of tobacco water, rubbing and kneading 
the sore spots with their hands while immersed in the fluid. The 
decoction was so strong that many of the sheep appeared to be sick¬ 
ened either by immersion or by its fumes. The effect on the sheep 




TO CURE FOOT-ROT. 


1029 


was magical; the sores rapidly healed; the sheep gained in condi¬ 
tion, and a new wool immediately started; I never had a more per¬ 
fectly healthy flock on my farm.” 

To Cure Foot-Rot. 

1. Salt will materially assist the cure of this disease. It is 
given freely in their feed, and sprinkled on the grass they eat. 

2. Another remedy is to take potash, four ounces; arsenic, 
four ounces; water, one gallon. Boil till dissolved. When 
you discover that sheep have become lame, pass them 
through a trough holding a warm solution containing the 
proportions of the above. The amount to be used will depend 
on the number of sheep to be treated. Let your trough be 
twenty or twenty five feet long, and just wide enough to admit 
one sheep walking after the other. Keep in it about three inches 
deep of the solution. Two thousand sheep can be run through in 
a few hours, and this will result in a cure. 

3. A popular remedy for this disease is a solution of blue 
vitriol. It is poured from a bottle with a quill in the cork, into 
the hoof, when the animal lies on its back. But this method is 
imperfect, because, without remarkable care, there will always be 
some slight ulcerations which the solution will not reach. A flock- 
master gives the following as his method of using this remedy: 

“ I had a flock of sheep a few years since which were in the 
second season of the disease. I bought a quantity of blue vitriol 
and made the necessary arrangements for paring their feet. Into 
a large washing tub in which two sheep could stand, I poured a 
solution of blue vitriol and water as hot as could be borne by the 
hand even for a moment. The liquid was about -four inches deep 
in the bottom of the tub, and was kept at about that depth by fre¬ 
quent additions of hot solution. As soon as the sheep’s feet had 
been thoroughly pared, it was placed in the tub and held there. A 
second one was prepared and placed beside it. When the third one 
was ready, the first one was taken out, and so on. Two sheep 
were thus constantly in the tub, and each remained in it about five 
minutes. The cure was perfect. There was not a lame sheep in 
the Hock during the winter or the next summer. The hot liquid 
penetrated to every cavity of the foot, and doubtless had a far more 
decisive effect, even on the uncovered ulcers, than would have been 
produced by merely wetting them.” 

Cure for Grubs. 

A remedy for this difficulty, during the proper season, July 
and August, is to smear the nose of the sheep with tar. The sheep 
can be made to do this themselves by feeding them their salt 
sprinkled over tar, once a week 


1030 


REMEDY FOR SCOURS. 


The sheep gad-fly, which produces the grub, is led by instinct 
to deposit its eggs within the nostrils of the sheep. Its attempts to 
do this, usually in July and August, are always indicated by the 
sheep, which then collect in close clumps with their heads inward 
and their noses held close to the ground, and thrust into it if any 
loose dirt or sand is within their reach. If the fly succeed in de- 
positing its egg, it is soon hatched by the warmth and moisture of 
the part, and the young grubs or larvae crawl up the nose, finding 
their way into the head of the sheep. During the ascent of the 
larvae, the sheep tosses its head violently, and often dashes away 
from its companions wildly over the field. The odor of the tar on 
the nose of the sheep will usually keep this fly at bay. 

Remedy for Scours. 

In scours the bowels are continually passing watery stools. The 
treatment found successful, is as follows: Take four ounces raw 
linseed oil, two ounces of lime-water; mix. Let this quantity be 
given to a sheep on the first appearance of the above disease; half 
the quantity will suffice for a lamb. Give about a wineglassful of 
ginger tea at intervals of four hours, or mix a small quantity of 
ginger in the food. Let the animal be fed on gruel or mashes of 
ground meal. If the above treatment fail to arrest the disease, add 
half a teaspoonful of powdered bay berry bark. 

Remedies for Founder. 

In this disease, the animal becomes slow in its movements; its 
walk is characterized by rigidity of the muscular system, and when 
lying down, it requires great effort to rise. The cause of this dif¬ 
ficulty is exposure to sudden changes in temperature, feeding on 
wet lands, etc. 

1. The following remedy will be found good: Powdered lady’s 
slipper root, 1 teaspoonful, to be given every morning, in a pint of 
warm pennyroyal tea. 

2. If the malady does not yield in a few days, take powdered 
sassafras bark one teaspoonful, boiling water one pint, honey one 
teaspoonful; mix, and repeat the dose every other morning. 

3. Give pulverized alum in wheat-bran. Great care in chang¬ 
ing from dry to green feed should be exercised. 

Colic or Stretches. 

1. A decoction of through wort or boneset, given warm, is usu¬ 
ally an effectual cure. 

2. Attacks of this disease come readily to some sheep. It can 
always be prevented by giving green feed daily, or even once or 
twice a week. Its cause generally is costiveness. 


/ 


TO CURE CATARRH. 


1031 


3. Half an ounce of epsom salts, a drachm of ginger, with a 
teaspoonful of essence of peppermint, will speedily relieve the sheep 
of this difficulty. The salts alone, however, will generally effect a 
cure, as will an equivalent dose of linseed oil or hog’s lard. 

4. Give a strong tea of red peppers. Dose, one-fourth of a 
pint. Follow this by giving the sheep exercise; such as running 
them around the lot or field for eight or ten minutes. 

Sheep are occasionally seen, particularly in the winter, lying 
down and rising up every moment or two, and constantly stretching 
their fore and hind legs so far apart that their bellies almost touch 
the ground. They appear to be in much pain, refuse all kinds of 
food, and not infrequently die unless relieved. This disease is 
popularly known as the “ stretches,” but it is doubtless a sort of flat¬ 
ulent colic induced by costiveness, which the above remedies will 
speedily relieve. 

To Cure Catarrh. 

Immerse a small feather in spirits of turpentine, and insert it 
into the nostril of the sheep. Twirl it around once or twice before 
withdrawing it. Ordinary cases will be cured with one application; 
more severe ones by two or three, to be applied at intervals of two 
or three days. Keep the sheep well housed. 

To Cure Lameness. 

Examine the foot, clean out between the hoofs, pare the hoof 
if unsound, and apply a wash of carbolic acid. 

To Protect from Dogs. 

If sheep are kept in the same lot with cattle, dogs will seldom 
disturb them; for as soon as a dog approaches, sheep will run to the 
cattle and these will drive the dog away. 


To Prevent Jumping. 

Clip the eyelashes of the underlids with a pair of scissors. This, 
it is said, destroys the ability and disposition to jump, and the 
animal will not again make the attempt until the eyelashes are grown. 


To Mark Without Injury to Wool. 

To thirty spoonfuls of linseed oil, add two ounces of litharge 
and one ounce of lampblack; unite them together by boiling, and 
mark the sheep therewith. 


1032 


DISEASES O* HOGS. 


HOGS. 


CARE AND TREATMENT. 


Keep your hogs in good clean fields; give them access to pure 
water—even though you should be compelled to dig a well for that 
purpose; a good pump and plenty of suitable troughs, cleansed 
every week, will cost but little and will always prove a valuable out¬ 
lay. Provide also, in the dryest part of the field, a good shelter, 
both from sun and rain. And by no means allow them to sleep on 
old straw or manure. Leaves or dry ground make healthy beds. In 
troughs, near by their resting-place, once each week place a com¬ 
position of salt, soda and red pepper. To four parts of the first 
article add one part of the latter. Our common red peppers will do 
very well; they should, however, be well pulverized, and all the 
ingredients thoroughly mixed. Most healthy animals will readily 
devour salt. To obtain it they will also take the alkali and the stimu¬ 
lant. It is not offered as a patent remedy, but simply as a preventive 
of the injurious effect of the foul gases and pestiferous filth in which 
hogs wallow. Exclusive grain feeding has a tendency to produce 
cholera; therefore other kinds of food should be employed in con¬ 
nection with grain. Among the best are artichokes and turnips. 
Hogs should have free access to mud and water. They seem to be 
natural disinfectants. 

Stone coal or charcoal should be kept where they can have free 
access to it. 


DISEASES OF HOGS. 


Unfailing Cure for Cholera. 

At a meeting of stock breeders and farmers of Iowa, 
held at West Liberty, Mr. J. S. Long, of Jasper County, 
referring to hog cholera, said he would give some experience that 
would be of value to all. Years ago he lost thousands of dollars’ 
worth of hogs; but for six years he had not lost any; and he had a 
remedy which, if any one would use, he would warrant they would 
lose no more hogs, provided they did exactly as he said, and the hogs 
were not past drinking so they could not take the medicine. He 
had tried it in hundreds of cases, and never had a failure; was now 
engaged in buying lots of hogs where cholera prevailed; bought 250 
recently, and found no trouble in curing them. His remedy is this: 
u Make concentrated lye into good soap by the usual rule; take one 







TO PREVENT TRICHINAE. 


1033 


pail of the soap to fifty hogs, put in a kettle, add water and two 
pounds of copperas, boil it, then add dish water or milk (or any¬ 
thing to make it taste good) till you have about what the hogs will 
drink. Place enough of the mixture, while warm, for twenty-five 
hogs to drink in troughs in a separate lot. Just as you are ready 
to let the hogs in, scatter two pounds of soda in the troughs; the 
object is to have it foaming as the hogs come to drink. JBe sure 
that every hog drinks, and if he will not drink, put him in the 
hospital; if you cannot get him to drink, then knock him in the 
head, for he will give the cholera to the rest. After twenty-five 
have had all they will drink, let in twenty-five more, and continue 
till the whole are treated. The next day I go through with the 
same operation. After the second day, skip a day; then give for 
two days, and you may turn them out cured. 1 generally give the same 
dose once a week to my hogs. An important point is to make the 
hog drink, and if he will not take it in any other way, add new 
milk or put in sugar.” As an evidence of his entire faith in his 
remedy and mode of administering it, Mr. Long offered “ to pay 
ten cents a pound for every hog he could not cure, provided the hog 
was not past drinking.” 

Another— To cure this disease, take of 

Sal-soda.2 pounds. 

Sulphur..1 “ 

Saltpetre. \ “ 

This will make four doses for forty head; to be given night and 
morning. 

Another —Turnips have been found a specific for hog cholera, 
and should be fed once a day. Those who have used them say they 
never fail to cure. 

Preventive— To prevent hog cholera take one peck of charcoal, 
one pound of cape-aloes, one pound of rosin, one pound of sulphur; 
mix and keep in the bottom of the trough. 

To Prevent Trichinae. 

To prevent trichinae from infesting your hogs, it is necessary 
to remember that the most likely sources of the parasite are the ani¬ 
mal offal and garbage which they eat when allowed to run at large, 
and the rats they are apt to devour when they can get at them; in 
illustration of which fact it may be mentioned that the hogs in Ire¬ 
land, which are allowed much more liberty of wandering, and less 
regularly fed than their cogeners in England and Prussia, are more 
apt than these others to present the trichinae upon microscopic in¬ 
vestigation. It is therefore advisable to keep hogs intended for 
human consumption in clean sties, containing only one or two each, 
and impervious to rats, or else keep them in clean pastures. If the 
animals are kept in pens they should be plentifully fed with sound 
grain, milk, etc., watered, and allowed some salt occasionally; in 






1034 


PREVENTIVE OF DISEASE. 


other words, placed in good hygienic conditions, and excluded from 
diseased food. It may, perhaps, seem unnecessary to dwell upon 
the value and necessity of measures which commend themselves at 
once, as affording not only the best safeguard against the special 
disease under notice, but as going far towards prevention of other 
diseases to which the hog is subject; yet in view of neglect, and 
even positive abuse, with which hogs are treated throughout the 
land, it is well that breeders should understand the fearful conse¬ 
quences liable to result from carelessness, which, in matters of such 
vital importance, is closely allied to criminality. 

Preventive of Disease. 

Mr. A. Y. Moore, the eminent Illinois breeder of Poland 
Chinas, says, in his Swine Journal: u For all general purposes of 
health, and as a preventive of disease, I have for many years used 
the following mixture with uniform and marked success. Take one 
bushel of charcoal, small pieces, three bushels wood ashes; one half 
bushel slaked lime; one-fourth bushel salt; two pounds Spanish 
brown; five pounds sulphur; one-fourth pound saltpetre; one-half 
bushel copperas. Pulverize the last two thoroughly; mix all in a 
bin, box or barrel, and keep in a open trough, where the hogs can 
have free access to it, and keep well moistened with good swill or 
milk. If your herd is not large, or you lack a sufficient amount of 
some of the ingredients, mix smaller amounts of each in the same 
proportion. Aim to keep these articles at hand at all times, and do 
not neglect their use; they contain certain chemical elements which 
are wanting in every hog predisposed to disease. You will observe 
by careful watching, that the animals that look the worst, and with 
which, as you say, ‘ there seems to be something the matter,’ are 
the ones that will call on you to fill this trough the oftenest, and 
they will usually visit it, either as they go to or return from their 
feed.” 

Another Treatment —If hogs are not in a healthy condition, 
put two or three pounds of sulphur in a barrel of mill feed, and 
make a slop of it; of this feed them once or twice a day, and with 
a clean, warm pen for winter and a clean, dry, cool place for sum¬ 
mer, there will be no mortality among swine. 

To Cure Mange. 

1. A thorough application of vinegar, followed in a day or 
two after with a wash of soap and water, will cure this difficulty. 
The application should be made over the whole surface of the body. 

2. In lieu of the vinegar, a decoction of tobacco, in the ratio 
of one to twenty five, is likewise effectual. Whenever this disease 
is treated, it is essential to purify all objects with which animals 
come in contact; thus all rubbing-places and sties should have a cov- 


DIARRHEA OR SCOURS IN PIGS. 


1035 


ering of lime. The sties should be cleaned out entirely, or the hogs 
removed for a few months to a new pen. 

Diarrhea or Scours in Pigs. 

1. For pigs, a week or so old, that are severely afflicted with 
this disease, dissolve a lump of alum (the size of a walnut) in a 
quart of water, and of this give a teaspoonful evening and morn¬ 
ing. It will soon afford relief. 

2. This disease can generally be checked by feeding the sow 
on dry corn for a few days. Skimmed sweet milk to be fed the sow 
is also good. 

If pigs are large enough to eat, give them rye, corn or wheat, 
whole. As a rule in this disease, no medicine will be required if 
proper attention is given to the mother. Changing her food, allow¬ 
ing her to go out into the air, keeping the pigs in the pen warm 
and comfortable, will in ordinary cases check the disease. For 
the treatment of this malady, see also Sheep Scours. 

Cure for Rheumatism. 

The indications that the hog is afflicted with this disease are 
manifested by a dullness, indisposition to move, followed by extreme 
lameness in one or more of the limbs, and swelling or tenderness 
of the joints or muscles. 

Give a tablespoonful of cod-liver oil to each hog, in its food, 
once or twice a day. This oil also improves the condition wonder¬ 
fully. A cure will be more rapidly effected by giving boiled or 
steamed food and sour milk. Provide a warm house, from which 
the hogs shall have egress to the yard as well. 

Cure for Bliiul-Staggers. 

This almost invariably originates from too high feeding. In 
order to cure the difficulty it is necessary to withhold the food from 
the hogs for a day or two, and feed them very small quantities of 
sulphur and charcoal. 

Another —Sour apples, mashed into a pumice and fed twice a 
day, are said to be an effectual remedy for the cure of this disease. 
See that the pores in the forelegs are kept open. This is done by 
rubbing them with a corn cob and soapsuds. This is also remedy 
for fever. 

Cure for Cough. 

Feed hogs afflicted with cough all the oats they will eat, three 
times a week. This will loosen their bowels, and the cough will 
disappear, as it is usually caused by costiveness. Cleanliness, 
warmth and wholesome, nutritious food are likewise valuable aids 
in abating this disease. 


1036 


HEAVES OR THUMPS. 


Heaves or Thumps. 

1. These difficulties are usually preceded by a cough, which is 
generally worse in the morning, when hogs first come from their 
beds. Almost any case can be cured by putting a spoonful of salt 
well down the throat of the animal. Repeat once, every two days, 
until three doses shall have been given, though usually one dose 
will perfect a cure. 

2. Tar is an old remedy for this disease, and one that has been 
employed very successfully by many farmers. The mode of giving 
it is to take a small quantity of tar (nearly the bulk of an egg)and 
put it well down in the mouth. This should be done for three suc¬ 
cessive mornings. If the disease does not yield to three doses, dis¬ 
solve one pint of tar in a gallon of water, and use one quart as a 
drench, repeating the dose every morning until a cure is effected. 

Rot in the Tails of Young Pigs. 

The tails of young pigs frequently drop or rot off, which is 
attended with no further disadvantage to the animal than the loss 
of the member. The remedies are, to give a little brimstone or sul¬ 
phur in the food of the sow, or rub oil or grease daily on the 
affected parts. It may be detected by roughness or scabbiness at 
the point where separation is likely to occur. 


Soreness of the Feet. 

This often occurs to hogs that have traveled any distance, the 
feet often becoming tender and sore. In such cases they should be 
examined, and all extraneous matter removed from the foot. Then 
wash with weak lve. 

To Remove Lice. 


1. Boil tobacco (leaf-tobacco if you can procure it) until you 
have a strong decoction, and add enough of grease or lard to make 
a thin salve; apply thoroughly and in one day there will be no 
vestige of these vermin left. 

2. But one gill of kerosene oil into a dish. With a w T oolen 
rag or paint brush, rub the oil up and down the back of the animal, 
and behind the forelegs and on the flanks. This will clear off the 
vermin in two days. 

3. An agricultural paper says buttermilk is an infallible 
remedy for ridding hogs of lice. It should be poured along the 
hog’s back and neck. Two or three applications will generally 
prove sufficient. 

Cure for Worms. 

1. For swine that are troubled with worms, mix wood-ashes 
with soap-suds, and feed once a week with slops. 


FOWLS. 


1037 


2. In reference to tlie cure of kidney-worms an old farmer of 
La Salle County, Illinois, writes: “ This disease has prevailed very 
extensively here, but we now have a certain cure, namely; one 
tablespoonful of turpentine poured on across the loins or small of 
the back, every day for three days. I have never known it to fail, 
even when the hogs had been down for weeks, unable to rise.” 


FOWLS. 

SELECTION OF BREEDS. 


In the selection of fowls the breeder must have regard to the 
purpose for which the stock is principally destined, and also to the 
facilities for keeping. If it is desired to raise fowls for the table or 
market, it would be manifestly injudicious to procure birds which 
are egg-yielders rather than producers of choice meat for the table, 
and if fowls are to be kept for profit, the demand of the most avail¬ 
able market will indicate whether they can be kept for eggs or for 
flesh to the best advantage. But for whatever purpose kept, the 
breed should always be pure, to arrive at the best results. 

Adaptation to the Soil —The poultrv-raiser must bear in 
mind the soil he has when making the selection of his stock. Fowls 
will thrive upon sandy or gravelly soil without difficulty under most 
all circumstances; some birds, but not all, will thrive where the land 
is clayey. Upon land that is wet or low-lying and subject to over¬ 
flow and saturation to any great extent with water, ducks and geese 
are the only fowls which should be kept. The birds which will 
thrive best on damp, cold or clayey soil are Minorcas, Cochin Chinas, 
Plymouth Bocks, Scotch Greys, Leghorns, Langslian, Andalusian, 
Game, Brahmas and Iloudans. Those which will not thrive upon 
damp land are the Creves, Dorkings, LaFleclie, Polish and Spanish. 
On dry and sandy soils all breeds thrive. 

Tlie Most Prolific Layers —In poultry keeping for the 
eggs, those fowls are most desirable which are called “ non-sitting ” 
breeds. They are not only the most prolific layers, but they save 
the breeder much trouble by their absence of inclination to hatch. 
The “ non-sitters ” are the Andalusians, Hamburgs, Houdans, Leg¬ 
horns, Minorcas, Polish and Spanish. Of these the best layers are 
the Hamburgs, and the others are graded according to their laying 
capacity in tlie following order: Leghorns, Andalusians, Iloudans, 
Spanish and Polish. The eggs of the Hamburgs are too small for 
market, and the eggs of the Spanish and Polish have a tendency to 
be frail and are more liable to breakage. Therefore the breeder will 
find it to his advantage to confine his choice to the remaining breeds 




1038 


HOW TO RAISE CHICKENS WITH PROFIT. 


given, and all of these he will find most desirable producers of eggs 
which will be of good size, and therefore command a good price in 
the market. These birds have strong constitutions, and can be 
reared with success, unless the place be particularly wet. More¬ 
over, they can be crossed (not inbred) with advantage, the progeny 
being also certain to turn out good layers. 

Best Fowls for Fattening* —Where it is desired to select 
fowls that will fatten readily, and market to i^ood advantage, -the 
breeds to select from are the Creve-Coeurs, LaFleclie, Dorkings, 
Plymouth Pocks, Houdans and Langshans. The Game fowls are 
especially fine for the table, but their size renders them unprofitable 
for ordinary marketing. A cross breed from the Dorking and the 
Game is very successful, producing a fowl that is very delicate, for 
the table, with flesh very deep at the breast. 

Adaptation to Space —The breeder should always consider 
the choice of breeds of fowls in relation to the room he has for their 
exercise, as some breeds will not thrive without plenty of roaming 
room. Minorcas and Leghorns can be kept on limited runs, while 
the Hamburgs and Spanish will not lay well unless they have plenty 
of freedom for action. Fowls that are confined in limited space 
must not be fed too 
become layers. 


HOW TO RAISE CHICKENS WITH PROFIT. 

Early Feeding —The young chickens having been cooped, 
where they can be kept clean and dry, and can, if possible, have a 
run at a grass plat, the question of food arises. For the first few 
days a hard boiled egg chopped up finely may be given to the little 
chicks. Then cooked meat finely minced should be given till they 
are three weeks old. The cost will be slight as a piece the size of 
a walnut will suffice for a whole brood, while this food strengthens 
the system. This is to be given in addition to oatmeal moistened 
with milk or water, which will form the staple article of food for 
one week, when it may be changed for shorts and barley meal, shorts 
and buckwheat meal, or bran and Indian meal; potatoes mixed with 
bran are also good food. A little grain may be given occasionally, 
and food should be given at night. Bread and water is the worst 
food that can be given, as it causes weakness and produces diarrhea. 
Green food occasionally is necessary, more especially for young 
fowls. Shelter is absolutely indispensable, and the brood should 
only be let out in bright or at least clear and dry weather. 

Fattening* Fowls for Market —At four months old, if 
the fowls are of the breeds recommended, and have been well fed, 
they will be well enough grown for the table. The young bird 
should be shut up for a fortnight, and the confinement will be found 
to have added at least two pounds to the weight. They should be 


ighly or they will lay on fat, and cease to 



HOW TO RAISE CHICKENS WITH PROFIT. 1039 

put in cages, each compartment about 9x18 inches, and a foot and 
a half high. The bottom should be of bars about two inches apart, 
rounded off, the sides and top of board, the birds being placed so 
they cannot see each other. A tray under the cage should be tilled 
with fresh dry earth every day to receive the drippings. The cage 
should be thoroughly whitewashed every time fresh occupants are 
put in. The fowls should be fed constantly during the two weeks. 

Wliat and How to Feed —The food should be admin¬ 
istered by having a little shelf in front of each pen or coop to hold 
the food and water tins. Give water once a day and food three 
times a day. Darken each coop after feeding by hanging a cloth 
over it for half the time between feeding; this ensures quiet and 
thorough digestion. Do not allow food to remain and sour, but 
give each bird as much as it will eat at one time. Buckwheat meal 
is the best food for fattening, the best substitutes being Indian 
meal and barley meal. A little minced green food each day will 
keep the bowels in order. The fattening process will be completed 
in from two to three weeks. 

It must be borne in mind that the object is chiefly to add fat. 
The flesh and growth must have been arrived at before putting up 
for fattening. 

Pulverized Bones for Fowls —Burn the bones white, 

when they can be easily pulverized. Then mix with corn or oatmeal, 

and feed once a day. Place them where the fowls can have access 

to them easilv. 

«/ 

To Fatten Turkeys —Mix finely pulverized charcoal with 
their feed, and turkeys will fatten more rapidly and their flesh will 
be superior in tenderness. Mashed potatoes and meal are good arti¬ 
cles to feed turkeys, and to mix the pulverized coal with. 

To Fatten Fowls in a Short Time —Mix together 
ground rice well scalded with milk, and add some coarse sugar. 
Peed them with this, but not too much at once. 

The Prime Secret of Profitable Poultry Raising is 

in getting the birds ready for the table at the earliest possible 
moment, and not letting them live a day afterwards. Every day 
after sufficient fat has been acquired the birds become feverish and 
waste away. There must be prompt killing as soon as the fowls are 
ready. 

To Produce Extra Fat —If extra weight and fat are 
wanted, the fowl should be crammed during the last ten days of 
fattening, but not before. Roll moistened meal into pellets an inch 
and a half long, and the size of the finger. Moisten in water and 
put into the bird’s throat. There will be no difficulty in swallow¬ 
ing and the quantity must be learned by experience.. Chickens 
must be fasted at least twelve hours before they are killed. 


1040 


HOW TO KILL CHICKEN?. 


HOW. TO KILL CHICKENS. 

There are various ways of killing fowls. One «s to give a 
sharp blow with a small but heavy stick, just behind the neck, 
about the second joint from the head, which, if properly done, will 
sever the spine and cause immediate death. Another is to wring 
the neck, which is effectual because it breaks the neck. The French 
method is to pull the points apart, taking the head in the right 
hand, the left holding the neck with the thumb at the back of the 
head. Cutting the throat involves no pain beyond the insertion of 
the knife. The bird should be hung by the legs head downward. 
A long, narrow sharp pointed knife is then thrust through the back 
part of the roof of the mouth, causing instant death. 

To Secure Plumpness After Killing: —Pluck the 
fowls immediately after killing them, while they are warm. They 
should be scalded by dipping an instant into boiling water. This 
process will make the birds look plump and nice. They should not 
be drawn until the day they are wanted, as they will keep much 
longer in this way. 


TO RAISE FOWLS PROFITABLY IN LIMITED 

SPACE. 

The advantage of an extensive territory over which fowls 
can roam, picking up grubs, worms and earth, is well-known, and 
its desirability is such that many believe fowls cannot be raised 
profitably otherwise. This is not altogether correct, as the breeder 
or producer can supply any deficiency in this regard and give his 
fowls all the advantages desired in this respect, by observing the 
following simple expedient. 

Let him build a pen or rack, say four feet square, by timbers 
nailed together and set upon the ground, the sides being slatted by 
narrow strips nailed to the frame, with a space of six or eight inches 
between. Inside this frame prepare a compost bed of earth, manure 
and mill-sweepings, shorts or bran, placing first a layer of two or 
three inches of manure; then a layer of earth or rich loam; upon 
this a layer of the mill-sweepings, each the same thickness, and 
continue thus till the rack is tilled. This bed will be the constant 
breeder of meal-worms and grubs, which naturally seek the light 
and coming to the edge of the rack will become the prey of the 
fowls, which will pick at the compost bed for this food, and thus 
get the richness which comes from it. In this way fowls will thrive 
as well as if they had the privilege of an extensive run. 

Continuous Laying Secured —Hens supplied in this 
way will lay all the year round in many instances, and the profit 
thus simply and cheaply attained will be much larger upon the 
money invested than relatively on that expended upon extensive 
breeding farms. 



TO MAKE HENS LAY. 


1041 


TO MAKE HENS LAY. 

To one and a half gallons of boiling water add two ounces of 
lard, two teaspoonfuls of common salt and one of Cayenne-pepper. 
Stir the mixture thoroughly; then, while boiling, stir in equal pro¬ 
portions of corn and oatmeal until a thick mush is formed. It will 
be well to taste the feed in order to see that you do not have an 
overdose of pepper or salt in the preparation. This feed is not to 
be given the fowls all the time; a change occasionally is necessary; 
and on days when it is omitted, give them about one-lialf an ounce 
apiece of fresh meat, chopped line. At all times keep a good sup¬ 
ply of gravel, lime and pure water convenient to them. It is said 
that feeding them on red peppers, or mixing it with their feed and 
giving it to them two or three times a week, increases the capacity 
for laying very materially. 

Another —Another mode that is highly recommended for 
making hens lay, is to keep them separated from the rooster; give 
each half an ounce a day of fresh meat, chopped up like sausage- 
meat, from the time insects disappear in the fall until they appear 
again in the spring, and never allow more than one egg to remain 
in the nest as a nest-egg. 

The Laying Capacity —A hen is said to have the capacity 
of laying about 600 eggs during her life, and no more. A few the 
first year; about 300 to 350 the next three; the balance from the 
fifth to the ninth year inclusive. Therefore, it is not profitable to 
keep hens after their fourth year. By feeding proper and stimu¬ 
lating food as above given, hens can be made to lay the quantity of 
eggs with which they are endowed in much shorter time than if 
left to “ scratch for themselves.’’ 

In order to raise chickens successfully, the male birds should 
be replaced with new blood once every two years. 


EGGS. 

To Test the Freshness ot Eggs —When it is desired to test 
good and fresh eggs, put them in water; if they float well out and 
the large end turn up, they are not good. This is a reliable rule to 
distinguish good from bad eggs. A fresh laid egg will sink in 
water. 

How to Preserve Eggs —Fannie Field, an authority on 
fowls, says in Prairie Parmer , on the subject of how to keep 
eggs: 

“ The best known way to keep eggs through hot weather, or any 
other weather, save when one has the advantage of cold storage, is 
to pack them, small end down, in salt. They may be packed in a 
nail keg, or in anything else that is clean and handy, the only 
requisites being that the eggs be perfectly fresh, clean, and do not 
touch each other or the sides of the package. Keep them in the 

66 



1042 


REMEDY FOR ROUP. 


coolest place you have, but do not turn the package over at all; the eggs 
will keep longer if left undisturbed. I have kept eggs thus packed 
from the middle of April until the middle of September in a cellar 
where the temperature ranged from 50° to 60°, and they were good, 
every one of them, at the expiration of that time. Chaff, bran, 
ashes, sawdust, etc., are liable to make the eggs 6 taste,’ especially 
if there be any dampness in the place where the eggs are kept; and 
according to my notion the chaff is about the most objectionable 
packing material that could be used, for it is liable to give the 
eggs a ‘ musty ’ flavor that is 99 per cent more disagreeable 
than a i piney 5 taste.” 


DISEASES OF FOWLS. 


Remedy for Roup. 

To cure the roup, when a bird is attacked with the characteris¬ 
tic cough of the malady, or has tenacious mucus about the beak, 
with difficulty of breathing, place it in a wicker-coop in a quiet 
shed, and put before it a drinking fountain containing about a gill 
of water with which is mixed one drop of solution of aconite, third 
potency (may be had of any Homoeopathic physician). In every 
instance this treatment has an effect almost marvelous, the symp¬ 
toms disappearing in an hour or two. The attack for a day or two 
is liable to return, yet each time in a lighter form; but continuing 
the medicine will completely remove the ailment in about forty- 
eight hours. In case the disease should have made so much pro¬ 
gress before it is observed that the sufferer is unable to drink, it will 
be necessary to give the dose. This is easily accomplished by pour¬ 
ing into the throat about a teaspoonful of the water every hour.— 
Financiers’ Journal. 

Another treatment for roup, a contagious disease, is to separ¬ 
ate the well from the sick and place them in clean quarters. If sick 
fowls get worse kill and burn them. The housing place should be 
disinfected by being shut up and thoroughly fumigated by burning 
sulphur and tar together in an iron pot, to produce a thick smoke. 
Continue this for two hours. Of course the fowls must be first re¬ 
moved. Each sick fowl should have a tablespoonful of castor oil. 
The nostrils should be washed out by inserting the pipe of a small 
syringe in the slit in the roof of the mouth, charged with one part 
of chloride of soda to two parts of water. Three hours after giving 
the oil prepare the following: Piperine, one-half drachm; balsam 
copaiba, one-half ounce, and licorice powder, one-fourth ounce; 
mix; divide into thirty doses and give twice a day. 




CHICKEN CHOLERA. 


1043 


Chicken Cholera. 

This disease may be epidemic, and contagious. The same means 
for disinfection, and destroying bad cases, should be observed as 
given for roup. 

A good remedy is to feed raw onions, chopped tine, mixed 
with their food, about twice or three times a week. A remedy pub¬ 
lished by the Department of Agriculture, is alum-water; three or 
four teaspoonfuls of it are to be mixed with their feed and given 
daily. This is reputed to cure the very worst cases. 

Another remedy is: 

Spirits of turpentine.2 teaspoonfuls. 

Sulphur.1-J- ounces. 

Bran or meal.1 quart. 

Mix. Feed once a day. It is usually an effectual cure for this 
disease. 

A correspondent’s letter to the Ohio Farmer says: “ Cholera 
was very bad here last spring, and I will tell your readers how we 
cured it. For every forty fowls we took a piece of asafetida the 
size of a hickory-nut, broke it in small pieces and mixed it in about 
a pint of cornmeal, wet it thoroughly with boiling water, and 
placed it near the roosting place, so that the chickens could eat of 
it the tirst thing in the morning. If they w T ere not unable to eat, a 
cure was certain.” 

For Drooping Wings. 


Take crude petroleum and apply a little underneath the wings 
of the fowls and on their beaks and it will soon remedy this diffi¬ 
culty. This drooping originates from vermin, which the oil will 
remove. 

To Exterminate Lice. 

Lice or vermin on fowls can be very readily removed by sprink¬ 
ling kerosene oil on the roosts and nests. Or, a better plan is to 
tack a narrow strip of cloth on the top of the scantling on which 
they roost and then sprinkle the oil on this. Another good means 
is to sprinkle sulphur on the ground where they dust themselves. 
To make roosts of sassafras poles is also recommended. The bind¬ 
ers or roosts may be sprinkled with Scotch snuff. If the hen spider 
—a minute louse—infests the hen house, fumigate with burning 
sulphur and tar, and whitewash all surfaces with lime slaked with 
dilute carbolic acid. 


Cold and Catarrh. 

Give pulverized red or Cayenne pepper, in soft feed, every day 
or two until relieved. Keep your fowls on dry, elevated places, if 
possible. 





1044 


THE APIARY. 


Putrid affections are prevented by occasionally mixing pulver¬ 
ized charcoal with the food of chickens. 

To Cure Gfapes. 

When taken in the first stages, camphor will relieve this diffi¬ 
culty. Give a portion, the size of a wheat-grain, daily, and put 
camphor in the drinking water. Spirits of turpentine will often 
accomplish the same purpose. It may be given in meal. At the 
same time improve the deficiencies of diet and shelter your fowls; a 
want of which are the causes of this difficulty. In very severe cases 
of gapes, if it is desirable, they can be relieved by introducing a 
loop of horse-hair into the windpipe, and turning it around during 
its withdrawal; this will bring out the worm, the cause of this diffi¬ 
culty. Frequently it is necessary to repeat the operation in order to 
extract all the worms. Small portions of dough mixed with soft- 
soap, given once or twice, is reputed a cure for gapes. 

To Cure Egg-Eating Hens. 

This habit can be often cured by breaking an egg, sprinkling 
the contents with Cayenne pepper, and turning the egg around so as 
to get the pepper below the yolk; after which place the egg in the 
nest or where the hen will get it. It is seldom that the dose will 
have to be repeated. Hens very seldom, if ever, eat their eggs when 
they are properly supplied with lime, gravel and animal food. If 
the habit cannot be broken, put up the hens addicted to the vice and 
fatten them for the market or table, else the whole flock may become 
addicted to the habit. 


THE APIARY. 


CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 


Bees as an Investment —It a question whether or not 
in many localities the culture of bees may fairly be considered as 
strictly a branch of agricultural industry; that is, one which can be 
advantageously pursued in connection with other sources of prorit 
which belong to the farm. To keep bees successfully requires an 
intimate acquaintance with the science of bee-culture, and an ex¬ 
penditure of care, time and patience, for small results, which few 
farmers can well afford to spare from more important pursuits. 
Where bee farming is conducted on an extensive scale, it has been 
known to prove very profitable; but on the other hand, the number 
of failures is so great in proportion, that the result of experience may 





CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 


1045 


be said safely to point to the conclusion, that there is more risk and 
uncertainty about such an enterprise than is to be found in the other 
avenues of industry and enterprise open to the agriculturist, and that 
no one should undertake it without ample capital, and the services of 
an experienced and expert practical bee-farmer. In districts not 
adapted for successful bee-culture, it is as cheap to purchase honey as 
to undertake to produce it; but on the other hand, the care of an 
apiary on a small scale is something full of interest and curiosity, 
and may be pursued as a diversion, by those so inclined, which is 
harmless enough, and which may possibly pay its own expenses. 

The Queen —A community of bees is generally understood 
to contain from twelve to thirty thousand individuals. About 
nine-tenths of this number are working bees, and the remaining 
tenth drones; and at the head of this commonwealth, there is a per¬ 
sonage entitled “the queen.” In reality this is a perfect female 
and the only one in the hive. The drones are the perfect males; 
the workers are neuters. This important individual differs in 
appearance and functions from all the other members of the family. 
She is darker, longer and more taper in figure than the common 
bee; her legs are shorter, wings longer, and her color underneath is 
a yellowish-brown. She has a sting, which she uses only on impor¬ 
tant occasions. She is the mother of the whole family, and has been 
known to produce a hundred thousand eggs in a year. She is not only 
a mother, but a sovereign, and so loyal are her subjects that the 
absence, whether by death or otherwise, of their queen, causes an 
immediate suspension of all labor and the speedy dispersion of the 
whole hive. 

Working 1 Bees —-These are smaller than the queen and 
drones, and habitually make provision for the sustenance of the 
whole family. They proceed on the principle of what is now called 
a “ division of labor,” the secret of which man may be said to have 
learned from the bee. Some make the comb, others keep the eggs 
warm, others feed the queen and young brood, others ventilate and 
clean the hive, others stand as sentinels to guard against attack and 
warn of danger, while still others collect the required flour and 
honey. 

The Drones —These are large, dark and hairy, have no 
stings, are heavy on the wing, and the sound of their humming is so 
much deeper as to have given rise to the common term of “ dron¬ 
ing .” They are expelled from the hive by the workers in the 
autumn. 

Age of Bees —The queen bees will generally live till the 
third or fourth season, but they are seldom profitable after the third 
year, while a large proportion die of old age apparently in their 
second season. The Italian colonies will usually have a young 
queen “ helping her mother ” before the latter becomes unprofita¬ 
ble. If a very large amount of brood is found in a hive, two 
queens will often be found, busily employed. The age of the 


1046 


CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 


drone is very uncertain. It invariably expires after the act of 
impregnating the queen, and when they get in the way and are 
“ not wanted, ” they are summarily put to death by the workers. 
The worker, if it were not for the arduous duties he performs, and 
the wear of gathering honey, might live six months and perhaps a 
whole year, but the average age is not over six months in the sum¬ 
mer season, and during the height of the honey gathering period 
probably not over six or eight weeks. It is the constant process of 
reproduction which keeps the hives full, and produces the u over¬ 
flows ” which result in “ swarming.” 

Swarming’ —When the hive contains too many to leave space 
for breeding young bees and storing honey, they swarm, or colon¬ 
ize. If the owner does not wish to lose his bees, he must prevent 
this by providing extra hives for the swarms. When the stock of 
winter feed has become exhausted, which if the bees are left to 
consume their own stores, will generally be about the first warm 
days in the spring, they decide to reduce the family by sending 
out a new colony; this is always led by a virgin queen, and but little 
trouble is experienced generally in getting them into a hive. 

After Swarming. —The first swarm is frequently followed by 
a second and even a third. This is a great nuisance and should be 
obviated by proper measures, as it leaves both old and new hives 
too weak for utility. An effectual way to prevent after-swarming 
is, to cut out all the queen cells after the first swarm has gone, and 
as bees never swarm unless led out by a virgin queen, this will put 
a stop to the depletion of the hive. A simple method is, immedi¬ 
ately after the swarm leaves the old hive, to move it to a distance 
and put the hive with the new swarm in the old one’s place. The 
flying bees will thus find their way into the new hive, and the 
numbers being equalized, there will be little danger of after-swarm¬ 
ing. Another plan is, as soon as the first swarm has gone out, to 
supply the old hive with a young fertile queen who will soon destroy 
all the queen-cells or induce the bees to do so. A swarm which 
comes out a month after the first, led by a fertilized queen, is not 
an “ after-swarm.” 

Season of Swarming —An old adage says: 

“ A swarm of bees in May 
Is worth a load of hay; 

A swarm of bees in J une 
Is worth a silver spoon; 

A swarm of bees in July 
Is not worth a fly.” 

This was the result of the primitive system of bee-keeping, 
but with modern improvements, even the July swarm may be 
worth the silver spoon and the load of hay together. A colony that 
was populous in the fall, and has wintered finely, may cast the first 
swarm in May, but usually the season is about the middle of June. 
If the feed is plentiful, the hive may be fully stored early in the 


CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 


1047 


season, when a second swarm may be cast with very good prospects 
of success. “ Buckwheat ” swarms, or swarms that come out while 
the buckwheat is in flower, are common, and if there is abundance 
of feed will lay up a full store during the balance of the season. 

Symptoms of Swarming —When a colony is intending to 
swarm they will not, as a general thing, be working like the rest, 
and quite likely on the day they are intending to swarm, compara¬ 
tively few bees will be seen going out and in the hive. Clustering 
outside the hive is often but not always a symptom of swarming. 
Where you have moveable combs the times of swarming can easily 
be detected. Bees do not, as a rule, swarm till they have got their 
hives pretty well tilled up and have multitudes of young bees hatch¬ 
ing out daily. The presence of queen-cells is generally considered 
an indication of the swarming fever. 

Preparations for Swarming —Every apiarist should always 
be prepared for a swarm, for even where artificial swarming is 
practiced and the utmost care used to prevent any other, the 
chances are that a swarm may come out unexpectedly. There 
should be at least one hive in readiness, fixed where it is intended 
the next colony shall stand. It should be banked around with 
cinders and sand, and fixed as nice and level as an occupied hive. 
Have some extra combs ready where you can put your hand on 
them, and also if possible have a hive arranged so that a comb of 
unsealed larvse can be got at without much trouble. 

Artificial Swarming —This should be undertaken only 
when the nights are warm and honey abundant in the fields. To 
divide them, have a hive at hand, of the same size and pattern as 
the others. Then from four hives take two frames each and place 
them in the new hive, supplying their place in the old with empty 
frames. Then move an undisturbed hive to a new place a rod or 
more away, and place the new hive where the old one stood. This 
should be done in the middle of a fine day, when many bees are 
absent in the fields. These will come to their old place and find it 
strange; but, as it contains stores and eggs from which to rear 
another queen, they will remain contented in their new home. 
This may be repeated every two weeks, until you have secured suf¬ 
ficient room, and no hive will think of swarming. 

Alighting* Boards for Hives —If a hive be placed upon 
a stool or “ legs,” with the grass growing thickly about it, the labors 
of the honey-gatherers are seriously interfered with, and many of 
the bees are “ gathered in ” by toads, spiders, and other enemies. 
Each hive should have an alighting board, about two inches wide, 
to receive the bees returning with their bounty from the flowers. 
It is a good plan to have the front of the hives thoroughly clear of 
weeds and grass, and covered with clear sawdust or white sand. 
This will enable you to watch the queens in natural swarming, and 
also to note when “ robbing ” is going on. 


1048 


CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF uEES. 


Robbing*— The bee, although he possesses a typically exalted 
character for methodical industry, is a most cold-blooded and heart¬ 
less animal, and moreover, wherever an opportunity offers, an un¬ 
conscionable thief. As Root, in his “A B C of Bee Culture,” says: 
“If by the loss of a queen the population of any hive becomes weak, 
the very moment the fact is discovered by other swarms, they all 
rush in and knock down the sentinels with the most perfect indiffer¬ 
ence, plunder the ruined house of its last bit of provision, and then 
rejoice in their own home, it may be but a yard away, while their 
defrauded neighbors are so weak from starvation as to have fallen 
to the bottom of the hive, and only just able to crawl out of the en¬ 
trance.” If a bee can discover a colony weak or careless, he will slip 
in past the sentinel, and at once proceed to load himself from a 
honey cell. If he is discovered, he is attacked by the natives of the 
colony, and frequently killed. If he get safely away, he speedily re¬ 
turns more rapacious than ever, with four or five of his comrades; 
the attack becomes systematic, many bees are killed, and if the hive 
assaulted is not able to protect itself, filestores are plundered. 

How to Know Robber Bees —A robber, in approaching a 
hive for plunder, will have a sly, peculiar action, going cautiously 
up to the entrance, and quickly dodging back if he sees a bee com¬ 
ing towards him. If he is promptly grabbed for and driven away 
by the sentinels as he goes in, there is no fear. If he get in and 
you are not certain, you have to watch for his exit. The bee start¬ 
ing out for the fields is slim and moves briskly, because he has no 
load. The bee with stolen food is plump and full, moves hurriedly 
and takes wing with some difficulty. 

How to Stop Robbers —If there is plenty of fighting going 
on, and the bees are stinging each other occasionally, they will gen¬ 
erally manage their own defense, particularly if the entrances are 
contracted. Sometimes, however, a hive of bees will make no de¬ 
fense, but suffer their hive to be plundered. If bees are going in 
and out rapidly, indicating that the sentinels are overpowered, the 
hive must be shut up at once. They may be set at liberty the next 
morning, bat if they will not defend themselves after that, then 
shut them up for three days. By this time all the robbers that may 
have been secured with the rest will stick to the hive as if it had 
been their own. 

What Happens if Robbing is Not Stopped— If precautions 
are not taken to stop robbing promptly, by watching and acting as 
directed, the honey of a strong colony will often disappear in from 
two to twelve hours, and the bees will either starve in the hive, go 
home with the pillagers, or scatter about and die. This is not all, 
for when the passion is once aroused, they will attack the strongest 
stocks, and you may find the dead bees in heaps in front of the 
hives. Thus the whole apiary is demoralized, and the work of pro¬ 
duction stopped, for nothing is being stored up either by the rob¬ 
bers or their victims. 


CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 


1049 


Diseases of Bees —Bees are perhaps less subject to disease 
than any other class of animated creation, and this is well, since it 
would be difficult to minister to their physical infirmities and their 
life-span is so short that there is no room in it for sickness. If a 
bee is injured or maimed it is at once killed and put out of the way 
by its fellow-workers, and as hundreds and thousands are daily added 
to the family circle, the numbers that are lost by accident or wear 
out by work is a matter of little moment. The only cause of 
apprehension is where anything goes wrong with the health of the 
brood or young hatching bees. There is but one such disease and 
it is known as “ Foul Brood.” 

Foul Brood —This is a disease of the sealed brood. The symp¬ 
toms are a dwindling down of the colony because the brood fails to 
hatch. When this is suspected an examination will easily determine 
if that cause be at work. The capping of each cell containing the 
young bee will be found to be sunken, instead of slightly convexed as 
it ought to be, and if the matter in the cell be moved with the point 
of a penknife, it will emit a sickening odor. When the malady has 
assumed a dangerous form this odor may be detected in passing the 
hives. This disease is apt to spread and be communicated to other 
stocks by simply carrying the honey from an infected hive. There 
is really no cure for this dfsease when it has made much progress, 
and the only plan is to destroy both infected hive and its bees, by 
burning or burying. If discovered in time, the bees should be 
shaken from the comb and put into a new hive, the old hive and 
comb being destroyed. They must be confined twenty-four or forty- 
eight hours, till every particle of honey in their honey sacs is con¬ 
sumed—in fact nearly starved—when they may be allowed to build 
new comb. The Germans use salicylic acid for this disease In 
this case, the caps of every diseased brood-cell should be opened and 
the solution of salicylic acid thoroughly applied with a spray«-infuser. 
Mutli, the celebrated apiarist of Cincinnati, uses one-quarter ounce 
each of borax and salicylic acid in a pint of pure soft water. 

Dysentery —The other disease to which bees are liable is dysen¬ 
tery. When this prevails you will find the door-steps, alighting- 
boards and entrances to hives covered with a yellowish, disagreeable¬ 
looking excrement. If the weather become warm and pleasant, 
they will generally get over it after they have had a full flight. If 
on the contrary the symptoms show themselves before warm weather 
and they get no opportunity to fly, they may get so bad as to cover 
their combs with this substance and finally die in a damp, filthy- 
looking mass. This disease is usually due to bad food, coupled with 
an open, cold hive and an insufficient quantity of bees; honey from 
rotten fruit, cider from cider mills, of which bees are very fond, and 
sorghum sirup or burnt candy or sugar, is almost sure- to produce 
dysentery. The preventive measures are to have the walls of the 
hives of some warm porous material, that will absorb moisture and 
dry out readily. In winter feeding honey gathered in the middle of 


1050 


(JAKE AND MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 


summer, so that it is thoroughly ripened, or grape sugar, may be 
used and dysentery thus avoided. 

Pasturage for Bees —Wild-flowers, clover, peas, beans, 
fruit-trees of all kinds, flowers of the field and garden—these are 
the best feeding-ground for the bee. Cactus, black hellebore and 
mignonette are also favorable. Many others are appropriate to dif¬ 
ferent sections, as the Pacific Coast, etc. Buckwheat is a desirable 
feed for bees and every bee-keeper should have a small field of it. 
If he have not land it will pay him to furnish seed for a neighbor to 
do so, or to pay a dollar or two an acre for the honey it yields. 
This is about as advantageous a plan as there is in the way of artifi¬ 
cial pasturage. The honey is dark but it is perfectly wholesome for 
the winter feeding and enables the bee-farmer to gather the finer 
qualities of honey from clover-blossoms, flowers, etc., for sale pur¬ 
poses. 

Water Supply —If there be no convenient natural supply, 
a small vessel must be placed near the hive, and frequently filled 
to the brim. To guard against drowning, a thin piece of wood, 
perforated with holes, may be so placed upon the water as to cover 
its whole surface. 

Sunshine and Shadow —Too much heat is injurious to 
bees. They should never be exposed to the full glare of the sun in 
hot weather. 

Enemies of Bees —A few species of birds eat bees; so do 
toads. Mice, rats, slugs, snails, wasps and hornets are enemies of 
bees. Against all these, adequate care and watchfulness will pro¬ 
tect the hives. 

Never Kill a Bee —The smoke of the common puff ball, 
when dried so as to hold fire, has a stupifying effect on the bees, 
and renders them harmless. 

Wintering Bees —This is one of the most important 
branches of the science of bee-keeping. It is most important that 
in taking the surplus honey from the hives there be enough left to 
winter the hive in good condition. If hives are used so that the 
surplus can be removed from the top, leaving the bee combs in the 
lower story untouched by the extractor, there will seldom be 
occasion to feed. It is customary to remove honey till a certain 
period in the fall, allowing time for the bees to lay in their winter 
stock. But if there are too many colonies and too little feed it is 
necessary to give additional feed. The best feed is made from 
granulated sugar, which should be of the best quality. Twenty 
pounds of sugar will make twenty-eight pounds of sirup, which is 
almost as good as, and cheaper than, feeding honey. The bees 
should be fed about half a pint to a pint every night till their 
combs are full. In the beginning care must be taken that you 
have enough bees in each hive to winter successfully. There should 
be bees enough in each hive to fully cover four L frames, and if you 
have the four combs average flve pounds each, you will be on the 


CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 


1051 


safe side. A hive large enough to cover six combs clear out to the 
ends, on a cool night, will require six combs tilled to average five 
pounds. The space must be closely tilled up by chaff division 
hoards, the main point being a broad apartment closely tilled with 
bees and plenty of good sealed stores in the comb. With these two 
conditions alone, a hive will generally winter successfully, even in a 
hive of inch board. The chaff division boards should be used for 
tilling up the space in the hive, for the reason that the chaff or straw 
on the outside of hives would no more protect the bees from the 
cold than the bed-clothes on the roof of your house instead of around 
your body. 

Arranging Protection from the Cold— In the top story of 
the hives, from which the surplus honey has been removed during 
the season, put a chaff cushion, made of burlap or common bag¬ 
ging, loosely stuffed with soft oat chaff. Over this, when fixing the 
bees for the winter, put in a peck of loose chaff, so that there are 
no crannies nor instertices to allow the frost to get in, or the bees 
to make their way up under the cover during the warm days of the 
winter. If some of the chaff rattles down among the bees it will 
do them no harm, but rather good. Care must be taken not to have 
the hives too heavily “blanketed; ” six inches of chaff is better than 
a foot; and the cushions must be perfectly protected from damp¬ 
ness. 

Advantages of a Cellar for Wintering Bees —In a favora¬ 
ble season the ordinary bee-house may answer very well for winter¬ 
ing the bees, but where we are subject to fluctuating winter weather, 
with mild spells, the bees, when they experience unusual warmth, 
want to get out, and become subject to disturbances which prevent 
their turning out well ’ in the spring. A good cellar can easily be 
made, and indeed ought to be, perfectly frost-proof while it remains 
at a cool temperature. It will generally be dark, and if not, can be 
made so readily, and we want no windows in an apartment where 
bees are kept; "for the darker it is, the better. Hives should be 
supported from the floor or ground, and not set upon shelves, as in 
this way one hive can be examined without disturbing the others. 
Bees should never, if possible, be disturbed during the winter. 

Preparing the Bees for Winter Quarters —When the hives 
have been packed with chaff, as described, they are better to be car¬ 
ried into the cellar on the stand they are on. Then when carried 
out in the spring they are proof against the cold winds and cold 
ni gilts which almost always ensue in the early part of the season. 
Ifkept well warmed in this way, they will go right on brood-rear¬ 
ing during the winter, and are that much more valuable in the 

spring. 

Time of Putting the Bees into the Cellar— If the bees are 
packed up and put away before the first frost comes, so much the 
better, and they should be put indoors on some dry day when the 
hives are perfectly free from dampness. The hives should be con- 


1052 


CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 


fined, in order to prevent the bees getting out, by wire-clotli, but in 
such a way as not to allow the dead bees to close and clog the en¬ 
trance. There should be space afforded in the hive to allow the 
dead bees to accumulate on the bottom. 

Best Temperature for Cellar or Bee House —It is gener¬ 
ally agreed that the temperature of the room for successful winter 
bee-keeping is about 40°. This should be steadily maintained, and 
accompanied always by thorough ventilation. 

Removing Bees from the Cellar— If the bees in the open¬ 
ing of spring do not get too restless, they should remain in winter- 
quarters till the soft-maples, or willow and alder, begin to furnish 
pollen. They should be put our early in the morning of a pleasant 
day. If possible, set out each hive quietly, so that the rest will not 
be disturbed. If practicable, each stock is better if placed on its 
usual summer stand. By this means there will not be so much 
risk of getting the colonies badly mixed up, or the queens lost, as 
often happens. Hives and stands may be marked with corresj^ond- 
ing numbers to facilitate this. Watch closely for a few days to see 
that the weak hives do not swarm out. When there is any indica¬ 
tion of this, supply a new queen. 


DIVISION TWENTIETH. 


SELECTION AND PURCHASE OF LIVE-STOCK. 


HOW TO BUY JUDICIOUSLY. 

Those who are engaged in the management of live-stock, or 
who have occasional necessity for purchase, should always be pre¬ 
pared to go about such a purchase with intelligence and system, if 
they are to deal to the best advantage, and it is therefore well for 
them to be possessed of the information which will enable them to 
select with prudence, good judgment and discrimination. Indeed 
it is desirable, for the sake of general information, that every one 
should be possessed of the salient points which indicate the princi¬ 
pal excellence of the different classes of domestic animals. At one 
time or other such information will be certain to be found of great 
advantage to any one, while to those whose occupation or business 
the care or ownership of live-stock is essential, it is absolutely in¬ 
dispensable. If the ownership of a horse is a necessity to any one, 
it is both to his pleasure and practical profit and advantage that the 
animal be as good of its class as he can procure, and the same may 
be said in respect to any of the domestic animals. In the case of 
those with whom breeding of animals is a part of their occupation, 
and feeding a branch of their business economy, there cannot be too 
great familiarity with every point and characteristic which affects 
the value of the animal. Success will be largely governed by the 
ability to recognize by certain external indications what constitutes 
the peculiar excellence which is sought, and to detect at sight 
the defects which would be certain to escape the careless or unin¬ 
formed. First of importance in value and in usefulness among the 
domestic animals comes the horse. 


HOW TO KNOW A GOOD HORSE. 

The first thing to be considered is, of course, the purpose for 
which the animal is designed in use. If the animal be desired for 
driving or general purposes, what would constitute the highest 
points of excellence in a draft horse, would be defects destructive 
of his usefulness for the road; the purest and best thoroughbred in 
the world would be a useless and unprofitable animal if he is re¬ 
quired for the plough, and so on. There are, of course, points of 





1054 


TO SELECT A DRAUGHT HORSE. 


excellence in a liorse which have general application to all classes: 
these are those of health and symmetry. The former is indicated 
by a bright clear eye, a clean muzzle, and general ease and freedom 
of action. This requirement is common for horses for all purposes. 
The characteristic of symmetry is governed by the harmony of the 
proportions, and may safely be left to the eye of the purchaser after 
he has become familiar with the requirements of perfection in the 
different classes of horses. The general character of American 
horses has been raised to a high standard by breeders within the 
past half a century, and as the importance of breeding has now be¬ 
come generally recognized and appreciated, the mongrel, ill-bred 
and unprofitable kinds of horses are fast disappearing from our 
stables and farms, and on the general subject of breed in purchasing 
a horse, the buyer will be pretty certain not to go astray, if the ani¬ 
mal is bred from stock with a pedigree in any of the classes. For 
convenience then we may divide horses into four classes, viz.: 
draught horses, roadsters, trotting horses, and running horses, and 
these we may consider seriatim. 


TO SELECT A DRAUGHT HORSE. 

By draught horse, as here distinguished, we do not mean the 
enormously heavy horse, used for dray purposes in the few great 
cities of the world. These are of the pure Flanders, or crossed with 
Suffolk breed, and do not ordinarily enter into the requirements of 
those for whom this information is compiled. The draught horse 
treated under our heading is the animal heavy enough to be used 
for plowing and the manipulation of heavy agricultural implements, 
and with a certain degree of speed in addition for the marketing of 
produce and the handling of heavy loads. The best horses for this 
purpose are those procured by the crossing of the Clydesdale or 
Fercheron horses with native mares of good average breeding. 

Marks of a Good Draft Horse —A good draught horse 
will have broad breast and deep chest, with strong, somewhat up¬ 
right shoulders, giving great power under the collar; deep and long 
barrel; loins broad and high; croup round, fleshy and muscular; 
ample quarters for fore-arms and thighs; short legs, with round 
hoofs, broad at the heels, and heels not too flat; bone broad 
and flat; sinews big and nervous. The head should be rather 
large and long; nostrils, large and well dilated; eyes, large and 
expressive; forehead, broad; ears, not too large; neck, short and 
rather massive with high, strong withers. In saying that the 
shoulders should be somewhat upright, the object is to distin¬ 
guish from the sloping shoulders, which are a mark both of 
beauty and swiftness in horses required for other purposes. The 



SELECTION OF A DRIVING HORSE. 


1055 


more upright the shoulder, the greater weight the horse is able 
to throw into the collar by the power of the hind quarters, but it 
should be remembered that the too upright shoulders are fit for 
nothing but draft purposes and must work at a slow pace. The 
shoulders somewhat oblique materially quicken the pace of the horse 
and add improvement to his appearance. 


SELECTION OF A DRIVING HORSE. 

Points of a Coach Horse —The coach horse, strictly so 
called, is an animal not in ordinary requirement in this country, 
except in large cities, where carriage horses are sometimes desired 
more for show than speed. The coach horse should he tall, deep- 
chested, rising well in the withers, with sloping shoulders; legs flat, 
the bones below the knee strong and good, and the feet sound, open 
and tough; the body should be well proportioned, its substance deep, 
compact and well placed; he should possess reasonable speed, and a 
high knee action adds to the beauty of his paces. 

Characteristics of the Roadster or Driving Horse— 
The driving horse, or roadster, is in this country the animal most in 
use and demand, and in no other country in the world is he found 
in greater perfection than in America. The trotting horse, now 
universally bred up to a high standard, can be bought anywhere in 
this country with a speed of 2:30 to three minutes, and indeed an 
animal which does not speed at the trotting pace something approach¬ 
ing to the latter rate is not regarded as entitled to much consider¬ 
ation. The roadster should be of good bulk, but not large enough 
to be unwieldy, as he is required for hard work as well as for speed. 
The shoulders should be strong; he should be short in the back, 
round in the barrel, long in the reach; should stand straight upon 
the limbs, flat as to the shanks; the hoofs shapely, neither too flat 
nor too hollow; his ribs should be deep, rump square, tail firm; the 
chest should be broad, withers high. It is of particular importance 
that the bones beneath the knee should be flat and the tendon not 
“tied in.” The pastern should be short, and though somewhat ob¬ 
lique, much less so than in the horse required for purely racing pur¬ 
poses. The shoulders, forelegs and feet are the principal points to 
be looked to. The forelegs should be straight, flat and as large 
under the knee as they are just above the fetlock. The pastern 
should be joined to the fetlock, so that the feet neither turn out nor 
in. To ascertain the proper position of the shoulders, observe him 
in the stable in a natural position before he has been disturbed. 
His forelegs should then be in a perpendicular line to the ground. 
Another test is to watch the horse as he walks past you. If the 
shoulders are good, the foot will be placed a little forward of a line 
with the shoulder point; one whose shoulders are too upright cannot 



1056 


THE RACE IIORSE. 


do so. As with all horses, special care must be taken to see that the 
nostrils are large and expanding. 

The Saddle Horse —For a saddle horse the above qualifica¬ 
tions are necessary, with some emphasis upon the strength of shoul¬ 
der, and a requisite length between the shoulders and the “ hock,” 
so that the saddle can be borne without pressing upon either. 

Selecting a Trotting Horse —Where the horse is desired 
for speed in the trotting pace simply, without regard to the hard 
work which most roadsters are required to do, he should embrace 
nearly all the leading requisites we have described as essential to 
the driving horse, but in addition he should be thoroughbred, or as 
fine a strain of blood as possible to secure. He will be finer in the 
legs, head and neck, more delicate in the skin and altogether a 
much more nervous and sensitive animal than the general purpose 
driving horse. 


THE RACE HORSE. 

Points of a Thoroughbred —Horses for the running turf 
must be blooded animals, with fine and mobile muzzle, large and 
intelligent eye, small ears, high withers, clean and shapely shoulders, 
long body w T ith broad ribs, barrel well rounded and firm, not too 
broad in the crupper; legs clean, fine in bone, well set up over the 
hoof; strong and muscular in the forearm and stifle. He should 
possess a deep and wide back and loin, with a droop to the quarters, 
which are long and straight. The open bosom is a sure sign of 
want of pace in the racer, as too wide a chest interferes with the 
fall play of the shoulder blade as it glides by the side. The body 
should be wide, where the rider’s knees press together, but below 
this the ribs should rapidly shelve inwards. The neck is longer and 
thinner than in other horses, but it should be specially seen to that 
there is a large windpipe. The head should be wide above the eyes 
as well as between the ears, in order to indicate a good development 
of brain, and consequent nervous energy which is one of the princi¬ 
pal sources of the racer’s power and fleetness. The nostrils should 
be open and expansive. The ears moderately thin and Ion", but not 
inclined to lop, and under a fine muzzle there must be a lean and 
wide lower jaw. The hind-quarter of the thoroughbred is distin¬ 
guished by greater length in the thighs, almost approaching the pro¬ 
portions of the greyhound. In height the racer should be fifteen to 
sixteen-and-a-half hands, and in color, generally bay, brown or 
chestnut. The mane and tail should be silky but not curly, as a 
decided curl is a symptom of degraded blood. The hair in the skin 
is more silky than in common breeds and the thin net-work of 
veins more distinctly perceptible. 



SPECIAL RULES FOR BUYERS. 


1057 


SPECIAL RULES FOR BUYERS. 

There are some general rules by which, after satisfying himself 
that the animal selected is of the right breed for his purpose and 
possesses the distinguishing characteristics above mentioned, the 
buyer should be guided in ascertaining the age, health and sound¬ 
ness of the horse. For the age, he should be governed by the rules 
given on pages 966-971. For the general indications of health he 
will look to the clearness and brightness of the eye, cleanness 
of the nostrils, elasticity of the skin and the general appear¬ 
ance of life and good spirits. In particular, he should 
always look well to the nostrils. The horse can breathe only 
through the nose, and the air which goes to and returns from the 
lungs, must pass through the nostrils. When the animal is put to 
speed or severe exercise of any sort, the nostrils must expand or the 
horse will be distressed. The nostrils should be large, elastic and 
expanding. The lips should be thin and sensitive, but the mouth 
firm and well set. A loose or hanging mouth is a sign of weakness 
or sluggishness. The neck should be muscular without being heavy. 
The skin too should be moist, soft, elastic and flexible. 

The Signs of Disease or Weakness —The safest test of 
the soundness of a horse, is to look to the points where disease or 
weakness are generally manifested. A horse may have experienced 
illness or accident, and yet have recovered so as to be perfectly sound. 
Still, the chances are that some constitutional weakness may have 
resulted, or a predisposition to weakness or disease have been 
induced, and if he bear any mark of such an experience, you will 
purchase at your risk. If a horse show the slightest evidence of 
unnatural condition of the eye; if there is the least symptom of 
catarrhal affection; if you can detect anything abnormal in the act 
of respiration; if he cough, ever so slightly; if he have any enlarge¬ 
ment of the glands under the jaw, or show signs of corns, curb or 
enlarged hock; if he seem inclined to “rest” one foot, or have 
thickening of any bone or muscle, you may depend that he is un¬ 
sound. The crib-biting horse may safely be considered an unsound 
one. Cutting is a serious defect and if there be any marks of such 
a habit, it will be a safe plan to let the animal alone. 


TRICKS OF HORSE DEALERS. 

Methods of Deluding a Purchaser —The chicanery and 
deception of horse dealers are proverbial. One purchasing a horse 
should exercise extreme caution in buying from a “jockey,” or one 
whose business it is to deal, unless he himself understands about a 
horse, or unless he is accompanied by some one upon whose judg¬ 
ment he can rely. The fraudulent acts employed by horse-dealers 
are not confined to those who sell alone, but also are used by those 



1058 


TRICKS OF HORSE DEALERS. 


who buy. Among the seller’s tricks we will enumerate the follow¬ 
ing: 

How Heaves is Concealed —This can be accomplished by 
giving a horse a third of a pound of small bird shot. The animal 
will give no evidence of his having the heaves, until the shot shall 
have been evacuated by him. Dealers also accomplish this same 
result by dosing the horse heavily with gin; this also has the 
effect of rousing the horse’s energies, and not infrequently a horse 
which appears "to be a good, spirited driver in the hands of the 
dealer, will be dull and sluggish in the hands of the purchaser, be¬ 
cause the effect of the drunkenness has passed away. 

How Lameness is Covered Up —If a horse be lame in 
one shoulder, the fact can be temporarily concealed without 
difficulty by removing the shoe, and when it is replaced inserting a 
bean or some other hard substance of that character between the 
shoe and the foot. This process by making the horse lame in the 
foot thus treated, will prevent his showing the lameness to which he 
is addicted. 

Disease of the Navicular Joint —This makes the horse 
intensely lame, and is concealed by the operation known as neurot¬ 
omy or “ nerving,” which is effected by making a small incision 
about half way between the knee and the pastern joint on the out¬ 
side of the front leg, at the back part of the shin bone. This cut 
will reveal a small white tendon or cord, which can be cut off, and 
the horse will travel on the hardest road without any limp whatever. 
Sometimes this nerving process ought to be done; but a horse which 
has been nerved ought not to be purchased unless the purchaser is 
aware of the fact, and the operation itself should never be under¬ 
taken except by an experienced Veterinary surgeon. 

How Old Horses are Made to Look Young —This is 
done by filing the teeth and marking them by use of a hot iron in 
imitation of nature. The cavities over the eyes of an old horse are 
filled by puncturing the skin and filling the little holes with air 
through a tube, and then closing up the puncture; the brow of the 
old horse then appears as smooth as that of the young one, but of 
course in a very short time the actual condition will be made mani¬ 
fest. White hairs are painted out also. 

How Spots are Put Upon Horses and How tlie 
Color is Changed —To make black spots on white horses, half a 
pound of quick-lime (powdered) is beaten up with four ounces of 
litharge, and over the mixture lye is poured. The whole then is 
boiled, and the scum skimmed off. This scum contains the coloring* 
matter and is applied to such parts of the animal as it is desired to 
have made black. Sorrel horses or bay horses are also dyed black 
with a very similar composition. Four ounces of quick-lime are 
boiled with four ounces of water, and the scum will afford the proper 
coloring matter. If the hair of the animal is not greasy, it will be 
made black in one night by this process. Horses are marked with 


POINTS FOR PURCHASERS OF CATTLE. 


1059 


peculiar marks, such as a star in the forehead, by taking a piece of 
tow-line, and cutting it in the size of the star. Warmed pitch is 
spread on this, and it is stuck fast on the place intended (on the fore¬ 
head or other part of the animal, which has been first shaved), left 
there for four or five days, then removed and the spot washed with 
smart water, or elixir of vitrol, four times a day when well. When 
the hair appears again it will be white. 


POINTS FOR PURCHASERS OF CATTLE. 

The intending purchaser of live stock, whether for beef or cows 
for the dairy, will start out at a great disadvantage unless he knows 
in advance exactly what he wants. Re must be qualified to recog¬ 
nize what he wants when he sees it. A few simple rules and the 
knowledge, which he will gather here, will enable his eye 
and his judgment to guide him without risk in making such 
purchases. Almost any person can distinguish, in a general 
way, between a good cow and a poor one, where there is 
evidence of care and breeding, on the one hand, or ill-condition of 
body and blood on the other. But, not every one knows that a good 
beef cow may be a very poor milker, and vice-versa. It is import¬ 
ant, therefore, to know the distinguishing characteristics of each 
class, as well as the indications of superior excellence in each. 

The Animal for Fattening —The prominent features of a 
good fattening animal are a broad muzzle; eyes bright and full; 
horns and neck short and fine; head fine, clean and well carried. 
The brisket should be deep and full and the space between the fore¬ 
legs wide, to give ample room for lungs; the back broad, straight 
and smooth, the body well rounded and the ribs springing well out¬ 
ward, barrel-like, from the back. The hips should be straight; 
Hanks well-filled and low down; hide soft, velvety and smooth; the 
hair thick, soft and fine to the touch; the thighs should be full; the 
leo-s short and firmly placed. The loin and rump should be broad 
aiid the tail fine. An animal exhibiting these points will not fail to 
prove profitable. 

How to Select a Good Dairy Cow —For the profitable 
o-uidance of our readers on this subject, we cannot do better than to 
embrace here the description of the milch cow, given by Mr. Charles 
L. Flint, in his work on “ Milch Cows and Dairy Farming.” He says: 
“ Cows should have a fine, clean and rather small head, tapering toward 
the muzzle. A cow with a large, coarse head will seldom fatten readily 
or give a large quantity of milk. The coarse head increases the 
proportion of weight in the least valuable parts, while it is a sure 
indication that the whole bony structure is too heavy. The mouth 
should be large and broad; the eye should be bright and sparkling, 
but with no indication of wildness—rather a mild, feminine look. 



1060 


POINTS FOR PURCHASERS OF CATTLE. 


These points indicate gentleness of disposition. The horns should 
be small, tapering, yellowish and glistening. The neck should be 
small, thin and tapering from the head, but thickening when it 
approaches the shoulder. The dewlap (the part which hangs from 
the throat, and which laps or licks the dew when grazing) should be 
small. The forequarters rather small, when compared with the 
hindquarters. The form of the barrel should be large and each rib 
project further than the preceding one up to the loins. She should 
be formed well and broadly across the hips and rump. Some judges 
think that a depression of the back, along the middle part, some¬ 
times called “ sway-back,” is a good point, especially when the 
bones of the hindquarters are rather loosely put together, leaving 
the rump of great width, and the.pelvis (the bony structure which 
confines the external urinary and generative organs) large, and the 
organs and milk-vessels lodged in the cavities largely developed. 
The skin on the rump should be loose and flexible. This point is 
of great importance, as when the cow is in low condition, or very 
poor, it will be harder -and closer than it would otherwise. The 
udder is of special importance—it should be large in proportion to 
the size of the animal, and the skin fine, with soft, loose folds, 
extending well back, capable of great expansion when filled, but 
shrinking to a small compass when entirely empty. It must be free 
from lumps in every part.” 

Marks of a Good Milker —The following is the celebrated 
Dr. Guenon’s milk test, bv means of what is called the “Escutcheon.” 
This may be distinguished by the hair, which will have an upward 
tendency, on the udder and above, taking a course opposite to that 
covering the other parts of the skin, the color being less bright than 
that of hair on other parts of the body. The Escutcheon begins at 
the centre between the four important teats on the udder. Fart of 
its hairy covering comes forward beneath the belly from the navel to 
the udder, starting downward upon the legs and hocks; thence 
rising upon the legs to the middle of the under surface of the thighs 
and upward on the udder, sometimes continuing as high as the 
top of the entrance to the urinary organs. The Escutcheon can be 
relied upon to indicate: 1. By its extent, the capacity for 
milk giving. 2. By the fineness of its hair and the color of the 
skin, the quantity and quality of the milk. If the Escutcheon be 
large, the milk capacity of the udder will also be large and the 
milk yield abundant, and vice versa. In cows which are the best 
milkers, the hair of the Escutcheon is fine and the skin from the 
crutch to the urinary quarter, yellowish in color, and releasing slight 
scales of a fatty character when scratched. Cows which show this 
peculiarity in the “twist” and on the insides of the ear can be relied 
on for milk rick in butter and cheese , whatever its quantity. If 
the Escutcheon have white skin, and the hair is long and thin, tile 
milk will be thin and watery. When the cow is a persistent milker 
the hair on the Escutcheon will form a shape somewhat like that of 


POINTS FOR PURCHASERS OF CATTLE. 


1061 


a head of wheat in feather. Calves , no matter what their age or 
condition, which will make good milkers can be accurately and 
safely selected by the escutcheon indications. It may be noted 
that the escutcheon should be accompanied by large milk veins. 

Marks of an Unprofitable Cow —The kind of cow which 
should not find a place in the farm or stock yard is easily distin¬ 
guished by the following characteristics: She wi 11 have a large head 
and large longhorns; the form may be plump, but the thighs will be 
fleshy and the hair long and coarse, the udder will be indifferently 
developed, hard and muscular, and shrinking but little after milk¬ 
ing. It will not show veins on the perineum or udder, and will 
have but a small escutcheon. These are not good milkers, drying 
in four or five months after calving, or rapidly after impregnation. 
Neither are they adapted for taking on flesh to good advantage, as 
too great a proportion of weight goes to the waste parts. 

Choice of a Bull for Breeding* —A bull will hardly ever 
be bought for any other purpose than for breeding. Consequently 
the first and most essential point is to see that your bull is bred 
from a sire with a good pedigree, whatever class may be selected, 
and from a cow of high grade, in the same breed, lie should be 
young, not more than two years old, in perfect health and free from 
blemish. The bull which will prove a good getter of calves for 
dairy purposes will show an escutcheon similar in character to that 
described above for cows. He may be deemed a good calf-getter 
when the ascending hair of his escutcheon is not interrupted by 
hair growing downward. The escutcheon in the bull begins at the 
front of the scrotum, runs along within the hocks, spreads out on 
the thighs, ascending to the fundament, wdiere the respective sides 
meet. On both sides of the belly will be found veins similar to the 
milk-veins of the cow. They start forward from the scrotum and 
reach a little beyond the navel, where they disappear in a little 
cavity. The skin of the scrotum should be supple, w T ith fine, thin 
hair, soft and silky; its color yellowish, and the scales which detach 
from it oily to the touch. 

How to Ascertain the Weight of Live Cattle by 
Measurement —Multiply the girth in feet by the distance from 
the bone of the tail immediately over the hinder part of the buttock, 
to the forepart of the shoulder blade, and this product by 31, when 
the animal measures more than seven and less than nine feet in 
girth: by 23, when less than seven and more than live: by 16, when 
less than five and more than three; and by 11, wdien less than three. 

Example —What is the weight of an ox whose measurements 
areas follows: Girth, 7 feet 5 inches; length, 5 feet 6 inches? 

Solution— 5JxT t V—40 t Vo. 40^x31== l,264ff which will 

be the weight in pounds. 

A deduction of one pound in twenty must be made for half- 
fattened cattle, and also for cows that have had calves. It is under- 


1062 


HOW TO SELECT GOOD SHEEP. 


stood, of course, that such standard will give only the approximate 
weight. 


HOW TO SELECT GOOD SHEEP. 

The best sheep for general purposes will be procured by cross¬ 
ing from the common sheep with the pure blood Merino. Two or 
three Merino crosses will raise it to the rank of a first-rate wool¬ 
growing sheep, scarcely inferior to the Merino, except that it does 
not transmit its good qualities to the offspring with quite so much 
certainty. Such a sheep will present nearly all the points of the 
perfect Merino, which may be taken as a standard in defining the 
points which a good sheep will exhibit. 

Marks of the Best Sheep for Wool —The good wool- 
producer will have a shortish face, broad between the eyes, with 
the nose pointed, and on the end fine and free from wrinkles. The 
eye should be bright, moderately prominent, and mild in expres¬ 
sion. The neck should be straight (not curving downwards), short, 
round and stout—particularly so at its junction with the shoulder, 
forward of the upper points of which it should not sink below the 
level of the back. The points of the shoulder should not rise to 
, any perceptible extent above the line of the back. The back to the 
hips should be straight, the crops (that portion of the body immedi¬ 
ately between the shoulder-blades) full; the ribs well arched; the 
body large and capacious; the flank well let down; the hindquarters 
full and round, the flesh meeting well between the thighs (or in the 
“ twist ”). The bosom should be broad and full; the lejrs short, 
standing perpendicular and well apart. The skin is an important 
point. It should be loose, and of a rich, delicate pink color. A 
colorless skin, or one approaching a tawny or butternut hue, indi¬ 
cates defective breeding. The subject of wrinkles is a disputed 
point; like the color of a Berkshire hog, this is somewhat a char¬ 
acteristic of the Merino. The best rule is that while a smoothly 
drawn skin with absence of dewlap is not desirable, an exceedingly 
wrinkled neck will add but little to the fleece, and certainly not 
enough to compensate for the deformity and the great impediment 
it places in the way of the shearer. 

Wool Indicating’ the Profitable Fleece —Evenness of 
fleece is of the first importance. Many sheep exhibit good wool on 
shoulder and side, while it is coarser and even hairy on the thighs, 
dewlap, etc. This deteriorates the value of the fleece. Rams of 
this character should not be bred from, and the ewes gradually 
excluded from the breeding fold. The wool should be if possible 
of even length and thickness over the whole of the body, shortness 
in the flank, and shortness or thinness on the belly, being serious 
defects. The weight of the fleece being equal, medium length with 




HOW TO SELECT GOOD SHEEP. 


1063 


compactness is preferable, as it is a protection from inclemency of 
the weather and against the cold rains of spring and fall. 

Crum in the Wool —Merino wool prior to washing, should 
be yolkv or oily, but not to the extreme extent occasionally seen, 
giving it the appearance of being saturated with grease. The 
extreme tips of the wool may exhibit a sufficient trace of gum to 
give the fleece a darkish cast—particularly on the ram—but a black 
pitchy gum, extending an eighth or a quarter of an inch into the 
fleece, and which cannot be removed by ordinary washing is objec¬ 
tionable. A white or yellowish concrete gum, not removable by 
washing, is sometimes found in the interior of fleeces. This is a 
very unfavorable indication. 

Selecting’ Profitable Sheep for Mutton —In selecting 
sheep for mutton, the choice is deemed best between the South- 
down and Hew Leicester breeds. A cross between native sheep and 
the improved Cotswold is also well adapted for this purpose, and is 
preferred by many breeders. The chief characteristics of these 
breeds are as described below: 

The New Leicester —Head hornless, long, small, tapering 
toward the muzzle and projecting horizontally forward. Eyes prom¬ 
inent, with quiet expression. Ears rather long, projecting back¬ 
ward. Heck broad at the base, and presenting a horizontal line 
from rump to poll. Breast broad and full; shoulders broad and 
round, with no angular formation where joined either to neck or 
back —particularly no rising of withers or hollow behind these 
bones. The arm fleshy down to the knee; bones of the leg small; 
legs wide apart, no looseness of skin, and comparatively little wool 
on them. Chest and barrel deep and round, ribs well arched out; 
carcass gradually diminishing in width towards rump. Quarters 
long and full; thighs wide and full. Pelt moderately thin, but soft 
and elastic, covered with a good quantity of white wool, not long, 
but of considerable fineness. 

The South-Down —Head small and hornless; face medium¬ 
sized, speckled or gray; narrow space between nose and eyes; thin 
under jaw; ears tolerably wide, and like the forehead, well covered 
with wool. Eye full and bright, but not prominent. Heck of med¬ 
ium length, thin toward the head, enlarging toward the shoulders, 
where it is broad and straight. Breast wide and deep, projecting 
forward between the fore-legs. Ribs come out horizontally from 
the spine, the last projecting more than the others. Back flat nearly 
to the setting on of the tail, rump broad and tail set on high up 
nearly on a level with the spine. Belly straight as the back. Legs 
medium length; forelegs straight from breast to foot; far apart both 
before and behind, the hinder having a direction outward and the 
“ twist ” particularly full. Belly well defended with wool, and 
wool coming down before and behind to the knee and the hock. 

The Cotswold —This is a large breed of sheep, with long 
abundant fleece, the ewes being particularly prolific and good 


1064 


HOW TO KNOW A GOOD HOG. 


nurses. In crossing with the Leicester, the size is somewhat 
reduced, but their maturity is rendered earlier, and the carcases 
considerably improved. The wethers may be fattened at fourteen 
months old, when they weigh from fifteen to twenty-four pounds to 
the quarter. 


HOW TO KNOW A GOOD HOG. 

The purchaser of hogs for breeding must be particular, if he 
wants to make the greatest profit from his business, to produce 
animals which will mature early and fatten easily; and one of the 
safest guarantees is to purchase from stock from thoroughbred 
boars, and from high-grade or thoroughbred sows. 

Points of a Good Fattening Hog —The prominent char¬ 
acteristics of a good hog are a wide face—if dishing, it will denote 
an animal easy to keep and of quiet disposition; the muzzle should 
he fine and clean, and under the jaws heavy and round; the neck 
short and thick. These features indicate a robust constitution and 
large vital force. The space between the fore-legs should be wide, 
the girth behind that large and of full development, and the fore¬ 
quarters broad and deep. These qualities indicate ample lung space, 
a desirable property in these animals. The ribs should spring well 
outward from the back, showing good stomach capacity and powers 
of assimilating food. The “ slab-sided ” or long-nosed hog is con¬ 
demned by his appearance as an unprofitable animal. The loins 
should be broad and the hams well developed, showing health and 
activity of urinary and generative organs. The skin should be fine, 
elastic to the touch, and the hair soft, without bristles. This indi¬ 
cates a healthy liver. The joints should be small, the legs fine and 
clean, and the animal well set up on its feet. 



DIVISION TWENTY-FIRST. 


BREEDING LIVE-STOCK. 


ON BREEDING GENERALLY. 

It is hardly necessary for the purposes of this work to enter 
into statistics, or to resort to elaborate argument to prove the para¬ 
mount necessity of the best attainable breeding to the most success¬ 
ful results. Of the general advantage of breeding up, in every 
branch of live-stock, every intelligent farmer is already convinced. 
What we here aim at is rather to furnish him with such informa¬ 
tion as will prove of value, and aid in the proper direction of his 
efforts at improvement of stock and the consequent increase of his 
profits, enabling him to benefit by the experience of others, instead 
of having to make costly experiments for himself. In regard to 
feeding, which is of correlative importance with breeding, and in¬ 
separably connected with its favorable prosecution, it need only be 
said that it so intimately concerns the whole economy of stock-rais¬ 
ing, and so vitally affects the degree of profit to be obtained, that 
no excuse need be offered for putting the reader in possession of the 
knowledge which, intelligently and systematically applied, will 
enable him with certainty to reach the largest possible returns for the 
least possible outlay. In the experiments of scientific breeding, it 
has been definitely established that not only does “like produce 
like,” and that it pays to “ breed from the best,” but the transmis¬ 
sion of qualities from parent to offspring may be so regulated that 
we can accurately govern the development of certain peculiarities 
and characteristics which constitute the special value of certain ani¬ 
mals or classes of animals designed for specific purposes. The 
development of the art of modern breeding has been founded mainly 
upon the experience of leading breeders, and the result of experi¬ 
mental efforts. It has also resulted in the establishment of con¬ 
sistent principles .of general application, which are found to be fully 
warranted and endorsed by the science of physiology. In other 
words, the results attained in breeding are but the illustration of 
natural laws. Experience has added to experience, till it has been 
proved by success, when it has invariably been found to harmonize 
with the physiological law, and to have met with failure only in so 
far as it diverged "therefrom. The whole philosophy of breeding lies 
in the survival of the fittest. Wherever the weaker organism is 




1066 


GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING. 


brought into contact with the stronger, in the propagation of the 
species, the offspring will bear the stamp of improvement, and not 
of deterioration. In this way the commonest animal, continuously 
bred to a superior strain of blood in the male, will in a few genera¬ 
tions have acquired nearly all the physical excellences towards which 
it has been bred up, except in regard to the transmission to off¬ 
spring, which is never so strong as in the animal of pure blood of 
its species. 


GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING. 

Conditions Required in the Parent Animals—The 

breeders of live-stock cannot be too particular as to the condition of 
the animals from which he desires issue, for their fertility will de¬ 
pend upon various causes, and is susceptible to influences of even 
trivial character. The previous course of the life of the animal will 
frequently affect its power of reproduction, and especially when any 
important end may depend, it is incumbent upon the breeder to as¬ 
certain what this has been. When the Spanish Merino was first in¬ 
troduced into England, there were numerous occurrences of barren¬ 
ness of the ewes, and those which dropped lambs were often defi¬ 
cient in milk supply; these mishaps have been attributed to the 
change in the sheep’s mode of living, being relieved in the rich 
pastures of England of the necessity for exertion under which they 
lived in the mountainous districts of Spain. Again, the breeder 
must look to the feeding which has been given his animals, because 
in animals which have had the nutritive powers developed and sus¬ 
tained to the proper degree, the greatest fertility may be expected. 

Influence of Feeding* upon Fertility —It is of course 
desirable to realize the largest production possible from stock. The 
ewe which will drop twins, provided they be healthy, is in the 
natural course of things more valuable than that which produces 
Jbut a single lamb. Scientific men have noted the fact that feeding 
upon rich grasses will induce the dropping of twins by one ewe in 
three, while in localities where there is not the same opportunity for 
nourishment, not one ewe in twenty will do so. Dependence of fer¬ 
tility upon food is also noted in the larger animals. As stated 
by Mills, in his “Treatise on Food,” “Mares which have been 
brought up in the stable, on dry food, do not breed at first; some 
time is required to accustom them to their new aliment.” 

Excessive Fat Disqualifies a Breeding Animal— 
The greatest development of nutrition will have*a tendency to im¬ 
pair the vitality of the generative organs, for as Carpenter, in his 
“Comparative Physiology,” says, “There is a certain degree of an¬ 
tagonism between the nutritive and generative functions, the power 
of the one being executed at the expense of the other,” and this ren¬ 
ders it necessary for the breeder to draw closely the line of division 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING. 


1067 


between excess and deficiency, so that tlie “ golden mean ” may be 
preserved, upon winch, as in every other business, the best success 
depends. While it is well known that animals too fat are not pro¬ 
lific breeders, yet if the barrenness be not dependent upon disease, 
it may be easily corrected by exercise, or a systematic reduction of 
the system. Decrease of milk and a tendency to barrenness are the 
frequent attendants upon a constitution which fattens readily. 
Hence “ show condition ” is not good for breeding stock. 

Conditions of Prolific Breeding* —Ancestry also must 
be taken into account, when fruitfulness is desired, because an ani¬ 
mal coming from a stock inclined to sterility, or infrequency of 
offspring, will inherit a tendency in the same direction, and notably 
the tendency to twin-bearing will be found hereditary. This is the 
repeated indication in the human family, shown by numberless ob¬ 
servations, and sheep-rearers have an accepted notion, the result of 
experience, that twin-lambs in sheep is encouraged by saving the 
ewe-lambs which are twins. Culley, on “ Live-Stock,” records that 
Teeswater ewes bring forth generally two lambs each, sometimes 
three; there are some instances of four or five, and the author cites 
one case of a ewe which “ when two years old in 1872, brought forth 
four lambs; in 1873, five; in 1875, five; in 1876, two, and in 1877, 
two,—the first nine in eleven months. Among cattle a peculiarity 
especially is shown when twin-calves are born, one male and the 
other female; the female is barren and is called a free martin. 
When both twins are of the same sex, there is nothing abnormal 
about them. 

Peculiar Characteristics may Develop After Sev¬ 
eral Generations —It is the more important for the breeder to 
acquaint himself with the antecedents of his animals, because pecul¬ 
iarities of habit, shape or weakness, may recur in the descent after 
the lapse of generations. As an illustration, Goodall records that 
in Maine polled-cattle appeared in a herd thirty-five years after the 
destruction of every one of that character, and notwithstanding that 
every calf dropped on the farm in the meantime had developed 
horns. It is indisputable that the repetition of peculiarities is the 
expression of some definite law of physiology. It comes so uni- 
formlv, and has such an absolute creation where the ancestry is 
traceable; but there is not sufficient data upon which to found any 
definite rule. But it is certain that the animal is not the creation 
of its immediate parents alone, but involves far more than this—its 
individuality carries with it the sum of the existencies of all its an¬ 
cestors, and these are determinable by the relative strength of char¬ 
acter, or the dominant force of such ancestry. 

Proper Age for Sire or Dam— In youth the physical 
energies are engrossed by the labor of perfecting the physical struc¬ 
ture ^of the individual animal, and generative power is not aroused 
so that it may have proper exercise; and so in age, when the physi¬ 
cal functions are deteriorating, the faculty of reproduction will not 


1068 


GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING. 


be vigorous. In view of these truths, and they are axioms upon 
which physiologists are in accord, the breeder must bear in mind 
the age of the animals which he desires to have reproduce them¬ 
selves. One at least of the animals should be fully matured, and 
better if both be of mature age. If the mare is young, the horse 
should not be less than six or eight years. The mare should not be 
less than three years old. The following citations from sketches of 
the great American trotting horses will be found of interest here: 

Maud S., by Harold, at nine years, out of Miss Russell, at nine 
years. 

Trinket, by Princeps, at four years, out of Ouida, at ten years. 

Lucy, by Patchen, at six, out of a dam, age not recorded. 

Goldsmith Maid, by Edsall’s Hambletonian, at four years, out 
of a dam of eight or nine. 

Lady Keene, by Mambrino Chief, at eleven years, out of a dam 
whose record is not complete. 

Dexter, out of Rysdyk’s Hambletonian, at eight years, out of 
a dam of ten. 

Ry^sdyk’s Hambletonian, by Abdallah, at twenty-three years, 
out of the Kent mare, age not stated. 

Dangers of Coupling' Young Animals —It has been 
definitely ascertained that animals which are very young will trans¬ 
mit to their offspring a tendency to disability which only requires 
slight cause for its development, and those which are old, or whose 
constitutions have been weakened by overwork or ill-treatment, will 
transmit the like infirmities to their get. These effects may be dor¬ 
mant or unexpressed for a whole generation, but it may certainly 
be expected to reappear in the next, while if the coupling so hazard¬ 
ous! v undertaken be continued, disastrous results cannot be avoided. 

Transmission of Diseases —The close observer of live¬ 
stock will have noticed the regularity with which certain abnormal 
conditions are inherited, especially as concerns diseases. This is 
particularly true in diseases which are constitutional, but its truth 
is apt to be overlooked in cases where ancestral defect is apparently 
disconnected with the structure of the beast. All hereditary dis¬ 
eases are not evident at birth, and may only appear after a lapse of 
years; but for all that, they are none the less hereditary, and con¬ 
nected with the being of the animal; although it is said in the latter 
case that a predisposition to disease has been received, and in the 
former it is called a weakness horn with the animal. Manifestly, 
however, there is no real distinction between the two. Scrofulous 
affections, —tuberculosis, water-on-the-brain, glanders,—are especi¬ 
ally virulent and frequently appear in horses, cattle, sheep and 
hogs. Tendency to consumption is often indicated by certain well- 
marked signs. In cattle the most obvious of these are a thin and 
apparently long carcass, narrow loins and chest, flat ribs, hollow 
flanks, extreme thinness and fineness of the neck and withers, hol¬ 
lowness behind the ears, fullness under the jaws, small, narrow 


GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING. 


1069 


muzzle, hard, unyielding skin, thin and dry hair, irregularity in 
changing the coat, prominence of the bones, especially about the 
haunch and tail, and want of harmony among the different parts of 
the body, giving the animal a coarse and ungainly look. These are 
appearances all indubitably hereditary, and indicative of a weak and 
vitiated constitution, and of a decidedly scrofulous tendency. These 
indications will answer for other classes of animals which are the 
victims of a scrofulous inheritance. That frightful constitutional 
disease, glanders; grease and opthalmia are all hereditary, and the 
taint may be transmitted for some generations. A horse in one 
generation may show no signs of disease, but the inherited tendency • 
will be transmitted with precision to his progeny. 

Relative Influence of Sire and Dam upon Off¬ 
spring* —The influence of both the parents upon the offspring must 
not be ignored. It has been contended that it is the sire, if lie be 
well bred, which gives the dominating character to the offspring of 
animals; but the many instances of resemblance to the dam shows 
this not to be constant. Dr. Allen Thomson, in his article on 
‘‘Generation,” in the “Cyclopedia of Anatomy and Physiology,” 
puts this question in its proper light. He says: “ It is generally 
admitted that in the bull, horse, and other domestic animals, the 
purer and less mixed the breed is, the greater is the probability of 
its transmitting to the offspring the qualities it possesses, whether 
these be good or bad. Economical purposes have made the male in 
general the more important, because lie serves for a considerable 
number of females. The consequence of this has been that more 
attention has been paid to the blood, or purity of race, of the stal¬ 
lion, bull, ram and boar, than to that of the females; and hence it 
maybe the case that these males more frequently transmit these 
qualities to the offspring than do the inferior females to which they 
are made to breed. But this circumstance can scarcely be adduced 
as a proof that the male, other things being equal, influences the 
offspring more than the female.” Rev. Mr. Berry, discussing in 
“ Transactions of the Highland Agricultural Society,” the question 
whether the breeds of live-stock connected with agriculture be 
susceptible of the greater improvement from the qualities conspicu¬ 
ous in the male, or those conspicuous in the female, does not con¬ 
cede to either parent any excessive influence over that of the other; 
and he readies the conclusion that, the best-bred will have the 
greater weight with the offspring’s character. It is observable that 
the parent most cleanly bred will be prepotent—will have the more 
decided influence in affecting the character and constitution of the 
offspring, and therefore it is the part of wisdom to select the supe¬ 
rior mates for the stud or herd. But though this is the ordinary 
rule there are frequent conditions which interfere with its operation 
and qualify it. For instance, there may have been bred in the sire 
' of a horse a tendency to speed, and the staving powers may have 
been neglected, and the unusual development in that as in any other 


1070 


GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF I5REEDING. 


direction will be likely to defeat its own perpetuation. The results 
commonly depend upon a variation in individual power. The an¬ 
cestry of parents must be observed. Miles, in his “ Stock Breeding,” 
concludes his view of this question of parental influence by saying: 
“The relative influence of parents upon the offspring evidently 
depends upon conditions that cannot in all cases be determined. 
When the characteristics of one parent have been fixed by the 
inheritance of the same peculiarities for many generations, it will 
undoubtedly prove to be prepotent in the transmission of its charac¬ 
ters, if the other parent have a less stable organization; but this 
will not prevent the inheritance of the peculiarities that are not 
included in the dominant characteristics.” 

Cross-Breeding' —This is uniting the blood of animals 
which are of distinct breeds within a species. Its advantages have 
been the theme of many writers. When there be an express object 
in view, it is undoubtedly a very desirable practice. But benefits 
which flow from it are not always to be attributed to the breeding 
itself. Among cattle, sheep and hogs the value of cross-breeding is 
apparent particularly for the enhancement of the price which the 
stock will bring in the butcher’s market, and in this regard it may 
be well to dwell upon the good results which will arise from careful 
attention to the practice. Pure bred short-horns, Herefords and 
Devons possess a tendency towards fattening rapidly, and when 
these breeds are crossed with the common stock of the country, called 
“ natives,” this peculiarity is inherited, and benefit is derived by 
improving the fattening power of the former for the butcher, and 
lessening the excessive tendency to fat in the latter, and thus 
improving it for the dairy. Cross-breeding of sheep also entails the 
same benefits, as a cross between the Lincoln and Leicester sheep will 
improve the size, the quantity of the wool and the quality of the 
mutton, and although the distinguishing propensity of the pure-bred 
Leicester to fatten at an early age is somewhat changed, the greater 
admixture of lean mutton more than compensates for this by giv¬ 
ing a superior value to the carcass. In crossing thoroughbred pigs 
with common stock there is produced through its improvement of 
the ordinary stock the most profitable of marketable swine for the 
purpose of food. Thus thoroughbred boars will add immensely to 
the swine-breeder’s profits. Successful breeding of early lambs can 
be accomplished by crossing yvell-bred rams with ordinary ewes. 
The Southdowns are best for this purposes, the offspring fattening 
rapidly, and thus being ready for the early market. The ewes 
selected should be good breeders, and good feeders, and healthy 
animals. 

Parents Should Exhibit the Points Desired in 
Offspring —All writers upon cross-breeding insist upon having 
the parent animal show the characteristics desired for transmission, 
whether it be the male or female of pure blood, and all agree that 
wisdom demands the careful selection of a pure-bred male. The 




GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING. 


1071 


purer or less mixed the breed, the more likely it is to be transmitted 
to the offspring. Ilence, whichever parent is of the pure blood will 
be more generally represented in the offspring; but as the male is* 
usually more carefully selected and of purer blood than the female, 
it generally follows that the male exerts more influence than the 
• female, the reverse being the case where the female is of more 
unmixed blood than the sire. 

Definite Kesults Must be Aimed at —But while cross¬ 
breeding is productive of the most desirable results in some particu¬ 
lars, it should not be undertaken without a definite purpose; other¬ 
wise the result mav be to deteriorate the stock. The Royal Societv 
of England has placed itself upon record on this subject as follows: 
“ It is to this injurious system (promiscuous cross-breeding) that 
may be traced the existence of so many miserable breeds of cattle 
in this country.” 

Good Blood only Should be Bred From —We have 
dwelt upon the power which pure-bred animals possess of marking 
their offspring, and it has been sought to direct the reader’s mind 
to the conclusion that only good blood can be profitably bred from: 
Especially is this a necessity in cross-breeding, because it is a defi- 
nitelv ascertained fact that cross-bred animals do not transmit to 
their get their own characteristics. Although such characteristics 
seem to be controlling in their own temperaments, they will fre¬ 
quently, whatever their personal traits, transmit a tendency to the 
development of their ancestral peculiarities. Changes in stock 
cannot be accomplished quickly by crossing; results in the direction 
of a distinct improvement of the breed, or the creation of a new 
breed, can only be reached by years of systematic and ceaseless 
effort. It took the Cheviot sheep a quarter of a century of direct 
exertion to affect lastingly the blood of the Scotch sheep, and even 
then the characteristics of the original stock would occasionally 
crop out. 

How Cross-Breeding: Can Be Made Profitable— Un¬ 
doubtedly, although the benefits of the cross are most evident in 
the first generation, and the defects or incongruities of one or other 
breed are continually breaking out, unless the characteristics of the 
two breeds are altogether antagonistic, it is practicable in course of 
time, by a system of selection and careful weeding, to establish a 
new breed altogether. But while crossing for the purposes of the 
butcher may be practiced with impunity and with great advantage 
in the directions we have pointed out, no one should undertake, by 
crossing, the establishment of a new breed, unless he have clear and 
well-defined views of the object he wishes to accomplish, and has 
duly studied an! thoroughly understands the principles on which it 
can be carried out, and is also, moreover, willing to bestow on that 
obiect half a lifetime of constant and unremitting care and expense. 
From the great variety of improved breeds that can now be obtained, 
adapted to almost every climate and system of management, it can- 


1072 


GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING. 


not be desirable, and will not be found profitable, to attempt the 
, formation of a new breed, as any special qualities that may be 
desired can be more readily obtained by a modification of the charac¬ 
teristics of some existing breed that approximates in its qualities to 
the proposed standard. 

Cross-breeding among cattle, sheep and swine, therefore, can 
only be recommended for the production of animals intended for 
the butcher. 

Close, or In-and-in Breeding —This is the uniting of 
the same blood, by coupling near relatives with a view to maintain, 
improve and emphasize the peculiarities of the breed. Although 
this is a subject of wide discussion, all the results which have been 
derived from it amply demonstrate its wisdom, and all the breeders 
of stock who .have achieved distinction from the excellence of their 
animals, as proven in the service they can render or the monetary 
gain which they have afforded in the market, have practiced in-and- 
in breeding. It is the only way in which certain character can be 
fixed and made possible of development. This is an axiom. Stone¬ 
henge says: Breeding in-and-in is injurious to mankind, and is for¬ 
bidden by both divine law and human law-makers. On the other 
hand, it prevails extensively in a state of nature with all gregarious 
animals (such as the horse), among whom the strongest male retains 
his daughters and grand-daughters until deprived of his harem by 
younger and stronger rivals. Hence, in those of our domestic ani¬ 
mals, which are naturally gregarious, it is reasonable to conclude 
that breeding in-and-in is not prejudicial, because it is in conform¬ 
ity to their natural instincts, if not carried farther bv art than 
nature teaches by her example. How, in nature, we find about two 
consecutive crosses of the same blood is the usual extent to which 
it is carried, as the life of the animal is the limit, and it is a remark¬ 
able fact that, in practice, a conclusion has been arrived at which 
exactly coincides with the natural laws. “ Once in and once out,” 
is the rule for breeding given by Mr. Smith in his work on “ Breed¬ 
ing for the Turf ”; but twice in will be found more in accordance 
with the practice of our most successful breeders.” 

Success of In-ancl-In Breeding Exemplified —In the 
Farmers' Magazine , we find that the most celebrated herd of Here¬ 
ford blood was the product of eighty years of close breeding, which 
was a necessity when, as the gentleman whose experience is given 
says: The herd was the product of a single bull and two heifers, 
“ without any cross of blood.” He details his method thus: “By 
far the greatest part of my herd has been bred in-and-in in a direct 
line, from one cow in calf for the twentieth time. I have bred 
these calves from her by two of her sons.” The Devons and Short¬ 
horns have been bred in the same manner, and the Herd Books show 
their excellence, while the certainty with which they impress them¬ 
selves upon their offspring is an acknowledged fact. Hon. Henry 
S. Bandall, discussing the pros, and cons, of the question of in-and- 


BREEDING OF HOBSES. 


1073 


in breeding for sheep, reaches the conclusion that the sheep-breeder 
may avoid any bad effects of in-and-in breeding, and at the same 
time preserve the character of his liock, by seeking rams of the same 
breed, and possessing as nearly as possible the characteristics which 
he wishes to produce in his own flock. lie explains that this system 
of breeding by no means implies u incestuous ” connection, for as 
Stonehenge defines it, it is the “ pairing of relatives within the degree 
of second cousins, twice or more in succession.” Mr. Randall 
defines the practice to be pursued as follows: “ Every one desirous of 
starting a flock will find it his best economy, when the proper flocks 
to draw rams from are not convenient, to purchase several of the 
same breed, but of different strains of blood. Thus ram number 
2 can be put upon the offspring of ram number 1, and number 3 
can be put upon the offspring of both, and both upon the offspring 
of number 3. The changes which can be rung upon these distinct 
strains of blood, without in-and-in breeding ctose enough to be at¬ 
tended with any undesirable results, are innumerable.” Brother and 
sister are of the same blood; father and daughter half, and so on. 
Breeding between animals possessing one-eighth the same blood 
would not be considered very close breeding, and it is not uncom¬ 
mon, in rugged, well-formed families, to breed between those possess¬ 
ing one-fourth of the same blood. The original traits of wild horses 
and wild cattle remain unaffected by reason of the entire absence of 
foreign blood, and when stock is in this state of nature there is the 
closest in-breeding. If then, such traits as these animals possess are 
perpetuated by keeping the blood close within itself, why may not 
the same system be expected to produce like results when applied to 
domesticated animals? Surely it may be; and experience shows 
shows that all the highly improved breeds have had imbedded in 
their constitutions the artificial peculiarities upon which their value 
depends, by the systematic exclusion of blood which might lead to 
divergencies, and by the rigid adherence to that blood which most 
conspicuously showed its possession of the desired form or power. 
This is “ in-and-in breeding,” and it is the only way in which such 
results can be attained. 

It must be remembered that close in-breeding tends to refine 
and render delicate the constitution, and if persisted in too far, 
or beyond the limits here laid down, hereditary diseases and disabili¬ 
ties are sure to appear. Hence the breeder must be constantly on 
the alert to combat such tendency, in breeding pure animals. 


BREEDING OF HORSES. 

Sanders, in his valuable work on “Horse Breeding,” says: “ I 
have often referred to the heterogenous character of the horse-stock 
of our country, which is a conglomeration of every breed and type 
of the horse kind in the known world. Until very recently no intel¬ 
ligent effort has been made to keep any of the breeds pure except 



1074 


BREEDING OF HORSES. 


the thoroughbred. We have crossed in and out, without rhyme or 
reason, until with the single exception of our thoroughbred horses 
it is scarcely possible to have the pedigree of any animal four genera¬ 
tions back, without finding an admixture of all the various breeds and 
types that have ever been known. With such an ancestry it is not 
to be wondered at that disappointments meet the novice at every 
hand. He selects a fine-looking bay mare that will weigh 1,500 
pounds, in moderate flesh, clean-limbed and strong, and he looks out 
for a stallion possessing the same characteristics, that he may couple 
the two together to produce a first class draught horse. He has 
been told that like produces like so often that he believes it, and the 
theory properly leads him to think that out of such a pair his hopes 
of producing draft horses may be realized. But he is disappointed; 
the produce is not like either of the parents and he pronounces 
breeding a lottery, and the decline or transmission of peculiarities a 
humbug. He forgets that heredity transmits with certainty only 
that which is firmly fixed in the ancestry and he loses sight of the 
fact that his fine large bay mare was herself the product of mixed 
ancestry. * * * * * The possession of the required qualities 

in the sire and dam was an accidental circumstance, and intelligent 
breeders with a knowledge of the fact would not expect that these 
accidental qualities should be transmitted with certainty.” These 
words are full of the soundest sense and are an unanswerable arg-u- 
merit in favor of the exercise of intelligence in the business of breed¬ 
ing live stock. 

Why fine Horses do not Always Keproduce Them¬ 
selves — A sire or dam possessing some strong characteristics will 
not transmit them if they be accidental. It may be found 
developed in the off-spring, but then it would be an accident as w T ell. 
A stallion is known to have been very fast or very stout and breed¬ 
ers have supposed that they have only to send mares deficient in 
either quality and they would ensure its being developed in the pro¬ 
duce. If the mare happen to possess, among her ancestry, stout or 
fast lines of blood, the produce will display the one or the other, if 
she is put to a horse possessing them; but if on the contrary, the 
lines of the dam are all fast, or all stout, no first cross with a sire 
possessing opposite qualities will be likely to have any effect, though 
no doubt there are some few exceptions to this as to all other rules. 
The instances in support of this position are numerous and conclu¬ 
sive. 

What Mares are Best for Breeding- —Neither a large 
nor a small sire will perpetuate himself, unless descended from a 
breed which is either one or the other. Many a mare has produced 
colts larger than herself, but investigation has almost invariably dis¬ 
closed that her ancestry has contained animals above the average 
size. Moderately small mares are generally stronger of constitution 
than large ones, and for this reason—provided they are of the right 
mould—they will answer stud purposes better than others. 


BREEDING OF IIORSES. 


1075 


What Kind of Mares to use for Production of 
certain tirades of Horses —Breeding without an intelligent aim 
is somewhat of a lottery; but it need not be so if the breeder will 
commence with a definite end in view—any sort of animals whether 
cart or carriage animals, driving or trotting horses. The breeder should 
not use, if he can avoid it, a single mare whose dam and grand dam, 
as well as sire, were not good specimens of their kind. It is not 
insisted that acquired habits are always transmissible, but it is im¬ 
possible to say when they become so, and when there is no predispo¬ 
sition in that direction; but the wisdom must be insisted upon, of 
care and circumspection on the part of breeders in the selection of 
the creation of their stud. Physiologists declare and experience 
proves that the transmission of acquired peculiarities is limited 
to what is simple modification of the natural constitution. The 
abnormal characteristics are inherited frequently, but they are not 
so certain of transmission as are the acquired traits which accord 
with the nature of the animal. 


Health and Soundness Imperative —Too much stress 
cannot be laid upon the importance of health and soundness. All 
the great writers are forcible upon this point. In the application of 
the general laws which govern the transmission of hereditary quali¬ 
ties in the business of breeding horses, the first step is for the 
breeder to decide in his own mind what sort of horse he wishes to 
produce. If his fancy or interest lead him to breed horses for the 
race course, he must keep constantly in mind the fact that for this 
purpose, whether for running or trotting, speed and endurance of the 
very highest order are indispensable; and here the least unsound¬ 
ness will prove fatal. In order to live through the severe ordeal of 
training, and the still more trying one of the u bruising ” campaign, 
which taxes the utmost powers of the horse day after day, there 
must be no weak spots in his composition. There must be no soft 
spongy bones and joints; no brittle nor contracted feet; no tendency 
to curbs, spavins nor ringbones; no weak tendons nor feeble limbs, 
in the horse that is to prove a profitable campaigner. No matter 
how much speed the get of any stallion may have shown, if as a 
rule they have proven seriously defective in any part of their 
machinery, he should be avoided as a sire by those who are breeding 
for the turf, whether as runners or trotters; for the race-course will 
speedily search out and bring to light the least taint of unsoundness 
or weakness in any part of the organization. Feet and legs, bones 
and tendons, joints and muscles, heart and lungs, brain and eye, 
must each do its part thoroughly in the successful race horse. 
There must be that nice adaptation of the machinery, and that fine¬ 
ness of texture in the material of which the machine is built, to 
enable it to withstand the strain that is put upon it, and which dis¬ 
tinguished the great campaigners, like “Lady Suffolk,” “Flora 
Temple,” “ Goldsmith Maid,” English “ Eclipse ” and his great 
American namesake, from the flashy ones that blaze out fora single 


1076 


BREEDING OF HORSES. 


season like a brilliant meteor and then sink into obscurity. It is 
this perfection of organism that enables the horse to stand up under 
preparation and training year after year, profiting by his education 
and improving with age, that makes the really valuable turf horse. 
It is a quality more valuable than speed, because whatever measure 
of speed it possesses can be depended upon and improved. These 
are the considerations that should influence breeders of horses for 
the turf, and no blind devotion to a particular pedigree, no mere 
promise of speed in a youngster got by a stallion, should induce 
us to overlook a prevailing tendency to unsoundness or lack of 
endurance in his get —Sanders on Ilorse Breeding. 

How Tendency to Unsoundness is Indicated —Tend¬ 
ency to unsoundness is not marked in any particular development of 
the animal economy, but the defect shows itself wherever the strain 
is greatest from the nature of the work the animal has to perform. 
Thus, the race-horse becomes a “ roarer,” or his legs and feet give 
away. The draft-horse often becomes wind-broken, especially if his 
wind-pipe is impeded by his head being confined by the bearing 
rein. The road horse again suffers chiefly in his limbs from hard 
roads; while the cart horse becomes unsound in his hocks or his feet, 
the former parts being strained by his severe pulls, and the latter 
being battered and bruised against the ground from the enormous 
weight of his carcass. But it is among well-bred horses that 
unsoundness is most frequent, and in them it may be traced to the 
constant breeding from sires and dams which have been thrown 
“out of training ” in consequence of a break down. 

Marks of Horses Indicating- Predisposition to 
Disease —Horses with narrow chests, upright pasterns, and out- 
turned toes, have a predisposition to disease of the navicular joints, 
and those with round legs and small knees to which the tendons 
are tightly bound are especially subject to strains. A disproportion 
in the width and length of the leg below the hock shows a predis¬ 
position to spavin, and a gambrel joint inclining forward shows a 
tendency to curbs. Many farm horses, as well as others without 
much breeding, are remarkable for consuming large quantities of 
food, for soft and flabby muscular systems, and for round limbs 
containing an unusual proportion of cellular tissue. These char¬ 
acteristics are notoriously hereditary, of which indisputable evi¬ 
dence is afforded by their existence in many different individuals of 
the same stock, and their long continuance even under the best 
management and most efficient systems of breeding. Such char¬ 
acteristics’ indicate proclivity to certain diseases, as swelled legs, 
and grease. Where the hock is narrow, a strain of the joint is very 
apt to result from work which, if the limb were properly propor¬ 
tioned, would not be severe. 

How the True Excellence of Horses May be Dis¬ 
tinguished —In taking up the details of horse-breeding it may 
be well at the outset to consider what constitutes the excellence 


BREEDING OF HORSES. 


1077 


which is the objective point of breeding. This is admirably sum¬ 
med up by “ Frank Forrester,” in his “ Hints to Horse Keepers.” 
He says: 

Now as to what constitutes the value or excellence in all horses. 
It is indisputably quickness of working power, to move or carry 
weight, and ability to endure for a length of time; to travel for a 
distance with the least decrease of pace; to come again to work day 
after day, week after week and year after year, with undiminished 
vigor. And it is scarcely needful to say that, under all ordinary 
circumstances, these conditions are only compatible with the high¬ 
est form and the most perfect physical health of the animal. Mal¬ 
formation must necessarily detract from power and speed: hered¬ 
itary disease or constitutional derangement must necessarily detract 
from all powers whatever. Under usual circumstances it would 
hardly be necessary to show that quickness of working, or in other 
words speed, is necessary to a high degree of excellence in a horse 
of any stamp or style, and not one iota less for the animal that 
draws the load or breaks the glebe, than for the riding horse or the 
pleasure traveler before the light vehicle. But it has of late 
become the fashion in some quarters to undervalue the advantages of 
speed, and to deny its utility for other purposes than those of mere 
amusement; and as a corollary from this assumption, to disparage 
the effect and deny the advantage of blood, by which is meant 
descent through the American or English race-horse from the 
oriental blood of the desert; whether Arabian, Barb, Turk, Persian 
or Syrian, or a combination of two, or more, or of all five. 

The horse which can plow an acre, while another is plowing 
half an acre, or that which can carry a load of passengers ten miles 
while the other is going five—independent of all considerations of 
amusement, taste, or what is generally called fancy—is absolutely 
worth twice as much to his owner as the other. 

Wliat the Breeder Should Seek to Obtain —Now the 
question for the breeder is simply this: By what means is this to be 
attained? The reply is, by getting the greatest amount of pure 
blood, compatible with size, weight and power, according to the 
purpose for which he intends to raise stock, into the animal bred. 
For not only is it not true that speed alone is the only good thing 
derivable from blood, but something very nearly the reverse is true. 
It is verv nearly the least good thing. That which the blood horse 
does possess is, a degree of strength in his bones, sinews and frame 
at large, utterly out of the common proportion to the size or 
apparent strength of that frame. The texture, the form and the 
symmetry of the bones,—all in the same bulk and volume—possess 
nearly double or nearly fourfold the elements of endurance and 
resistance in the blood-horse than they do in the cold-blooded cart¬ 
horse. The difference in the form and texture of the sinews and 
muscles, and the inferior tendency to form flabby, useless flesh is 
still more in favor of the blood horse. 


1078 


BREEDING O* HORSES. 


The Constitution, or Vital Power —Beyond this the 
internal anatomical construction of his respiratory organs, of his 
arterial and nervous system—in a word, of his constitution gener¬ 
ally—is calculated to give him, what he possesses, greater vital 
power, greater recuperatory power, greater physical power, in pro¬ 
portion to his bulk and weight, than any other known animal, added 
to greater quickness of movement, and to greater courage, greater 
endurance of labor, hardship or suffering—in a word, greater (what 
is vulgarly called) “pluck,” or “game,” than will be found in any 
other of the horse family. 

But it is not to be said, or supposed, that all blood horses will 
have these qualities in an equal degree, for there is as much, or 
more, choice in the blood horse, as in any other of the family, since 
—as in the blood of the thoroughbred horse, all faults, all vices, all 
diseases, are directly hereditary, as well as all virtues, all soundness, 
all good qualities—it is more necessary to look in the blood horse 
to his antecedents, his history, his performances, and above all to 
his shape, temper, soundness and constitution, than it is in any 
other animal of the horse family. 

Follies in Breeding’ —To breed from a small horse in the 
hope of getting a large colt; from a long-backed, leggy horse, in 
the hope of getting a short, compact powerful sire; from a blind or 
broken-winded, or flat-footed, or spavined or ring-boned, or navicu¬ 
lar-diseased horse, with the hope of getting a sound one; from a 
vicious horse, a cowardly horse—what is technically called a “dung¬ 
hill”—with the hope of getting a kind-tempered and brave one; all 
or any of these would be the height of folly. 

Traits in the Sire to Ensure Good Stock —The blood 
sire (and the blood should always be on the sire’s side) should be, 
for the farmer breeder’s purposes, of medium height, say fifteen and a 
half hands high, short-backed, well ribbed up,short in the saddle place, 
long below. lie should have high withers, broad loins, broad chest, 
a straight rump—the converse of what is often seen in trotters and 
known as the “goose rump;” a high and muscular but not beefy 
chest; a lean, bony, well-set-on head; a clear, bright, smallish, weli- 
placed eye; broad nostrils and small ears. Ilis forelegs should be 
as long and as muscular as possible above the knee, and his hind¬ 
legs above the hock, the same; and as lean, short and bonv as pos¬ 
sible below these joints. The bones cannot by any means be too 
flat, too clear of excrescences, nor too large. The sinews should be 
clear, straight, firm and hard to the touch. 

From such a horse, if the breeder can find one, and from a 
well-chosen mare (she may be a little larger, more bony, more 
roomy and in every way coarser than the horse, to the advantage 
of the stock), sound, healthy and well-limbed, he may be certain, 
accidents and contingencies set aside, of raising an animal that will 
be creditable to him as a scientific stock breeder, and profitable to 
him in a pecuniary sense. 


BREEDING OF HORSES. 


1079 


Wliat Qualities are Desirable in the Breeding 
Mare —'‘Blood from the sire and beauty from the dam,” is an old 
axiom, and offers a good rule. The first things to he regarded in the 
mare are symmetry and soundness. Next, detail should be looked to: 
she should have a roomy frame, hips somewhat sloping; a little 
more than the average length; wide-chested; deep in the girth; 
quarters, strong and well laid down; hocks wide apart; wide and 
deep in the pelvis. Then the temper must be regarded: she should 
be gentle, courageous, and free from all irritability and viciousness. 
Previous to putting her to horse she should be brought into the 
most perfect condition of health—not overfed, nor loaded with 
flesh, nor in a pampered state, but by judicious exercise, abundance 
of food and proper grooming, she should be brought into the very 
best condition. Finally, during gestation she should have generous 
and nourishing but not heating diet. For the first three or four 
months she may be worked moderately, and even to within a few 
weeks of her foaling she may do light work with advantage. 

The Chief Point to be Aimed At —The great point to be 
aimed at is, the combining in the same animal the maximum of 
speed compatible with sufficient size, bone, strength and solid 
power to carry heavy weights or draw large loads, and at the same 
time to secure the stock from the probability, if not certainty, of 
inheriting structural deformity, inability or constitutional disease 
from either of the parents. The first point is only to be attained: 
First, by breeding as much as possible to pure blood of the right 
kind ; second, by breeding what is technically called among sports¬ 
men and breeders, “ up not down” that is to say, by breeding 
the mare to a male of superior (not inferior) blood to herself — 
except where it is desired to breed like to like, as Canadian to Cana¬ 
dian, or Percheron to Percheron, for the purpose of perpetuating 
a pure strain of any particular variety which may be useful for the 
production of brood mares. 

Descent of the Great Trotting* Horses —The trotting 
horse will reproduce himself—if there be a fast strain in his own 
blood—by being coupled with a speedy mare, if she also have speed 
in her descent. Sometimes speed will show itself when neither sire 
nor dam is fast, and there is no apparent purity of blood on either 
side. But all the great horses have “ blood” somewhere, and the 
closeness with which they have been bred is proven by the fact that 
the entire race is the product of a few high-bred roots. 

A brief consideration of the descent of the origin of the great 
trotters on the American turf will show of what careful breeding is 
capable: 

Maud S. (2:8f) descended from Messenger , and imported Shark. 
General Knox descended from the Sherman Morgan , united with 

Messenger blood. 

Trinket (2:14) possesses the same strain of blood as MaudS.; 

both are of Messenger , Sourkrout and Pilot blood. 


1080 


BREEDING OF HORSES. 


Pocahontas, of Messenger descent. 

Mountain Boy (2:20f), of same blood as Maud S., both descend¬ 
ants of imported Bellfounder , he three and she four degrees 
removed, and both of Messenger origin. 

John Morgan (2:24; 2 miles in 5£), of the Pilot stock, as are 
Maud S. and Trinket. 

Goldsmith’s Maid* (2:14), of the same blood paternally as is 
Maud S. paternally. 

Lady Thorn ( 2 : 18 J-) is of Messenger descent, as are Goldsmith 
Maid , Pocahontas , and Maud S. In her blood, too, is the 
American Eclipse strain, which is an emphasis of Messenger. 
To Secure the Greatest Profit in Breeding —The 
economy of raising live-stock is an important matter to consider. 
The object is, of course, to get the greatest return. It is to be 
borne in mind that it costs no more to raise a first-rate colt than it 
does to raise a poor one; and the objection that farmers sometimes 
make that they cannot afford to pay a high price for the services of 
a first-rate stallion, is not a good one, because they cannot afford to 
have their mares served by a common horse at no charge at all. 
That is, they cannot afford it if they want to realize the most profit 
out of their breeding. Horses bred to pure blood are valuable not 
only for driving and for racing; they are more valuable for the or¬ 
dinary work to which horses are put—for omnibuses and horse-cars 
in the cities, and for the ordinary work of the farm, and for work 
on the road,—than are any other horses, and there is no risk what¬ 
ever in making the experiment or attempting to breed the very best 
sort of horses. 

Treatment of the Mare in Foal to Secure Best 
Be suits —Upon the care which is given to the dam will depend in 
a great measure the condition of the colt. She should be allowed 
as large a quantity of food as will secure the best development of 
her offspring, and such also as shall keep her in good condition to 
supply her colt with proper food. The breeder should not allow 
his mare to remain without work; neither should he overwork her; 
but exercise and good care are as important to the mare when she is 
breeding as they are to the colt after he shall have been dropped. 
The mare should be allowed room-range in some field, or else her 
stall should be large and roomy so that she can take exercise enough, 
and she should never be subjected to any annoyance whatever after 
she shall have dropped her foal. If it be necessary to work her, as 
it sometimes becomes, her colt should not be allowed to run with 
her, and particular care must be exercised to see that the colt is 

* The pedigree of this celebrated mare is worthy of study. She was very 
closely iu-bred. Her grand-sire was Rysdyk's Hambletonian; he by Abdallah. 
Her maternal great-grand-dam Amazonia was the granddaughter of Messenger , 
which got MembrinOy her great-grand-sire, so that Abdallah was the offspring of 
an uncle and niece. Her sire was the grandson of Abdallahy and her dam was 
Abdallah's daughter; in other words, they were uncle and aunt. There cannot be 
found many instances of closer in-breeding than this in America. 



BREEDING OF HORSES. 


1081 


never allowed to suckle when the dam is over-heated. There is no 
period during the life of a horse when high food, carefully given, 
will have so good an effect upon his entire constitution, as the feed 
of the mare during the half years which precede and follow her 
foaling. The skin should be kept thoroughly open and clean. 
There is nothing more conducive to the economical care and to the 
health of the horse than taking good care of his skin, and no labor 
can be expended to greater profit than the daily grooming even of 
colts that are very young. 

For care, feed and weaning of colts, and mares after foaling, 
see “ Feeding Horses,” page 1105. 

The Sire of Great Trotters —We can give no better illus¬ 
tration to emphasize the lessons which we have endeavored to con¬ 
vey upon the desirability of careful breeding to ensure the improve¬ 
ment of horses, than to give the list of the leading descendants of 
one great horse, “ Rysdyk’s Hambletonian,” showing how potent is 
the influence upon offspring of thorough blood in a horse. All the 
progeny here given, of this horse, have a record below 2:20: 


Maud S.2:8f. 

St. Julien. 2: hi. 

Clingstone. 2 :14. 

Goldsmith Maid.2:14. 

Hattie Woodward. 2:15$. 

Darby.2:16^-. 

Edwin Thorne. 2.10$. 

Jerome Eddy.2 :16$. 

Gloster.2:17. 

Dexter.2:17^. 

Fiedmont. 2:11$. 

So-So.2:17£. 

Santa Claus. 2:17$. 

Dick Swiveler.2:18. 

Great Eastern.2:18. 

Judge Fullerton.2:18. 

Nettie.2:18. 

Robert McGregor.2:18. 

Fanny Witherspoon . . . 2:18J. 

Midnight.218J. 

Rickard.-.. .2:18J. 


Rosa Wilkes.2:18^. 

Monroe Chief. 2:18$. 

William H.2:18^. 

Cleora.2:18|. 

Nutwood .2:18f. 

Adele Gould.2:19. 

Alley.2:19. 

Edward...2:19. 

Graves.2:19. 

Jay-Eye-See.2:10. 

Kitty Bates.2:19. 

W EDGEWOOD .2:19 

Aldine. 2:19$. 

Bodine. 2:19$. 

Driver . 2:19}. 

Yon Arnim. 2:19$. 

Daisy Dale .2:19f. 

Annie W.2:20. 

Elaine .2.20. 

Nancy Hackett.2:20. 

Orange Girl.2:20. 



































BREEDING OF IIORSES. 


The Record of Fast Speed— In connection with this sub¬ 
ject, the record of the performances of the great trotting, and run¬ 
ning horses on the turf will not only be of interest, but will serve to 
illustrate the high standard of speed and endurance to which breed¬ 
ing leads up. 

THE TROTTING RECORD. 


HOW MADE. 

NAME OF HORSE, j 

TIME. 

One mile in harness.. 

One mile to wagon.. 

One mile under saddle.-. 

One mile bv a mare _ ___ 

Maud S. 

Hopeful.. 

Great Eastern. . 
Maud S 

2:08%. 
2:1634- 

2:15%. 

2:08%. 

One mile by a gelding... 

One mile by a stallion... 

One mile by a yearling___ 

Jay-Eye-See... 
Moxey Cobb... 
Hinda Rose_ 

2:10. 

2:13%. 

2:34%. 

One mile bv a two year-old...... 

Wildflower. .. 

2:21. 

One mile by a three-year-old.- -j 

One mile by a four-year-old.. 

One mile by a double team...-j 

Patron... 

Hinda Rose_ 

Mauranita. 

Moxey Cobb... 
Neta Medium. 

[2:19%. 
2:16. 
j- 2:15%. 


THE RUNNING RECORD. 


DISTANCE. 


Quarter mile. 

Three-eighths mile. 

Half mile. 

Five-eighths mile. 

Three-quarters mile. 

Seven-eighths mile. -j 

One mile... 

Mile and one-sixteenth. 

Mile and one eighth. -j 

Mile and three-sixteenths -j 

Mile and one-fourth. 

Mile and 500 yards... 

Mile and three-eighths_ 

Mile and one-half. -j 

Mile and five-eighths. 

Mile and three-quarters_ 

Mile and seven-eighths_ 

Two miles... 

Two miles and one-eighth 

Two miles and a quarter, -j 

Two miles and a half. 

Two miles and five-eighths 
Two miles and three-qu’trs 

Three miles.... 

Four miles. 


NAME OF HORSE. 


Belle. 

Ailsie. 

Olitip. 

Jim Kenwick_ 

Jim Kenwick.... 

Joe Cotton. 

Rico. 

Ten Broeck. 

Jim Douglas. 

Spaulding. 

Rosalie. 

Exile. 

Editor. 

Binnette. 

Bend Or. 

Uncas. 

Luke Blackburn. 

Jim Guest. 

Exile. 

Glidelia. 

Enigma. 

Ten Broeck. 

Monitor. 

Springbok. 

Preakness. 

Aristides. 

Ten Broeck. 

Hubbard. 

Drake Carter.... 
Ten Broeck. 


WHERE MADE. 

DATE. 

AGE. 

WEIGHT 

TIME. 

Galveston, Tex.. 
Little Rock, Ark. 
Saratoga_ 

July 1880 
April 188-2 
July 1874 

4 yrs. 
2 “ 

97 lbs. 

0:2124 
0:36 34 
0:47 24 

San Francisco... 

Nov. 1883 

5 “ 

115 “ 

1:13 

Louisville. 

Sept. 1883 

5 “ 

121 “ 

1:13 

Sheepshead Bay. 

June 1886 

4 “ 

106 “ i 

1:27V a 

Chicago. 

July 1886 

4 “ 

90 “ { 

Louisville. 

May 1887 

5 “ 

110 “ 

1:3924 

Chicago. 

June 1886 

5 “ 

122 “ 

1:47Vi 

Chicago. 

July 1886 

4 •• 

97 “ 1 

1:5334 

Brighton Beach. 

Aug. 1881 

4 “ 

80 “ t 

Sheepshead Bay. 

Aug. 1886 

4 “ 

126 “ l 

98 “ 

2:03 

Sheepshead Bay.. 

Sept. 1886 

4 “ 

Chicago. 

July 1886 

5 “ 

101 “ 

2:0734 

Saratoga. 

July 1882 

4 “ 

115 “ 

2:1034 

Sheepshead Bay. 

Sept. 1880 

4 “ 

107 “ 

2:2134 

Monmouth Park. 

Aug. 1880 

3 “ 

102 “ ) 

2:34 

Chicago. 

July 1886 

4 “ 

96 “ f 

Sheepshead Bay . 

Sept. 1886 

4 “ 

115 “ 

2:4824 

Saratoga.. 

Aug. 1881 

5 “ 

116 “ 

3:01 

Sheepshead Bay. 

Sept. 1885 

4 “ 

90 11 

3:20 

Louisville. 

May 1877 

5 “ 

110 “ 

3:2734 

Baltimore. 

Oct. 1880 

4 “ 

110 “ 

3:4434 

Saratoga. 

July 1875 

5 “ 

114 “1 

3:5634 

Saratoga. 

July 1875 

4 “ 

114 “ ) 

Lexington. 

Sept. 1876 

4 “ 

104 “ 

4:2734 

Lexington. 

Sept. 1876 

4 “ 

104 “ 

4:58 1 4 

Saratoga. 

Aug. 1873 

4 “ 

107 “ 

4:5824 

Sheepshead Bay. 

Sept. 1884 

4 “ 

115 “ 

5:24 

Louisville. 

Sept. 1876 

4 “ 

104 “ 

7:1524 












































































































BREEDING CATTLE. 


1083 


BREEDING CATTLE. 

General Principles —Under the head of u General Prin¬ 
ciples of Breeding ” we have discussed at length the laws of genera¬ 
tion which have a general application to all classes of domestic ani¬ 
mals, and by which the successful breeder in any line of stock must 
be largely guided. It must be understood that the rules there given 
are not only mere rules; they are definite laws of nature and cannot 
be deviated from in any case where definite results are aimed at. 
The stock-breeder starting with one or more varieties in breeds of 
cattle, will naturally desire to keep his stock in at least as good con¬ 
dition as to blood and productiveness as he found it. If he be pru¬ 
dent, intelligent and ambitious, he will seek to make it better than 
he found it, knowing that the greater improvement he effects in 
these directions, the greater will be the profit of his business. 

Absolute Essentials in Breeding' Stock —If he have 
studied the principles of breeding to profit, he will realize that for 
animals that are to be retained for breeding purposes, he must look 
upon the following qualities as indispensable: 

1. Sound health and freedom from constitutional, hereditary, 
chronic or local disease, blemish or infirmity of any kind. 

2. As much perfection of form as may be possible to obtain 
in the breed, bearing in mind the chief purposes for which the ani¬ 
mals are designed. 

3. Uniform presentation of the strong and marked character¬ 
istics of their breed, in the various points belonging to it. 

4. When of distinct breed, thorough purity of blood, substan¬ 
tiated by well-authenticated pedigrees, through as many generations 
back as can be ascertained. 

5. Good temper, and a kindly, docile disposition. 

The point of ancestry is of particular importance, for the more 
knowledge the breeder possesses upon that subject, the greater cer¬ 
tainty and accuracy he can ensure in breeding for particular pur¬ 
poses. 

In carrying out these rules, the breeder will require informa¬ 
tion upon certain points which all cattle of whatever breed should 
possess, and these will be found in detail under the head of “ How 
to Purchase Live-Stock,” page 1053. 

In addition to these matters, the breeder must observe certain 
conditions as to care and feeding, fully laid down in the article on 
Feeding (page 1105), which may be here summarized as follows: 

1. Abundance of proper food at the various seasons, as grass, 
or its equivalent in spring, summer and autumn; nutritious and 
well prepared food in the winter, and plenty of good water always . 

2. Regularity in feeding; no scantiness of allowance, but always 
enough without waste. 

O 


1084 


BREEDING CATTLE. 


3. Shelter always available when needed , according to temper¬ 
ature of climate and atmosphere; avoiding extreme cold, violent 
storms and excessive heat. 

4. Kindly treatment, thus promoting docility in the animal, 
contentment of disposition and confidence in its keeper—all conduc¬ 
ive to quietude and thrift. 

How to Select Animals for Breeding’ —In thorough 
breeding, Allen says, the bull should always show his own mascu¬ 
line character, energy and vigor—no cow look about him. The cow 
should possess the softer and delicate points of her sex in their 
fullest development, and no masculine qualities should give her 
anything like a steer-like appearance. Sexuality, in the highest 
qualities, should be stamped on every feature on both sides. Good 
form and good appearance and good pedigree, on both sides should 
go together. As a rule, it is not well to rely upon pedigree alone; the 
appearance of the animal should endorse the pedigree, and when the 
good points of both form and pedigree are combined, they con¬ 
stitute excellence of the highest order. A sire or dam may be 
faulty in some minor particular of feature; but when that minor 
defect is surmounted by some prominent excellence in a more im¬ 
portant or controlling one, the inferior point may be overlooked in 
securing the better one. Even apparent coarseness in some particu¬ 
lars, belonging to the sire or dam, may be excused when connected 
with good constitution and stamina, if either be coupled with one 
of the opposite sex having a tendency to over-fineness or exceeding 
delicacy. The vigor and apparent coarseness of the one will be cor¬ 
rected in the fineness of the other, or the opposite may occur, and 
the result be an almost perfect progeny. 

Mis-mating as to Size —Extremes of size may be coupled 
together, except in great size of the sire and diminutive smallness 
of the dam. As a rule cows of small breed should not be bred to 
bulls of a much larger breed, for this reason: the fetus may par¬ 
take more of the nature of the sire, and the growth thus require an 
undue amount of nourishment for the resources of the cow. In 
this event, the dam may not be able to deliver the calf, or the latter 
may be rendered liable to malformation destroying its value. 

Rearing Bulls for Service —A bull intended for getting 
thoroughbred or ^rade stock should be well fed from birth, whether 
from the udder or the pail. There is no necessity for forcing—he 
will be rather the worse for it. This growth should be steady, and 
made on milk, a little oat, pea, or barley meal and hay or grass 
added for the first five or six months. If intended for grade or 
stock cattle, six months on milk will answer; if for breeding thor¬ 
oughbreds, seven or eight months is better. After weaning, the 
food should be succulent and nourishing, but not rich. The prac¬ 
tice of making “ show ” calves of young bulls is not a good one. It 
promotes maturity at the expense of lasting usefulness. He should 
be tied up at a week old, and taught to lead young. He should be 


BREEDING CATTLE. 


1085 


taught to eat herbage as soon as he will take to it, say at four or six 
weeks. At nine months, a ring should be put in his nose. The 
ring should he of copper, with a width inside of two and one half 
inches. As bulls are treated when young, so will be the duration 
of their usefulness. A yearling should only be used on extraordi¬ 
nary occasions, when a calf of his particular strain of blood may be 
required, and cannot be obtained by a postponement of his services. 
At the age of two years, he may serve fifty to a hundred cows dur¬ 
ing the season, not exceeding eight or ten services a week. At 
three years he may have full service, a hundred cows or more, with¬ 
out injury, and so on till he is twelve years old, or until his virility 
ceases. When the power of conception becomes uncertain, the bull 
should be put aside, as otherwise his uncertainty may descend to 
his stock. The bull should be always kept on substantial, nutritious 
food, and never suffered to become poor or fat, but always in good 
working order, in which condition he is a surer sire than if 
pampered or over-fed. When in service, if confined in a stable, he 
should have daily exercise, as it adds to his activity, stimulates his 
virility, and better insures the certainty of his procreation. 

Treatment of Breeding Cows to Secure Good 
Results —When the cow comes in heat, care should be taken not 
to allow it association with inferior brutes, an ox or steer, for in¬ 
stance. She should be familiarized to the sight of the best of her 
kind. When the services of the bull are called in, she should be 
allowed to see the male animal fully and deliberately when intro¬ 
duced to him, and apart from the company of other cows. A single 
or at most a repeated service is sufficient, and immediately after the 
service she should be confined in her stall or a small enclosure by 
herself, till the heat passes off. If she be let out with other cattle, 
they only tease and worry her to no good, but frequently with posi¬ 
tive injury. If the calf is to be bred for veal, or the cow is mated 
only for the milk supply, this is of no consequence; but when cattle 
of extra value are to be reared, this is of importance. 

Duration of Pregnancy—The time of the pregnancy of 
the cow is not always uniform. Nine months is commonly the 
estimated time. It almost always runs so long, but usually longer, 
sometimes to even ten months. Two hundred and eighty days is 
given by some writers as the average time; others state it at two 
hundred and eighty-four. Allen, writing on American cattle, says 
he kept an accurate account in the cases of fifty cows, including 
thoroughbred Short-horns, Herefords and Devons, and their grades, 
and found the time to range from two hundred and sixty-eight to 
two hundred and ninety-one days, the average being two hundred 
and eighty-four days. 

Care of Dam During Pregnancy —As the cow ap¬ 
proaches maturity, she should be well kept, and if the climate 
demand it, have good shelter and a warm bed. If she has become 
reduced by scant feed, or profuse milking, she should have additional 


10S6 


BREEDING CATTLE. 

feed while running dry, in order to promote the growth of the 
fetus within her and to better prepare her for the labor of partu¬ 
rition, as well as the sustenance of the coining calf and a good How 
of milk afterward. No cow should give milk from the birth of one 
calf to that of another. It is too heavy a draft on her physical 
powers, and a period of six weeks to two months’ rest from milk¬ 
ing is necessary when the breeding of choice animals is an object. 
Some cows, we know, will yield their milk naturally from the birth 
of one calf to that of another; but it wears on them, and an 
abundance of the best food is necessary to keep them through so 
exhausting a process. A cow cannot well perform two such im¬ 
portant duties at a time as to give a profitable flow of milk and 
mature, in the last stages of growth, a healthy, well-developed fetus. 
At that time, milk must be drawn at the expense of the coming 
calf. Of course this is not of so much importance when only the 
milk is looked to, but even then there must be a period of at least 
six weeks’ rest. As the birth of the calf approaches she should be 
kept quiet, have gentle exercise, and be looked after carefully daily. 
Her udder a few days in advance should be watched and examined 
that it be not u caked ” or inflamed, or secrete more milk than may 
be retained in a healthy condition. Some young heifers will secrete 
milk in advance for some days, in such quantities as to render it 
necessary to draw it from them to prevent the udder from spoiling 
with inflammation. When parturition is immediately expected, 
she should, according to the season, be confined in a loose box stall 
in the stable or under a shed, or in a small outside enclosure, where 
she may be readily seen and attended to in case of accident or diffi¬ 
culty, such as are liable to occur frequently with heifers in their 
first calf, and sometimes afterwards. When parturition is completed 
the udder should be thoroughly drawn by the calf and the process 
completed by the hand. 

Abortion, or Slinking —The abortion of the fetus, is by 
some called a disease, for the reason that, from whatever cause, it 
seems to be spread by sympathy, and not infrequently large losses 
are thus encountered. It is sometimes singularly frequent in par¬ 
ticular districts or on particular farms, having the characteristics of 
an epidemic. The cow is more subject to abortion than any other 
animal. It takes place at different periods of pregnancy, from half 
the usual time to the seventh or eighth month. The symptoms are: 
The cow is somewhat off her feed; rumination ceases; she is listless 
and dull; the milk diminishes or dries up; the motions of the fetus 
become more feeble and at length cease; there is a staggering walk: 
when she lies down she lies longer than usual, and when she stands 
up she remains a longer time motionless. On the approach of 
abortion (a symptom that rarely deceives), a yellow or red glairy 
fluid runs from the vagina, and breathing becomes laborious or 
convulsive. At length labor comes on and is attended with diffi¬ 
culty or danger. The cause may be consumption, too high feeding, 


BREEDING FOR THE DAIRY. 


1087 


or rich pasture in spring after starving all winter; but the most 
danger is from sympathetic affection. The calf rarely lives and in 
a majority of cases is born dead or putrid. If there are any symp¬ 
toms of aborting, the cow should be removed from the pasture to a 
shed. If the discharge is glairy, but not offensive, there may be 
hopes of avoiding the threatened abortion as the calf is probably 
not dead, of which assurance can be had by the motion of the fetus. 
The cow should be bled copiously, and a dose of physic given im¬ 
mediately after. Then give half a drachm of opium and half an 
ounce of sweet spirits of nitre. The beast should be allowed noth¬ 
ing but gruel and kept quiet. By these means the cow may fre¬ 
quently be got to her full time. To prevent the disease from spread¬ 
ing the fetus must be got rid of immediately by burying deeply 
and far from the cow pasture. The parts should be washed with a 
solution of chloride of lime and the cow-house disinfected by the 
same solution. On recovery the cow should be fattened and sold. 


BREEDING FOR THE DAIRY. 

Selection of Cows to Breed for the Dairy —Breeding 
of cows is divided into two distinct branches; breeding for the 
dairy, and breeding for beef. In breeding for the milk, dairy cows 
should be selected because of their known ability to yield milk 
largely. Milk dealers look more to quantity than to richness, and 
to supply their demand, large milkers should be selected. For but¬ 
ter and cheese dajries, cows which are rich milkers in those elements 
which butter and cheese require should be preferred, and in this the 
element of feeding largely inliuences. The breeder also should look 
for the particular breed for which his soil, climate and locality are 
best adapted. When the selection is once made it should not be 
changed, except for a definite purpose, and when it becomes neces¬ 
sary to introduce new blood into a herd by the selection of a new 
bull, the breeder should endeavor to combine the same qualities 
which have been cultivated in his herd; otherwise he will derange 
the uniformity at which he is presumed to have aimed. 

Prolific Cows are Good Milkers —It is stated on the 
distinguished authority of Prof. Tanner that those animals which 
breed with the least difficulty yield the best supplies of milk, and 
produce the most healthy and vigorous offspring. It must be ad¬ 
mitted that however much we have improved the symmetry and 
feeding power of stock, we have suffered them to deteriorate as 
breeding animals, wherever flesh has been aimed at at the expense of 
the milking capacity. In proportion as we adopt the more natural 
system of management, for the purpose of keeping cattle in a 
healthy and vigorous breeding condition, so shall we reap the 
indirect benefit of a better supply of milk. It is true that a 
deficiency in the yield of milk may be met by other resources, but 



1088 


BREEDING FOR THE DAIRY. 


since a short supply of milk is an indication of and associated with 
enfeebled breeding powers, every care should be taken to obviate 
this defect. 

How Ancestry Affects the Quality of the Dairy 

Cow —Experience has shown that in cows the supply of milk 
depends not so much on either of the parents as on the mother of 
the bull which begets. This is stated by Sedgwick in the Medico- 
Chirurgical Review to be a fact beyond dispute, and he quotes also 
in support of this proposition the distinguished French authors, 
Bondach and Guion 

The Points Which are Desirable in a Dairy Cow— 

Mr. Elliott W. Stewart, a distinguished American authority, in his 
work on “ Feeding Animals,” makes the following suggestions, in 
regard to the selection of cows for the dairy, and no better guide 
can be offered. ITe says: 

“ Look first to the great characteristics of a dairy cow—large 
stomach, indicated by broad hips, broad and deep loin and sides, a 
broad or double chine—these indicate a large digestive apparatus, 
which is the first essential to the manufacture of milk. Secondly , 
a good constitution, depending upon the lungs and heart, which 
should be well developed, and this is easily determined by examin¬ 
ation; but the vigor and tone of the constitution are indicated by the 
lustre of the hair and brightness of the eye and horns, and the 
whole make up. Thirdly , having determined her capacity for 
digesting surplus food for making milk, look carefully to the udder 
and the veins leading to it. The cow may assimilate a large quan¬ 
tity of food which goes mostly to lay on fat and flesh; but if she 
have a long, broad, deep udder with large milk veins, it is safe to 
conclude that her large capacity for digestion and assimilation is 
active in filling this receptacle. In fact, the udder is the first point 
to look at in a cursory examination of the cow, for nature is not apt 
to create it in vain. If it reaches to the back line of the thighs, 
well up behind, reaches well forward, is broad and moderately deep, 
with teats well apart and skin soft and elastic, it may be inferred 
that nature has provided means for filling it. Again, when you 
have found all these essentials, if the cow is five years old and does 
not yield 5,000 lbs. of milk per year, she is not worth possessing as 
a milker and breeder; yet, if the cow be five years old and actually 
yield 0,000 or more pounds of milk, you may safely buy her with¬ 
out regard to her points. She must digest the food to make it, and 
her machinery is so far above criticism. But the length of her 
period of giving milk must not be forgotten. This is a quality 
inherited as much as her capacity for quantity. A cow that, well 
fed, will not milk for ten months is not to be desired. A moderate 
and nearly uniform quantity, continuing for ten months, will pro¬ 
duce a larger aggregate yield than heavy milking for a short period. 
Twenty-three pounds per day for ten months will give 7,000 
lbs., while a short period of seven months will require thirty-three 


BREEDING FOR THE DAIRY. 


1089 


lbs. per day. Nearly all tlie great annual yielders of milk will 
have long periods. This is a matter of so much consideration that 
a cow having a short period of milk-giving should be rejected as a 
breeder, as this would be inherited by her offspring. Still another 
important consideration in the selection of a common-blood cow is 
her pedigree. If you can find her descent from a large milking- 
dam, grandam or great grandam, this will greatly increase the prob¬ 
ability of your success in breeding her to a thoroughbred bull from 
deep-milking ancestors. Now, a few cows selected with these 
requisites will lay the foundations of a herd of dairy cows such as 
will be a source of perpetual delight and profit to the owner. On 
the other hand, it is simple folly to rear a calf for the dairy from a 
poor milker. It is bad enough to keep an unprofitable cow for a 
season, but it is deliberately throwing away good food to breed from 
such a cow, with the proof before you that the heifer will never pay 
for her keep. Of course, no males will be kept of such crosses for 
breeding purposes.” 

Proper Age of Breeding Dairy Heifers —This must 
depend, to a great extent, upon the way in which they have been 
reared. If they have been fed on food which has made them strong 
and their growth has been developed without restraint, they may 
safely be served by a bull at eighteen months old. At such an age 
it is wbse to select a small bull, because a young dam will be able to 
more perfectly supply the necessary sustenance while she is carrying 
it. 

Reasons why Dairy Heifers should Breed at an 
Early Age —First, it brings her earlier to the service of the 
dairy; second, it makes her more inclined to be docile and handled 
easily; third, her milking faculty is more easily aroused than if its 
action be delayed, and the cow is likely to prove a better milker. 
But the dairyman who breeds thus early from his heifers, must 
have given the stock good care and good food. Those who do not 
take special care of their cattle should not undertake to breed from 
them till they are three or four years of age. But the best dairy 
cows are made from heifers which calve for the first time before 
they are three years old. 

Best Breeds of Cows for Milk —The Ayrshire is espe- 
cially the cow of the milkman. She is small and developed in 
every point that shows a tendency to the yielding of large quantities 
of milk, and she is of that delicate organization, which, without 
exception, accompanies the giving of rich milk. Whether the 
farmer’s business be the sale of milk or its manufacture into dairy 
products, the Ayrshire takes the lead in the list of pure bred cattle. 
For butter she is not inferior to any other in the quantity which 
may be produced. 

The Devon has good characteristics, and may be classed as a 
medium dairy cow. She has the advantage of a calm temper, is 

69 



1090 


BREEDING BEEF CATTLE. 


easily kept and not difficult to manage. She is also an easy 

milker. ' 

The Jersey is par excellence the butter cow. The quantity 
which the Jersey cow yields is smaller than that of the Ayrsliires, 
Short-horn milkers or Dutch cattle, but the milk is particularly 
rich. in cream, and the richness of the cream itself and thorough¬ 
ness with which the butter elements of the food are converted, have 
ranked the Jersey as the most profitable of all milch cows for butter 
farms. 

Dutch Cattle, into which the Shorthorn inheritance largely 
enters, are large milkers. 

The Holsteins are quick feeders and turn their feed into milk 
readily. Their value as milkers nearly approaches that of the Jer¬ 
seys, and they are a profitable stock to breed from. 


BREEDING BEEF CATTLE. 

How to Select Stock for Beef Production —The 

main object sought in breeding cattle for meat is a constitution 
that will take on flesh rapidly and distribute it in the most advan¬ 
tageous way throughout the system. The selection of breeds should 
be subject to the same general rules in regard to climate, etc., as for 
dairy cattle. Cows should be selected from breeds which unite 
flesh producing qualities in the highest degree and should have 
more or less pure blood. The milk yield in these animals is not 
important, as a cow is not required to give more milk than sufficient 
to supply its calf for six months or so. The bull to lead a beef- 
producing herd should be of pure blood whatever the particular 
breed may be. He should be strong, vigorous, and a good specimen 
of his class, but not coarse. His bones should be fine, the hair 
upon his skin good and thick, and the flesh, as felt under the skin, 
elastic. His color is not important except as it may represent his 
breed. His flesh should be well laid on in the beef parts, and he 
should combine as nearly as may be the desirable points of a model 
of his breed. 

To Ensure Good Results in Breeding — Young beef 
animals should be supplied with an abundance of good care and 
shelter and food and water, and cows and bulls should be always 
kept well, so that their condition shall be good; this is not so much 
on their own account as to protect their offspring from misfortune, 
because cattle produce flesh most rapidly and to the best advantage 
when they have good care, and the tendency of the parents in this 
regard will be inherited bv the offspring. Such a bull as we have 
described can be used to the best advantage upon native cows, and 
a grade bull which has been bred carefully and with a defined pur¬ 
pose, will be almost as valuable to the beef-cattle breeder as a 



BREEDING BEEF CATTLE. 


1091 


thoroughbred. An inferior bull should never be used under any 
circumstances. Ileifers should not be subjected to the bull at so 
early an age as for dairy purposes. Two years is } r oung enough, 
for it is desirable that they have full opportunity to reach maturity 
and a fair size. 

Proper Age to Slaugliter Beef Cattle —Beef cattle 
should not be kept longer than four years. This is especially in 
regard to cattle of good breeds. They reach their proper ripeness 
at from three to four years of age. Short-horn, Hereford, 
througlibred, or high grades of stocks usually attain a weight 
of sixteen hundred to two thousand pounds during the fall and 
winter next preceding their slaughter, and lighter weight cattle 
fifteen hundred to sixteen hundred pounds. Up to this point, cattle 
may be profitably kept, but not longer, unless they are intended for 
exhibition. Common herds will not fatten so well at the age men¬ 
tioned, but in reality, where the very best beef is sought or where 
the breeder is looking to the utmost return from his herd, these are 
really not desirable cattle to be fattened. 

Value of Cross Breeding- lor Beef Production— 
The crossing; of native cows with well-bred stocks, where the sole 
object is beef, is desirable, as it enables these poorer classes of cattle 
to be turned to better account. This is illustrated forcibly by the 
experience of breeders in the State of Texas, where, according to the 
Report of the Superintendent of the Census, in 1S80, the introduc¬ 
tion of limb-grade Short-horn bulls from Kansas and Missouri 
among the herds in the Pan Handle of Texas was attended with the 
utmost success, the second cross between such bulls and the Texas 
cows being estimated to average, in good herds, eleven hundred 
pounds at three and-a-half years old, while the native Texan steer of 
the same age could only be made to attain a weight of eight hun¬ 
dred and five pounds. But the report adds that the further improve¬ 
ment of the herds beyond the the first cross of the Short-horn bull 
and the Texas cow is not deemed advisable, since the high-grade 
thus produced fails to thrive as well as the half-breed during the 
scarcity of feed, not being as good a “ hustler ” as the straight Texas 
or half-breed. 

Best Breeds for Producing- Beef —The first in the list 
of beef-producing animals is the Short-Horn breed. The Short¬ 
horns have the utmost merit as a flesh-producing animal, for they 
arrive at maturity at a very early age, and are perhaps the most 
desirable stock for the purpose of grading up a herd of common 
cattle. At three years a well-fed short-horn is fit for the shambles. 
His breed gives a quick return both for the feed and money in¬ 
vested, and is very desirable for the breeder. 

The Devon is entitled to a place in the first rank, for the 
delicacy of the flesh and the fineness of its fiber. It matures early 

_as early as the Short-horn--and its meat is considered as having a 

finer grain, being more juicy, and lean and fat more desirably inter- 


1092 


BREEDING BEEF CATTLE. 


mixed. American butchers always prefer the Devons when they can 
be obtained. In the Southern States the Devon is the breed preferred 
to all others. They endure the climate favorably. They take food 
rapidly and easily, and they are more exempt from disease than 
some other stock. 

The West Highland cattle are considered very desirable in the 
English markets, and bring quite an amount more for their beef 
than ordinary breeds. This animal lays on flesh w T ell in the desir¬ 
able parts, and the fat and lean are mixed to great advantage. In 
his native country his high feeding commences at about three years, 
lie has good summer pasture, with an allowance of meal and roots, 
and in winter is given plenty of straw; at four he is fit for the 
market. The fact that the Highland cattle have realized so well in 
their own country, and have such a high price as a food article when 
converted into beef, and their adaptation to cold and narrow food, 
makes them very valuable for the northern latitudes of the United 
States. The bulls have a decided prepotency, and transmit to their 
offspring when crossed with other breeds the same tendencies to 
flesh and hardihood that they themselves possess. This is an ex¬ 
ceedingly desirable breed to be crossed with our native stock. 

The Long-Horn is a good beef animal; he feeds w r ell, and 
makes good returns from the butcher’s flock; he is easy to handle, 
his skin has an elastic touch, and his tallow is good. 

The Hereford is a superior beef animal; at three or four years 
having had proper care, he is prepared for slaughter. In England, 
this beast has a great reputation as a true one for the grazier to 
keep. In the American Agriculturist , A. B. Allen says: “ As fat 
cattle the Herefords have lately held a sharp rivalry with the Short¬ 
horns, and their beef is in high favor in the London markets. We 
think the stock at Albany would compare favorably with the best 
we have met of this breed in England. We found these cattle to 
excel particularly in the brisket and loin, two very important points 
in all animals destined for the butchers; and being of great consti¬ 
tution and hardy, they make most excellent grazing cattle.” The 
Herefords have been introduced in the West, and are found to cross 
well in native stock, and with Texan blood. It is a good beef-pro¬ 
ducing breed, whether kept closely in-bred or crossed with other 
blood. It may not mature quite so early as the Short-horn, but the 
grazier might go further and fare worse when he is looking about 
for the sort of blood which he desires to introduce into his herd. 

The Galloway is a good meat-producing breed, and, indeed, this 
is their main excellence, as they are not good milkers. They are as 
well-sized as the large common cattle of the country, and mature 
as early as the Herefords. Galloway bulls have remarkable prepo¬ 
tency, and are a desirable cross for native cows. This class are 
hardy breeders. 

The stock raiser engaged in the production of beef cattle will 
find it profitable to study the department on “ Feeding.” 


BREEDING SHEEP. 


1093 


BREEDING SHEEP. 

Breeds of Sheep—The Merino Saxon —These sheep are 
comparatively speaking tender, but they seem to be hardier than the 
parent German stock. In docility, patience under confinement, 
maturity and longevity they resemble the Merinos from which they 
are descended, but ordinarily do not mature so early nor live so long. 
They are poor nurses, and unless their lambs are sheltered and 
carefully watched they are more likely to perish, as they are smaller 
and feebler. They are lighter than the Merinos, consume less food, 
and do not fatten so well. The fleece will weigh on an average 
from two and a quarter to three pounds. The inferiority of the 
American Saxon wool to that of Germany is not due to climate or 
natural causes, nor to want of skill on the part of breeders. It is 
because few American manufacturers are willing to make the dis¬ 
crimination in prices which would render it profitable to produce 
this exquisite wool, and until American manufacturers are willing 
to pay as much for these wools at home as they do when brought 
from abroad, these sheep cannot be raised successfully in this 
country. 

The Bakewell or Improved Leicester —This is a 
large-sized sheep, but smaller than the Leicester, of which it is an 
improvement. It fattens readily when food is plenty, but will not 
bear hard stocking, nor can it “ hustle ” for food. It is peculiarly a 
lowland sheep and should have luxuriant herbage, when it will 
mature early. Its wool is of a good combing quality and makes 
fine worsteds. The fleece of this sheep will weigh about six pounds, 
but is not in favor in cloth manufacture. Its mutton is of good 
quality but lacks flavor. This sheep can only be recommended on 
rich lowland farms, in the vicinity of profitable markets. 

The Best Sheep for Mutton is the healthy and hardy 
Southdown, which endures the American winters well, and is an 
admirable sheep for crossing with natives for the production of 
mutton. The ewes are prolific breeders and good nurses. In a 
o-ood Southdown the wool is short, close, curly and even, free from 
spi'ry projecting fibres. It is cultivated principally for its mutton. 
Its early maturity and extreme aptitude to lay on flesh render it 
peculiarly valuable for this purpose. High fed wethers have reached 
thirty-two and even forty pounds per quarter. 

The Improved Cotswolcl, which has been successfully 
used for cross-breeding in this country, is a large breed with long 
and abundant fleece, and the ewes are very prolific and good nurses. 
The wool is strong, mellow and of good curl, though rather coarse, 
six to eight inches in length and weighing from seven to eight 
pounds per fleece. The quality of the mutton is superior to that of 
the New Leicester, with which it has been crossed to advantage, the 
tallow beiim less abundant, with a larger development of muscle or 

flesh. 


1094 


BREEDING SHEEP. 


In America, selection of breeds for mutton usually lies, accord¬ 
ing to tlie best authorities, between the Southdown, blew Leicester 
and Improved Cotswolds. 

Best Sheep for Large Herds —If it is desirable to keep 
sheep in large numbers, the Southdown will herd better than the 
others. If the feed be liable to become short during the summer 
and there is not a certainty of the supply of the best winter feed, the 
Southdown will endure short keep with less injury than other breeds. 
If the market calls for choice and high-flavored mutton, the South- 
down possesses a decided superiority. It will live and thrive where 
the long-wooled sheep will dwindle away. They appear to travel 
better than the long-wooled sheep and they better fulfill the con¬ 
ditions of a mutton sheep in size and other particulars. 

What Sheep are Superior for Wool —For the pro¬ 
duction of wool only, none of these varieties seem able to stand com¬ 
parison with the Merino in this country. According to estimates that 
have been made by experiment, the herbage of an acre that would 
yield fifteen pounds of Merino wool, will give but twelve pounds of 
Leicester and nine and three-fifths pounds of Southdown wool. The 
Leicester is no hardier than the Merino; indeed, experience seems 
to indicate that it is less hardy. Under most favorable circum- 
stances it is more subject to colds and its constitution breaks up 
more rapidly under disease. Its lambs are more liable to die from 
exposure under unfavorable circumstances; herded in large flocks, 
pinched for food, or subjected to long journeys, its capacity for 
endurance and its ability to rally cannot compare with those of the 
Merino. 

Comparative Values of Different Breeds —The high¬ 
bred Southdown is the only sheep which seems able to stand on a 
footing of equality with the Merino. It is questionable if it will 
bear as hard stocking as the Merino does without diminution in 
Size and quality; but it has peculiar merits both as a mutton and 
wool producing sheep and is also a very prolific breeder. The Im¬ 
proved Cotswolds are hardier than the Leicesters; they are prolific 
and make good grazing animals. Prize animals of this breed have 
been known to reach three hundred pounds; they are large feeders 
and their size renders it necessary that they should have a large 
quantity of food. The coarse-wooled sheep have one advantage 
over the Merino, because their hoofs do not grow so long and thus 
hold dirt and filth in constant contact with the foot, and they are 
therefore less subject to foot diseases, and when contracted the dis¬ 
ease spreads among them with less violence and malignity. The 
coarser wooled sheep are superior to the Merino for purposes of 
mutton, but the authorities do not admit that this is true to so great 
an extent as is generally claimed. The mutton of the cross between 
the Merino and the native sheep will be found preferable to that of 
the Leicester for consumption in America. It is short-grained, 
tender and of good flavor, and this mav be said also of other En<>*- 


BREEDING SHEEP. 


1095 


lish varieties. Grade Merino wethers (say half bloods) are the favor¬ 
ites with the northern drovers and butchers. They are of good size, 
of extraordinary weight in proportion to their bulk, on account of 
the shortness of their wool, as compared with coarse-breeds; make 
good mutton and tallow; while their pelts from the greater weight 
of wool on them command an extra price. 

Crossing of Merinos with Southdowns and Leices- 
ters —The value of the Merino—the breed to which the American 
wool-grower has to look for his most profitable sheep—for crossing 
with the native stock has been alluded to. Experiments have also 
been made in crossing with the Southdowns and Leicesters, with the 
result in the former case, that the Southdown disposition to take on 
mutton manifested itself, even to the third generation, which is seven- 
eighths Merino and one-eightli Southdown. The fleeces are lighter 
than the Merino, but increase in weight with each cross backward 
to the Merino blood. The mutton is of delicious flavor and retains 
some of the superiority of the Southdown mutton. The cross with 
the Leicester is not so profitable, but the wool produced is shorter, 
finer and more compact than that of the Leicester and the sheep 
showy and profitable,‘being well calculated to please most farmers. 
These are experiments and are not offered as a guide. The farmer 
will do better to cross the common sheep with either of these breeds, 
according as he may desire to produce mutton or wool. 

How Sheep are to be Bred Up —The breeder should first 
decide whether it will pay him better to raise sheep principally for 
wool or for mutton. The resources of his farm, the cost of feeding 
and the prominent advantages of the most available market, indicat¬ 
ing in which direction the greater profit may be sought, will enable 
him to settle that point. Then if he elect to choose wool-farming, 
he should select good grade or common ewes and breed from the 
purest Merino ram from which he can get service. Then by a care¬ 
ful system of in-breeding he can steadily perfect his flock to the 
best standard, reserving for breeding purposes those sheep which 
show the highest points and disposing of the others. The breeder 
must give attention to detail and work with a definite object. He 
should mate so as to supply the defective points in one animal by 
prominent excellence in that particular point in the one of opposite 
sex The results in these respects will amply justify the wisdom of 
careful selection. If the ram be long-legged, a short-legged ewe 
should be selected for him. If his wool be gummy, a dry-wooled 
ewe should be mated with him. If the fleece be a trifle below the 
proper standard of fineness, but the ram has been recommended for 
weight of fleece and general excellence, then he should be put upon 
thelinest and lightest fleeced ewes. Having a selection of rams, 
this system of counter-balancing would require no great skill, if 
each parent possessed one point. Then by in-and-in breeding, 
rendered free from objection by the system recommended in the 
o-eneral article on breeding, he can select the best results of his work 


1096 


BREEDING SHEEP. 


and improve liis flock up to almost any required standard. The 
same course will be followed for mutton. Taking a grade Merino 
or common ewe, it will be crossed for improvement in mutton with 
tlie Southdown, Improved Cotswold or New Leicester, and by care¬ 
ful attention to the practice laid down for bis guidance, liewill soon 
have a flock which will he a source of pleasure and profit to him. 

Care of Ewes in Lambing —Much care and watchfulness 
are required in attending to the sheepfold during lambing time. 
If the weather is warm and pleasant and the nights not cold, it is 
better that the lambing take place in the pasture. Sheep are more 
disposed to own and take kindly to the young than in the confusion 
of a small enclosure. In cold weather, however, shelter for that 
purpose is necessary. The shed or enclosure for yeaning should be 
kept clean by frequent litterings of straw; but not enough to em¬ 
barrass the lamb in rising, as in a dirty enclosure the lambs get 
fouled in their first attempts to rise, and the ewe refuses to lick 
them dry, which increases the danger of freezing. The ewe does not 
often require assistance in lambing. The labor will sometimes be 
prolonged for three or four hours, but if let alone nature will gener¬ 
ally relieve her. The objection to interfering, except as a last resort, 
is that the ewe is frightened when caught and her efforts to expel 
the lamb will cease. 

Care of the Young Lamb —While the lamb is tumbling 
about and attempting to rise, it is best to be in no haste to interfere. 
A lamb that gets to the teats without help and gets even a little 
milk will generally he able to take care of itself. If helped, it will 
continue to expect it and do but little for itself for two or three days. 
The same is true when lambs are fed from the spoon or bottle. But 
if the lamb ceases to make efforts to rise, particularly if the ewe 
have left off licking it while it is wet and dirty, it is time for the 
shepherd to render his assistance. It is better not to throw the ewe 
down, but to put the lamb to the teat in the natural position. The 
young lamb is usually exceedingly stupid and patience is required. 
Sometimes milking a little into the young lamb’s mouth, holding 
the latter close to the teat, will induce it to take hold. 

Supplying Alternative Food —If the ewe have no milk 
the lamb should be fed until the natural supply commences with 
small quantities of the milk of a neiv milch-vow. This should be 
mixed, say half and half, with water—with enough of molasses to 
give it the purgative effect of the first milk—gently warmed to the 
natural heat (not scalded and suffered to cool), and then fed through 
a bottle with a sponge in the opening of it, which the lamb should 
suck, if it can be induced to do so. If the milk is poured from the 
bottle or a spoon into its mouth, it is frequently afterward difficult 
to induce it to suck, and moreover unless milk is poured into the 
mouth slowly and with great care—no faster than the lamb can 
swallow—a speedy wheezing, the infallible precursor of death, will 


BREEDING SHEEP. 


1097 


show that a portion of the fluid has been forced into the lungs. 
Lambs are frequently killed in this way. 

IIow to Treat Lambs in Various Emergencies —If 

a lamb become chilled, it should be wrapped in a woolen blanket 
and placed in a warm room—giving a little milk, as above directed, 
as soon as it will swallow. A tritie of pepper may sometimes be 
placed in the milk to rouse the torpid stomach to action. An old 
custom in the New England states is to “ bake ” the sheep, as it is 
called—put it in a blanket in a moderately heated oven, with the 
door open of course, till warmth and animation are restored. Others 
immerse it in tepid water, and then rub it dry. This is said to be 
an excellent method when the lamb is nearly frozen. A good 
blanket, a warm room, with sometimes gentle friction, will generally 
suffice. If a ewe with a strong bag of milk chance to lose her 
lamb, she should be supplied with the twin of another or the lamb 
of a weaker or young ewe. Sometimes the skin is taken from the 
dead lamb and sewn upon the lamb she is required to foster. 
After she has well taken to it, the false skin may be removed. If 
no lamb is supplied, the milk should be drawn a few times, or gorget 
may ensue. When milked it is well to wash the bag for some time 
in cold water. This checks the subsequent secretion of milk as 
well as abates inflammation. Young lambs are subject to what is 
technically called “ pinning ”—that is, their first excrements are so 
adhesive and tenacious that the orifice of the anus is closed and 
subsequent evacuations prevented. The adhering matter should be 
entirely removed with a sponge and warm water, and the part rub¬ 
bed with a little dry clay to prevent subsequent adhesion. Lambs 
will frequently perish from this cause if not looked to for the first 
few days. 

Weaning Lambs —Lambs should be weaned at four months 
old. It is better both for the young and the dam. When taken 
away they should be put into a distant field away from the ewes so 
that they cannot hear each other’s bleating. The lambs when in 
hearing distance of their dams continue restless much longer, and 
they make constant and frequently successful efforts to crawl 
through the fences which separate them. One or two tame old ewes 
should be turned into the enclosure with them to teach them to 
come at the call, find salt when thrown to them, and eat grain, etc., 
out of the trough as winter approaches. The dams, on the contrary, 
should be put upon short, dry feed, to stop the flow of milk. The 
udder should be looked to occasionally; if greatly distended it 
should be relieved once or twice by milking, and washed with cold 
water. When properly dried off, they should be given good food 
to recruit and get in condition for the winter. 

Emasculation and Hocking —These should usually pre¬ 
cede washing, as at that period the oldest lambs will be about a 
month old, and it is safer to perform that operation when they are 
about a couple of weeks younger. Dry pleasant weather should be 


1098 


BREEDING- SHEEP. 


selected. Castration is a simple and safe process: clip off the end 
of the pouch, free the testicle from the enclosing membrane, and 
draw it out or clip the cord with a knife if it does not snap at the 
proper place. If the weather is very warm a little salt may be dropped 
into the pouch. An ointment of tar, lard and turpentine may be ap¬ 
plied and also to the stump of the docked tail, but they will generally 
do as well without any application. Cut the tail off with a chisel 
on a block, an inch and a half from the body, drawing up the skin 
so that it will cover the stump after it is severed. It may occur to 
some, unused to keeping sheep, that it is unnecessary to cut off the 
tail. If left on it is apt to collect filth, and if the sheep purges, to 
become an intolerable nuisance. 

Rams —The period of gestation in the ewe averages five 
months. Merino rams are frequently used from the first to the 
tenth year and even longer. The lambs of very old rams are not 
supposed to be as vigorous as those of younger stock, but where 
the rams have not been overtasked and have been properly fed, 
there will be really very little difference. A ram lamb should not 
be used, as it retards his growth, injures his form and impairs his 
vigor and courage. A yearling may run with thirty ewes; a two- 
year-old with forty to fifty, and a three-year-old with fifty to sixty. 
Powerful, mature rams will serve seventy or eighty, but it is to 
be remembered that an impoverished or overtasked animal does not 
transmit his individual properties so decidedly to his offspring as 
one in full vigor. It is bad husbandry to have several rams run¬ 
ning in the same flock, as they excite each other to unnatural and 
unnecessary activity, besides injuring each other by blows. Besides, 
it is destructive of careful and judicious breeding, as the nice 
adaptation of the male to the female, to counteract defects by points 
of excellence, which has been described and is necessary to the best 
results, cannot be accomplished where there are half a dozen or more 
rams running promiscuously with two or three hundred ewes. 
Before the rams are let out, the flockmaster should have all the 
breeding ewes brought together into one yard, and an examination 
should be made of the points of different lots, which should be 
marked so as to show by wdiat ram they have been served, and then 
placed in separate enclosures. The rams should be selected, with 
the view to perpetuate the excellences of fleece and carcass of the 
ewes, and to counterbalance defects. In four weeks time the rams 
may be withdrawn and the flocks then arranged as desired for the 
winter. Rams will do better, accomplish more, and last two or 
three years longer if daily fed with grain when in service, and it is 
well to follow it, gradually decreasing the quantity, for a short time 
after withdrawn from the ewes. A ram, when worked hard, should 
receive from half to a pint of oats daily, or its equivalent. They 
may be taken out of the flocks at night and shut up in a barn or 
stable by themselves, with saving to their strength. Rams should 
not be suffered to run with the ewes over a month, at least at the 


BREEDING SHEEP. 


1099 


North. It is better that a ewe go dry than that she have a lamb 
after the first of June. And after the rutting season is over, the 
rams become cross and frequently strike the pregnant ewes danger¬ 
ous blows with their heavy horns. 

How Flocks Should he Divided —If sheep are shut up 
in small enclosures during the winter, according to the Northern 
custom, it is necessary to divide them into flocks of about one hun¬ 
dred each, to consist of sheep of about the same size and strength. 
Otherwise the strong will rob the weaker and the latter rapidly 
decline. This is better even in summer, as the poorer and feebler 
can thus receive better pasture or a little more grain and shelter in 
winter. By those who grow wool to any great extent, breeding 
ewes, lambs and wethers are invariably kept in separate flocks in 
winter, and it is best to keep yearling sheep by themselves with a 
few of the smallest two-year-olds,- and any old crones which are 
noted for their excellence as breeders, but which cannot maintain 
themselves in the flock. 

Clipping- the Hoofs —The hoofs of flne-wooled sheep grow 
rapidly, turn up in front and under at the sides, and must be clip¬ 
ped as often as once a year, or they become unsightly and accumu¬ 
late filth, and if it does not originate the hoof-evil, as claimed by 
some, greatly aggravates it and increases the difficulty of curing it. 
Clipping may be advantageously done at washing time while the 
hoof is clean, and the horn softened. They should be cut by toe 
nippers, or a chisel and mallet, and pared to the level of the soles 
with a sharp knife—the closer the better so long as it does not 
bleed. 

Time for Washing Sheep —This is usually done in the 
North about the first of June. The climate of the Southern states 
will permit of its being done earlier. The rule should be to wait 
until the water is warm enough for bathing and cold rains and 
storms and cold nights are no longer expected. The washers should 
be strong and careful men, and the sheep should be quickly but 
thoroughly washed, taking care not to keep the animal long enough 
in the water to give a chill. It is a great object, not only as a mat¬ 
ter of propriety and honesty, but of profit, to get the wool clean 
and of a snowy whiteness. It will always sell for more than enough 
extra in this condition to offset for the increased labor and diminu¬ 
tion of weight. 

Proper Time Between Washing and Shearing—This 

will depend altogether upon circumstances. If the weather be 
bright and warm, four or five days will suffice. If cold and rainy, 
and cloudy, more time must elapse. The rule is that the water 
should be thoroughly dried out, and the natural oil of the wool so 
far exude as to give the fleece an unctuous feel, and a lively, glit¬ 
tering look. If you shear it when dry like.cotton, you cheat your¬ 
self in weight, and the wool will not keep so well for long periods. 


1100 


BREEDING HOGS. 


If you leave it till it gets too oily, you will either cheat the manu • 
facturer, or what more often happens, you will lose in the price. 


BREEDING HOGS. 

Breeds of Hogs—The Berkshires —We have no native 
American hogs, strictly speaking, as originally the entire species 
came from Europe, and in great part from the British Isles. The 
Improved Berkshires were introduced in the United States about 
1830, and within ten years had been carried into every State in the 
Union. When first introduced they created quite a furore among 
the breeders, but complaint was subsequently made that they were 
not large enough. Still it was not infrequently found that Berk¬ 
shire thoroughbreds and their grades dressed four hundred pounds 
at a year old, and that at eighteen or twenty months they could be 
made to weigh from five hundred to six hundred pounds dressed. 
The demand however was for larger hogs, and a reaction set in with 
somewhat of prejudice against the breed. 

The Improved Essex to a large extent took its place. This 
breed, English writers declare to be one of the best products of the 
small black breeds, but beyond doubt it has been greatly improved 
as to the size and condition by the Berkshire cross. It somewhat 
resembles the latter, and is well calculated to produce pork and 
hams of the very finest quality. It occupies in the black breeds the 
same place that the Cumberland Yorks do among the white; and 
the improved Essex is sure to improve the product of any dark- 
colored sow. Originally the Essex hog was a parti-colored animal, 
black, with white shoulders, nose and legs. It was improved by 
Lord Western by crossing with the Neapolitan breed of pigs 
brought from Italy. The improved Essex was created by in-and- 
in breeding in the Neapolitan cross, and it is undoubtedly as fine as 
any that can be found in the United States or England at this day. 
Early maturity and an excellent quality of flesh are among the 
merits of the Improved Essex. They produce the best “ jointers,” 
and with age attain good weight, frequently making five hundred 
pounds at twenty-four months old. This breed is invaluable as a 
cross, being used to give quality and early maturity to any breed. 
The defect, if it be such, of the Improved Essex is a certain delicacy 
or an excessive aptitude to fatten, which, unless carefully counter¬ 
acted by exercise and diet, often diminishes the fertility of the sows, 
and causes difficultv in rearing the young. 

The Large Yorkshire —The Yorkshire breed enters very 
largely into the composition of some of the best breeds we have, and 
which as in a sense new breeds will be considered by themselves. 
It is believed to be the most thoroughbred hog known. It is the 
most valuable swine to cross with for these reasons: 1. They are of 
the size, shape and flesh that are desired for the family or the 



BREEDING HOGS. 


1101 


packer’s use. 2. They have a hardy, vigorous constitution and a 
good coat of hair, protecting the skin so well that it hardly ever 
freezes or blisters, either in extreme cold or hot weather. 3. They 
are quiet and good grazers, and fatten well and quickly at any age. 
4. They are prolific and good mothers, and the young never vary in 
color, and so little in shape that their form when matured may be 
determined in advance by an inspection of the sire and dam. 

Chester County Whites —This is the best known and 
most popular breed of pigs perhaps in the United States. It is 
large, rather coarse, hardy, of sound constitution, and well adapted 
to the mode of business to which most farmers are accustomed. A 
desirable cross is a Chester White with a thoroughbred Essex, Berk¬ 
shire or small Yorkshire boar. If the first cross does not yield 
pigs which have a sufficient refinement, and the tendency to early 
maturing and rapid fattening which is sought, the best sows of that 
litter should be selected for breeding and themselves crossed with a 
thoroughbred, when the best results may be looked for. If it is 
desirable to raise pigs which may be slaughtered at the age of four or 
five months, then the second litter may be again crossed as before 
to good advantage. Hog breeders ordinarily consider that this is as 
far as in-and-in breeding should extend. 

Cheshire or Jefferson County Hogs —These are white 
hogs, quite as large as the Chester and decidedly handsomer, and 
distinguished by fine hair, short snout, well-developed jowl, and 
small bones. It is claimed to be a breed originated in Jefferson 
County, N. Y., but is decidedly a derivative of the Yorkshire breed. 
It is valuable to cross with the Chester, and also with the Berkshire, 
Essex or Suffolk, but the product will not be so large as with the 
first named. Sanders, editor of the National Live-Stock Journal, 
says: “ As bred by me, I regarded them as among the best of hogs. 
They were well-haired, had a very delicate pink skin, and their 
meat was most excellent, tender and juicy.” 

The Polancl-Chinas— This is a favorite breed with the 
farmers of the Northwest and West. Aside from all the prevalent 
disputes as to its origin, the fact remains that it is one of the best 
getters of good pork nogs, and that it can be relied upon to answer 
the purposes which the pork raiser has in view, in size, mildness, 
strength and constitution, while in prepotency as to color and feed¬ 
ing qualities, it has no equal. It can be crossed to good advantage 
with well-bred Berkshires. Poland-China sows produce what are 
said to be as good feeding and fattening hogs as can be found in any 
country, when crossed with well-bred Berkshire boars. In his val¬ 
uable work on “The Hog,” Hr. Chase says, concerning this breed, 
that while he would not deem it wise for a small farmer, or one who 
fattens but a few hogs each year, to keep Poland-Chinas, the 
farmer who raises and fattens from twenty to one hundred head a 
year, or more than that number, cannot, in his judgment, find a hog 
which is superior to this breed. Coburn, in his book on “ Swine 


1102 


BREEDING- HOGS. 


Husbandry,” expresses the correct idea of this breed in the follow¬ 
ing forcible manner: u Controversies as to the precise crosses, and 
by whom or under what circumstances they were made forty years 
ago, to form the breed of hogs now known as the Poland-Chinas, 
may be of interest to a few; but what is vastly more important to 
millions of people is the fact that there has been produced a race of 
swine, now bearing that name, which very many severely practical 
and intelligent men consider the best pork-producing machines 
known, in fact nearer to what the farmers of the great West need 
than any other single breed in existence.” 

How to Breed Hog's — First Essential — The first 

thing for a farmer who desires to breed hogs is to select his boar. 
In this, he should first decide upon the breed of animals which he 
desires to raise, and the purpose of breeding. If he desire to raise 
stock to sell for their breed, he must have thoroughbred boars to 
couple with thoroughbred sows. If breeding for the market, he 
should secure a thoroughbred boar or the services of one, and cross 
with sows of good grade, that will produce either pigs that will 
mature early, or stock that will reach a large growth. The charac¬ 
teristics of the different breeds as above given will guide him in 
this respect. A breeder wishing to keep his sows fifteen to twenty 
months cannot do better than to select a good-sized, strong, some¬ 
what coarse sow, having more or less of the Chester blood. Serve 
such a sow with a well-bred Essex, Berkshire or Yorkshire boar. It 
never pays to use a common boar. 

How to Manage the Breeding Sow —Pigs cast early 
in the spring need not suckle more than five or six weeks, and a sow 
properly taken care of will take the boar again within a week after 
her pigs are weaned. The breeding sow should have the run of 
pasture during summer, and if this does not give her all she seems 
to need, she should have swill or milk with a few ears of corn daily. 
She should not be made too fat, but should have plenty of exercise, 
and be kept in just good condition. If she feed her pigs 'well, 
they will get the benefit of nearly all the fat she would accumulate 
before they are weaned. 

Care of the Young Litter —A couple of weeks before 
pigs are expected, the sow should be put into a pen where she can 
be alone at night, so that she will become familiar with the place. 
She should be allowed to run in and out in daytime, but should not 
be fed in the pen. If the sow is in good condition, she will have 
no trouble in dropping her young, which will come strong and un¬ 
doubtedly suckle within a few minutes after birth. She should 
have all the milk or slop she can take as soon as she gets up. 
After the sow has eaten and gone back to her bed, it is well to no¬ 
tice whether there is any sound from the young pigs to indicate 
whether she is lying on them or not, and then they can be taken 
care of. During the first ten days give her no grain. For further 


BREEDING HOGS. 


1103 


information on the care of the sow and the young pigs, see article 
on “ Feeding,” page 1128. 

Castration —If the pigs are not of pure breed none of them 
will he kept for breeding purposes. Of the sows, pick out as many 
exhibiting the best points, as it is desirable to keep for breeding. 
The male pigs should be castrated when from five to seven weeks 
old, and the sows will fatten better, reach a better weight, and make 
better pork if spayed. The time for this operation is about ten days 
before weaning. 

Weaning’ —If the sow is not in good condition, weaning 
should take place at two months; if she is, then nine to twelve 
weeks will be the proper time. After weaning, the young pigs 
should be put in a clean, well-ventilated and wind-tight pen, which 
should be kept dry and supplied with enough straw to enable them 
to bury themselves in it. With pigs, warmth is almost equivalent 
to food. 

Importance of Soundness in Breeding Hogs —Per¬ 
fect heath of the parent animals is essential to successful breeding. 
It is absolutely indispensable. The slightest manifestation of ten¬ 
dency to disease should lead to rejection of either sow or boar. If 
the pigs show a tendency to disease and the parents appear healthy, 
there need not be any doubt in drawing the conclusion that there is 
some disease in the parents which is not apparent, and the offspring 
should not be allowed to breed in their turn, but should be fattened 
and sold. 

Management of Throughbred Stock —Thorough¬ 
bred pigs should be allowed plenty of space to roam over. The 
best authorities on the management of hogs say that it is not wise 
to try to breed more than one kind of thoroughbred stock on the 
same farm. The greatest care must be exercised to keep out from 
the breeding pens poor stock, that is animals which are not healthy 
and vigorous. 

Management of Hogs Kept for Breeding —There 
should be two boars at least for service, as a boar should not serve 
more than seventy-five to ninety sows in a season. A young boar 
should be well fed, but not allowed to get too fat. If he show too 
much fattening tendency, give him still enough to eat, but reduce 
the quality of "his food. At eight or nine months he may serve 
sows, but not so many as to injure his growth. One service of a 
sow is enough, for if you let him go to the sow as often as he wants 
to, he only wastes his energy while injuring the sow. A full-grown 
boar will not require as rich food as a growing one. He may serve 
from the middle of October until December from twenty to thirty 
sows, and as many in the spring. If the boar is exceedingly valu¬ 
able and it is intended to keep him for breeding for a number of 
years, he should not serve more than twelve to fifteen sows in a sea¬ 
son. If it is intended to castrate and fatten him as soon as the 
season is over, he may have all the sows he will go to. Generally, 


1104 


BREEDING HOGS. 


it is more profitable to fatten and castrate a boar at three years than 
to keep him longer, but this must depend largely upon his value 
and the possibility of replacing him. If the breeding sow has been 
farrowed in March, grows well, and is of an early breed, she may be 
served by the boar when she is eight months old. This early age 
might not do for ordinary stock; we refer to breeds that are intended 
expressly for breeding purposes, such as it is the interest of the 
farmer to keep for that object. It does not hurt a sow which is 
strong and healthy, with digestive powers in good order, to have a 
litter of pigs when she is a year old, and for the next two or three 
years she may have two litters a year. 


DIVISION TWENTY-SECOND. 


FEEDING LIVE-STOCK.. 


The subject of feeding embraces a very large and a very im¬ 
portant proportion of the economy of stock-breeding, on whatever 
scale it may be conducted. The object of the producer is, of course, 
to obtain the greatest return in value for his investment and the 
outlay thereon, in the live stock to which he devotes his attention* 
No amount of care and attention to breeding will ensure the best 
results without a corresponding care and attention to the matter of 
feeding, and it is just as essential to success, in the one case as in 
the other, that the work be governed by system and intelligent pur¬ 
pose. The importance of this cannot be over-estimated, and the 
information here conveyed, compiled from the highest authorities 
and epitomizing rules derived from the experience of the most 
prominent and successful breeders, will, if applied by the reader to 
the general management of his stock, be found of the greatest value 
and profit. Every farmer knows the value of his own experience, 
and is always ready to profit by that of his neighbors; but they are 
sometimes led by want of consideration to underrate the importance 
of that which is conveyed in a book. It should be understood that 
the knowledge contained in these pages is not mere book knowledge. 
It is on the contrary but the formulated experience of many practical 
and successful men in the different branches of stock-raising, 
acquired in a large measure by costly experiments, which no ordinary 
agriculturist can afford to make for himself, but which, if he pos¬ 
sess intelligence and appreciation, he can adapt to his own profit 
and benefit. Care has been exercised that everything herein con¬ 
tained is of real, substantial and practical value, and no one who is 
not so engrossed in that unprofitable self-wisdom, which shuts its 
eyes upon the advantages of improvement, can fail to derive from 
these pages, in one direction or another, the means of increasing the 
income and reducing the cost of whatever branch of stock-raising 
he may be most concerned in. Often a single item will prove of 
more value to him than the cost of the book. 


FEEDING OF HORSES. 

No other animal requires greater care, and none will yield a 
larger return therefor, than the horse. The first suggestion of the 
question “ How shall the horse be fed?” is that the demand made 
upon the muscular system of the horse is greater than upon that of 





1106 


FEEDING OF HORSES. 


any other domestic animal, and this in feeding has to be steadily 
borne in mind. It will be patent then that the food given shall 
have the deiinite purpose of supplying what the animal constitution 
requires to repair its waste, and to maintain health and strength in 
every organ of the physical structure. 

Feed for Mares While Carrying Foal. —The pasture of 
the mare while carrying foal should not be so rich as to tend 
greatly to fat, as this often creates liability to miscarriage, while, on 
the other hand if too little nutritive food be given, the foal will be 
starved in its fetal growth. Mares which have always been used to 
corn or oats, should after they are six months pregnant receive a 
feed or two daily. Half-bred mares, during the latter part of ges¬ 
tation, should have chaff and corn, with a few carrots added, still 
allowing them free run of good pasture. 

Food for tlie Young Colt. —Mare’s milk contains more of 
water in proportion than cow’s milk, and the colt which requires 
such definite care for the development of its bones and muscles 
should have any deficiency in the milk of the mother during the 
first six months’ supplied, because a deficiency at this period of its 
existence may devolve such peculiarities or weaknesses of constitu¬ 
tion as can be afterwards remedied with difficulty or not at all. The 
breeder should know the character of the mare as a milker for her 
colt, and in case of deficiency supply it by the milk of the cow, 
which is the natural substitute, the constituent and nutritive ele¬ 
ments being the same. In feeding this milk at the outset, it should 
be given just as it conies from the cow. As the colt acquires 
strength, skimmed milk may be advantageously used, the caseine 
forming good bone and muscle developing food. For a colt of 
two months, a quart of milk, fed at night or in the morning, will be 
found sufficient. A little practice will teach the young animal to 
take the cows’ milk with as much relish as that of its own dam. A 
little sugar added makes it more palatable, colts being fond of 
sweet. A few oats may be given after the first month, commencing 
with about a gill, gradually increasing to a quart. This is the 
English custom, and is only desirable in stock of special value, as a 
peck of oats a day will cost about $25 a year, and the animal at four 
years old will have cost $100 more than if fed on hay and grass 
alone. Oatmeal or bran, with flaxseed added, boiled in the propor¬ 
tion of half a pint to one gallon of water, may be given with advan¬ 
tage to a colt nine months old. This will prevent constipation, and 
keep the system cool and relaxed. 

Feed and Care of the Mare after Foaling —This is 
of the utmost importance to the young colt. In fine weather the 
mare may be let out with the foal two days after foaling, and it is 
better to keep them in an enclosure by themselves for a couple of 
months. Until she can get plenty of grass, the mare should have 
carrots, bran mashes, and an occasionarfeed of oats, the latter better 
given in the form of tepid gruel. Eye grass is good food for mares 


FEEDING OF HORSES. 


1107 


with early foals, but not so good as upland clover-grass. Lucerne, 
resembling the California alfalfa, is also good. The mare otherwise 
will require no special care, except that she must he well protected 
from the weather. 

Shelter for the Colt —Shelter from the weather should be 
provided for colts of all classes, and this is particularly necessary 
during their first winter. Warmth and protection from rain 
encourages the growth of all domestic animals, and in none more 
so than in the young colt. A colt neglected in this respect during 
its first winter never receives its proper shape, nor will it grow into 
the size and strength of body and limbs which naturally belong to 
its breed. 

Feed of Working' Brood Mares —A mare’s milk is 
easily affected by the condition of her nervous system, and she 
should not be subject to anything that will produce excitement. 
She may be given light work after the foal is three weeks old, but 
it should be of such a character that it can be performed without 
fatigue. She should have a run of rich pasture-grass, clover being 
better both for mare and foal; but if worked she should have in 
addition a ration of grain, which is improved if used in connection 
with linseed meal. When working the mare, the foal should not be 
allowed to run by her side, nor to draw milk while she is heated. 
She should receive invariable kind treatment. 

Weaning —The colt may be weaned about the end of the 
sixth month; when the teeth and stomach are quite strong'enough 
to digest the succulent grasses that are to be had from August to 
October. If the autumn is a dry one and grass scanty, a few 
steamed turnips or carrots may be given with bran, night and morn¬ 
ing. 

Food for the Growing Colt —Hiram Woodruff, in his 
work on “ The Trotting Horse of America,” says: “ When the colt 
is weaned, give him from three pints to two quarts of grain a day, 
the quantity varying according to size; for if he gives indications 
of large frame and loose habit he will require more than a compact 
colt which keeps in good order, and fills out with substance as he 
grows up. The pasturage is still the main thing, and when it 
begins to fail they should have all the hay they can eat. The grain 
should be good sound oats. Colts should not have corn when 
young, and even to old horses it should be fed sparingly. Give 
him along with this occasionally a nice warm mash. When the 
colt is a yearling his allowance of oats may be increased to four 
quarts a clay. This is the main-stay, but the other food should be 
good and abundant. “ My principle is to give oats sparingly until 
the time comes to put the horse to some work, and I think it will 
generally result in this; that the horse will have all the size that in 
the order of nature he should have, and will be of a much hardier, 
healthier and more enduring constitution than he would have had if 
he had been forced along rapidly with all the highly stimulating 


1108 


FEEDING OF HORSES. 


food he could consume. It will take longer to mature him by 
feeding only moderately of grain at this early period, but he is 
meant to last longer; and I repeat that early maturity is not favor¬ 
able to long endurance. By the other method you may show me a 
colt that will look more like a horse at two years old than mine will 
at three; and at three more like a grand horse than mine will at 
five. But now I shall begin to overtake you. When yours is five 
or six he is at or past his best. Put them together at eight and I 
have got by far the better and more useful horse. At ten you have 
got no horse at all worth mentioning; while mine is now ‘all horse’ 
and in his true jn-ime. 

“ If anybody thinks to follow the old starving, corn-stalk 
fodder, fed-in-the-snow system, under cover of what I have said on 
this subject, he must go to the devil his own road. My system is 
one of generous feeding, but not of stuffing a young colt with all 
the highly-stimulating food he can be got to swallow. Above all, 
avoid Indian corn in all shapes for young colts, and take care that 
they have plenty of pure water. If there be not a running stream 
in the pasture where they are kept, be sure they are watered at least 
three times a day and that they have all they want.” 

The intimate relation which exists between the trotting horse 
and the driving horse in this country will justify the application of 
Mr. Woodruff’s method—formulated from the results of his long 
and extraordinarily successful experience—to driving stock. 

Value of Proper Feeding of Colts — A horse that has 
never had any care may bring $125 to $175 in a good market, but 
if he had had all his life the care we have recommended he would 
have brought perhaps double the price, and the whole difference 
would have been gain, simply costing proper care, proper food, and 
in proper amounts, while his system was developing. Let the 
breeder look after this thing with the utmost caution, taking cir¬ 
cumspect care in these respects of the mare, when she is bearing 
foal and when she is suckling it, and of the foal itself during its 
development, and if he has introduced into the blood of his colt the 
proper strain, he can look confidently for constitution, endurance 
and strength, and the perfection of such other qualities as the breed 
of his animal indicates ; and he may rest assured that the return he 
will receive when the time for bill of sale arrives, will make him 
entirely satisfied with what he has done. 

Youatt oil Feeding of Foals —Youatt, in his work?on 
“ The Horse,” says, in reference to the feeding of foals early in life, 
that, “ There is no principle of greater importance than the liberal 
feeding of the foal during the whole of his growth, and at this time 
in particular, bruised oats and bran should form a considerable por¬ 
tion of his daily provender. The farmer may rest assured that 
money is well laid out which is expended on the liberal nourish¬ 
ment of the growing colt. However, while he is well fed, he 
should not be rendered delicate bv excess of care. A racing colt is 

v O 


FEEDING OF HORSES. 


1109 


sometimes stabled; but one that is destined to be a hunter, a 
hackney or an agricultural horse, should merely have a square rick 
from which to feed, under the leeward side of which he may shelter 
himself, or a shed in which he may find protection at night or from 
the rain.” 

Economy of Proper Manger-Feeding’ —There are no 
better directions of which we have any knowledge, concerning the 
food to be given horses, than those laid down by the same eminent 
author. Concerning manger-feeding, he very wisely says: There 
are few horses that do not habitually waste a portion of their hay; 
and by some, the greater part of it is pulled dow r n and trampled 
under foot, in order to cull the best and sweetest locks, and which 
could not be done while the hay was enclosed in the rack. A good 
feeder will sometimes pick up much of that which was thrown 
down; but some of it must be soiled and rendered disgusting, and 
in many cases one-third of this division of their food is wasted. 
Some of the oats and corn are imperfectly chewed by all horses and 
scarcely at all by hungry and greedy ones. The appearance of the 
excretions will sufficiently indicate this. 

Manger-Feeding —The observation of this induced the 
adoption of manger-feeding, or of mixing a portion of chaff with 
the corn or oats. By this means the animal is compelled to chew 
his food; he cannot to any great extent bolt the straw or hay, and 
while he is forced to grind that down, the oats and corn are ground 
with it, and thus yield great nourishment; the stomach is more 
slowly filled and therefore acts better on its contents, and is not so 
likely to be overloaded; and the increased quantity of saliva secreted 
in the lengthened mastication of the food softens it and prepares it 
more thoroughly for digestion and assimilation. The chaff to which 
reference is made, may be composed of equal quantities of clover 
or meadow hay and wheat, oat, or barley straw, cut into pieces an 
inch and a half in length and mingled well together. The allow¬ 
ance of oats or corn is afterwards added, mixed with the chaff. The 
grain is better bruised, and the feed a little moistened. The quantity 
of straw in the chaff will always counteract any supposed purgative 
tendency in the bruised oats. 

Mixture of Food of Different Kinds of Horses— 

Horses of quicker draught or more active temperament, except 
they are naturally inclined to scour, will thrive better with cracked 
or bruised than with whole oats; fora greater quantity of nutri¬ 
ment will be extracted from the food, and it will always be found 
easy to apportion the quantity of straw or hay to the disposition of 
the bowels of the horse. The principal variation that should be 
made in the food of the horse of harder or more rapid work, such 
as the driving horse or stage horse, is to increase the quantity of 
hay and diminish that of straw. Many have introduced this mode 
of feeding into the stables of carriage and livery horses, with mani¬ 
fest advantage. The result has shown no loss of condition or power, 


1110 


FEEDING Ot IIORSES. 


and considerable saving of provender. This system is not however 
adapted for race-horses; their food must be in smaller bulk in order 
that the action of the lungs may not be impeded by distention of 
the stomach. 

Amount of Daily Food for Horses at Work —For the 

agricultural' horse eight pounds of oats and two of peas or corn 
should be added to every twenty pounds of chaff, and thirty-six 
pounds of the mixture per day will be sufficient for any moderate 
sized horse with fair or even hard work. The draft or wagon horse 
may require forty pounds. Hay in the rack is supposed to be 
omitted altogether, but the rack should be retained as it is useful 
occasionally to give green feed for the health of the horse. 

Advantage ot the System —When the horse comes in 
wearied at the close of the day, Mr. Youatt says, it occupies 
after he has eaten his grain two or three hours to clear his rack. In 
the system of manger feeding, the chaff being already cut into 
small pieces and the oats or corn bruised, he is able to fully satisfy 
his appetite in an hour and a half. Two additional hours are there¬ 
fore gained for rest. This is a circumstance deserving of much con¬ 
sideration, even in the farmer’s stable, and of still greater impor¬ 
tance to the livery proprietor, or to the owner of every hard worked 
horse. 

Most Profitable Kinds of Feed —Horses fed on hay and 

grass alone will maintain themselves in good condition, and even do 
ordinary work, but whatever the quantity or however good the 
quality, this is not sufficient to keep a horse without deterioration 
under hard work, and therefore other substances with a larger pro¬ 
portion of nutriment in smaller space are added. The oat is the 
most advantageous because it is best adapted to the constitution 
of the horse, and contains .74.3 per cent, of nutritive matter. It 
should be old, sweet and dry. Hew oats are heavier, but the extra 
weight is principally water, and they are harder to masticate, and 
forming a more glutinous mass, more difficult to digest. When 
fed in considerable quantities they are apt to cause colic, and even 
staggers. The old oats, when chewed, form a smooth and uniform 
mass, which more readily dissolves in the stomach, and is more 
rapidly and effectively assimilated. Oats should be plump, bright 
and free from smell or taste. The musty smell of damp or wetted 
oats is caused by a fungus growing upon the seed, which has an 
injurious effect upon the urinary organs and often on the intestines, 
producing colic or inflammation of the kidneys or bowels. 

Feed Adapted to Fast Horses —The manner of feeding 
foals and colts has already been treated. It may not be out of place 
to reiterate that a closely-drawn or too economical policy will not 
answer in connection with the feeding of fast driving animals, or 
those designed for that purpose. The breeder who attempts to 
proceed in this way will defeat his own ends. Plenty of food must 
be given from the outset, as the future character, condition and 


1111 


FEEDING OF CATTLE. 

capacity of the colt will depend largely, if not altogether, on the 
treatment he receives in his early life in this respect. The constitu¬ 
tion of fast horses requires more particular care, because the severe 
kind of exertion required from them demands perfection of bone, 
muscle and respiratory and arterial organs, and also because of the 
greater value they represent. Change and variety of food are 
desirable and as many kinds of wholesome food as are at hand 
should be used, making the alternations, however, with regularity, 
or at stated brief intervals. 

Variety in Feeding —Barley is a good substitute for oats, 
but should be cracked or bruised; mixed with hay it makes good 
feed for young horses. The entire feed should be dampened. Mil¬ 
let-meal is a first-rate substance to be given to young and growing 
horses, but should not be fed without grinding. It will afford as 
good a ration as can be given, because it is particularly muscle¬ 
forming. Meal made from peas is in this country what beans are 
in Great Britain. It is as strong a food as can be given horses. By 
themselves peas are constipating, but this may be obviated by mix¬ 
ing in the proportion of four bushels of peas with four of corn and 
one half bushel of flaxseed, ground together. 

General Summary —American farmers by proper attention 
to feeding can produce as valuable animals for all purposes as there 
are in the world. The difficulty has been that stock-growers in this 
country have not paid as much attention to the details of feeding, 
as they do in the old. It should be borne in mind that no matter 
what the value of the animal may be, or what his class, he will not 
realize just what he should, unless his feeding has been properly 
managed. Feeding lays the basis for everything in the horse. 
Feeding may make a poor horse a good one, but no naturally good 
horse will be other than poor if he is not properly fed. This point 
might belaid down as an axiom and it should be observed. It is 
perfectly easy, by giving attention to details, to feed to the very best 
advantage, and at the same time with the utmost economy; and the 
returns which the stock-grower or owner will receive, both in labor 
and value, will amply compensate for the care and trouble. The 
difference which exists between animals as concerns their perfec¬ 
tion and their market value will depend far more upon feeding than 
upon strains of blood; and the wise stock-owner, who attends intelli¬ 
gently to this, will obtain a higher price from an inferior animal, 
than he who is careless or indifferent can procure for a creature of 
the most delicate pedigree. 


FEEDING OF CATTEE. 

Feeding Young Calves —As with other animals, the 
natural and best food for young calves is the mother’s jnilk. How¬ 
ever, after a period of from thirty to sixty days, the calf may be fed 
with advantage upon skim-milk and linseed or flax-seed gruel. It 



1112 


FEEDING- OF CATTLE. 


should be taught to drink early, when from six to ten days old. It 
will learn easier at this early season, and the cow will give more 
milk through the season than if the calf were permitted to suck 
longer. All feed should be given as nearly as possible of the tem¬ 
perature of the mother’s milk. The blooded calf should have the 
free run of a dry yard, with a little hay or grass to eat, that it may 
early develop its first stomach and chew its cud. A small field of 
grass in summer is better. When the time comes for feeding 
skim-milk, the ration may be made about as nutritious as the new 
milk by the addition of flax-seed gruel, which Stewart, in “ Feeding 
Animals,” recommends to be made of a pint of flax-seed and a pint 
of oilmeal, boiled in ten or twelve quarts of water, or flax-seed alone 
in six times its bulk of water. Mix this with one to two parts of 
skim-milk and feed blood-warm. Feed twice a day at regular times 
till the calf is six months old. During this time the calf should be 
taught to eat a few oats, and in any tendency to scour, mix occas- 
sionally a quart of coarse wheat flour with the food. Flax-seed and 
pea-meal may also be used advantageously with the skim-milk. 

Ration for the Calf —The calf may be fed whole milk 
for a single week after weaning. Then use skim-milk prepared as 
above described, or, if flax-seed is not obtainable, use as a substitute 
two tablespoonfuls of oil-meal, dissolved in hot water. In a week this 
may be doubled, gradually increasing to a pound a day, which will 
be sufficient up to sixty days old. Stewart says twenty pounds of 
skim-milk per day for the first ninety days is sufficient, but the 
amount may be increased as the calf grows older. The linseed-oil 
meal is valuable, not only because it is cheap (1-J- to 2 cents per ft>.), 
but because it has ten per cent, of oil and a large percentage of 
muscle-forming food, and phosphate of lime to build up the bones 
and extend the frame. 

Feed Without Milk —In absence of milk, whey may be 
used; but in this case the oil taken away in the cream, and the nitro¬ 
genous food, lime, etc., removed in the caseine taken out for the 
cheese, have to be supplied. This is best done by adding a quarter 
of a pound of oil-meal or cake dissolved in hot whey to each gallon, 
and when the calf is three or four weeks old, add to this one-fourth 
pound of wheat bran, or ground oats, for each gallon of whey. This 
extra food is estimated to cost in six months $4 to $5, giving the 
calf four gallons a day. A calf so fed should average 400 to 450 lbs. 
at that age, and should be worth about $20; while, if fed on whey 
alone, they will not be worth enough to pay for the labor of feeding. 

Another old and very good expedient to compensate for the 
absence of milk is to feed hay tea, made of good quality of hay cj.it 
early, and thoroughly boiled down. Two gallons of hay tea in which 
have been boiled fourteen pounds each of flax-seed and wheat mid¬ 
dlings will furnish five rations for a calf. Three pounds of hay, cut 
in pieces one inch long for each calf, should be boiled half an hour. 
The hay is then raised and let drain into the kettle, when the liquid 


FEEDING OF CATTLE. 


1113 


is boiled to a jelly with the flax-seed and middlings. With western 
stock-raisers, this means will rarely need to be resorted to, but it has 
been found advantageous in dairy-farming districts where milk is so 
valuable for butter and cheese. 

Profitable Mode of Feeding Yeal Calves and 
Young Cattle —If the calf is being fed for veal, it should have 
all the milk it will drink direct from the cow until four or six 
weeks old. If they will take it, a little corn-meal may be added. 
No veal which has not been reared upon the mother’s milk, or upon 
whole milk directly from another cow, is really fit to eat. The 
veal calf should have plenty of fresh air, and be constantly kept on 
good, clean bedding; otherwise the veal may taste of the stables. 
The sj.ace in which the veal calf is kept must be small. * 

Profit and Value of Young Beef —In taking up the 
subject of fattening cattle for beef, we desire to lay particular stress 
upon the profit and advantage of young beef. The old idea that 
beef should not be slaughtered under four years belongs to a time 
before the present system of scientific care and early maturity had 
become the rule, and has been exploded by experience. It is now 
the accepted rule that the time for slaughter, or for marketing, is 
whenever the beef animal is matured. It is evident, then, that the 
earlier maturity is reached, the less will be the expense, the more 
immediate the return, and the greater the profit. Early maturity 
is attained by first securing the finest quality of blood, and next by 
proper and scientific feeding. The value of beef brought to market 
from eleven to twenty months old is thus illustrated in a paper in 
the Royal Agricultural Journal: 

The age, rate, price and return per month for feeding is given 


as follows: 

Return per 
month 

Price, from birth. 

One eleven months old steer. $ 74.50 $6.73 

u thirteen u u u . 101.64 7.82 

Three fourteen “ “ heifers (average). 92.40 6.60 

u fifteen u u 6i u 101.64 6.67 

One sixteen u u steer. 127.00 7.94 

Five “ “ “ steers (average)...... 102.30 6.39 

One eighteen “ “ steer 115.50 6.42 

“ “ and one-half months steer. 129.50 7.00 


Two “ “ u “ steers.... 122.10 6.60 

We might add^ infinitum evidence of similar nature showing 
that beef slaughtered about nineteen or twenty months of age gives, 
as the butchers say, complete pieces of beef, and the meat very 
tender and of delicious flavor, consequently commanding the highest 
price. Taking in view, then, the desirability of sending beef early 
to market, and looking to the best proportions of a balance on the 









1114 


FEEDING OF CATTLE. 

right side of his profit and loss account, the breeder will he led to 
consider more carefully and better to realize the importance of the 
great care which should he exercised in the feeding of young calves. 

The following figures, furnished by the managers of the Chi¬ 
cago Fat Stock Exhibition will give a practical illustration of the 
profit of early feeding and marketing. This table shows the cost to 
breeders and"sale price of nine twelve-months-old animals: 


Cost to Price 

Name of Animal. Age. Weight. Breeder. Realized. 

Jay..12 mos. 800 lbs. $31.80 $48.00 

Experiment.. “ 710 “ 33.50 42.00 

Young Aberdeen. “ 1000 “ 31.67 60.00 

King of the West. “ 1000 “ 34.67 60 00 

Cassius IV—. “ 10C0 “ 31.47 60.00 

Cassius Y.... “ 1090 “ 38.15 65.40 

Hattie. .. “ 700 “ 19 75 42 00 

Jim Blaine. “ 950 » 27.50 57 00 

Canadian Champion..*_ “ 1000 “ 33.67 60.00 


Feeding Older Cattle —When cattle are not prepared for 
the market at an early age, as above described, it should be borne in 
mind that they ought not to be kept longer than their fourth year. 
They will attain their proper ripeness at between three and four 
years. In regard to their feeding, it should be remembered that 
the cattle should always be fed well; that is, with a view to contin¬ 
uous growth. They should have plenty of pasture during the 
pasture season; sufficient hay or good forage in winter, with a good 
bed to lie on; ample shelter and warmth; salt at intervals not longer 
than ten days should be supplied throughout the year till they are 
two or three years old. When three years old, you will take steps 
to fatten them for the market. 

Most Profitable Method of Fattening —The object 
will now be—the animal having had proper care as a calf and its 
growth and condition having been maintained without having been 
suffered to retrograde at any time—to fatten it for the market in the 
least time and at the least expense. It has been definitely estab¬ 
lished that the cheapest way to fatten cattle is by grass feeding. 
The fattening process should therefore be commenced in the sum¬ 
mer of the third year. It should be premised that one of the most 
essential points in fattening is perfect tranquility. Excitement of 
any kind will arrest the process of fattening or lead to a diminution 
of the yield of the milking cow. Animals which are bred near the 
dwellings of men and which are accustomed to kind treatment 
when they come into contact with human beings, are those which 
fatten most readily and produce the greatest returns in the market. 

The Best Pasturage —In this country the feeding of 
cattle largely upon grass is a necessity as well as an advantage, 
and pasture therefore forms an important subject for consideration. 
The greater the variety of nutritious grasses in pastures for fatten¬ 
ing stock, the better. Good hay-grass and clover can be judiciously 















FEEDING OF CATTLE. 


1115 


combined, but grass which is suitable for bay is not always the 
most desirable for constant cropping by-cattle. Clover is desirable. 
Blue grass has no superior for pasturage. Its growth is very 
extensive; it is available early and remains fresh till the snow falls. 
The wire grass of the Middle and Northern States is wholesome, 
furnishes a large amount of nutrient food and is first rate grass for 
pasture. Orchard grass, in good form, is excellent food. Where 
land too rough or hilly for cultivation is devoted to pasturage, it 
should be seeded with a variety of grasses, and the same is necessary 
when “seeding down'* for the recuperation of land. It will be well 
for pasturage purposes to combine timothy, clover, red-top, wire 
grass and orchard grass in feeding. No pasture is complete without 
an ample supply of pure water, whether a running stream, which is 
best, or supplied by artificial means. 

Profitable Addition to Pasture Feed —Some of the 
best breeders in the United States (who feed to the best advantage 
and whose products command the best prices) make it a rule to 
supply cattle which are feeding (no matter how good the pastures 
into which they can turn them) with a certain quantity of grain. 
This practice is to be commended and all breeders will find them¬ 
selves benefited by it. In England, cattle fed on grass are also 
given corn-meal or linseed cake in addition. It must be understood 
that this recommendation does not conflict with the superiority of 
grass as a fattening food; but it is necessary to supply deficiencies 
which sometimes occur in the grass, and an addition of grain pro¬ 
motes health and will add materially to the weight. 

Proper Shelter and Housing —The breeder is to bear 
in mind that a great proportion of food consumed goes to supply the 
necessary animal heat, and the amount and quality must there¬ 
fore be dependent, to a large extent, upon the temperature in which 
the animal exists. Even in summer, animals must have a shelter to 
which they can resort for protection from storms, cold rains and 
unfavorable weather. In winter, however, warm shelter is a part 
of the economy of feeding, for if tliere is insufficient shelter a large 
proportion of the feed which otherwise would go to make flesh and 
increase fat, is consumed by the demand of the body for heat. Any 
expense which this entails is amply repaid in the earlier period at 
which an animal will mature, and in his increased weight and value. 
Thus a fattening animal which has been winter-fed and sheltered 
will realize more slaughtered at twenty-four months than the same 
animal left exposed in the winter and killed at three years. In this 
connection, it should be borne in mind that light and ventilation 
are indispensable accompaniments to warmth. 

Most Profitable Feed for Winter Fattening— 
Clover and corn, to which may be added cornstalks, are good fat¬ 
tening food. Peas and oats may be used to advantage. Corn¬ 
stalks’ with the ear corn are good feed and large herds of cattle in 
the West are fattened upon these alone. Corn is an excellent fat- 


1116 


FEEDING OF CATTLE. 


tening food, but its character is such that it needs to be administered 
with something to deprive it of the tendency to a feverish condition 
of the blood Oil cake is very available for this purpose. Fodder 
and grain should be fed at the same time, as they are more certain 
to be thoroughly masticated and digested. Fodder should be cut, 
with this object, and corn may be cut stalks and ears together. It 
is thus economized in feeding, does not put so severe labor on the 
digestive organs, gives greater time for rest and tends better to lay 
on fat. Corn cut early in the season, while the stalks are somewhat 
green, is better than that cut late. 

Why Fodder Should be Cut —The object of masticating 
food is to comminute it, so as to present the greatest surface for a 
given quantity to the action of the gastric juice and the fluids by 
which it is assimilated in the stomach The stomach of the cattle 
used to the succulent food of pasture is accustomed to receive its 
sustenance in a pulpy mass. The dry, woody fibre of winter fodder 
must therefore be slower of digestion, for it has to be reduced to 
the same condition. The cutting of food, the more finely the better, 
therefore acts as a part of the work of digestion, facilitating the pro¬ 
cess to the manifest advantage of the animal, and this aid will be 
still more and greatly increased if the food be steamed or cooked. 

Mixing Different Qualities of Feed —Cutting gives 
another advantage in enabling poorer qualities of feed to be mixed 
with the finer, and thus a palatable and nutritious food is formed, 
consuming qualities of fodder which otherwise would be rejected 
and go to waste. Experiments have shown that a bushel of cut 
straw mixed with two quarts of middlings, is equal to the same 
quantity of cut hay and worth twenty-five per cent more than uncut 
hay. In this way the breeder can save his hay for a more profit¬ 
able market and use up his straw and corn-stalks, attaining with 
equal efficiency the object of fattening the animal, and also trans¬ 
forming what would be otherwise refuse into the most valuable 
compost for his soil, which is an important point of agricultural 
economy and should be credited against the cost of fattening the 
stock. 

Profit of Cutting and Cooking Feed —As we have 
shown, by cutting, all the coarse fodder on the farm can be con¬ 
sumed in fattening animals and thus turned into money. Where 
steaming is practiced this profit may be largely increased. Besides, 
it enables the feeder to prepare special food for special results. The 
intelligent feeder may increase the frame and muscle particularly; or 
he may increase the fat exclusively, or all together. Stewart says: 
“ If he wish to increase the frame and muscle specially he will give 
food rich in phosphate of lime and gluten, without having much oil 
ora large proportion of starch; and for this purpose pea or bean 
meal, mixed with his coarse fodder, will produce the desired result. 
If he wish to lay on fat principally he will use corn meal or oil 
meal. If to produce growth of the animal, frame and muscle, as 


FEEDING OF CATTLE. 


1117 


well as fat, let him mix the different kinds of foods together. An 
experiment will illustrate the profit of cutting: When keeping a 
small stock which would consume thirty tons of hay in the winter, 
seven tons of hay were sold, and seven tons of middlings bought and 
used upon cut straw (two quarts to the bushel), and the stock 
wintered in fine condition. The straw was thus turned into or ren¬ 
dered equivalent to twenty-three tons of hay, worth that year $18 
per ton (generally it is worth $10 to $12) in barn, or $405. Hay, 
in most localities, is worth as much per ton as middlings, and half 
to three-fourths as much as corn meal. Therefore, it will be seen 
the proceeds of one-fourth the quantity of hay requisite to winter a 
stock of animals will purchase the middlings or meal necessary to 
use upon the straw, and the other three-quarters of the hay, or its 
value, will be a clear gain to the farmer, not assuming anything for 
the value of the straw. 

Other Essentials to Profitable Feeding —In fattening 
cattle care is not only required in regard to feeding in the foregoing 
respects, but strict attention must be paid to the items of (1) clean¬ 
liness, (2) regularity, (3). temperature, (4) exercise, (5) fresh water 
and (6) pure air. 

1. Cleanliness is of the Utmost Importance —It is im¬ 
possible for the animals to do their best unless they are kept free 
from dirt and their skins in a fresh and healthy condition. Com¬ 
fort is one of the best means to promote condition in the fattening 
animal. They should be carded daily, and whenever labor can be 
commanded, thoroughly brushed from head to foot. 

2. Regularity in Feeding and Watering is Indispensable— 
Animals always thrive best where strict regularity in the hours of 
feeding is observed, so that they come with a full appetite to each 
meal and the digestive functions work with harmony and free from 
disturbing influence. 

3. Temperature —As before explained, the more protection 
the animal is afforded against the rapid circulation of cold air, the 
the more is reduced the waste of the heat-producing elements 
which it is the object to convert into fat. While, therefore, fresh air 
should be regularly supplied, all unnecessary loss of heat should be 
avoided. 

4. Exercise —This is a matter somewhat difficult to determine. 
Some prominent breeders tie up their cattle in the beginning of 
winter and never untie them till the spring pastures are ready to 
turn' them into. But it would seem more natural and is probably 
more beneficial that they should be turned out for a few hours every 
day in fine weather. 

5. Fresh Water —Water should not be cold enough to pro¬ 
duce a chill. It should be free from organic impurities and from 
barn-yard drainage, and it is better if it can be arranged so as to be 
always within reach of the animal. 



1118 


FEEDING OF CATTLE. 


6. Pure Air. This must always be supplied in abundance, 
and is as essential in importance as nutritious food. But it must be 
regulated so as to be free from draughts or strong currents blowing 
directly upon the animals in very cold weather. 

Profitable Mode of Feeding’ Cows for Milking Pur¬ 
poses —In feeding dairy cows the main object is, of course, to pro¬ 
mote the yield of milk. Perfect health is the first essential, and 
this is to be maintained only by a generous system of feeding. 
Milch cows should have no more exercise than will keep them in 
health, and avoid the accumulation of fat beyond what is meant by 
good condition, and their feed should stimulate to the utmost the 
secretion of milk. This is best accomplished by the use of rich and 
well-cured hay, to which are added roots and bran. With respect to 
the exact routine to be observed, the individual will have to be 
largely governed by circumstances, but the following practice from 
Mr. Flint’s well-known and justly celebrated work, may be taken as 
a good rule for the general guidance in the stall-feeding of dairy 
animals. Mr. Flint says: u I have found in my own practice and 
in that of the most successful dairymen, that in order to encourage 
the largest secretion of milk in stalled cows, one of the best courses 
is to feed, in the morning, either at the time of milking, or I prefer 
immediately afterwards, with cut-feed, consisting of hay, oats, mil¬ 
let, or cornstalks, mixed with shorts and Indian, linseed or cotton¬ 
seed meal, thoroughly moistened with water. If in winter, hot or 
warm water is better than cold. If given at milking time, the cows 
will generally give down the milk more readily. The stalls and 
mangers ought always to be w T ell cleaned out first. Boots and long 
hay may be given during the day; and at the evening milking, or 
immediately after, another generous meal of cut feed well moistened 
and mixed as in the morning. N o very concentrated food, like grains 
alone or oil cakes, should, it seems to me, be fed early in the morn¬ 
ing or on an empty stomach, though it is sanctioned by the practice 
of the London milk dairies. The processes of digestion go on best 
when the stomach is sufficiently distended; and for this purpose the 
bulk of the food is almost as important as the nutritive qualities. 
The flavor of some roots, as cabbage or turnips, is more apt to be 
imparted to the milk when fed on an empty stomach than otherwise. 
After the cows have been milked and have finished their cut feed, 
they are carded or curried down in well-managed dairies, and then 
either watered in the stall, (which in very cold or stormy weather is 
preferable), or turned out to water in the yard. When they are let 
out, if at all, the stables are put in order, and after tying them up, 
they are fed with long hay and left to themselves till the time of 
next feeding. This may consist of roots such as cabbages, beets, 
carrots or turnips sliced, or of potatoes, a peck, or if the cows are 
very large, a half-bushel each, and cut. Feed again at the evening, 
as in the morning, after which water in the stall, if possible. The 
less cows are exposed to the cold of winter the better. They eat 


FEEDING OF CATTLE. 


1119 


less, thrive better and give more milk when kept housed all the time 
than when exposed to the cold.” 

How to Feed to Increase the Quality of Milk —There 
has been an idea which has been dispelled by experiment and experi¬ 
ence, that full feeding caused cows to deteriorate, the reverse being 
proved to be the case. A distinguished French scientist determined 
by observation that a cow which consumed twenty-two pounds of 
hay, above the ration required for actual support, yields twenty-two 
pounds six ounces of milk. A report by a dairyman to the New 
York State Agricultural Society, states that by careful feeding, 
closely followed up during a period of five years, the productive¬ 
ness of his cows was so greatly improved that whereas in the first 
year of the five it required a fraction more than thirty-nine pounds 
of milk to make a pound of butter, in the last year only twenty-one 
pounds were required. And this result was reached by a system of 
winter feeding which included a proportion of corn, buckwheat and 
oats ground together, tfntil the spring grass was available; then 
during the summer and till about the first of September, grass alone; 
and during the autumn adding to the grass fodder, corn and pump¬ 
kins.” This shows that not only is generous feeding good to pro¬ 
mote the yield of milk, but that systematic and continuous good 
feeding will improve the quality as well as the quantity of milk pro¬ 
duced, and thus materially enhance its value. 

Best Course of Feeding to Produce Milk —It may be 

advantageous to give one or two formulae of rations which are 
adapted to ensure a large yield of milk, and at the same time keep 
up the condition of the cow. In this connection we may call 
attention to the importance of ensilage as cattle food—that is straw, 
grass or cornstalks cut and cured while somewhat green and retain¬ 
ing the sugar and juices of the plant. From the following may be 
selected a course of feed adapted to any locality or the resources of 
any dairyman: 


MATERIAL. COST. 

1. Meadow r hay, 16 lbs. 6.4 cents. 

Wheat bran, 8 “. 6.0 “ 

Pressed meal, 2 “. 3.0 “ 

Corn meal, 6 “. 5.0 “ 


20.4 cents. 


2. Corn fodder, 18 lbs. 4.5 cents. 

Wheat bran, 8 “.:. 6.0 “ 

Cotton-seed meal, 4 “. 4.5 

Corn meal, 4 “. 3.0 


18.5 cents. 












1120 


FEEDING OF SHEEP. 


MATERIAL. COST. 

3. Corn ensilage, 60 lbs. cents. 

Hay, 5 “. 2-J 

Linseed meal, 2 “. 2J 

Bran, 4 “. 3 


15^- cents. 

4. Clover ensilage, 60 lbs. 9 cents. 

Corn meal, 4 “. 4 


13 cents. 

5. Corn ensilage, 40 lbs. 5 cents. 

Clover ensilage, 40 “. 6 

Bran, 4 “ 3 “ 


14 cents. 

“ Any of these rations,” says Stewart, in his admirable work on 
“ Feeding Animals,” would produce a large flow of milk and fully 
keep up the condition of the cow, if her live weight were not over 
1,000 pounds.” In most parts of the west any of these rations 
would not cost at the outside over ten to fourteen cents per day. The 
ensilage rations are the cheapest and would produce the largest flow 
of milk; they will also produce a good quality of butter in the 
winter. 


FEEDING OF SHEEP. 

The great and growing importance of sheep-raising as a branch 
of agricultural industry is now generally recognized, and practical 
information which may enable him to manage this department of 
stock production with more profitable results and with greater econ¬ 
omy, will be welcomed by every intelligent farmer. As with every 
other domestic animal the value will depend largely upon the care 
and treatment the animal receives. Whether it be raised for wool 
or for mutton, principally, the degree of profit will be governed by 
the system of feeding, and this must be judiciously managed and 
carried out with definite purpose. Years ago sheep were raised 
almost entirely for their wool alone, but at this day the enormous 
market for consumption gives the subject of breeding for mutton 
equal importance with that of raising for the wool product. In 
this connection it may be said that while many good mutton-sheep 
are indifferent wool-producers, it is not practicable to raise sheep for 
wool only, because in this event fully one half the animal would 
become literally waste. Besides, when feeding is rightly carried on 
for the production of wool, it cannot but result in developing good 
mutton; for the very same method which will improve the con- 















FEEDING OF SHEEP. 


1121 


dition of the sheep in the one direction must necessarily improve it 
in the other also. 

Feeding for the Double Purpose —Hence the accepted 
principle is to feed for good mutton at the same time as for the pro¬ 
duction of good wool, and there has not been nor will there be any 
ill effect from making this attempt, but on the contrary an increase 
of profit. Neither the quantity nor quality of the wool will be 
diminished by aiming at securing good mutton as well; but experi¬ 
ence has shown and will continue to prove that the more carefully 
sheep are fed and reared for mutton, so much better will be the 
result in the amount and quality of the wool produced. 

Double Income from Sheep —It should be borne in 
mind that sheep yield an income of two sorts during the year, viz: 
their wool and their lambs, and it is a fact to be kept in view, that 
these sheep which are the most fertile and bring to their owners the 
largest quantity of lambs, are also the best producers of both mutton 
and wool. The sheep will also, when compared with most other 
animals, yield a larger return upon the percentage of feed. Of 
any food consumed it is estimated that the sheep will store up in 
increased weight twelve per cent., against eight per cent, by cattle. 

Value of Slieep on Impoverished Land— The Spanish 
have a proverb, “ The sheep’s foot is golden,” meaning that it 
brings improvement and not deterioration to the land. Sheep can 
be raised to advantage upon lands which have become too much 
impoverished for cropping purposes, and it is of importance for the 
feeder to understand that the value of sheep for the purpose of 
fertilizing the soil is the utmost. The following tables, the results 
of careful experiments, will illustrate this, and it should be kept in 
view that the value of feeding is to be estimated not alone by the 
return in flesh or wool, but also by the value of the offal which the 
animals cast away. The experiments alluded to show: 


NITROGEN STORED UP AND VOIDED FOR 100 LBS. OF FOOD CONSUMED. 


Animals. 

Stored up as 
increase. 

Voided as solid 
excrement. 

Voided as liquid 
excrement. 

Total excre¬ 
ment voided. 

Sheep. 

43 

16.7 

79.0 

95.7 

Oxen_ 

3.9 

22.6 

73.5 

96.1 

Hogs.. 

14.7 

21.0 

64.3 

85.3 


ASH CONSTITUENTS STORED UP AND VOIDED FOR 100 LBS. OF FOOD CONSUMED. 


Animals. 


Stored up 
as increase. 


Voided as 
excrement. 


Sheep 

Oxen 

Hogs. 


3.8 

2.3 

4.5 


96.2 

97.7 

95.5 


Thus it will be seen that the sheep give back to the '•and sub- 





























1122 


FEEDING OF SHEEP. 


stantially 96 per cent, botli of the nitrogen and the ash constituents 
of their food, showing an intinitessimal waste of the fertilizing 
material in the food given them. Moreover, farmers know the great 
value of the urine of animals for fertilizing purposes, passing im¬ 
mediately into the soil and yielding its fertilizing elements, without 
the decomposition necessary in solid compost, arid in this liquid an 
exceedingly large proportion of the feed of sheep passes off. There 
is no domestic animal so valuable as the sheep in equalizing the 
distribution of the fertilizing ingredients of its offal over the land 
upon which it feeds or where its offal may be expended. 

Economy of Good Feeding 1 —As with all other animals 
the principal object of the intelligent feeder is early maturity, and 
it must be kept principally in view that to secure this there must be 
systematic care and feeding throughout, and this must be maintained 
through several generations before the best results are realized, 
whether grade or blooded sheep. 

Feeding Ewes —It is just as important that the ewe should 
receive special attention while suckling her young, as in the case of 
mares with foal or cows with calf. If the feeding is insufficient, so 
that the ewe will not give a proper supply of milk to her young, the 
growth of the lamb will be slow, and the results which are looked 
for from early maturity will never be attained. If the ewe is a 
reasonably good yielder of milk, and the herder is careful to add 
something to her feed so as to increase her milk yield, he will find 
that the lambs will mature early; and extra food to the amount of 
33 per cent., or thereabouts, will add at least one hundred per 
cent, to the weight of the lamb at the end of three months, as com¬ 
pared with what it would weigh if the dam were scantily fed. 

Importance of Early Maturity —Good feeding will 
prove an encouragement to the herder in more respects than one; it 
will give early maturity to the stock and in addition to this will in¬ 
crease the weight, and thus the herder will realize profit from both 
these directions. Early maturity involves profit because it fits the 
animal for the market at a less expense than when longer kept. By it 
we mean the steady, constant and utmost development of perfection 
in the young animal, and when this is sought to be attained,.it will 
be found that the meat has acquired a good flavor and will be tender 
and juicy; in a word, it will produce the best value and consequentlv 
command the highest price. It cannot be too strongly impressed 
upon the producer that his most profitable object is always to pro¬ 
duce the meat in its best condition at the very earliest period of the 
animal’s life. This the reader will have seen fully illustrated in the 
department upon the feeding of beef animals, and the table of ex¬ 
periments there given, showing the importance and advantage of 
sending young beeves to market, will fully apply to sheep also. 

Best Season to Feed Sheep for Market— Sheep 
should be fed for market while the weather is warm, during the 
summer months, or during the early autumn. If the stock is to be 


FEEDING OF SHEEP. 


1123 


kept until winter it should be fully fed during the fall, so that it 
may be in good condition for the butcher when the winter sets in. 
The herder tinds that he will not incur any very great expense in 
carrying his sheep through the winter in prime condition for mutton 
if they are in good condition in the fall. If he can afford to give 
them grain, which he can do to his own advantage, feeding it upon 
the ground upon which roots or other crops have been gathered, the 
sheep will not only increase sufficiently by eating this after-food in 
connection with the added grain, but they will benefit the soil 
greatly by the enrichment which will necessarily attend their being 
confined within certain limits during a definite period of time. A 
limited quantity of grain with this after-feed or with the roots, will 
forward the condition of the sheep better than a decidedly more 
expensive feed will do if allowed to the sheep after the weather has 
become cold. The herder will also find it to his advantage and very 
inexpensive to include in the feed a small quantity of oil cake or 
cake of husked cotton-seed. If the oil cake he made of linseed, it 
will be as profitable as any which can be provided. This addition 
has a fattening tendency and also possesses that nitrogenous element 
which, as already shown, is so valuable a creator of liquid excre¬ 
ment. The sheep will be advanced more rapidly towards maturity 
by its use, and the offal they cast off will be of greater value to the 
land than if fed upon the roots or grain without the addition of 
these nutritious elements. 

Feeding by Use of Hurdles —Hurdle-feeding is found 
an economical and advantageous method of grazing sheep. In 
this way the sheep are given a fresh feeding place every day 
and are"not allowed to nip the feed too closely; the grass has 
more favorable opportunity for growth and the fertilization of the 
ground fed over is more complete and systematic. Hurdles may be 
made cheaply of light stakes pointed at one end and fastened 
together with bars, the stakes five feet high, and each panel nine 
feet long. A hole is made in the ground for each stake by a 
pointed iron bar, and it is fastened by driving down with a.mallet, 
the panels being secured together with wire. As the crop is eaten 
the hurdles are moved until the whole field has been covered. 
Economy of labor may be exercised by laying out the plots in a 
certain manner. As for instance, take a square ten acre field. It 
will be 220 yards across and this is the least length of hurdles that 
can he used. If the field be divided into eight strips across, the 
whole hurdles must be moved at once and there will be seven 
removals of the whole hurdles. In the plan given below, this field 
may be divided into eight sections by moving only half the hurdles 
seven times. 


1124 


FEEDING OK SHEEP. 


a 



For instance, plot 1 is fed by placing the hurdles from a to b 
and from c to d. Plot 2 is fed by moving the hurdle line c d to 
b e. The next setting of the hurdles is from c to f; the next from 
b to g; the next from h to i/ the next from b to k and the next and 
last from l to m. 

Growing: Peas as Valuable Food for Sheep —For 

summer feeding peas will furnish as good a crop as any which can 
be provided. If cropped by the animals when the peas are six 
inches high they will immediately renew their growth and the second 
crop will be fuller than the first. It is not desirable, however, 
that the sheep should eat the pea crop too closely to the ground, 
and they should be moved frequently, by means of the hurdles, so 
that this may be avoided. Under good circumstances and careful 
management by the herder, a crop of peas may well furnish feed 
for a flock of sheep at least three times during a season. This veg¬ 
etable matter contains a large nutritive power and its quality "is 
most desirable. Its stands in the same category as clover and both 
rank as the best feed, particularly of animals which are not matured, 
and whose early maturity is desired, because they are especially 
abundant in the elements which supply the bones, the muscles and 
the nervous system which gives the vigor. There is another 
advantage in feeding growing peas to sheep, and that is, because 
the vegetable will grow upon almost any variety of soil, whether 
heavy or light. It is not necessary that the ground be particularly 
fertile, and any dry soil of a clay character will produce a fine crop. 













FEEDING OF SHEEP. 


1125 


Other Valuable Feed for Slieep —Winter rye will 
supply good feed that can be utilized during the entire season, and 
then be in condition for pasturage or to yield another crop the suc¬ 
ceeding year. Both this and peas are safe feed. Some herders 
find it to their advantage to sow oats with the peas, and the crop 
thus sown will be available to the flock as early as if the peas had 
been sown alone, and the change is found to be a desirable one. 
Oats are also a good feed when sown alone. Like peas, if eaten off 
when they are six inches high, they will immediately grow again, 
but not, of course, if they are allowed to mature. Millet can be 
grown in all parts of the United States and is valuable both for 
fodder and seed. It matures best upon warm and dry land and 
requires careful cultivation. It grows rapidly and covers the 
ground well. It is a favorite feed with sheep and where the farmer 
has plenty of land it may be sown in small pieces at different times 
so that one section will follow another for feeding. The most com¬ 
mon variety of millet is known as Hungarian grass. It reaches a 
large, full growth, and proves a profitable pasturage. 

Best Time for Hoot Feeding: —Root feeding is now 
commonly understood to be profitable, and American breeders of 
sheep are turning their attention to its advantages, which have been 
long recognized in England. The best authorities indicate that the 
most desirable time of the year in which to make roots the most 
profitable feed is during the later fall months before the weather 
becomes too severe, and allowing the sheep to feed them off the 
ground. This is best regulated by the use of hurdles, as before des¬ 
cribed in referring to economy of pasture feed. Beets and turnips 
may be matured so as to be in condition to be fed in the month of 
October, and sheep can be fed upon them with late clover, and the 
very best quality of nourishing succulent food can thus be provided 
for the opening of winter. Rape, which can be produced at about 
the same expense as wheat, has been found to grow successfully on 
the ‘Western Prairies, and sheep herders would find it to their 
advantage and profit to make this an important crop. It is consid¬ 
ered to have an advantage over carrots, turnips or beets, on account 
of its richness, and it recovers without difficulty after having been 
fed off, and its second growth of stalks and leaves answers the pur¬ 
pose of a second course of feeding. 

Profitable Pasturage for Sheep— It must be kept in 
view that the soil of the sheep pasture must be dry. The adage that 
“ the sheep must have a dry foot,” cannot be gainsaid. The grasses 
which are referred to under the head of cattle feeding are also good 
for sheep pasture. Parsley is eaten voraciously by sheep, as are also 
wormwood and yarrow, and these may advantageously be introduced 
into the pasturage, as they are supposed by shepherds to act as spe¬ 
cifics for or preventives against foot-rot and red-water. Buffalo 
orass is also a favorite and profitable food of the sheep. It gives 
nmtton a fine flavor and makes it tender. Prairie mesquito-grass, 


1126 


FEEDING OF SHEEP. 


which grows from Texas to Indian Territory and ranges northward 
into Illinois, is a valuable feeder, as is bunch-grass, blue-mail or 
blue-point. Sage grass is considered a desirable food; also the 
“ Beverage grass” of the Western States and the Alfalfa of Cali¬ 
fornia. 

How to Regulate Pasture Feeding —Care must be 
taken not to overstock pastures, as when the grass is too close to the 
ground the sheep take too much earth into their stomachs, and the 
tendency is to wear down the teeth and reduce the feeding quality 
of the sheep. Neither is it wise to have too few sheep in a pasture, 
as the pasture should be kept short and thick. This can be well 
regulated by means of hurdle-feeding. 

Selection of Breeding Ewes —While the lambs are 
growing up to breeding age, those of prime form and good feeders 
should be picked out for breeding. No profit comes from a slow 
feeder. These should be culled out for fattening for young mutton. 

Shelter for Sheep —If sheep are to be maintained in good 
condition durino; the winter, they must have efficient shelter, and 
the same is necessary for protection from the cold rains and storms 
of summer. Sheds should have a southerly opening, and a portion 
of them should be thoroughly enclosed, where shearing, marking, 
sorting and doctoring maybe carried on, and especially for lambing- 
places and the confinement of newly-sheared sheep. 

Proper Method of Winter Feeding Sheep —Sheep 
should not run or be fed in yards with other stock. Cattle often 
hook and kill them, and colts tease and injure them. They should 
be fed all they will eat, but should not have provender to waste. 
Dry fodder is necessary to be fed throughout the North. Many 
flocks are fed on hay (timothy and clover), and do well, but it is 
well to have the food varied. Some shepherds add fodder of corn¬ 
stalks and straw, and others supply a daily feed of grain through¬ 
out the winter. If hay be the principal feed, the herder will find it 
desirable to give cornstalks once a day, or at least every fourth or 
fifth feed. If other feed than hay is the chief nourishment pro¬ 
vided, corn blades or pea-stalks will be found good. Provided a 
proper supply of palatable nutriment within a proper compass be 
given, the particular kind of feed may be suited to the convenience 
of the feeder. Hay, corn-blades and properly cured pea-stalks are 
palatable, and each supply the proper nutriment in the quantity 
which the sheep can readily take into its stomach, and consequently 
from either of these, the sheep can derive its entire subsistence. 
These remarks also apply to greenish cut oats and barley straw. 
The flock-master must be somewhat guided by his observation of 
what best agrees with his flock, as conditions of locality, etc., will 
have an influence. 

Kinds of Feed that Produce Most Wool —We have 

mentioned the necessity of good feed in order to insure desirable 
production of wool. There is a striking analogy between the 


FEEDING OF SHEEP. 


1127 


amount of nitrogen in the food and the amount of wool. To illus¬ 
trate this we append a table showing the result of experiments in 
feeding as follows: 


KINDS OP POOD. 

Increase of 
weight in 
live animal. 

Produced 

wool. 

Produced 

tallow. 

Nitrogen 
per cent, 
in food. 

lbs. 

oz. 

lbs. 

OZ. 

1000 

lbs of 

raw potatoes, with salt.... 

46* 

6 

8£ 

12 

5* 

0.36 

1000 

44 

“ “ without salt.... 

44 

6 

8 

10 

14* 

0.36 

1000 

44 

raw mangel-wurzel . 

38 

5 

31 

6 

5* 

0.21 

1000 

u 

pease... 

134 

14 

11 

41 

6 

3.83 

1000 

a 

wheat . 

155 

13 

13* 

59 

9 

2.09 

1000 

u 

rye, with salt.. 

90 

13 

14* 

35 

11* 

2.00 

1000 

44 

rvc, without salt_ 

83 

12 

10* 

33 

8* 

2.00 

1000 

44 

oats. 

146 

9 

12 

40 

8 

1.70 

1000 

44 

barley.. 

136 

11 

6* 

60 

1 

1 90 

1000 

44 

buckwheat__ 

120 

10 

4* 

33 

8 

2.10 

1000 

44 

good hay. 

58 

7 

10* 

12 

14 

1 15 


From this table, and guided by the results shown, the feeder 
can select approximately the most advantageous kinds of feed to 
use. 

Winter Feed of Breeding 1 Ewes —Up to two or three 
weeks preceding lambing, it is only necessary that breeding ewes 
be kept in plump ordinary condition, nor are any separate arrange¬ 
ments necessary for them after that period, in climates where they 
can obtain sufficient succulent food to provide for a proper secretion 
of their milk. In the North, where the grass does not start before 
lambing time, roots should be mixed by the flock-masters with oat 
or pea-meal, and given in addition to ordinary food. 

Approximate Time of Giving Various Kinds of Feed 
—If there is any rule more absolutely imperative than another in 
the management of sheep it is that the strictest regularity should 
be observed as to feeding, both as to time and in the alternations 
of different kinds of food. Sheep which are foddered sometimes 
at one hour and sometimes at another—some days grain and some¬ 
times not—sometimes three times a day and sometimes twice, can¬ 
not be made to thrive. Unlike cattle and horses, sheep do not eat 
well in the dark, and their last feeding should therefore take place 
at a time to allow them to consume their food before night sets in. 
Noon is the common time for feeding grain or roots, if but two 
feeds of hay are given; but if they are foddered three times a day 
it does not much matter at which meal grain be given, only that 
the practice must be uniform. In colder weather care must be 
taken to increase the ration, as the sheep then requires, and will 
consume, more nourishment. 

Salt in the Feeding of Sheep— Sheep are not only bene¬ 
fited by salt, but they actually require d. Some consider salting 
the hay when storing in the barn sufficient, but this is not a wise 
method-as the quantity is best left to the sheep. The salt should 
he placed in a box where thov can have access to it at will, or may 



























1128 


FEEDING OF HOGS. 


be given by occasionally brining the feed of hay or stalks. In this 
case the fodder should be thoroughly wetted with brine, and left till 
the next day before giving, so that the saline matter may be absorbed 
by the straw. 

Water Indispensable —Abundance of pure water is indis¬ 
pensable. If the sheep have not constant access to a running brook 
or spring, they should be watered plentifully at least once a day. 
This cannot be neglected without injury. 


FEEDING OF HOGS. 

Unlike the horse from which we get both reproduction and 
labor, the cow which gives us both milk and beef, or the sheep 
which yields both wool and mutton, the hog lias but one object in 
his existence, which is, pork. He is bred and fed entirely for the 
food product that he may atford. The raising of hogs is however a 
very important branch of agricultural production, and has of late 
years been awarded more attention than formerly, and with corre¬ 
spondingly good results, experience showing that the prolit of 
breeding and feeding is almost entirely dependent upon systematic 
and intelligent government of the kinds of food used, and the 
method of using them. 

Hog’ Feeding of Benefit to the Soil —As with most 
other kinds of domestic animals, too little consideration is com¬ 
monly given to returns which the farmer receives in the recupera¬ 
tion of his soil from the feeding of hogs. It ought scarcely to need 
repetition that good results cannot be expected from land which is 
not supplied with the materials which it requires for the reparative 
processes of nature, which are quite as essential to the soil as to the 
animal structure. Land which is not properly and systematically 
nourished will wear out and become exhausted and barren with as 
much mathematical precision as will the animal which is put to 
hard work without adequate feed. In considering the cost of any 
kind of stock-breeding, therefore, we should credit the expense of 
feeding with the actual and delinite value which is returned to the 
soil in nutritive material in the shape of manure. 

Value of Hog Offal as Manure —The following table 
will be found both interesting and valuable in this connection, 
showing definitely the relative value of the manure resulting from 
a ton each of various kinds of food. 

By reference to this table, it will not be difficult to form an 
approximately correct estimate of the value of manure from a given 
lot of hogs, provided the amount and kind of food consumed are 
known. Thus, if a hog is fed exclusively on corn from the time it is 
weaned till it weighs 350 lbs., it will have consumed about 1,500 
lbs. of corn, the manure from which is worth, at $6.65 a ton, $4.99. 
Hence we rightly deduce that for every hundred weight of pork, 





FEEDING OF HOGS. 


1129 


live weight, we get $1.42 worth of manure. On the basis of 80 per 
cent, of pork to the live weight, in the production of every hun¬ 
dred weight of pork, we get also $1.78 of value in manure. Thus, 
in estimating the profit of feeding hogs on corn, we may calculate 
If cents per pound in addition to the price of the pork for the value 
of the manure obtained. 

A TABLE SHOWING VALUE OF HOG MANURE FROM A TON OF FOOD. 




PER CENT. 


V 

KINDS OF FOOD. 

Total dry mat¬ 
ter. 

Total mineral 
matter (ash). 

Phosphoric 1 

acid (phosphate 

ot lime.) 

Potash. 

Nitrogen. 

Value of manu 

from 2,000 lbs 

food. 

Linseed cake... 

88.0 

7.00 

4.92 

1.65 

4.75 

$19 72 

Cotton seed cake.. 

89.0 

8.00 

7.00 

3.12 

6.50 

27.cO 

Rape cak«.... 

89.0 

8.00 

5.75 

1.76 

5.00 

21 01 

Linseed...... 

90.0 

400 

3.38 

1 37 

3*0 

15 65 

Beans..... 

84 0 

3.00 

2.20 

1.27 

4.00 

15.75 

Peas..... 

84.5 

2 40 

1.84 

0.96 

3.40 

13.3S 

Indian meal... 

88.0 

1 30 

1.13 

0.35 

1.80 

6 65 

Wheat... 

85.0 

1.70 

1.87 

0.50 

1.80 

7.08 

Barley.. 

84 0 

2.20 

1.85 

0.55 

1.65 

6.32 

Malt.... 

950 

2 60 

1.60 

0.65 

1.70 

6 65 

Oats. 

86 0 

2.85 

1.17 

0.50 

2.00 

7.70 

Wheat bran.... 

86.0 

6.60 

7.95 

1.45 

2.25 

14.59 

Clover hay . 

84.0 

7.50 

1.25 

1.30 

2 50 

9.64 

Meadow hay.... 

Pea straw___ 

84.0 

82.0 

6.(>0 
5.95 

088 

0.85 

1.50 

0.89 

1.50 

6.43 
3 74 

Wheat straw.... 

84.0 

5.00 

0 55 

0.65 

0.60 

2 63 

Barley straw..... 

85.0 

4 50 

0.37 

0.63 

0.50 

2.25 

Oat straw. 

83.0 

550 

0 48 

0.93 

0.60 

2.90 

Mangel wurtzel.. 

12.5 

1.00 

0.09 

0.25 

025 

1.07 

Swedish turnips. 

11.0 

0.68 

0.13 

0.18 

0.22 

.91 

Common turnips... 

8.0 

0 68 

0 11 

0.29 

0.18 

.85 

Potatoes. 

24.0 

1.00 

0.32 

0.43 

0 35 

! 50 

(’arrots.. 

13.5 

0.70 

0.13 

0v3 

0 20 

80 

Parsnips... 

15.0 

1 0.' 

0 42 

0.3<- 

o • 2 

1.14 


The Best Way to Feed the Sow and the Young 
Pigs —The sow while engaged in suckling young should he 
given a large quantity of rich and diverse kinds of food. The 
drain upon her system is so great that it is indispensable that this 
loss be made good by the use of sufficient additional nutritious sus¬ 
tenance. Pigs at birth weigh on an average two pounds and a half, 
and at six weeks old their average weight will be from fifteen to 
nineteen pounds, dependent upon the breed and the way in which 
the mother has been taken care of. This enormous increase will 
illustrate what we mean in speaking of the drain which the suckling 
of the young pigs makes upon the system of the sow. When this 
additional food is given, it will be found advantageously supplied by 
the use of skimmed-milk and corn-meal, and oats and peas ground 
together. Oil-meal may be substituted for the milk, if the latter 

<D * 













































1130 


FEEDING OF HOGS. 


cannot he obtained without too much inconvenience or expense. 
Before the time comes to separate them from the sow, the little pigs 
should be taught to eat of her food. They will drink milk when 
very young. Milk is the best food that can be given to young pigs 
in addition to the sow’s milk; but, if this cannot be procured, then 
oat-meal and corn-meal, mixed together in equal parts with about 
one-fourth of the quantity of one part of oil-meal added, may be 
fed, and all should be cooked, and not fed otherwise. Corn-meal, 
without the intermixture of any other feed, is not desirable to be 
given to young pigs. 

Proper Niimber of Feeds to be Given to Young' 

Pigs —Whatever the food may be, it should be given in liquid 
form, and in order to continue the course pursued by nature, which 
teaches the young animal to suck its dam several times during the 
day, the feed should be given the young pigs from four to six 
times during the day for several weeks, the number of feeds being 
gradually reduced, so as not to interfere with the growth of the 
animal, until the number which is to make the constant habit of its 
life, three times a day, shall have been reached. Young pigs will 
be better when they can have a run on fresh, tender grass. 

Importance of Pasture Feeding for Hogs —This is a 
very important subject to which too little attention is commonly 
given. The hog producer should understand that summer pasture 
is just as essential to the health and development of the hog as for 
any other animal. Even in the best corn-producing districts, there 
is no factor so great in the production of pork as summer pasture 
and green feed. It is not too much to say that only farmers who 
have pasture and grass lands well watered should undertake to raise 
swine in any large quantity. Freedom of pasture, which affords 
other animals the exercise which is indispensable to the develop¬ 
ment of their systems and the preservation of their health, is just as 
desirable for the same reasons for hogs, and the rich grasses which 
are so fruitful in supplying bone and muscles, also keep the system 
in perfect order, and offset the habit which corn may produce. 
Hogs will do well with but little grain, and in most instances with 
none at all, from early spring till the crop of corn is ready in the 
fall, if they are supplied with proper pasturage during the summer. 
Of course, when the fattening season begins, other courses of feed¬ 
ing are necessary. These remarks apply especially to feeding dur¬ 
ing the summer. 

How Hogs are to be Fed for Profit —On this subject, 
there can be no better authority than Hon. Elmer Baldwin, whose 
experience and success, and prominent position among breeders of 
hogs place his opinions beyond question. He says: “The farmer 
who proposes to make money by raising pork must have a pasture 
for his swine during the season of grass. Without this, his balance 
is very apt to be on the wrong side of the ledger after selling his 
crops. 


FEEDING OF IIOGS. 


1131 


“ Clover is supposed to be the. best, but timothy is doubtless 
equally good. Blue-grass does well when better is not to be had; 
even a held of weeds is better than no pasture, as many varieties of 
weeds are excellent feed. 


“ When a sufficient range of pasture cannot be had, soiling 
does well. Clover or timothy, cut when green and fresh, is the 
next best feed to a good range of pasture. 

“ As soon as the grass starts in the spring, dhe hogs should be 
turned in, as they like ; it best when the grass is short and tender. 
They will subsist and grow well on grass alone, with a little salt 
occasionally. Some prefer to feed a little corn daily; it may or may 
not be the best policy; they will be farther advanced for fattening, 
but will not fatten as well as if none were fed during the summer, 
and with good pasture, water and shade, they will give good results. 
They will not fatten on grass, but it prepares them for fattening. 
Their systems are in a healthy state. They have no ulcerated livers 
or stomachs as they will have if fed on corn through the hot 
weather. 


The Proper Process for Successful Fattening— 

“ Thus they are prepared by the first of September to commence the 
fattening process with sound teeth, good digestion and vigorous 
health. They will after that time promptly pay for all the food 
judiciously given. It may be, and doubtless is true, that a light 
feed of bran or light provender might be fed with profit during the 
summer, but it is doubtful if corn in any quantity is beneficial. 
Feeding on corn alone during the summer, except it be to send them 
to a summer market is bad policy; they become unhealthy, teeth 
sore, appetite clogged, and will not feed satisfactorily in the fall, and 
the comparison of expense in grass and corn feeding may be drawn 
as to which is the best policy. The cost of grass feeding, even with 
other light food, is merely nominal, while a nog fed with corn from 
the time it is weaned till butchered at eighteen months old will not, 
as a rule, pay expenses. 

“ The chief end of a hog is the weight and quality of his car¬ 
case. His value depends upon his being well fattened, and the 
object aimed at during his whole life is to prepare him for that 
event. If he fail in that, his life is a failure. Corn is the proper 
food for fattening, but not for growth. The fattening process is 
always to some extent a disease-producing process, and if long con¬ 
tinued always so. But when the animal commences fattening in 
vigorous health, having lived for months on green vegetable and 
light food, his health will remain firm through any reasonable time 
required to become fat. But if fed uninterruptedly on heavy, hearty, 
dry food all his life, his health, if not already destroyed, is injured, 
and will yield to such unnatural living before there is time to 
fatten * * * 

u The fattening process should be completed as soon as possible 
(and before disease supervenes) both for economy and to insure a 


11S2 


feeding of iiogs. 


good, healthful quality of meat, and when the proper amount of fat 
is laid on, the animal should be slaughtered at once.’’ 

How to Change Hogs from Grass to Fattening 
Food —When hogs are changed from grass to concentrated food, 
there should be a method pursued in effecting the change. If it be 
made with too great precipitation there is danger that it will be 
attended with more or less bad effects, and possibly some of the 
animals may die. At first the concentrated feed should be of a 
light and cooling character made into a mash or slop. Bran, mill- 
sweepings, middlings and other food of such character prepared in 
that w T ay may be fed at the same time with the grain, and it is still 
better if potatoes, pumpkins, apples and other foods of such charac¬ 
ter are mixed with the mill-feed, and the whole cooked together. 
Corn wdiich is cut just about the time the ears are ripening may be 
fed to good advantage at this time, the ears, stalks, etc., being all 
cut and fed together. If pumpkins are allowed, it will be well to 
open them and remove the seeds, which have an injurious effect 
upon the kidneys and bladder. 

Effect of Cob-Meal Ground with Corn in Hog 
Fattening —Corn itself is a very heating and stimulating food, 
and if fed constantly, not infrequently leads to derangement of the 
stomach, and in this connection it may be suggested; if grass is 
good for the health of the animal in summer, why not hay from 
good grasses, during the winter? Undoubtedly, properly prepared, 
cured grass, fed occasionally in winter, will be found beneficial in 
promoting the health of the hog. But the heating tendency of corn 
alluded to, may be also advantageously counteracted by grinding 
the corn and cob together and thus feeding them at the same time. 
The report made by tv r o Fanner’s Clubs on this subject will prove 
interesting and put the matter in a practical and intelligible light. 
They say: “ We have long been satisfied that a certain amount of 
coarse material fed to cattle with concentrated food is both econom¬ 
ical and profitable, but on account of the peculiar construction of 
the hog’s stomach, we were not prepared for the result, which estab¬ 
lished the desirability of feeding coarse material in connection with 
corn meal.” This report w-as connected with experiments made 
wdiich immediately concerned three separate lots of hogs, of which 
one lot was fed corn-meal alone, whetted with pure water; another 
lot was fed with corn and cob-meal w r etted in like manner; and the 
third w T as fed whole corn soaked in water. The first lot at the 
beginning of the experiment weighed 453 lbs., and when slaugh¬ 
tered, 760 lbs. The gain in live weight w^as 307 lbs. and the actual 
dressed weight w^as 615^ lbs. Lot No 2 weighed, when the exper¬ 
iments v^ere undertaken, 467 lbs. The live weight at the time of 
slaughter w T as 761 lbs., wdiich made the gain in weight 294 lbs. and 
the dressed weight w r as 593 lbs. Lot No. 3 weighed at the outset 
456 lbs., and at time of slaughter 689 lbs. Their gain in live 
weight was 233 lbs., and the dressed weight was 567 lbs. These 


FEEDING OF HOGS 


1133 


experiments show that it took 5-j 3 ^- lbs. of corn meal to make 
one pound of dressed pork. It took only 4lbs. of the corn and 
cob-meal to make a pound of dressed pork; and of the corn 
unground it took 6 pounds to make one pound of pork. In 
view of these experiments, the value of cob-meal as food for hogs 
cannot be questioned. 

Valuable Additions to Pasture Feed for Hogs— 

If during mid-summer pastures are in such condition as not to 
afford sufficient food, then of course the farmer must supply other 
food, and in order to do this without using the advantage which 
green feed affords at this season of the year, an advantageous 
method of providing for this contingency is to have peas sown early 
so that they may be provided during the period of greatest heat, 
when pastures are most apt to suffer. Experience has shown that 
there is really no other feed so desirable as peas to be fed to hogs. 
Hogs fatten quite as readily upon them as upon corn, the pork is 
of superior quality and the cost where peas are grown to advantage 
is about the same per acre. Artichokes are also good feed for hogs, 
as has been established by the experience of Iowa hog-breeders. A. 
C.'Vinton, of Vinton, Iowa, one of the most successful breeders of 
Poland-Cliinas in the country, says on this subject: “ The keep of 
my hogs in warm weather is blue grass, clover and Brazilian arti- 
chokes. Forty head of hogs and their pigs may be kept without 
other food on an acre of artichokes from the time frost is out of the 
ground till the first of June, and from September or October till 
the ground is again frozen. Hogs taken from the artichoke pastures 
to clover and blue-grass will not root up the sod, as they are free 
from intestinal worms, constipation, indigestion and fever, caused 
by feeding corn in winter.” 

How to Prepare Artichoke Pastures for I logs— 

The ground should be rich, ploughed eight or ten inches deep, the 
tubers cut the same as seed potatoes and planted from early spring 
to June 10th, ten to fifteen inches apart in rows that are three feet 
apart, with six bushels to the acre. They can also be planted in the 
fall from October 15th to November 16th, but the tuber should not 
be cut, and the ground should be thoroughly rolled after planting. 
If planted in the spring, plenty of rain in J uly and August will 
make them large enough to turn the hogs on in September; other¬ 
wise, a month later. If in foul ground they may be given. a thor¬ 
ough working with a cultivator when three or four inches high, and 
when the hogs have been removed to allow a new crop of tubers to 
grow, the ground should be made smooth by harrowing, that the 
tops may be cut with a mower as food for horses and cattle. Enough 
seed will remain in the ground for another crop, but they may 
easily be eradicated when desired, by mowing off the tops and 
ploughing the ground deeply in July and the early part of August. 

Importance of Hood Appetite of Hogs and How 
Secured— What has been impressed upon the reader with regard 


1134 


FEEDING OF HOGS. 


to the advantage of observing regularity in feeding of other animals, 
applies with equal force to the feeding of hogs. They should be fed 
at stated hours, early in the morning, at noon and in the evening, 
as much as they will eat cleanly. Whatever kind of feed be given, 
the suggestion that they should be given as much as, and no more 
than, they will eat cleanly, should always be observed. It is never 
wise to give any animal more than it will consume, or more than it 
will consume to good advantage. The main idea to be borne in 
mind, in regulating the amount of food, is that the animal may go 
to the next feeding with a good appetite. The perfection of the 
hog for the purpose for which he is destined, that of producing pork, 
will not be arrived at so much in consequence of the quantity which 
he may eat, as of the quantity which he can receive into his stomach, 
digest thoroughly and assimilate properly. It is desirable for the 
feeder to keep his hog in such condition that he will always have a 
good appetite at feeding time, and thus he will, without any delay 
or set-back, continue fattening until he shall have arrived at the 
condition desired, at the earliest period. If fed so as to get “ off 
his feed,” even for a short time, it will be so much loss. 

How to Avoid Loss in Winter Feeding’ —It is 
important that hogs kept over winter should be sustained without 
retrograding. Like other animals, a large proportion of the feed, if 
they*are not comfortably and warmly housed, will go to the main¬ 
tenance of animal heat. Under anv circumstances, three-fifths of 
the feed given goes to meet the natural demands of the system, and 
profit is only derived from that which is given over and above this x 
proportion, and if they lack the proper shelter and warmth, a large 
proportion of the valuable material which should go to growth or 
fattening, is utilized in the maintenance of bodily heat. Salt should 
be given occasionally with the feed, and it is also advantageous to 
administer sulphur from time to time. 

Hogs Fed in Connection with Fattening Cattle— 
In the West, where cattle are fed grain, it is not an uncommon 
thing to let hogs run with them, the hogs subsisting upon the drop¬ 
ping of the beeves and the feed which they waste. In some parts 
of the country also where cattle are fed in stalls, some feeders do 
substantially the same, by allowing their hogs to receive what has 
been left by the cattle in the same way. If the number of the hogs 
set apart to consume the refuse of the beef cattle be not too great, 
they will thrive sufficiently well. If there is a deficiency in the 
feed supplied in this way, of course it must be made up by other 
feeding. The experience of farmers who feed hogs in this way 
seems to show that they thrive remarkably well and that the grain 
which the cattle do not grind thoroughly and which they void 
whole, while herding in large numbers, has become softened by 
passing through the system of the beef so that it has become thor¬ 
oughly digestible, and of a character to assimilate quickly and thor¬ 
oughly when taken into the stomach of the hog. If either of these 


FEEDING OF HOGS. 


1135 


methods be adopted, the feeder should be particular to see that there 
is a place provided where his hogs can be sheltered away from the 
cattle and protected from being trampled upon. 

Philosophy and Value of Cooking Feed for Hogs 
—It has been amply demonstrated by scientific experiment that the 
heat of the animal stomach is not sufficient to fully utilize starch. 
Pereira, one of the best writers upon food says: “ To render starchy 
substances digestible they require to be cooked, to break or crack 
the grain.” Paspail, a writer on the chemistry of foods, says: 
“Starch is not actually nutritive to man till it has been boiled or 
cooked. The heat of the stomach is not sufficient to burst all the 
grains of the feculent mass which is subjected to the rapid action of 
the organ; and recent experiments prove the advantage which results 
from boiling the potatoes and grain which are given to gramniverous 
animals for food, for a large proportion, when given whole, in the 
raw state, passes through the intestines perfectly unaffected, as when 
swallowed.” 

Comparative Value of Cooked and Uncooked Food 
for Hogs —Every housewife is familar with the fact that starch will 
not dissolve in cold water. It follows logically then, that those grains 
which contain the largest proportion of starch will be most benefited 
by cooking, and these (corn, rye, oats, barley) are the grains used 
to fatten hogs. Corn, the standard fattening food, contains 64 per 
cent, of starch, rye 54 per cent., barley 47 per cent, and oats 40 
per cent of starch. When corn-meal is well cooked the bursting of 
the starch globules causes it to swell and occupy twice its former 
space, and from this some feeders argue that the cooked food is as 
valuable, bulk for bulk, as uncooked grain; or that the cooking ren¬ 
ders the grain twice as valuable. Practical experiments, however, 
demonstrate the gain by cooking food to be about as follows: Paw 
corn will make twelve pounds of pork, raw meal will make ten 
pounds, boiled whole corn, twelve pounds, and boiled meal fifteen 
pounds of live pork, per bushel. 


DIVISION TWENTY-THIRD. 


HORTICULTURE. 


CULTIVATION OF THE ORCHARD AND GARDEN. 

The Value of Fruit in Farm Management —There is 

no farmer who appreciates the profit, and also the pleasure which, 
both himself and his family may derive from his occupation, who 
will not admit the desirability of growing fruit upon his farm. The 
fruits of which our climate is capable are as necessary as food articles 
as any other which can be consumed, and their use would go a long 
way toward the prevention of many ailments, besides being whole¬ 
some and agreeable. Aside from this, the cultivation of fruit affords 
both pleasure and profit. 

From another point of view the farmer in our country will find 
the cultivation of fruit desirable. It will enhance the value of the 
land which he occupies. An orchard well located and in good con¬ 
dition, well cultivated and containing desirable fruits, which have 
been selected with care, will have a greater weight, when a farmer 
comes to offer his farm to a purchaser, than many other induce¬ 
ments which he might hold out, although the latter may have been 
created by the expenditure of much larger sums of money. Moreover, 
the fruit trees, once started on a favorable growth, cost nothing, 
while they yield an annual return and continue yearly to increase in 
value. The only thing they owe to the farmer is the cost of rent of 
the ground they occupy, and while the orchard space may be cropped 
to almost as good advantage as any other portion of the farm, it is 
useful in many other ways. The farm which is without an orchard 
is destitute of one of the most desirable and attractive elements 
which its owner can produce from the soil, and one moreover capable 
of an easy and certain profit, if the directions which it is the purpose 
of this department to give are followed with reasonable fidelity. 
There are of course, conditions of climate and soil under which the 
growth of fruit is attended with discouraging difficulties and draw¬ 
backs, which render success almost impossible. Still there is hardly 
any locality in which some kind of fruit will not thrive, and if it be 
only a plum orchard, the beauty it adds to the homestead, and the 
substantial returns it will give for the care and labor bestowed upon 
it, will well recompense the farmer for the cost of its possession. 




CULTIVATION OF THE ORCHARD AND GARDEN. 


1137 


How to Prepare the Soil for a Successful Orchard— 

It is manifest that the first thing which the farmer who intends fruit 
culture should undertake, is the preparation of the land which he 
proposes to set apart for that purpose. Drainage is the first point 
which will demand attention, because trees will not do well upon 
land which is wet. Fruit trees will thrive best upon a soil which is 
soft and pulverized, and where the frost will not reach down to such 
a depth as to injure the roots of the trees. The more thoroughly 
cultivated the earth may have been, the closer it will cling about 
the roots, and the more nourishment it will be enabled to give. 
The simplest knowledge of the cultivation of fruit trees, will teach 
that until trees shall have become well-rooted, and have started out 
well on the way to maturity, they require all the nourishment which 
the ground can afford. Beside this, the inexperienced fruit-grower 
must bear in mind the fact that the trees which he is transplanting 
have been removed from the nursery, where they have received the 
best of care, and where the soil has been brought to the greatest 
perfection possible, because the nurseryman spares no effort in pro¬ 
ducing the very best of shrubs and trees for sale. The purchaser, 
intending to transplant, must prepare his soil with reference to this 
anterior state of existence. If this is not borne in mind the trees 
transplanted to the farmer’s orchard will not thrive; they may grow 
for a time, but they will not .exist for any number of years; and the 
fruit grower should bear in mind that he is not building for a day, 
but for generations. An orchard which will not be at its best estate 
at the end of a generation of men, or at least at the end of twenty 
years, will not have had the measure of success which may be at¬ 
tained, for at that period the fruit grower should have the right to 
look for the most abundant production. If he have started out aright 
in this respect, he may look then for thrifty hearty trees, yielding 
fruit in their season—trees of a vigorous growth, with the appearance 
of many years of life before them, but he cannot reasonably do so 
unless he shall have given attention to having the soil in which they 
are set, dry, mellowed and fine. It is not desired to have any per¬ 
son who may become interested in fruit imagine that the setting-out 
is all that is necessary, or that his orchard will not need the utmost 
care after he shall have planted it; but we wish to impress upon him 
that whatever labor he may expend, or whatever judgment or skill 
he may bring to bear, upon his fruit trees, for the production of 
fruit, after the first setting out, will not make up for negligence 
attending the inception of his undertaking. In fruit culture the 
manner and the time of creating the orchard are critical in the life 
and vital to the success of the fruit trees, and they have the closest 
connection with the profit which the owner will derive from his 

enterprise. ^ J 

When to Use Fertilizers in Connection with the 
Orchard— Fertilizers of an exceedingly stimulating character 
should not be employed in excess near fruit trees at any time. It is 


1138 


CULTIVATION OF THE ORCHARD AND GARDEN. 


far more desirable that the soil where the trees are set out should be 
prepared and made fertile enough in the first instance, and after¬ 
ward that the fruit grower should take measures to enrich it to a 
moderate extent, and so far as may seem necessary, during the suc¬ 
ceeding years. However, the fruit grower must see to it that the 
soil upon which he desires to grow his orchard shall be rendered 
fertile, if it is not sufficiently of that character when he selects it: 
otherwise the orchard will never render him the profit at which he 
should aim. 

Selection of the Young’ Trees —Orchard trees which are 
to be developed upon a farm should be small at the time they are 
transplanted, and their purchase should be made from dealers who 
have reliability, and upon whose judgment the fruit grower can 
implicitly rely. It is desirable that they should be planted in the 
ground in which they are intended to grow as soon after their 
arrival at their destination as possible. If, however, it is not con¬ 
venient to plant them immediately, they can be taken care of for 
some short time (which, however, should never exceed a few days), by 
placing their roots in a ditch, and covering them with earth while 
they are awaiting setting out. The tops must never remain unpro¬ 
tected from the sun, and there should be no delay, except what is 
absolutely unavoidable, in placing them in the ground, so that their 
natural growth may not be retarded more than can be avoided. 

How to Set Out the Young Trees —This is a simple 
process, but it needs to be performed with great care. The roots of 
the young trees which have become dislocated or broken, or injured 
in any wise in their transportation, should be properly trimmed, 
and not less than one-half of the branches grown during the season 
previous to that in which they are received should be taken away. 
It is necessary to emphasize this suggestion, because in disturbing 
the tree necessarily a large proportion of the actual root has been 
removed, and the equilibrium, which nature originally established 
between the top of the tree and its roots, has been disturbed. A 
hole, broad but not of excessive depth, should be dug for the recep¬ 
tion of the young tree, and before it shall be placed 1 herein, the 
roots of the tree should be covered entirely with a coating of mud; 
but there should be pains taken to see that this mud is not thick 
and heavy; it should be thin rather, and from the soil in which the 
tree is to be placed. One point in this connection we would call 
attention to particularly, and that is that the earth should not be re¬ 
placed in the ground at any greater depth than that at which it was 
placed in the land where it grew; or, in other words, regard must be 
had to the natural formation of the soil. • 

How to Support Young Trees —In setting out trees 
in transplanting for the purpose of establishing an orchard, there 
should always be driven down in the ground beside them, if they 
are of large size, a strong post or stake. This provision for their 
protection should be made before the hole in which they are set is 


CULTIVATION OF THE ORCHARD AND GARDEN. 


1139 


refilled with earth, and, when this shall have been done, their roots 
may be compactly covered about with the fine and mellow earth of 
which we have said the soil of the orchard should be composed. It 
is of the utmost consequence that, as they are set in the ground, 
and before the earth is thrown in upon the roots, all the fibres 
of the roots should, as nearly as possible, be in their natural posi¬ 
tion. Then the soil should he put securely and firmly, not only 
around, but also under every part of the roots. The earth should be 
gently u tamped ” as it is filled in about the roots, and should the 
season of the year be one of drouth, or should the earth be particularly 
dry, this process may be aided by pouring a little water occasionally 
upon the soil for the purpose of settling it, and making it compact 
and firm about the roots. When the trees are placed in the places 
prepared for them, those which are in need of support may be 
fastened to the stakes provided for them, as we have suggested. 
This, however, should never be done without binding the stem of 
the tree with cloth, so that there shall not be any danger of the bark 
becoming injured by the stake rubbing against it. Rotten hay or 
straw, sometimes known as mulch, should be laid down about the 
roots. 

These few directions observed, with reasonable care the tree will 
thrive without further attention, and will yield fruit at its proper 
time of maturity. If the soil show that there is a necessity for fer¬ 
tilization, then the fertilizer, whether it be of manure, guano, or any 
compost, may be added as the experience and observation of the 
farmer may suggest. 

Best Season for Transplanting’ —What is the best season 
for transplanting trees remains a debatable proposition. Some 
persons, who are successful fruit cultivators, advocate the spring, 
and others equally successful advocate the autumn. Consultation 
with the best authorities leads us to the belief that the latter is the 
more advantageous season; but, notwithstanding this, so many have 
succeeded best from transplanting in the earlier season that it may 
well be left to the choice of the farmer, and governed by considera¬ 
tions of convenience. Much will, however, depend upon the parti¬ 
cular part of the country in which the orchard is to be located. In 
the gulf States, and those which border upon the Atlantic Ocean, it 
seems that the season coming between the autumn and the spring, 
say, January and February, would be the more advantageous time. 
In the Northwest and in the North, and on the Pacific, we would 
suggest, if it be convenient so to do, that the intending fruit grower 
should make an experiment both in regard to the autumn and the 
spring, and select that season which the result shall show to be 
the more desirable for the actual locality in which he dwells. In 
different part of our country, extending as it does through so many 
degrees of latitude, there are many varying seasons, and not infre¬ 
quently a spring which would be considered most uniform is fol¬ 
lowed "by an autumn which has all the good qualities for the 


1140 


CULTIVATION OF THE ORCHARD AND GARDEN. 


advancement of fruit culture, and experiment and experience will be 
the safer guides. 

Conditions of Space Which Affect Success— Orchard 

trees require plenty of space to develop their growth, if the utmost 
return is to be expected from them. A fruit tree which is good- 
sized will send out its roots in every direction, and they will fill a 
very large space of ground, while its branches will extend a consid¬ 
erable distance from the trunk from which they spring. Therefore, 
if sufficient space be not allowed, and the trees be grown too closely 
to each other, neither the roots nor the branches will arrive at their 
proper development, and, as a necessity of the position, their pro¬ 
duction will not be what it otherwise would, for their branches will 
either lop each other and grow together, and the trees themselves 
will be as incomfortable as men crowded together in a large con¬ 
course of people, and will overtax the resources of the ground. 
Besides this, the light of the sun, which is an indispensable requi¬ 
site in bringing fruit to its ripening and in securing its proper 
color and flavor, will not be able to influence these results. Again, 
the excess of rain that may have fallen upon the roots of the trees 
over what is required for absorption will not be evaporated as in 
the course of nature it is desirable it should be. Another point 
which should be considered is that if trees are too near together the 
fruit gatherer will not be able to move about among them with his 
implements with convenience, and while the yield of fruit will be 
decreased, the labor involved in gathering it will be made greater 
than it should be. 

How to Economize Space in an Orchard —In the 

establishment of the orchard, it may be desirable to economize all 
the land in it, and this may be accomplished by setting out smaller 
trees between those which are intended to yield large fruit; and this 
course of proceeding will not be detrimental because, while the trees 
to produce large fruit are growing, they do not demand so much 
space as when they shall have reached their growth, while the 
dwarf trees, which have not so long a period of existence as the 
others, will disappear before the others have reached sufficient 
growth to be crowded, and while the profit from them shall have 
been enjoyed, their disappearance will leave sufficient room for the 
development of the others. This course may be pursued in any case 
where the fruit grower shall desire to have the product of his fruit 
realized upon without delay; but if he shall not be inclined to this 
course, if there be no necessity for realizing at once and he have 
particular regard for the appearance of his orchard, there is no 
necessity of growing these smaller trees. 

Proper Distance Apart for Planting’ Standard Fruit 
Trees — Apple Trees which are intended to yield the larger kind 
of apples, may be set about forty feet distant from each other, and 
those which are intended to yield the smaller varieties of apples at 
from thirty-two to thirty-six feet apart. Dwarf apple trees if they 


CULTIVATION OF THE ORCHARD AND GARDEN. 


1141 


are set out for the purpose which we have suggested—to economize 
the space and give fruit while the standard trees are maturing—may 
he placed at about midway between the larger apple trees. 

Pear Trees. These should be set out at not more than twenty-six 
feet from each other, and if dwarf pear trees are planted, they 
should not be distant from each other more than fourteen to six¬ 
teen feet. 

Peach Trees may be located from eighteen to twenty-one feet 
apart; if the fruit grower intend to prune these trees very closely, 
then fourteen to seventeen feet will give all the space necessary for 
their growth. 

Cherry Trees which are intended to produce the most desirable 
kinds of this fruit should be placed from seventeen to twenty-one 
feet from each other, and the dwarfs of this variety may be set out 
at from nine to thirteen feet apart. 

Plum Trees may be planted to advantage at from fourteen to six¬ 
teen feet from each other. 

Number of Young Trees to Set Out During' any Year 

—On the average farm the trees which are to be planted during a sea¬ 
son should not be very many in number. In this wise, there will 
be both time and opportunity to do the labor involved without en¬ 
croaching on other work, and the trees themselves will probably be 
given more care than otherwise ; and this is a matter entitled to con¬ 
sideration, because ordinarily fruit trees which are set out will be 
of various degrees of development, and the produce which they 
yield will vary as much as themselves do. Under this method the 
fruit growler—who will of course have taken pains to keep a record 
of his trees, to note the character of each, and the time of its setting 
out—will be prepared for the condition to which his trees may come, 
not relying solely upon what nature shall develop to him, and when 
a tree shall show signs of age or unsuitableness to the soil or other 
conditions it can be taken awav, and this without detriment to his 
orchard, because there will be a sufficient quantity of vigorous trees 
arriving at their maturity and productiveness just as rapidly as the 
others cease to be of value. And there is one other point which 
may be borne in mind in regard to this last suggestion, and that is, 
that if the design of setting out a few trees every year be carried out, 
the fruit grower will have greater certainty of a yield each year, 
without intermission, because some of his trees will undoubtedly 
give him their fruit during what otherwise would be off years when 
his standard trees might not be fruitful. 

How Fruit Trees Are to be Cultivated —When the 
fruit grower shall have established his orchard, he cannot wisely 
allow the trees to go unattended, for if he does, he will not find his 
fruit product as satisfactory, either in quantity or in quality, as if 
it had received due attention. These being the objects which he is 
seeking, and through which he must look for the profit which he 
has a right to expect, he will find it to his greatest advantage to 


1142 


« 

CULTIVATION OF TilK OiiCHAKD AND OAlibLN. 

continue the cultivation of his orchard for some years after he shall 
have first planted the trees in it. There is no necessity for leaving 
the soil of nis new orchard to the trees alone, for while they are 
young, there will he no detriment in growinga crop of roots, turnips, 
beets, or potatoes, but it will not be well to seed to grass or grow to 
grain or corn, or plant with corn. If the ground is to be plowed 
this labor must be performed with care, so that the trees or their 
roots may not be injured. The ground should be continued pulver¬ 
ized and soft, as we have suggested concerning its first preparation. 
It should be fertilized well, and if manure is used that fertilizer 
should be mixed well with the ground. Old trees if there be any 
in the orchard, should have rotten straw, or hay, and plenty of ma¬ 
nure placed about their roots. They will in this way thrive better* 
without the care which it is necessary to give young trees. In 
laying manure about a tree, it is not advisable to place it too near 
the trunk, because inasmuch as the roots extend out from the tree 
for many feet even when the trunk of the tree is small, the susten¬ 
ance which the fertilizer will give is required not immediately at 
the trunk, but where the roots are. In fall, fertilizers of manure or 
some other compact substance should be placed right at the foot of 
the trees for the protection of them from vermin. When spring 
comes the fertilizer thus used can be scattered about over the ground 
beneath the trees. Weeds should be carefully removed. Small 
trees will not thrive if they are surrounded by grass or weeds. Poor 
and unproductive fruit yielding trees are not infrequently the re¬ 
sult of the want of proper attention to this idea of keeping the 
ground about them thoroughly weeded. 

Trimming or Pruning the Orchard —This is not 
difficult if the work be undertaken at the proper time and be care¬ 
fully and thoroughly completed; but if the trees are left uncared for 
for too long a time, then the work will be rendered difficult of per¬ 
formance, and its result cannot be expected to be entirely satisfac¬ 
tory. With old trees that have been allowed to go without care for 
some years, the proper course to pursue will be to remove a large 
portion of its upper branches, so that it may be reduced to a good 
shape. With trees of young growth, cutting in a hap hazard fash¬ 
ion will be deleterious, and may result in their absolute destruction. 
Ordinarilv, when the management of the fruit orchard is what it 
should be, it will not be necessary to take away large branches of 
any tree. 

When to Commence Trimming —This should be under¬ 
taken immediately after the tree has been transplanted, and in each 
succeeding spring all the limbs which shall have spread out, and which 
it is not advisable to retain, should be lopped off. While the trees 
are small a knife will be a sufficient instrument for the work. As 
they increase in size it will be necessary to use pruning shears and 
a saw. Sometimes, buds will be found shooting out in parts of the 
tree where they are not desired, and these can be taken off without 


CULTIVATION OF THE ORCHARD AND GARDEN. 


1143 


trouble by picking or rubbing as they may be noticed during the 
summer. 

How to Trim Fruit Trees —Limbs of several inches in size 
cannot be removed without detriment to the tree. This weakening of 
the tree may be avoided by proper care from the outset. The limbs 
are the development of buds, and if these had been picked off when 
they first appeared, the necessity of removing a developed limb would 
not have occurred. But if they are not picked off that is no reason 
why the limb should be allowed to complete its growth. When the 
first season shall have passed the slightly developed limb can be cut 
easily with the knife. There is no good judgment involved in al¬ 
lowing these undesired limbs to mature, and it is easy to avoid it by 
paying the simple attention which we have suggested, and the tree 
instead of developing something that must ultimately be taken from 
it, to its serious injury, will conserve all its forces in perfecting the 
form and character sought. The fruit grower can do much in the 
way of creating a particular form which the tree shall have wheu it 
has arrived at its maturity. There is no difficulty in so directing 
the growth that the branches shall spring out very near the ground, 
or that the top shall be broad or narrow, or be of any particular 
shape. Trees do not grow in height in the same measure that their 
trunks increase in the distance around them. This principle in the 
growth of trees is not always thoroughly understood, and in order to 
have the brandies near the ground, many fruit growers allow the 
buds to sprout, thinking that in the end they will be the lower 
branches of the tree. But if the course of the development of trees 
be observed it will be noted that the trunk has developed in size, 
while the tree has not increased in height, and these branches which 
have been permitted to grow must have been noticed as being al¬ 
most as near the ground as when the young tree was transplanted. 
In what manner the tree shall be desired to branch out, whether 
close to the ground or high above it, must depend upon the part of 
country in which the orchard is to grow. In climates where there is 
a continuance of high winds, and where the winters are severe, trees 
which are of low height and whose branches are close to the ground, 
will be more desirable than those of different appearance. If the 
fruit grower shall determine to devote the soil of his orchard to pur¬ 
poses other than the mere perfection of his fruit trees, and in the 
process of his cultivating shall find it necessary to plow or mow, of 
course it will be much more convenient for him to have the lowest 
branches of the trees at some considerable height from the ground. 
But if the orchard is to be an orchard merely, then trees which are 
easy of approach, and to be picked, will be most convenient,. and 
these are they which grow their fruit near the ground. Limbs 
which show a tendency to grow crookedly, or to interrupt the devel¬ 
opment or the yield of other branches, should be pruned off. Sun¬ 
light is an indispensable element in bringing fruit to perfection; there¬ 
fore the uppermost branches of fruit trees should not be so close togeth- 


1144 


CULTIVATION OF TIIE ORCHARD AND GARDEN. 


er as to shut that out; besides, what the sun will do towards advanc¬ 
ing the fruit to ripeness, it will also do towards giving it the color 
which it ought to have. But it is important to guard against hav¬ 
ing the upper branches of the trees so widely apart as to afford no 
protection against the severe winds and the hot rays of the sun dur¬ 
ing midsummer. The winds will make the bark dry and brittle, and 
the hot sun will scald and destroy it. Trimming, if looked after at 
the proper time, and with regularity, as each season follows another, 
will be highly beneficial: the trees will continue in good form and 
health; but disregard of proper business rules in fruit growing, will 
have the same result as neglect in any other kind of business. Doing 
the proper thing at the proper time and in the proper way is the rule 
which should be observed in pruning trees, and if observed, but a 
slight amount of work will suffice, whereas if disregarded, the time 
will certainly come when the labor must be performed, and then it 
will be at the cost of greater labor, and with not nearly so good re¬ 
sults. 

How to Regulate Fruit Production —The neglect by 
farmers to take sufficient care in thinning out the fruit is the cause 
of many unfruitful seasons through which trees pass. Sometimes 
it will be found that a tree will yield excessively one 
year and the next year little or no fruit. The reason 
is that the exhaustion occasioned by a yield too great for the re¬ 
sources of the tree compels a cessation of production in order to re¬ 
cuperate the tree. It is nature’s process, and belongs to the law of 
compensation. It may be observed that in the year of excessive 
fertility, a large proportion of the fruit will not mature properly, 
but the drain upon the tree is the same. If the fruit had been 
thinned to the proper proportion the actual results w T ould have been 
greater, as there would be a greater quantity of perfect fruit, while 
the barren year would probably have been avoided. The only way 
to restore trees to the normal bearing condition is by thinning, and 
this should be done very early in the season. When the fruit has 
become fairly started, and before it has reached half-development, 
the horticulturist should remove a large proportion of it, leaving 
the best developed and enough to make a good ordinary yield. Some 
destroy the blossoms by beating, but this is liable to injure the del¬ 
icate twigs. Thinning involves careful labor, but it is well repaid 
in the results. 

When and How Fruit Should he Gathered —Fruit 
should be gathered just at the time when it is ripe. It should be 
gathered carefully so as to prevent bruising and carefully 
assorted so that it will stand being packed and stored. 
That which is intended to “ keep” should be gathered sooner than 
fruit which is intended for immediate consumption. If it is intended 
to send fruit to market, it should be gathered from the trees a little 
before it has become fully ripe. But wdiile this ability to transport 
well is obtained in this way, the fruit will not have its perfect flavor 


CULTIVATION OF THE ORCHARD AND GARDEN. 


1145 


4 ruit which is intended to be used in the winter should be gathered 
before it has become mellow. Early apples for the use of the 
grower himself and his family, should be allowed to remain un¬ 
gathered until their color has deepened and they have become mel¬ 
low. All fruits should be picked in anticipation of frost. Pears 
can be gathered to good advantage before they become thoroughly 
ripe; the best time for this is when the fruit will detach itself eas¬ 
ily from its twig. Some varieties can be gathered earlier than this, 
but it is generally better to leave them until the time mentioned, 
while some will be useless if plucked at an earlier time. Fruit 
gathering should be completed just as rapidly as possible. Fruit 
should not be gathered in when it is wet, and the fruit grower 
should be particular to see that it is dry before it is stored for the 
winter. Hand picking is the proper way to gather fruit, as bruis¬ 
ing is to be guarded against with the utmost care. As each one of 
the various kinds of fruit is gathered it should be laid in the re¬ 
ceptacle provided for it, and never dropped. Attention to this de¬ 
tail, simple as it seems, will answer a good purpose, because bruises 
which are imperceptible at the time when the fruit is gathered will 
develop after a short time, and the value of the fruit will be deter¬ 
iorated. Market apples which are large should be taken out of the 
basket for the packing by hand. They should not be turned out or 
rolled one upon the other. It is wise in gathering fruit to spread 
them out and let them lie some time upon the floor before they are 
stored away. The fruit will keep better for this care, and it will be 
more convenient for assorting and grading properly. Apples which 
are barreled immediately upon gathering must unavoidably contain 
some which are not perfect. These imperfect ones will decay much 
more rapidly than the others, and their condition will have an un¬ 
avoidably bad effect upon the perfect specimens. The fruit should 
be taken to its store room before the weather becomes sufficiently 
cold to injure it. The necessity of care in assorting fruit must not 
be overlooked. The riper should not be barreled with that which is 
less ripe, and large fruit should not be packed with that which is 
small. There is economy in this, because the few small specimens 
of fruit will be of but slight consequence in increasing the meas¬ 
ure, and the value will be very considerably less in market. When 
fruit is being barreled it should be “ shaken up” frequently; the 
barrel head should be made firm in its place and fastened strongly. 
The weight thus pressed down upon the fruit is necessary, because 
the fruit must be held securely in the barrel; otherwise, in the 
course of transportation, it will be shaken about and bruised. The 
fruit grower will find that the care thus expended will be more than 
repaid in decreasing the percentage of loss by decay, and increas¬ 
ing the market value of his fruit. 


1146 


HOW TO PROPAGATE FRUIT BEARING TREES. 


HOW TO PROPAGATE FRUIT-BEARING TREES 

AND SHRUBS. 

There are divers wavs of conducting this important part of the 
business of fruit culture. First, by planting, which is the course 
pursued by nature; second, by “budding,” and third, by graft¬ 
ing. All fruit trees are originally the offspring of seed which has 
been planted in the groupd; but these trees themselves subsequently 
are changed in their character by the insertion into their systems of 
buds or grafts which have been taken from other trees. 

It is a curious fact that a fruit tree which has grown up from 
the seed, will not unlikely yield different fruit from that of the tree 
upon which was grown the fruit from which the seed was taken; 
but if propagation be made by budding, the fruit which will be 
yielded by the branch developed from the bud will almost invari¬ 
ably be precisely like that of the tree from which the bud was taken. 
The reason is that the bud has arrived at a more perfect state of de¬ 
velopment than the seed, and received into itself a sufficient part 
of the nature of the tree upon which it grew, as to be sure of hav¬ 
ing# and of expressing in its own produce, the particular character 
of its own tree. In view of these facts, the farmer will find it wise 
to propagate fruit trees by budding, rather than by seeding, and 
to pursue the same course as to the smaller fruit-bearing plants and 
shrubs. The chief means of propagating the different varieties of 
the larger kinds of fruit trees is by grafting or budding. The graft¬ 
ing mode can be used with trees of whatever size, and can be ap¬ 
plied also to the roots of trees of the smaller varieties. 

Grafting is performed in various ways. Those preferable 
in the farm orchard are cleft-grafting, in connection with trees 
which are mature, and whijj-grafting for those trees which are of 
smaller growth. The former is employed when the tree to be en¬ 
grafted is larger than that which is intended to be attached to it, 
and it is the manner of operating when the tree to receive the new 
fruit has grown to considerable size. 

Method of Cleft-Grafting —The express manner of per¬ 
forming the cleft-grafting operation is to saw off the stock, and 
split it through the middle, and then in the split insert the scions 
(t\Vvj), having made their ends wedge-shaped. Some persons in per¬ 
forming this operation place these scions in the split quite straight- 
ly} the course which others follow is to set them obliquely. The 
upright one is the better, if the work be performed in a good and 
workmanlike manner, but if the operator is careless, and not sure 
of what he is doing, the slanting way will be for him the surer 
one. Of course the result to be attained is to so set the scion as to 
have its inner bark connect exactly with the inside bark of the tree 
upon which the propagation is undertaken, and these barks will 
unite for some distance if the scions are straightly placed, but there 
must be care taken about tliisj or the barks may not unite anywhere. 


IIOW TO PROPAGATE FRUIT-BEARING TREES. 


1147 


However, there will be some point of contact between the scions 
and this stock anyway, if the scions be obliquely set. Having been 
placed, the end of the engrafted branch, and its circumference, so 
far as the cleft or split in it shall extend, should be covered thor¬ 
oughly with the wax which is prepared for grafting purposes. This 
can be compounded from resin, tallow and beeswax, the parts of 
each constituent being equal, and melted and thoroughly mixed 
with each other. If the mixing of this wax shall be continued by 
working the particles together in the hands until the whole mass is 
almost cold, it will be of a better quality. 

Method of Wliip-Grafting: —This is the method to be em¬ 
ployed upon trees of small growth. It is done by the use of a 
stock and a scion which are of equal size, the end of each being 
cut in an angular shape, so that one will lock into and tit closely the 
other. When two parts shall have been fitted, the place where they 
are joined together should be tied firmly, though carefully, by 
wrapping cloths or yarns about it, pressing the parts closely against 
each other, and smearing with grafting-wax, in which position the 
engrafted limb should be left until the expiration of ten days or 
thereabouts, when the strings which have held the united parts to¬ 
gether, may be cut; and if the two parts have become well knitted 
together during the interval, and their union seems to be strong, 
the operation can be considered successful. If not, the protection 
should be again placed over the joint, and should remain there un¬ 
til the parts shall have become entirely engrafted with each other. 
The time of the year when graftingshould be done is as early in the 
spring as may be after the sap shall have commenced its circulation 
through the tree. 

Method of Budding: —For the purpose of multiplying the 
growth of desired varieties of fruit of the large kinds, budding is 
more generally used than any other manner of grafting. It can be 
accomplished with ease and success if reasonable care is exercised 
in performing the operation, and it will rapidly increase the pro¬ 
duction of any especially valued variety of fruit. The operation is 
most successful when undertaken upon trees which have had the 
advantage of the development of a year or two; and upon trees 
which have reached a matured growth, budding can be performed 
to good purpose, if the attempt be confined to small branches. The 
manner of performing the operation is to make a cross cut at some 
smooth place on the stock, in which the bud is to be inserted, and 
downward from this cut, make with the knife a slit from one to two 
inches long, lifting up the edges of the bark somewhat with the 
knife point. Into this slit the "bud, which must have been removed 
in connection with a little wedge of the wood of the tree from which 
it is taken, should be inserted and pressed downward, so that it shall 
be held firmly in its place, and then the stock should be bound by 
bringing round it cotton yarn or cloth, and tying them in such wise 
as to"press the bark of the stock close upon the bud. In tying this 


1148 


CULTIVATION OF VINES AND SMALL FRUITS. 


yarn around the stock, of course, it will be necessary to be careful 
to see that the binding strings do not press upon the eye of the bud 
which has been inserted. Mid-summer is the time of year when 
budding should be undertaken. The directions which we gave 
under the head of cleft grafting, for continuing the support or 
bandage about the engrafted limb, until the union between the scion 
and the stock or branch should have become complete, will be 
applicable here. In the spring following the budding the tree 
should be cut off two or three inches above the place.where the bud 
has been set in, if small, or the branch, if the budding shall have 
been done upon a tree of large size. Whatever shall start up or 
sprout upon the stock or branch should be removed without delay, 
in order that the development of the bud shall be permitted to the 
utmost. The horticulturist will find this method of budding the 
more desirable, unless he shall be undertaking the improvement of 
hardwood trees, or of grape vines, and with them he may use ring 
budding, as it is called, which may be done by removing the bark 
in the manner of a ring or circle about the width of a fourth or 
three-eighths of an inch from the stock, setting in another circular 
piece in which the bud wished to have grown, shall be contained. 


PROPAGATION AND CULTIVATION OF VINES 

AND SMALL FRUITS . 1 

There are two generally employed methods of accomplishing 
propagation: by layers and cuttings. 

Layers —By the use of layers, shrubs, like the red raspberry, 
vines like the grape, and others, can be propagated with success. 
This way of increasing the fruit yield is a surer one than that of 
cuttings, but it may be carried to such an excess as to deteriorate 
the plant by the process. If one or two grape vines, firm and 
strong, are laid down, and a portion only of the sprouts of the 
plants be engrafted, leaving the remaining parts to continue their 
growth without artificial aids, it will be found the best way. The 
grape vines should be laid in the spring, as the buds are putting 
forth. With the greater part of the varieties, there will be necessity 
of bending a strong sprout down into the ground, and fastening it 
there, then casting over it to the depth of some inches, soil pulver¬ 
ized and mellow. If the object is to produce but one new plant, 
there should be left above the ground an end of a shoot cut to one 
bud for service, as the stem or stock of the plant alone is undertaken 
to be grown. All varieties do not create their roots with the same 
readiness. “ Tonging,” is cutting the vine where it bends down¬ 
ward and drawing the knife forward in the center, to make a slit an 
inch or two in length. Ordinarily, this cut is made just beneath 
the bud, but it may be at the side or above it. When this method 



CULTIVATION OF VINES AND SMALL FRUITS. 


1149 


is pursued, the vine must be affixed to tiie ground and earth thrown 
over it. If the attempt is made to propagate a number of plants, a 
vine firm and strong, starting upward close to the ground, may be 
selected. A small ditch about half a foot in depth should be dug, 
in which the vine should be placed and there confined securely. As 
soon as the buds shall have advanced somewhat in growth, this 
little ditch should be tilled with pulverized mellow earth. By this 
method there can be grown from each bud on the vine, a new bud. 

Raspberries and plants of that family, when they are to be 
multiplied by this layering system, should not be subjected to the 
operation until their points or tips are quite denuded of leaves, and 
their color has become a dark purple. This will have occurred 
during the last summer or first autumn month. The vines in the 
small ditches should be overlaid with earth to the depth of four or 
five inches, and the ditches should be dug at an inclination of about 
forty-five degrees. In a short time, not more than a few weeks, the 
roots will have become plentiful, and the new plants can be removed 
from the :ditch. The vines or canes should be cut at about six 
inches in height. 

How to Use Cuttings —The manner of propagating small 
vines and fruits by cuttings, and the way in which they may be set, 
is as follows: Select a place in the garden, or other soft, mellow 
ground, make a hole of depth sufficient to receive the cuttings, 
which are to be placed therein and left to lean against the side at a 
slight angle, leaving the topmost bud of each cutting on a plane, 
with the ground, after the hole shall have been filled and the earth 
smoothed off, although it will not be material if these buds are 
sometimes exposed above the surface. The cuttings in this hole 
should stand about half a foot distant from each other, and the hole 
filled by casting the soil into it about the buds which are at the foot 
and midway up the buried slips, about which the ground should be 
pounded in firmly, making it as close as possible by stamping or 
settling with a mallet. Afterward, continue the filling up of the 
hole, and pound the soil down again, but in such wise as to hold 
the slips firmly at the angle in which they have been placed. The 
cuttings can be thus set early in the spring, care being taken to 
cover them in the ground without delay after they come to hand. 
Seventy-five to eighty per cent of the plants thus set out, will have 
become good vines by the time summer shall have passed. It is 
well to take precaution for the protection of these growing cuttings 
from the sun, which can be accomplished easily, by simply placing 
a board, which shall slant over them and shut off the sun during the 
hours of the day when it is hottest. If the weather be dry the cut¬ 
tings should be carefully watered two or three times each week. 
When this method is used the slips should be prepared in the 
autumn from the well-developed plants of the season next preceding. 
In cutting the slip, there should be left, at its foot, some portion of 
the wood of the parent plant. Slips may be prepared by cutting 


1150 


CULTIVATION OF VINES AND SMALL FRUITS. 


the vine beneath the bud which is the lower, and from one and 
three-eighths to two inches higher than the uppermost bud. Fre¬ 
quently, the slips can be left from three-fourths of a foot to one and 
one-half feet in length, and include quite a number of buds; but 
there is no particular advantage in having the buds exceed three in 
number. Horticulturalists often select those having but two buds, 
and with plants which are of decided value they employ frequently 
bud cuttings which are single. Slips should removed only from 
plants which are well-matured. There is no reason why they may 
not be severed, unless the weather be very inclement, at any time 
before the growth shall commence in the spring, and the buds begin 
to swell, but it is better to prepare them in the autumn between the 
time when leaves begin to fall, and the setting in of the winter 
weather. They should be buried in dry, pulverized, mellow earth 
or stowed away in dampened moss or grass, or even sawdust in the 
sod. 

Proper Method of Cultivating’ Small Fruits —The 

method best adapted to the farmer is to place the plants in rows, 
about thirty inches apart; the plants twelve inches from each 
other. Larger plants may be farther apart in the rows, but if it is 
a yield of berries to which he looks, the yield will be greater when 
the distance is less. 

Strawberries —The soil of the strawberry-bed should be 
soft and mellow and of decided fertility. In setting out the plants, 
make the excavations broad, to permit the roots to extend them¬ 
selves. Previous to placing in the ground, remove most all the 
leaves and smear the roots with mud from the soil in which they 
are to be placed. . Plants should be set in the ground in spring or 
early autumn. Autumn plants, in good condition, will yield a por¬ 
tion of a crop the next year, but while spring plants will not yield 
so largely the same year, they will have plenty of strength and 
vigor, and are not so subject to the danger of being killed by the 
frost. Strawberry plants need constant cultivation, because the 
beds must be kept entirely free from weeds. It is a better way to 
guide the runners so as to grow between the plants, as they are thus 
more easily kept clear of weeds, and the plants should be definitely 
set in hills, making it easier to keep them clean and free from weeds 
and conducing to a better growth. Protection from winter, and 
from freezing and thawing, is indispensable, and a layer of three or 
four inches of straw will be found the cheapest and most effective 
means. 

Blackberries —The blackberry grows wild in almost all 
parts of the country, but can be greatly improved by cultivation. 
The bushes require more space than the raspberry; they must be 
trimmed carefully and constantly; the ground must be cultivated 
frequently, but not to a great depth, and it will be found useful to 
lay hay or straw close to the roots of the bushes. The trunks 
should not be allowed to grow higher than three and a half feet, nor 


CULTIVATION OF VINKS AND SMALL FKUITS. 


1151 


the branches, without frames for their support, to extend more than 
two feet outward. 

Raspberries —The raspberry is a favorite fruit in America. 
The black will thrive in almost any sort of ground, but the red 
variety is more delicate, requiring damp rich ground for their 
gHPWtli. In setting out, it is better to adopt the system of hills and 
rows. Red raspberry bushes may be placed about three and a half 
feet apart, but the black need about live and a half feet of distance. 
Raspberry plants may be set out either in spring or autumn. The 
trunks or canes of the bushes should be severed at the surface of the 
ground when the setting out is completed, and fruit should not be 
expected until the season which succeeds the planting. If there are 
indications of fruit, trim the bushes closely. In midsummer the 
bushes should be cut down to ten or twelve inches from the ground, 
and the shoots which have started out from the sides should be lop 
ped off. In the season following the planting, the bush should not 
be allowed to rise higher than about twenty inches, and the stems 
setting out from the trunk should not be permitted to exceed that dis¬ 
tance in length. In this wise the roots of the bushes will fye made 
firm, and the bushes themselves and their branches strong. If care 
be given to these suggestions, the bushes will be firm enough to 
develop their fruit without supports. In every year raspberry 
shrubs will send out in the branches enough to supply the yielding 
trunks for the succeeding season, and only such quantity of shoots 
as are necessary for this purpose should be permitted to develop, 
and any excess should be taken away. Raspberry bushes develop 
in one season, yield fruit the second season, and then become un¬ 
fruitful ; hence, after the berries have been gathered the trunk by 
which it has been yielded should be cut down close to the ground. 
Weeding must be attended to. Moist, pulverized, mellow soil 
should be cast over the canes after they have been cut off for protec¬ 
tion during the winter. 

Currants —This fruit is produced without great trouble 
and is prolific, but will yield better, and be more desirable in every 
way if it has cultivation. Placing rotten hay or straw about the 
roots is a good way to cultivate them in any part of the republic. 
Currant bushes should be trimmed* and the portions which have 
reached maturity removed. The fruit will develop well upon bushes 
that are from one to three years old, but those which have yielded 
for a long time, will not produce so plentifully as young ones. It 
is wise to allow not more than the four canes to rise from one root, 
and also to set out new plants at intervals of every three years. In 
setting out currants, they should be planted at about three and a half 
feet distant from each other, and there is no danger of having the 
soil in which tliev grow too much enriched. The cultivation of 
currants can be extended by the system of layers or cuttings which 
we have described. 


1152 


ENEMIES OF THE FRUIT GROWER. 


Gooseberries —This fruit is yielded by bushes which are 
very similar to those of the currant, but the production of the ber¬ 
ries will need more careful management. They are developed best 
in ground which is fertile, and they need careful attention. The 
bushes should be trimmed after the leaves have fallen. 

Cranberries —This fruit will yield best in ground which is 
wet, and they can be supplied with plenty of water to very great 
advantage. It grows without cultivation in many parts of the 
country, but cultivation will advance it both in quantity and quality. 
When the cranberry shrubs are set in land which is wet the surface 
water should be drained off. Transplanting should be made from 
places which have yielded well, and when they are re-set they should 
be placed in rows from eighteen to thirty inches apart. If those 
who have no low lying land, find it desirable to cultivate the cran¬ 
berry, some varieties of the fruit which grow upon upland can be 
set out and fruit return can be looked for. If the soil in which the 
fruit is growing is made fertile by the application of fertilizers or 
muck, it will improve them. Cuttings will take root easily, and 
will prove prolific. When the cultivation is undertaken, the plants 
should’be set out early in the year; but this is not indispensable; 
they will exist and yield if put out in the autumn. 


ENEMIES OF THE FRUIT GROWER AND HOW TO 

DESTROY THEM. 

The Cherry Slug* —This insect is particularly the enemy of 
cherry trees and pear trees also. It can be expelled by throwing 
upon the trees dry ashes each day, while the dew is still upon the 
leaves. The slug has a smooth skin, somewhat like jelly, and its 
appearance is somewhat like that of the snail. 

The Rose Rug —This pest destroys the blossoms and the 
leaves also of grape vines and apple trees as well as rose bushes. It 
is a parasite, and it can be exterminated if it attacks grape blossoms 
only by being actually removed by picking it off and destroying it. 
The best time to do this work is early in the morning. If the rose- 
bug is found upon apple trees, it may be removed by shaking the 
limbs, first having put tubs or pails of water under the trees to 
receive the bugs as they fall. It is indispensably necessary to be on 
the watch for this insect, and commence its destruction early in the 
season, and carry it out vigorously until it shall have disappeared. 

The Curculio —Plum, cherry and apple trees are subject to 
the attack of this insect, which is small, and when it attacks the 
fruit, bores into it, depositing its egg. This develops the young 
insect almost immediately, and in a short time the punctured fruit 
drops, when the worm leaves it and passes into the ground where it 
becomes transformed into the beetle, which in its turn lays its eggs, 
and thus the existence of a destructive race is ensured. The curculio 



ENEMIES OF THE FRUIT GROWER. 


1153 


appear yearly, and if not destroyed, will certainly ruin all the plums 
in an orchard, and a cherry crop need hardly be looked for. It not 
infrequently will remove all the plums which appear upon a thrifty 
tree, leaving not a single one. There are two ways of destroying 
this insect. Spread cloths under the tree in the early morning, at 
which time the insects are dull, and then shake the tree by a sudden 
movement, and be particular to destroy all that come down. This 
sudden jarring which may be done by striking the tree quickly with 
a mallet (being particular to protect the tree itself from the mar¬ 
ring which the blow may give), will be more efficacious than merely 
shaking it. If when this shaking is done any of the fruit drops, it 
should be immediately destroyed. Another way to remove the cur- 
culio is to sprinkle the trees three or four times a week, from the 
time when the blossoms disappear, until the ripening of the fruit, 
with fine coal ashes. 

The Currant Worm —This insect destroys currant and 
gooseberry leaves, until the bushes are stripped. A remedy for 
it is to apply powdered white hellebore as soon as the worm appears, 
either sprinkling it dry over the leaves, or dissolving it in the pro¬ 
portion of a tablespoonful of hellebore to a pail of water, and then 
sprinkling the mixture. Great watchfulness is necessary to keep off 
the currant worm, because its depredations are so rapidly completed, 
that it will render bushes actually leafless in a very short time, and 
if the leaves are taken away, the fruit will not mature, and the 
bushes will be injured. 

Catterpillars —Various species of this insect are among the 
worst foes of apple trees. They eat the leaves,and not infrequently ren¬ 
der large trees unproductive. Of catterpillars, the fall web worm, 
is a species. It destroys different trees. It leaves its egg on the nether 
side of the leaf near a twig’s end. These develop, and the worm 
spins its thread so that several leaves will be attached together, and 
keeps on eating and spinning along the twig until they remove 
every leaf it bears. This species is of small size, has black feet and 
head, thick white hair on body, dark colored stripe on back, and 
is pale yellow in color. 

The Tent Caterpillar —This species hatches when the trees 
begin to open their leaf buds in the spring, and destroys leaves un¬ 
til it arrives at its full development, existing during the summer, 
then changing into a brown miller, encircling the smaller branches 
of the trees with eggs and then dying. These eggs will themselves 
become caterpillars as the spring opens, they being deposited at the 
end of the summer, and will renew the attack upon leaves and fruit. 

Remedy for the Web Worm and Caterpillar —The most 
efficacious way is to cut off and destroy by fire the branches where 
the eggs have been laid. This work may be accomplished in winter 
or in early spring, but must be done surely before the worms have 
developed sufficiently to begin their work. 


1154 


ENEMIES OF T1IE FRUIT GROWER. 


The Canker Worm —This insect destroys leaves and fruit. 
The female has hardly any wings, and therefore she is compelled to 
climb the tree to deposit her eggs, which she attempts when the 
winters are mild, and in the early spring; sometimes in the autumn 
also. This ascent of the tree is prevented in various ways, one of 
which is to encircle the tree with tin rings, bending down the outer 
edges. Oil placed in shallow pans or vessels, so that the moth can¬ 
not pass beyond it, is also used. 

The Apple Worm —This attacks the apple blossoms and the 
young fruit. Its method of destruction is to eat the fruit at the 
core, and thus it falls to the ground before it is ripe. The best 
remedy is to remove the fallen fruit and literally destroy it, by 
having it eaten by the hogs or some other way, to insure destruction 
of the insects contained in it. 

The Borer —This insect is very destructive to quince and 
apple trees. It bores into the tree near the ground, laying its eggs 
under the outer scales of the bark. When the insect is hatched, it 
enters through the bark, remaining there and feeding upon the tree. 
When they have increased sufficiently in size they enter the tree. 

The borer may be removed with a pointed instrument, if its 
destruction be undertaken early enough before it has entered the 
wood. After that time something sharp and flexible should be 
inserted in the hole made by it, to destroy the insect. It is well to 
look after the trees at short intervals during the summer, while the 
fruit is ripening, and attend at once to the destruction of the borers. 

The peach tree is subject to the attacks of an insect which bores 
the bark, but does not enter the wood as far as the borer which we 
have just described enters the apple or quince trees. Its presence 
can be determined by the dust and slime which will come from the 
hole it bores. These should be removed and the grub or worm can 
be killed. Ashes placed in a heap about the trunk of the tree, while 
the season is still young, or encircling the trunk of the tree with 
some stiff paper, will do much toward keeping these insects away. 

The Apple Bark Louse —This is the especial enemy of 
apple trees; they make holes in the bark, and suck the sap out of it. 
Linseed oil and tar mixed in equal proportion may be usefully em¬ 
ployed to destroy the louse, the preparation being applied warm 
(not hot) in the early spring. Soapsuds, applied to the trees with 
a stiff brush, scraping and scrubbing the trunk, will also be a success¬ 
ful preventive. 

Other Pests —There are other kinds of plant lice, which live 
upon fruit tree leaves, and are greatly injurious. These lice accumu¬ 
late beneath the leaves, and suck out the juice. Soap made from 
sperm oil can be applied to the tree, and will be a successful remedy. 
It should be applied with reasonable care, because if it is too strong, 
it will affect the leaves as well as destroy vermin. It should be 
sprayed over the tree. 


DISEASES OF FRUIT TREES. 


1155 


DISEASES OF FRUIT TREES, AND THEIR 

REMEDIES. 

Mildew —Trees are subject not only to the attacks of insects 
and vermin, but also to various diseases. Among these mildew is 
liable to destroy the gooseberry and the grape. As soon as mildew 
appears upon grape vines they should be sprinkled with sulphur, 
which treatment should be continued, renewing it every two weeks 
until the necessity for it has passed. When the gooseberry is sub¬ 
ject to the disease, its roots should have plenty of rotten salt hay 
applied to them as a mulch. Peach trees are also subject to mildew 
but not so greatly as the gooseberry and grape. 

If lime-water be added to the suds, and the trees be dusted with 
sulphur, and powdered sulphur be used for sprinkling the trees, the 
treatmenc will be as good as any which can be recommended. 

Leaf Blight —This a disease of pear trees. The leaves turn 
black and are dropped and development of the tree is then dwarfed. 
A rich soil kept under cultivation will assist the horticulturist in pre¬ 
venting this blight. In the West, apple trees are frequently injured 
by the same cause. There is no absolute remedy of which we are 
aware for this disease. It will make its attack also on apple trees, 
and quince, but not so virulently as upon the pear tree. 

Black Knot —This dangerous malady is peculiarly an affection 
of cherry trees and plum trees. It appears in the form of an excres¬ 
cence or swelling of irregular character upon trees and limbs, break¬ 
ing out in the early summer and continuing to increase until about 
the first of August. If not removed it will increase in strength 
from year to year to until the tree is poisoned to death; and it is 
contagious also, spreading from one tree to another in the same 
orchard. 

Mice —Mice frequently destroy trees which are in early growth 
by girdling them. As winter approaches they locate their nesting 
place in the grass standing about the trees, and unless protection is 
afforded there is danger that the young orchard will be entirely 
ruined. One way to guard against this is piling about the trees 
before the snow ffies, a foot or a foot and a half in depth of manure, 
packing it snugly, and keeping straw out of it, otherwise the mice will 
make their homes in the straw. Another method is to tramp the 
snow firmly about the trees, which if attended to thoroughly enough 
will be quite as effective a protection as the manure packing; but if 
the manure is used, then the work will be done effectually once for 

all. 

Cattle and Sheep —These will injure trees if they are allowed 
the run of the orchard. Cattle should be excluded under any cir¬ 
cumstances, as no benefit is derived from giving them access; but 
sheep will be an advantage by the enrichment which they give the 
soil, and besides they will dispose of the unripened fruit which falls 
from the trees, and in this way will be of service by destroying the 


1156 


VINEYARD CULTURE. 

insects which had attacked the fruit and caused it to fall. Their 
running in the orchard may be deprived of any disadvantage by pro¬ 
tecting the trunks of the trees with some sort offence. Some fruit 
growers use as a.protection raw liver, rubbing it upon the trunks. 
This may do, but anything that will prevent their approach to the 
trees near enough to gnaw the bark, will surely answer the purpose. 

Blight —This affection is perhaps the most disastrous of 
the diseases which affect fruit trees. It does not confine its destruc¬ 
tion to any one particular variety of fruit, but is natural to all which 
it assaults; especially so, however, with pear trees. In its appear¬ 
ance, it affects the leaves as does leaf blight to which we have 
referred, making them black and withering them. Its appearance 
is first made upon branches which are developing fast; then it will 
extend over the whole tree, the leaves of which will fall before the 
autumn; nor is blight confined in its effect to the leaves, but it will 
ruin the branches themselves, and at length the trunk will be de¬ 
stroyed, and thus the whole tree, unless the disease be remedied. 

The remedy for blight is not difficult. All the branches which 
are attacked by the disease should be removed, and the point at 
which they are severed from the tree should be some distance lower 
than where there is any manifestation of it. Having been removed, 
they should be destroyed by fire without delay. This remedy, which 
is direct and explicit enough, must be undertaken as soon as the 
disease appears, and it must be continued with determination. 
Having taken away the parts of the tree which are diseased, if any 
twigs or branches shall show indications of the poisoning, they 
should be taken off also, and this trimming and cutting must be 
continued until the blight is eradicated or the tree itself cut down. 
Should the blight appear to have affected the whole tree, it will be 
the better way to cut down the tree at once and burn it. If left to 
itself, and this heroic treatment be not applied, the whole orchard in 
which the blighted tree grows will be ultimately destroyed. 

Almost all the affections of either of the kinds which we have 
referred to can be avoided by the careful fruit grower paying atten¬ 
tion to his orchard, looking after it, and attending to the necessities 
of his plants and shrubs before there shall be any indication of ill- 
health ; or if trees be attacked unaware, then whether the disease be 
inherent in the tree, or something that has come upon it in the form 
of vermin or insect, prompt and efficient remedies should be at once 
applied, and the disastrous results, which otherwise will be certain, 
can be avoided. 


VINEYARD CULTURE. 

Grapes are grown in most parts of the Northern and Middle 
States, and to the greatest perfection, for vineyard purposes, in the 
mild climate of California, where an excellent quality of wine is 
manufactured on an extensive scale. It is said of the grape in 




VINEYARD CULTURE. 


1157 


localities to which it is naturally adapted that “ the vine yields a 
harvest the product of which is almost certain, whereas other crops 
are not always to be depended upon; that it needs the least labor 
relatively to the profit received; that it banishes fallows; contin¬ 
uously occpies the whole extent of the country that has a suitable 
climate; that it is adapted to all kinds of soils, and occupies those 
that will produce only useless thorns and briers; that it furnishes 
labor at almost all seasons, to all ages, and for both sexes; that it 
yields several important products and valuable merchandises, and, 
finally, that it requires little manure, allowing this to be applied to 
other crops. • 

Soil for Grapes —Grapes will give good results in soils 
of various composition, but they appears to thrive better where there 
is a certain admixture of pebbly or gravelly matter. 

Situation —A vineyard may be located in a valley, on an 
elevated plateau, or in a hill side, but narrow vales are little adapted 
for vine-culture on account of the dampness of the atmosphere pre¬ 
venting the ripening of the grapes, while there is greater exposure 
to spring frosts. Nor are the crowns of high hills more favorable, 
as the air being too sharp and constantly in motion, hardens the 
skin of the grapes. Unsheltered plains produce very good grapes, 
and inclined plains or hill sides are well adapted. The proximity of 
lakes seems to exert a favorable influence. 

Exposure —Some writers advise a southern exposure exclu¬ 
sively; others prefer the north; while many think it a matter of 
little moment. It is probable, therefore, that the best exposure 
must he determined by circumstances—the combined influences of 
latitude, elevation, the nature of the soil, and the frequency of white 
frosts in the locality. The vine especially dreads a damp atmosphere, 
for such injures the quality of its grapes. Therefore, as a general 
rule, exposures open to the influences of cold and damp winds must 
be avoided. 

Preparation of the Soil —This is a most important part 
of successful grape-culture. One of the evils most to be feared for 
a vineyard is a soil containing too much moisture. In such a soil 
the vine will rot, its life will be short, its produce limited, of 
inferior quality and ripening slowly. If the soil be of this character, 
then the first step will be to drain it. Too much importance cannot 
be attributed to this subject of drainage, not merely as a.means of 
escape for the surplus water of the soil, but also as affording access 
to the air, which will warm the roots by its direct influence, impart¬ 
ing its own temperature to the earth through which it passes. 
While alleviating the effect of a drought, by depositing its own 
moisture on the sides of the passages through which it flows, it also 
gives off the latent heat by which the water was kept in a state of 
vapor. 

Choice of Vine, Propagation, Etc. —In the choice of 
plants, the grower must be guided by the experience of others in his 


1158 


VlX EYARD C ULTURE. 


locality, as to the most suitable for the conditions he has to deal 
with. Climate and surroundings differ so essentially in various 
parts of the country that no general advice can be given on this sub¬ 
ject. Vines may be propagated by cutting, grafting and layering in 
the manner elsewhere described. 

Planting' —Vines may be set out from five to six feet 
apart, and in rows eight feet apart. For the convenient, econo 
mical and thorough cultivation by the plough, they may be laid out 
in quincunxes, which will allow the plough to be used in three 
different directions. Plants are better laid out in rows north and 
south, so that they will not shade each other at mid-day, but this, of 
course in many cases, has to be governed otherwise by the shape of 
the ground. 

Pruning the Vine —The pruning of the vine must have 
for its object the giving of such shape to the vines as will subject 
them completely to the action of the sun, facilitate the cultivation 
of the ground at all times and over all of its surface, and prevent 
the fruit-bearing wood from being too far removed from the parent 
stock. An extended experience with the vine has induced some of 
our best cultivators to adopt fall pruning, which they pursue with 
very good effect. The cuttings are of greater value, and may either 
be planted at once, or at least stored in suitable cellars, and kept in 
better condition than if left upon the vine exposed to the incle¬ 
mency of the winter. Those who bury their vines to protect them 
from the frost will find it a great advantage to have them trimmed 
first. To avoid injury to the last eye in the canes, care should be 
taken to leave an inch or more of the internode beyond the outer 
bud. This is a good rule in all winter pruning. Wood must never 
be cut when frozen. Most vine-dressers practice trimming in any 
mild weather during the winter, whether in February or March; but 
if done after the sap has started, or is about to start, the vine will 
bleed profusely. 

Pyramidal Grape Vine Worm —This is a special enemy 
of the grape, and is named for and distinguished by having a pyra¬ 
midal hump near the end of its body. It is also found on the 
raspberry. It is found on the vines in May and descends to the 
ground in June, where it spins a cocoon, whence after going 
through the chrysallis state it becomes a moth, with front wings 
gray; hind wings a lustrous copper color. The worm is a delicate 
green color marked with pale yellow lines or spots. This worm is 
easily kept in check by hand picking. 

Grape Root Borer —This insect is a moth and not a beetle. 
It bears a very close resemblance to the common peach borer, both 
in habit and in the size and general appearance of the grub, but it 
is a somewhat larger insect and the moths differ materially. It con¬ 
fines itself almost entirely to bark and sap-wood, and the effects of 
its work are consequently more fatal to the vine. When it is once 
ascertained that the borers are at work on a vine, they may be des- 


VINEYARD CULTURE. 


1159 


troyed by clearing away the earth and applying hot water to the 
roots. 

GrapeVine Flea Beetle —This is also known by the name 
of “Tlirips,” and “Steel Blue beetle.” It varies in color from steel- 
blue to metallic green and purple. It is found in all parts of the 
United States and Canada, and generally attacks the grape leaf on 
the upper surface, which they riddle and destroy. The best rem¬ 
edy is to destroy the grubs by an application of dry lime with a 
common sand blowers or bellows. 

Tree Cricket —This insect, of a delicate greenish, semi-trans¬ 
parent white, deposits her eggs on the cane of grape, blackberry 
and raspberry. The deposit of eggs may be known by a straight 
longitudinal, contiguous row of punctures as if made by a pin. 
This cricket will sever the grapes from the bunches just as they be¬ 
gin to ripen, and often severs a whole bunch or so excoriates the 
stem that it will not ripen. 

The remedy is to crush the cricket wherever you find him, 
while the vineyardist should make it a business to search in the 
winter time for all punctured twigs, and by burning them, prevent 
their increase in the future. 

Grape Vine Plume —During the latter part of May and 
beginning of June, the leaves of the grape-vine may often be seen 
drawn together by silken threads, and in the retreat thus made will 
be found a small hairy caterpillar, which feeds on the tender leaves 
of the vine. Whenever they become numerous, the only remedy is 
hand-picking. 

Grape Vine Fidia —A great foe to the grape-vine is the 
above insect, which is chestnut brown in color, and densely covered 
with short white hairs. It resembles the rosebug, but is not the 
same. It appears in June and has disappeared by the end of July. Its 
mode of injuring the vinejs by cutting straight elongated holes one- 
eight inch in diameter in the leaves, riddling the leaves to shreds. 
Like the plum curculio it will drop to the ground upon the slightest 
disturbance, and this enables it to be readily kept in check. The 
most efficient way of doing this is by the aid of chickens, which 
pick them up greedily as fast as they can be shaken down. 

Grape Codling: —This may be distinguished from the curcu¬ 
lio by its having six scaly legs near the head, eight fleshy legs at the 
middle, and two at the extremity of the body, and by spinning a 
fine web by which it lets itself drop whenever handled. Its pres¬ 
ence is soon indicated by a reddish brown color on the side of the 
green grape which it enters. It feeds on the pulp and seeds of the 
grape, and when matured leaves the grape and forms its cocoon on the 
leaves of the vine. They should be searched for early in the season 
on the leaves. The second brood of worms, or those which infest 
o-rapes, can easily be espied and destroyed in a healthy vineyard; 
but where a vineyard is affected with what is designated as the 
“American Grape^ot , 1 the grapes attacked by the codling are 



1160 


VINEYARD CULTURE. 


not so easily distinguished, as they bear a close resemblance to the 
rotting ones. Care should be taken in gathering the infested 
grapes, for the worm being very active wiggles away and easily es¬ 
capes. 

The G-rape Root Borer —The grubs of this insect in gen¬ 
eral appearance resemble those of the peach-tree borer, and work 
in the same way underground, but destroy the roots by gnawing in¬ 
to them, and are sometimes said to be shielded from outward appli¬ 
cations by a coating of bark. Little can be done in the way of ex¬ 
tirpating these underground borers, when their presence is only in¬ 
dicated by the approaching death of the vine. Still, every vineyard- 
ist should make it a rule to search for them wherever they find vines 
suddenly dying from any cause unknown to them, and upon finding 
such a borer the vine should at once be cut out and destroyed. The 
beetle, which may frequently be found during the summer months, 
should also be ruthlessly sacrificed wherever met with. Do not 
plant a vineyard on land covered with old oak stumps, nor use oak 
stakes where those made of cedar can be had conveniently. 

Grape Cane Gall Curcnlio —The canes of the Concord 
vines are frequently found to have galls on the last year’s growth, in 
the shape of an elongated knot or swelling which is generally situ¬ 
ated above or below a joint. This was formed the previous fall 
while the tender cane was growing, and has almost invariably a 
longitudinal slit on one side, dividing that side into two cheeks, 
which have a rosy tint. The gall is caused by a little footless, white 
cylindrical larva which measures 0.28 of an inch, and has a yellow¬ 
ish head, sparsely covered with minute white bristles. This grub 
indeed bears a very close general resemblance to that of the potato 
stalk weevil, and when taken out of its gall immediately curls up. 
It is of a uniform light yellowish brown without any markings 
whatever. If these gall-bearing canes are cut off and burned dur¬ 
ing the winter there need be little fear of this insect’s work. 

Grape Phylloxera —There are two chief types of this pest, 
the one gallcecola , living in galls on the leaves; the other radicicola , 
on swellings on the roots. 

The first may be detected by the galls on the leaves in the early 
spring, which are fleshy swellings on the under side of the leaves, 
usually those nearest the ground, about the size of a pea, the normal 
green being flushed with red where exposed to the sunlight. On 
opening the gall, the mother louse may be found at work. They 
are enormously prolific. As summer advances, they frequently be¬ 
come prodigiously multiplied, completely covering the leaves with 
their galls, and settling on the tendrils, leaf-stalks and tender 
branches, where they also form knots and rounded excresences. In 
such a case, the vine loses its leaf prematurely. Usually, however, 
the natural enemies of the louse seriously reduce its numbers by 
the time the vine ceases its growth in the fall, and the few remain¬ 
ing lice, finding no more succulent and suitable leaves, seek the 


VINEYARD CULTURE, 


1161 


roots. Thus, by the end of September, the galls are mostly deserted, 
and those which are left are almost always infested with mildew, 
and eventually turn brown and decay. On the roots, the young 
lice attach themselves singly or in little groups, and thus hibernate. 

The radicicola or root-inhabiting phylloxera, present them¬ 
selves in two forms. One exists in the creases, sutures, and 
depressions which the knots of the roots afford. The other form 
are winged. At first, and for some time after the moult, the color 
of the body of the new-fledged phylloxera is of a uniform bright, 
deep yellow, with the wings white and rather opaque, and the eyes 
brown. The dark thoracic band and more diaphanous and smoky 
nature of the wings are gradually acquired in the course of a day. 
The wings when highly magnified are seen to be thickly covered 
with minute hooks. These winged insects are most abundant in 
August and September, but may be found as early as the first of 
July, and until the vines cease growing in the fall. 

Remedies— The leaf-lice may be controlled with sufficient 
ease by a little care in destroying the first galls which appear, and 
in pruning, and de'stroying the terminal growth of the infested vines 
later in the season. The root-lice are not so easily eradicated, and 
no remedy has yet been discovered—even in France, after ex¬ 
perimenting under the stimulus of large national reward—which 
gives entire satisfaction or is applicable to all conditions of soil. 

Submersion, where practicable, and where it is total and suffi¬ 
ciently prolonged, is a perfect remedy. The best season to sub¬ 
merge is in autumn (September and October), when the lice are yet 
active and the vines have ceased growing. Submergence for twenty- 
five to thirty days, at this season, will generally rout the lice. A 
submergence of forty to fifty days, in winter, is required. A vine¬ 
yard should never be inundated for a longer period than two days 
in summer, or during growth; and though these brief inundations 
at that season affect only a few lice near the surface, they are im¬ 
portant auxiliaries to the more thorough fall or winter submersion, 
as they destroy the few lice which are always invading a vineyard 
in infested districts. These summer inundations will be necessary 
only after the winged insects begin to appear; and three or four, 
each lasting less than two days, made between the middle of J uly 
and the fall of the leaf, will effect the end desired. 

On the best hilly vine land, thorough submersion is impractic¬ 
able; but on our bottom lands some of the grapes which fail now 
may be made to succeed by its means. 

Carbolic acid, added to water at the rate of about one per cent., 
applied by pouring into deep holes made by a crowbar or auger, has 
given satisfactory results; and a thorough application of soot has 
also been strongly advocated by those who have tried it. A thor- 
ouo-h mixing with the soil of a cheap carbolic powder, has given 

good results. 


GLOSSARY: 


OR 

EXPLANATION OF TERMS USED IN THIS BOOK. 


Abates, Decrease in power ; lessens. 

Abdomen, The belly. 

Ablution, Bathing; cleansing; washing the body. 

Abnormal, Unnatural; unhealthy. * 

Abortion, Miscarriage; premature birth. 

Abrasion, Scraped off; skin rubbed off. 

A bcess, A cavity containing matter or pus, as a felon or boil. 

Absorbents, Vessels or glands which absorb or take up substances from within, 
or without. 

Accelerate, To increase action; to hasten. 

Acid, Sour, biting, or sharp to the taste. 

Acidity, Sourness; tartness. 

Acclimate, To become adapted or accustomed to the peculiarities of a country. 
Acrid, Hot; burning; pungent 

Acute, Diseases with symptoms of a violent nature; sharp; terminating in a 
sharp point. 

Adhesive, Adhering; sticking; clinging. 

Ad libitum. At pleasure; at discretion. 

Affusion, The act of pouring upon with a liquid; sprinkling. 

Albumen, A soluble substance, whose distinguishing characteristic is its coagu¬ 
lability ; as the white of an egg, from which it takes its name, the floury part 
of wheat, of corn, etc. 

Aliment, Food; nutriment; that which nourishes. 

Alterative, Medicines which gradually restore health without sensibly increas¬ 
ing circulation, perspiration, urine, or other exc/etions. 

Alternate, By turns; first one then the other. 

Alternating, Taking place by turns. 

Amorphous, Anomalous; having no determinate character. 

Amputation, Severing; cutting off, as a limb from the body. 

Animalcule, Animals so small that they can only be seen by a microscope. 
Anodynes, Medicines which diminish sensibility, allay pain and induce sleep. 
Anemia, Lack of blood. 

Anterior, In front; before; prior. 

Antiperiodic. Medicine for ague, or other periodic forms of disease. 

.vntacid, A substance which will counteract acids—as an alkali. 

Anthelmintics, Medicines which destroy and expel worms. 

Antibtlious, Counteracting bilious complaints. 

Antidotes, Remedies for poisons; medicines which counteract or destroy the 
effect of other medicines. 

Antiscorbutics, Medicines for the scurvy. 

Antispasmodic, A medicine which prevents or allays cramps and spasms. 
Aqueous, Watery. 

Antiseptic, Whatever checks mortification or putrefaction. 

Aneurism, Enlargement of an artery in a certain part of its course, and thinning 
of its coats. 

Aperients, Medicines which gently open the bowels. 

Apex, The top or upper termination of a plant or thing. 

Aphthous, Sore mouth with white spots or sloughs. 



GLOSSARY. 


1163 


Areola, Colored ring around the nipple of the breast. 

Aroma, Fragrance; agreeable odor. 

Aromatic, Sweet-scented; having a pleasant odor and usually a warm, pungent 
taste. 

Asphyxia, Apparent death, or suspended animation, particularly from suffocation, 
drowning, or inhalation of irrespirable gases. 

Astringent, Binding; a medicine which has the power to contract the tissues of 
the body and thereby check discharge. 

Atonic, Characterized by want of vital energy. 

Atony, want of tone; weakness of contractile organs. 

Attrition, wearing by friction. 

Aura, An invisible fluid supposed to flow from a body; an odor, exhalation. 
Auscultation, The art of listening; particularly to sounds in the breast by the 
stethoscope. 

Biennial, Once in two years; in botany, plants which form roots and leaves the 
first year, produce their fruit the second year and then perish. 

Bile, (or Gall) A bitter fluid secreted in the glandular substance of the liver. 
Bilious, A disease or condition due to a surplus or increase of bile. 

Bland, Mild; soft; notrough; soothing. 

Bronchia, The pipes or tubes which convey the air into the lungs. 

Bronchitis, A diseased condition of the air tubes leading to the lungs. 
Calcareous, Pertaining to the nature of limestone. 

Calculus, A small gravel or stone which forms in the bladder and kidneys. The 
plural is Calculi. 

Canker, Small ulcers, generally covered with whitish slough. 
Capillary-vessels, The very small blood-vessels that terminate either in the 
skin, or on the surface of the internal cavities. 

Carminative, A medicine which tends to allay pain by expelling wind from the 
body. 

Cartilage, A white, elastic substance which connects the bones together, often 
called gristle. 

Caseine, The coagulable matter of milk; curd from which cheese is made. 
Cataplasm, Poultice. 

Catamenia, The menstrual discharges. 

Cathartic, A medicine which purges the bowels. 

Catheter, A tubular instrument to introduce into the bladder for the purpose of 
drawing off the urine. 

Caustic, A burning application that destroys the part to which it is applied. 
Cerebral, Appertaining to the brain. 

Cerebellum, The hinder and lower part of the brain. 

Cerebrum, The front and larger part of the brain. 

Chancre, A venereal ulcer, or sore. 

Cholagogue, A medicine which causes a discharge of bile. 

Chordee, A painful erection of the penis. 

Chronic, A term applied to diseases of long continuance and mostly without vio¬ 
lent symptoms. 

Chyle, A milky fluid formed from the chyme after the latter has passed from the 
stomach into the small intestines. 

Chyme, Food digested in the stomach and mixed with the gastric juice. 
Clinical, Appertaining to observations or practice at the bed-side of the patient. 
Clyster, An injection; a liquid substance thrown into the lower intestines. 
Coagulate. To become thick; clotted; curdled.. 

Coition, The act of sexual intercourse; copulation. 

Collapse, Complete failure, or loss of strength. 

Coma, Profound stupor, or sleep. > 

Comminution, The act of grinding; pulverizing; making fine, or very small. 
Concretion, A collection; a compound. 

Conception, The impregnation of the womb.. . 

Congestion, An unusual collection of blood in any organ more than is natural. 
Condiments, Articles used with food, to render palatable, as pepper, salt, mus¬ 
tard, etc. 

Confluent, Flowing together. 


1164 


GLOSSARY. 


Constipation, Costiveness of the bowels. 

Convalescence, The state of returning health after sickness. 

Convulsion, A violent contraction of the muscular parts by spasm. 

Crisis, The turning point of a disease. 

Corrosive, Substances that have the qualit} r of destroying, or eating away parts 
to which they are applied. 

Copulation, The act of sexual intercourse. 

Cosmetics, Articles used to improve and beautify the skin. 

Costiveness, Inactivity of the bowels; stools hard and not passed away every 
day. 

Counter-irritation, An irritation produced in one part of the body for the pur¬ 
pose of relieving pain or disease located in another part. 

Contagion, Catching, or that may be communicated by contact. 

Contusion, A bruise. 

Contiguous, Near to; next. 

Cranium, The skull. 

Creole, One born in America, but of European parents; also, one born within 
or near the Tropics, of any color. 

Crude, Raw; unfinished; unrefined. 

Cuticle, The scarf, or outer skin. 

Cutaneous, Pertaining to the skin. 

Debilitated, Impaired or reduced strength; weakened; faint; languid. 
Decaying, Decomposing, rotting. 

Decoction, A tea made by boiling any substance in water. 

Defluxion, Flowing out. 

Degenerate, To become worse, poorer, meaner, inferior. 

Deglutition, Swallowing. 

Delirium, Wandering of the senses; active derangement of the intellect. 
Demulcent, A mucilaginous medicine which soothes the tender and raw portions 
of diseased parts. 

Dentition, Teething, or cutting teeth. 

Depletion, Bloodletting; emptying the organs of the body by any means; re¬ 
ducing strength. 

Desquamation, Peeling, or scaling off of the skin. 

Detergents, Medicines which cleanse. 

Diagnosis, The art of determining diseases by the symptoms. 

Diaphoretic, A medicine which produces sweating. 

Diaphoresis, Evacuation through the pores of the skin. 

Diaphragm, A muscular membrane between the chest and the abdomen; the 
midriff. 

Diffuse, To spread; to scatter. 

Digest, To dissolve in the stomach; steeping or infusing herbs in alcohol. 
Dilate, To enlarge; to expand. 

Diluents, Watery drinks which increase fluidity of the blood. 

Diluting, Weakening; reducing; making thinner. 

Dipsomania, Uncontrollable craving for intoxicating drink. 

Discuss, To scatter; to disperse; to resolve, as to discuss a tumor. 

Discutients, Medicines which scatter or disperse morbid matter. 

Disinfectants. Articles which purify or cleanse infected places. 

Distend, To stretch; enlarge; spread apart. 

Diuretics, Medicines which increase the flow of urine. 

Drastic, Strong and violent purgatives. 

Duodenum, The first of the small intestines next to the stomach. 

Dura-mater, The outer membrane of the brain. 

Efficacious, Effectual, successful. 

Effete matter, That has been worn out; excreted; cast off as good for nothing. 
Effluvia, Exhalations from decaying matter, animal or vegetable, noxious or 
otherwise. 

Effusion, A pouring, or flowing out. 

Ejected, Expelled; cast out. 

Elastic, Springy; yielding and returning to the original state. 

Electuary, Medicines mixed with honey or molasses. 


GLOSSARY. 


1165 


Eliminate, To throw off; cast out; remove. 

Emaciation, Wasting of flesh or substance; leanness. 

Emanate, I o flow out; to proceed from a fountain head. 

Emetic, That which produces vomiting. 

Emmenagogue, That which promotes the menses, or monthly discharge. 
Emollient, Softening; allaying irritation. 

Empirical, Pertaining to experiments; quackery. 

Emulgent, That which promotes a flow of bile. 

Enema, An injection; a clyster. 

Envelop, To warp; cover; surround; envelope,?!. 

Epidemic, A disease affecting many in the same locality. 

Epidermis, The outer skin. 

Epistaxis, The act of bleeding from the nose 
Eructation, To expel gases from the stomach; to belch. 

Eruption, Pimples; the breaking out of a humor on the skin. 

Escutcheon, Mark by which milking qualities of a cow are indicated. 
Esophagus, The food pipe; gullet. 

Eustachian tubes, The air passages between the ears and mouth. 

Evacuate, To empty; to discharge, as from the bowels, or bladder. 

Excitant, Stimulant. 

Excoriate, To strip, gall, or wear off the skin. 

Excrement, That which is ejected from the system; the stools. 

Excretions, Matter of no more use thrown from the system, as perspiration, 
urine, &c. 

Exhalknt, Evaporating. 

Exhalation, Discharging, as air from the lungs. 

Exotic, Foreign; not native. 

Expectorant, A medicine which facilitates discharge of mucus or phlegm from 
the lungs. 

Expectoration, Spitting. 

Expulsion, Expelling; removing forcibly. 

Extraneous, Being without; not belonging to; not essential. 

Extremities, The limbs/as the hands and feet. 

Exude, To pass out through the surface. 

Facilitate, To assist; hasten; render more easy. 

Farina, Flour; starch; meal. 

Fauces, The back part of the mouth. 

Feces, Stools; excrement. 

Febrifuge, Medicine used to remove or reduce fevers. 

Febrile, Belonging to fevers, as febrile symptoms. 

Fetid, Offensive odor: stench; effluvium. 

Fetus, An unborn child, or animal. 

Fiber, A slender substance: a thread. 

Filter, A strainer; to strain through cloth. 

Flaccid, Lax; limber; soft and weak. 

Flatulence, Wind in the stomach and bowels. 

Fluctuation, ( hanging; moving, 

Fluor albus, Leucorrhea; whites 

Flush, Transient or temporary redness and heat of a part or the whole body. 
Fomentation, Local applications by means of flannels dipped in hot water. 
Formula, A prescription. 

Fumigation, The use of fumes or vapors, to destroy contagion or effluvia in 
rooms. 

Function, The office which any part of the body naturally performs. 
Fundament, The lower extremity of the intestines; the rectum. 

Fungus, A spongy excrescence; proud flesh. 

Friction, The act of rubbing. 

Gangrene, Mortification; partial death. 

Gastric, Appertaining to the stomach. 

Gelatinous, Of the nature of gelatine; resembling jelly; viscous. 

Gestation, The state of pregnancy from conception to delivery. 

Gland, A cell, or collection of cells, in various parts of the body, composed of 


1166 


GLOSSARY. 


blood-vessels, nerves and absorbents, and destined for the secretion or altera¬ 
tion of some peculiar fluid. 

Gleet, Thin discharge from the urethra; one form of the venereal disease. 
Glottis, The opening into the wind-pipe, covered by the epiglottis. 

Granular, Like small grains. 

Hectic, Habitual, denoting slow, habitual fever; an unnatural, remitting fever, 
with chills, heat and sweat. 

Hemorrhage, A flow of blood. 

Hemorrhoids, Painful tumors around or within the anus; piles. 

Hepatic, Belonging to the liver. 

Hereditary, Inherited; descended from the parent. 

Hygiene, That science which relates to the preservation of health. 

Hydragogue, A medicine that occasions watery discharges from the bowels. 
Hymen, The virginal membrane, generally partly closing the entrance to the 
vagina. 

Hyperesthesia, A state of morbidly increased sensibility of a part of the body. 
Impervious, Impenetrable; not admitting entrance or passage through, as cloth 
impervious to water. 

Impotency, Inability to perform sexual intercourse by the male. 

Impunity, Freedom, or exemption from consequences. 

Infectious, That which taints, or corrupts; catching. 

Infuse, To steep in liquid without boiling for the purpose of extracting the med¬ 
ical properties. 

Inoculation, Communicating a disease to a person in health, by inserting infec¬ 
tious matter in the skin or flesh. 

Inspiration, The act of drawing air into the lungs. 

Inspissated, The thickening of a fluid substance by drying, or evaporation. 
Intermittent, Ceasing for intervals of time. 

Intestines, The bowels. 

Incipient, Beginning; the outset; commencement. 

Incontinence, Inability to retain the discharges; also means unchastity. 
Incubus, The night-mare; a burden. 

Indigenous, Native. 

Inflammation, Redness and swelling of any part of the body with heat and pain. 
Inflated, Filled with air. 

Infusion, Medicine prepared by steeping in cold or hot liquid. 

Injection, Liquid thrown into the bowels or other orifice of the body by means 
of a syringe. 

Integument, A covering, as the skin. 

Larynx, The upper part of the wind-pipe. 

Laxative, A medicine that loosens the bowels. 

Lethargy, Excessive drowsiness; stupor. 

Lochia, Pertaining to the discharges from the womb after child-birth. 

Lymph, A colorless fluid contained in the lymphatic vessels. 

Ligament, An inelastic, strong membrane, connecting the extremities of the 
movable bones or joints. 

Loins, The small of the back. 

Lumbago, A rheumatic affection of the muscles about the loins. 

Lotion, A wash. 

Malaria, Bad air; noxious gases from decomposed matter. 

Maceration, The act of softening; soaking anything in w r ater. 

Malignant, Tending to produce death; threatening a fatal issue. 

Mania, Madness; insanity. 

Masturbation, Self-pollution; onanism. 

Masticate, To Chew. 

Materia-Medica, The department of medicine which treats of the nature and 
properties of substances employed for the cure of diseases. 

Maximum, The greatest portion or number in any given case. 

Miasma, Morbid emanations from sickly, or decomposing animals and vegetables. 
Micturate, To discharge the urine. 

Minim, A drop of liquid. 

Minimum, The least part or number in any given case- 


GLOSSARY. 


1167 


Mitigation, Moderating; soothing. 

Morbtd. Sickly; diseased. 

Morbific, Causing disease. 

Mucus, A slimy ropy tluid secreted by the mucous membranes. 

Nates, The buttocks. 

Narcotics, A medicine which has the power of producing sleep. 

Navicular, Pertaining to the bone of the pastern or foot, which connects the 
joints in articulation. 

Nausea, An inclination to vomit; sickness of the stomach. 

Nucleus, A central spot. 

Nasal, Belonging to the nose. 

Neurasthenics, Sufferers from nervous complaints. 

Nauseated, Made sick at the stomach. 

Neutralize, To counteract; to destroy the effect of. 

Nitrogen, A gaseous element without taste, odor, or color, and will not support 
animal life. 

Nitrogenous, Containing nitrogen. 

Nutritious, Capable of supporting health and life. 

Nervine, Acting on the nerves. 

Normal, Natural. 

Nymphomania, A disease of the female, consisting of inordinate sexual desire. 
Obtuse, When applied to pain means dull ; not being sharp or acute. 

Orifice, The opening, or mouth of a tube, or cavity. 

Obesity, Fatness; corpulency. 

Obscenity, Unchaste in speech or action; vulgarity. 

Opaque, Impenetrable to the rays of light; not transparent. 

Os uteri, The mouth of the uterus, or womb. 

Ossification, The process of changing into a bony substance, as the ossification 
of an artery. 

Opiate, A medicine containing same preparation of opium. 

Ossified, Changed to bone. 

Ovaries Two small bodies of flattened, oval form, one of which is situated on 
each side of the womb, in the generative organs of the female, containing 
the germ which is impregnated by the spermatozoa from the male. 

Ovum, An egg ; ova , eggs. 

Ozone, Oxygen in active, or highly electro-negative state. 

Pabulum, Nutriment; nourishment; basis of food. 

Pathology, The science which has for its object the knowledge of disease. 
Pancreatic, Pertaining to the pancreas and the pancreatic juice. 

Pallor, Paleness. 

Paroxysm, A fit of disease, often periodical. 

Parturient, Bringing forth young, or giving birth. 

Parturifacient, Medicines which promote child-bed labor. 

Palliated, Lessened; relieved. 

Palliative, A medicine intended to lessen the severity of the disease. 

Pelvis, The bony cavity, or basin at the lower part of the body, containing the 
abdomen, womb, bladder, rectum, etc. 

Petiolate, A leaf connected with the plant by a footstalk. 

Panacea, A cure-all; universal medicine. 

Pepsin, A preparation of rennet, having properties similar to those of the gastric 
juice. 

Peptonoids, Medical preparations of Pepsin. 

Perennial, Enduring; continuing from year to year without dying. 
Periosteum, A thin, hard membrane covering the bones. 

Permeable, That which may be penetrated or passed through, especially by 
fluids. 

Pharynx, The upper part of the throat. 

Peristaltic, The involuntary, worm-like movement of the bowels. 

Perspiration, Sweat. . , 

Pessaries, Instruments for holding up the womb when it falls down. 

Penis, One of the male organs of generation. 

Permeate, To pass through the pores. 


1168 


GLOSSARY. 


Placenta, The after-birth. 

Plethoric, In medicine, fullness of blood, or habit. 

Posterior, Behind; in the rear. 

Potent, Powerful. 

Precede, To go before. 

Predisposition, Having a tendency before hand to become affected with certain 
disease; susceptible to the cause of any disease. 

Pregnancy, The state of being with child. 

Prepotency, Predominating power (of transmitting qualities to offspring). 
Prolapsus, A falling out, down, or forward of some part of the human body. 
Psoriasis, A cutaneous affection consisting of patches of rough amorphous scales. 
Preternatural, A state or manner different from the common order of nature; 
unusual. 

Primary, First; original. 

Progenitors, Forefathers, ancestors. 

Prognosis, Art of foretelling how a thing will terminate. 

Propagate, To beget; to produce. 

Protrude, To project; to jut out. 

Psychological, Pertaining to the science of the mind. 

Putting, season of heat in sheep. 

Pytalism, Salivation. 

Pyotypsis, Spitting of purulent matter. 

Puberty, The age at which one is capable of procreating or bearing children. 
Pia mater, One of the membranes covering the brain. 

Purulent, Consisting of, or containing pus or matter. 

Pulmonary, Pertaining to the lungs. 

Pungent, Sharp; biting. 

Pupil, The round opening in the middle of the iris of the eye. 

Purgative, A medicine that causes a discharge from the bowels. 

Pus, Matter; a whitish, thick fluid found on the surface of sores. 

Pulp, A soft mass. 

Pustule, A small pimple, or eruption on the skin, containing matter. 
Putrefaction, The state of being rotten; foul, or decomposed. 

Putrescent, Becoming rotten, or putrid. 

Quadrupled, Increased four times. 

Radical, Pertaining to the root; entire from the first. 

Rancid, Strong; rank; musty. 

Rarefy, To make lighter; thinner; less dense. 

Refrigerants, Medicines which lessen the head of the body. 

Resuscitation, The act of relieving from apparent death; to restore vital action. 
Remission, A temporary mitigation, or lessening of severity of symptoms of any 
disease. 

Remittent, To abate in violence for a time; abating periodically. 

Resolution, In medicine, the scattering or dispersing a tumor. 

Retching, Vomiting; straining to vomit. 

Rectum, The last portion of the large intestines terminating at the anus. 
Respiration, The act of breathing. 

Rubifacients, Applications which excite the skin, causing the blood to flow to 
it, making it red. 

Revulsive, Medicines supposed to remove a disease by causing a determinaticn 
from the seat of the disease to some other part. 

Rigidity. Stiffness; the quality of not being easily bent. 

Redundancy, More than is necessary; over fullness. 

Regimen, A system of restrictive rules. 

Rurai,, Pertaining to the country, to farming and agriculture. 

Rutting, Season of heat in sheep. 

Saccharine; Having the quality of sugar. 

Saliva, Spittle; fluid secreted by the salivary glands, and poured into the mouth, 
and which serves to moisten the food. 

Sanitary, Tending to produce or preserve health. 

Sedative, A quieting, soothing medicine which allays irritation and pain. 
Sciatica, A rheumatic affection of the hip. 


GLOSSARY. 


1169 


Serous, Watery. 

Salutary, Beneficial to health. 

Saturate, Soaked; fully moistened, so no more can be taken up; full. 
SciRRnus, /V hard tumor; an indolent induration of a gland. 

Scrotum, The bag which contains the testicles. 

Secreted, Separated; taken from the blood. 

Secretions, The matter secreted, or taken up, as the saliva, bile, gastric juice, &c. 
Sedentary, Inactive; sitting most of the time. 

Sonorous, Giving sound when struck. 

Semi, Half. 

Seminal, Petertaining to semen; seed. 

>erum, The watery parts of blood, or milk. 

Sinew, That which unites a muscle to a bone. 

Sialogogue, Medicine which promotes the flow of saliva. 

Slough, ) Separating from the living flesh, as the dead part 

Sloughing, . f in mortification. 

Solvent, Having the power of dissolving; the fluid in which anything is dis¬ 
solved. 

Spasmodic, Pertaining to cramp or convulsion. 

Spay, To emasculate the female animal. 

Spermatorrhea, Involuntary discharge of semen. 

Spinal, Pertaining to the backbone. 

Spleen, The milt. 

Scorbutic, Of, or belonging to scurvy. 

Sebaceous, Fat; like fat. 

Sordes, The dark matter deposited on the teeth and lips in low fever. 

Sternum, The breast-bone. 

Stimulants, Medicines which increase the activity of the system. 

Stomachic, A medicine which supports and renovates the stomach, making its 
action healthy. 

Stillborn, Dead at birth. 

Stool, A discharge from the bowels. 

Strangury, A difficulty in voiding the urine, attended w T ith pain. 

Stupor, Insensibility; numbness. 

Stricture, Contraction of any passage of the body, as a stricture of the urethra, 
in which the canal gradually becomes smaller until it is impossible to urinate. 
Strumous, scrofulous. 

Styptic, A medicine which has the power to check the flow of blood. 

Sudorific, A medicine which has the power to produce perspiration. 
Suffocation, Choking; apparent death from suspended breathing. 

Suppressed, Hindered; obstructed. 

Suppression, Stopping; checking. 

Suppuration, The process of forming pus, or purulent matter. 

Strangulation, The act of strangling; suffocation. 

Symptom, A sign; the peculiar mark of any disease. 

Subtle, Insinuating; penetrating; deceitful. 

Syncope, Fainting, or swooning. 

Syphilis, The venereal disease. 

Soporific, Having the power to produce sleep. 

Suffusion, The act of overspreading. 

Tendon, A bunch of fibers attaching a muscle to a bone. 

Tepid, Lukewarm; warm in a small degree. 

Tense, Stretched; rigid. 

Therapeutics, That department of medicine which treats of curing the sick by 
remedial agents. 

Thorax, The cavity of the chest. 

Tinctures, Medicines dissolved in alcohol, or other spirits. 

Trachea, The wind-pipe. 

Transmute, To change from one substance or form into another. 

Tissues, The materials or textures which compose the different organs of the 
body. 

Tonics, Medicines that increase the strength or tone of the animal system. 


1170 


GLOSSARY. 


Tonsils, Glandular bodies situated on each side of the back part of the mouth. 
Torpid, Inactive; sluggish; stupified. 

Torpidity, Inactivity; motionlessness; sluggishness. 

Triennial, Continuing three years. 

Tumor, An enlargement of a particular part; a swelling. 

Turbid, Muddy; dirty. 

Triturate, To rub, or reduce to a fine powder. 

Tubercle, A tumor of slow growth, generally of a scrofulous character. 
Tympanitis, Inflammation of the middle chamber of the ear. 

Tympanum, The drum of the ear. 

Typhoid ; A low, sinking condition of the body. 

Turgid, Tumid: sowllen. 

Tension, Act of stretching; stiffness. 

Turgescence, State of being swelled. 

Ulcer, A morbid sore which-discharges matter or pus. 

Uterus, The womb. 

Urethra, The passage or canal through which the urine is conducted from the 
bladder and discharged. 

Urinary, Pertaining to the urine. 

Uvula, The palate. 

Vicarious, performance by one organ of the functions of another. 

Voracious, Greedy in eating; great appetite. 

Vaccination, The act of inoculating persons with cow-pox. 

Vagina, The passage from the womb to the external parts. 

Venous, Pertaining to the veins. 

Vertigo, Dizziness; giddiness. 

Virus, Poison; the foul and contagious matter of an ulcer; organic poison. 
Vertebra, A joint or segment of the back-bone; plural vertebrae. 

Vesicles, Little blisters. 

Varioloid, A modified form of small-pox. 

Venery. Sexual intercourse. 

Viscid, Sticky: glutinous. 

V iscera. The bowels, or intestinals organs of the body. 

Vitiated, Impure; corrupted; impaired. 

Volatile, Capable of wasting away suddenly from exposure to the air. 
Volition, The exercise of the will; power of choice. 

Yeaning, lambing season of sheep. 


4 


GENERAL INDEX- 


A. 

Abortion. 

Abscesses. 

Abscess root, medical uses of... 

Abdomen, hardened swelling of. 

Abdominal compress.. 

Abuses of clothing. 

Acetic acid, medical uses of. 

Accidents and emergencies__ 

Accidents in water.. 

Aconite, antidote for. 

Aconite, description and medical uses of.. 

Adder tongue, medical uses of.. 

Adrue, medical uses of.. 

Advice to (1) husbands and (2) wives. 

After pains, child-birth. 

Agrimony, medical uses of... 

Ague weed, medical uses of. 

Ague root, medical uses of. 

Ague in face, cure of. 

Ague cake, enlarged spleen, cure of. 

Air and water, for dwellings. 

Air, pure, for children. 

Air, pure, in the kitchen. 

Air, pure, relation to digestion. 

Air and ventilation.. 

Alcohol, for snake bites. 

Alcohol, antidote for poison of. 

Alcohol, in cases of shock. 

Alcohol, relation to food.. 

Alcohol, habit, treatment of. 

Alcoholic liquors . 

Aloes, medical uses of... 

Allspice, medical uses of. 

Alum, medical uses of . 

Alum root, medical uses of. 

Alum, for burns.. 

Alveloz, medical uses of. 

Amaranth, medical uses of... 

Amber, medical uses of. 

American sarsaparilla, medical uses of. 

American centaury, medical uses of. 

American columbo, medical uses of. 

American hellebore, medical uses of.. 

American ivy, medical uses of.. 

American ipecac, medical uses of.. 

American larch, medical uses of.. 

American senna, medical uses of-- 

American valerian, medical uses of.. 

Ammonia, antidote for poison of... 

Ammonia, spirits of. medical uses of.. 

Ammonium, bromide of, medical uses of. 

Ammonia, to be kept in house-- 

Angelica, medical uses of. ..-. 

Animal food, kinds and merits of--- 

Anise seed, medical uses of. - 

Ante-natal impressions, influence upon offspring. 


PAGE. 

... 391 

... 74 

... 659 

... 311 
... 365 
... 854 
... 604 
... 19 

... 48 

.. 30 

... 604 
.. 649 

609 
. 828-830 
... 391 
... 605 

... 626 
... 722 
190 
... 189 
... 10 
... 430 
. 803 

818 
.. 839 

... 19 

30 
51 
496 

... 860 
859 

604 

... 606 

605 

605 
23 

606 
695 

.. 606 
606 
636 
... 641 
... 607 
607 
. 608 
. 718 

... 60 * 
.. 672 
30 

__ 710 

.. 627 

.. 804 
608-695 
579-498 
.. 608 
__ 837 


# 





























































1172 


GENERAL INDEX. 


Ants, how to destroy.. 

Anti-emetic root, medical uses of.. 

Apoplexy, salt for relief in.. 

Apoplectic fits, symptoms and remedies- 

Apparent death, from drowning.. 

Apparent death, from hanging... 

Apparent death from noxious vapors. 

Appetites, the (sexual).. 

Apple tree bark, medical uses of.. 

Appetite, in hygiene... 

Arbor vitse, medical uses of. 

Arlanthe, elongata, medical uses of.. 

Arnica, for dislocations.. 

Arnica, medical uses of. 

Aroyan, medical uses of. 

Arrangement of meals.. 

Arsenic, antidote for poison by.. 

Artificial respiration, in accidents__ 

Artificial complexion.. 

Asafetida-plant, medical uses of.. 

Asparagus as a medical agent. 

Asparagus, food qualities of... 

Aspen, medical uses of.. 

Associations of home.. 

Asthma, symptoms and treatment.. 

Asthma, remedies for.. 

B. 

Backache, cause and cure.. 

Backache root, medical uses of.. 

Bael fruit, medical uses of.. 

Baldness, prevention of.. 

Baldness...... 

Baldness, diet for.... 

Ballottement, in pregnancy. 

Balm, medical uses of.... 

Balm of gilead, medical uses of... 

Balmony, medical uses of. 

Balsam of fir, medical uses of.. 

Balsam of Peru, medical uses of. 

Balsam of copaiba, medical uses of.. 

Balsam of tolu, medical uses of___ 

Balsam weed, medical uses of.. 

Band, of infants.. 

Barberry, medical uses of... 

Barley, quality as food and preparations of. 

Barrenness, or sterility, to remove. 

Basements, of dwellings.. 

Bath, spirit vapor, the.. 

Bathing, (surface) in bilious fever. 

Bathing, children.... 

Bathing, the sick.. 

Bayberry, medical uses of.... 

Baycuru, medical uses of.. 

Bear’s foot, medical uses of.. 

Bearberry, medical uses of.. 

Bear grass, medical uses of.. 

Bear’s moss, medical uses of... 

Bebeructra, medical uses of. 

Bed-chambers, location of. 

Bed sores, remedy for. 

Bee stings, remedies for.... 


PAGE. 

805 

609 

784 
33 
46 
49 

49 
831 
609 
809 

609 

610 

71 

609 
637 
578 

28 

50 
807 

610 
805 
521 
696 
956 

72 

785 


.. 86 

.. 631 

.. 610 

.. 802 

.. 82 

.. 535 

_*. 352 

.. 611 

.. 611 

.. 611 

.. 612 

. 612 

.. 612 

.. 613 

.. 652 

.. 428 

.. 613 

_ 516 

. 411 

.. 14 

.. 892 

.. 179 

r.__. 429 

. 475 

. 613 

. 614 

. 614 

. 723 

. 642 

. 662 

. 615 

. 7-13 

.. 785 

.... 21-793 






























































GENERAL INDEX. 


1173 


T , , PAGE. 

.Bebeerine, medical uses of. 615 

Beach-drops, medical uses of. 615 

Beef, as food. 500 

Beef tea, how to make...585 

Beet, medical uses of. 615 

Belladonna, medical uses of. 616 

Benne leaves, medical uses of. 616 

Beth root, medical uses of. 616 

Biliousness, symptoms, cause and cure of. 80 

Bilious colic, cause and remedies_______ 61 

Bilious fever, remedies in. 171 

Birds-eye violet, medical uses of. 724 

Birds qualities as food.... 503 

Bird-weed, medical uses of... 729 

Birth marks. .... 347 

Bishop’s root, medical uses of...._.. 617 

Bitter ash, medical uses of._... 667 

Bitter herb, medical uses of....... 611 

Bitter root, medical uses of....... 617 

Bittersweet, medical uses of.618, 711 

Bitter apple (cucumber) medical uses of..... 640 

Black alder, medical uses of. 623 

Black birch, medical uses of.... 623 

Black cohosh, medical uses of. 622 

Black dress goods, to clean_ 796 

Black eye, to remove mark of.....-... 40 

Black haw, medical uses of... 619 

Black hellebore, medical uses of...... 638 

Black henbane, medical uses of..... 665 

Black larch, medical uses of...... 718 

Black locust, medical uses of...-. 618 

Blackberry, medical uses of..... 619 

Blacksnake root, medical uses of____-. 618 

Black root, medical uses of... 620 

Black silk weed, medical uses of....-. 667 

Black willow, medical uses of... 620 

Black walnut, medical uses of.- 621 

Bladder, inflammation of .. 231 

Bleach white goods, how to.... r - 794 

Bleeding from lungs .remedy for---40, 783, 789 

Bleeding from stomach, remedy for--42, 783 

Bleeding from nose, remedy for...— --44, 785 

Bleeding piles, salt for cure of. 782 

Blessed thistle , medical uses of. 022 

Blood, to check flow of, in wounds..62, 792 

Blood root, medical uses of...-. 623 

Bloody flux, dysentery, remedies for.-. 143 

Bloody urine, cause and remedies- 81 

Blotches on face, remedy for. 257 

Blue bells, medical uses of.. 65 J 

Blue cohosh, medical uses of----- 624 

Blue flag med'cal uses of.--- 624 

Blue gum, im-dical uses of..-.625, 8 U 2 

Blue lobelia, med cal uses of. 6~6 

Blue scu'lcap, medical uses of. 7^' 

Blue violet, medical uses of.-. ‘' 

Boils, treatment of..... _ , 

Boils, gum, remedies for . 

Boldo leaves, medical uses of. 

Boneset, medical uses of... ^7 

Borage, medical uses of........ . 































































1174 


GENERAL INDEX 


PAGE. 

Borax, medical uses of... 627 

Bowels, inflammation of. 230 

Bowman root, medical uses of.. 620 

Boys, and tobacco. 866 

Brain fever, cause and remedies... 179 

Bread and its compositions... 501 

Breasts, functions of .-. 371 

Breasts, gathered or inflamed. 395 

Breath, offensive. 81 

Breathing, in diagnosis . -. 770 

Brine, for preserving butter.-. 806 

Bright’s disease of kidneys. 234 

Bright’s disease, diet for.-. 5*4 

Bromide of ammonium, medical uses of. 627 

Bronchitis, svmptoms and cure. 77 

Broths, how to make..-. °8i 

Bruises, cure for.785- 58 

Buckthorn, medical uses of._.. 628 

Buckthorn brake, medical uses of. 628 

Buchu, medical uses of.-. 627 

Bugle weed, medical uses of... 628 

Build, where to ... 8 

Bunion, cause and cure.... 85 

Burdock, medical uses of.....- 629 

Burgundy-pitch, medical uses of. 629 

Burning bush, medical uses of.... 667 

Burns and scalds, remedies...23, 785 

Burns, salt for cure of....-. 782 

Burr thistle, medical uses of... 732 

Bush-honeysuckle, medical uses of. 629 

Butter, how to keep.......806,794 

Butter, food qualities of.- 510 

Butternut, medical uses of. 630 

Button-bush, medical uses of.. 630 

Button-snake root, medical uses of.-. 631 

Butterfly-weed, medical uses of. 692 


C. 

Cabbages, as anti-scorbutic. 521 

Calico-bush, medical uses of. 676 

Calcium, iodo-bromide of, medical uses of. 651 

Calculation of time of labor (childbirth). 375 

Calculation of time of labor (tables of). ..377-380 

California laurel, medical uses of._. 631 

Camphor, medical uses of... 631 

Cancer, remedies for...117, 785 

Cancer root, medical uses of.. .615, 631 

Canker of mouth, remedies... p>0 

Cancer lettuce, m dical uses of. 7ul 

Capacity of muscles . S20 

Capsicum, medical uses of... 635 

Carbolic acid, for poisonous wounds... 20 

Carbuncles, symptoms and cure of... 75 

Cardamom seeds, medical uses of.... 632 

Care of children, general measures. 432 

Care of the person ..... 963 

Carnauba, medical uses of..... 632 

Caroba, medical uses of.... 632 

Carolina pink, medical uses of.-.. 691 

Carpenter’s square, medical uses of. 633 





























































GENERAL INDEX. 


1175 


Carpets, dust and disease. 

Carrot pap, for rickets and worms, how to prepare 

Cascara amarga, medical uses of. 

Cascara sagrada, medical uses of. 

Castor-oil, medical uses of. 

Cataleptic fits, symptoms and remedies. 

Catarrh, remedies for.... 

Cathartics, use of to be avoided. 

Catnip, medical uses of. 

Causes of bad getting up after labor. 

Cayenne pepper, medical uses of. 

Cedron seed, medical uses of.. 

Celandine, medical uses of. 

Centaury, medical uses of. 

Cerebro spinal meningitis. 

Chafing... 

Chamomile, medical uses of. 

Change of life, critical age. 

Chapped hands, etc... 

Character indicated by hair... 

«-harcoal, medical uses of.1.... 

Charm of home.... 

Chaulmoogra oil, medical uses of.... 

Checker-berry, medical uses of.. 

Cheese, qualities of as food... 

Cheese weed, medical uses of. 

Chekan, medical uses of... 

Chewstick, medical uses of. 

Chewing gum, remarks on... 

Chicken pox, remedies for.... 

Chilblain, or frostbite... 

Child-bed fever (puerpural)... 

Children, diseases of . 

Children, physical and mental training of.. 

Children, clothing of ... 

Children, washing and bathing. 

Children, cradle beds for.. 

Children, general care of.... 

Children, vomiting of-.... 

Children, summer complaint of... 

Children, summer complaint of (chronic). 

Children, scald-head of..- 

Children, red gum in. 

Children, thrush in. 

Children, cold in head... 

Children, crying of....-. 

Children, diet for consumptive. 

Children, vanity in... 

Children, education of. 

Chills and fever, causes and cure.. 

Chinese tea, medical uses of. 

Chiretta, medical uses of. 

Chittim bark, medical uses of. 

Chloroform, for lockjaw. 

Chlorosis (green sickness).. 

Chocolate root, medical uses of-- 

Cholera, symptoms and treatment- 

Cholera, diet for .-. 

Cholera infantum, remedies for. 

Cholera morbus, treatment of. 

Chordee, remedies for. 


PAGE. 

.. 803 

. 595 

.. 633 

.. 634 

.. 632 

. 116 

...126, 782, 786 

. 799 

. 633 

.. 368 

. 635 

. 634 

. 720 

. 636 

.304, 793 

. 110 

. 634 

. 341 

..115, 786 

. 84 

. 636 

. 951 

. 635 

. 688 

_ 511 

. 637 

. 637 

.. 638 

. 602 

. 117 

.114, 785 

. 398 

. 424 

. 424 

. 426 

.. 429 

. 432 

_ 433 

. 452 

. 445 

. 447 

. 444 

.. 453 

. 454 

. 456 

. 457 

. 542 

. 845 

. 961 

.180, 786 

. 638 

. 640 

. 634 

. 22 

.. 899 

.. 651 

.Ill, 785 

. 536 

.443, 786 

.108, 783 

. 208 
































































1176 


GENERAL INDEX. 


Christmas rose, medical uses of.. 

Cinnamon, medical uses of.— 

Clap, cure of. 

Cleansing cloth, recipes. 

Cleansing (after delivery).. 

Cleanliness in the sick room. 

Cleavers, medical uses of. 

Clergyman’s sore throat, remedies for. 

Climate on consumption. 

Clothing, color of. 

Clothing, cleansing and change. 

Clothing of children. 

Clothing, Japanese cleansing cream for— 

Clothing, its uses and abuses. 

Clothing, tight, diseases produced by. 

Cloves, medical uses of. 

Clysters, use of...— 

Coca leaves, medical uses of. 

Cocklebur (strumarium) medical uses of.. 

Cocklebur ( agrimony ) medical uses of. 

Cocoa, to prepare from the nibs.. 

Cocoa, nutrient qualities of. 

Cod liver oil, for consumption. 

Coffee, relation to food and health..:. 

Coffee, nutritious, how to prepare. 

Colchicum, for gout.. 

Colchicum, medical uses of. 

Cold cream, to prepare... 

Colds in head, influenza. 

Colds and coughs.. 

Cold feet, cure for habit... 

Cold in head, of children.. 

Colic, common, flatulent, remedies. 

Colic, cramp . 

Colic, painters’ or lead. 

Colic, bilious.. 

Colic, in pregnancy.. 

Colic root, medical uses of... 

Colocynth, medical uses of.. 

Color of clothing. 

Collonsonin, medical uses of. 

Collodion, medical uses of.. 

Colt’s-foot, medical uses of.. 

Columbo root, medical uses of.. 

Columbo, African, medical uses of. 

Comfrey, medical uses of. 

Common ideal of home. 

Companionship._ 

Complexion, use of cosmetics.. 

Complexion, to improve... 

Compression, of muscles. 

Conception... 

Concussion of the brain, treatment. 

Condiments, relation to food.. 

Condition of the system, in hygiene. 

Conditions of home. 

Congestive chills, symptoms and remedies 

Constipation, cause and remedies. 

Constipation, of pregnancy. 

Constipating foods, table of. 

Constipation, diet for.. 

Construction, of residences.. 


PAGE. 

.. (338 

.. 637 

. 206 

. 794 

. 406 

.. 484 

. 639 

. 297 

. 94 

.. 855 

. 856 

_426-429 

. 795 

. 854 

. 857 

. 641 

.. 743 

. 640 

. 638 

. 605 

.. 600 

.. 534 

. 540 

.. 532 

.. 601 

.. 204 

.. 639 

.. 794 

.. 108 

106, 783, 786 

.. 120 

.. 456 

.59, 783 

. 60 

_784- 61 

.. 61 

.. 361 

.. 730 

.. 640 

.. 855 

. 712 

.. 642 

.. 728 

.. 641 

. 642 

. 640 

. 952 

.. 964 

. 807 

.. 793 

.. 822 

_837-346 

.. 51 

. 525 

. 815 

. 953 

. 37 

. 122 

.. 366 

. 367 

.. 537 

.. 16 

































































GENERAL INDEX. 


1177 


Consumption, cause and treatment. 

Consumption, (Swedish movement cure.. 

Consumption, diet for. 

Consumption, cod-liver oil for. 

Consumption, hot water cure for. 

Consumption, remedies for. 

Convulsions, salt as a cure for... 

Contracted joints, remedy for.. 

Conversation in the sick-room... 

Coral root, medical uses of.. 

Corn silk, medical uses of. 

Corn smut, medical uses of. 

Corn snake-root, medical uses of. 

Corns, treatment of... 

Corpulence, diet to reduce. 

Corrosive sublimate, antidote for. 

Cosmoline for burns. 

Costiveness, cause and cure of. 

Costiveness, cure of without medicine_ 

Coto bark, medical uses of. 

Cotton-plant, medical uses of. 

Couch grass, medical uses of. 

Cough root, medical uses of.. 

Coughs, how to arrest... 

Cowhage, medical uses of. 

Cow-pox, treatment of. 

Cowslip, medical uses of.. 

Cow parsnip, medical uses of. 

Cramp in stomach, causes and remedies. 

Cramp in legs, causes and remedies. 

Cramp colic, causes and remedies. 

Cramps in pregnancy, treatment. 

Cranberry, high, medical uses.. 

Cranesbill, medical uses of.. 

Cranberries, medical uses of_ 

Crawley, medical uses of.... 

Croton oil, medical uses of. 

Croup, causes, symptoms and remedies... 

Croup, spasmodic.. 

Croup, remedies for... 

Crow corn, medical uses of__ 

Crowfoot, medical uses of. 

Crying of children, treatment. 

Cubebs, medical uses of.. 

Cucumber, medical uses of.. 

Culvers physic, medical uses of—.. 

Cutting almond, medical uses of.. 

Curability of consumption. 

D 

Damiana, medical uses of—.. 

Dampness, promoting disease.. 

Dandelion, medical uses of.. 

Dandruff, remedies for.. 

Danger of new houses.. 

Deafness, remedies for...... 

Delirium tremens, remedies for. 

Dentition, disorders of. 

Detection of fractures. 

Detection of dislocations.. 

Devil’s bit, medical uses of.-. 

Dewberry, medical uses of. 

Diabetes, remedies for.-. 


PAGE. 

... 87 

... 95 

... 538 
... 540 

... 789 
... 786 
... 783 
.. 268 
480 
... 645 
... 639 

... 641 
.. 642 
110-786 
... 543 
.. 28 
.. 24 

.. 122 
... 124 

.. 643 
... 643 
.. 643 
.. 616 
.. 804 
.. 643 
... 318 
... 644 

... 644 
... 27 

.. 58 

... 60 
.. 361 
.. 663 
. _ 656 
644-663 
.. 645 

.. 645 
.. 433 

.. 434 

... 787 
.. 722 

__ 656 
.. 457 
.. 646 
.. 645 
.. 620 
.. 646 
.. 89 

.. 646 
.. 11 
.. 647 
141-787 
.. 17 

148-787 
.. 142 

.. 467 
.. 69 

.. 70 

.. 631 
.. 647 
139-787 
































































1178 


GENERAL INDEX. 


Diabetes, diet for... 

Diagnosis diseases, how to. 

Diagnosis, easy method of. 

Diarrhea, causes and cure of. 

Diarrhea in pregnancy. 

Diarrhea, diet for. 

Diarrhea, salt for cure of.. 

Diarrhea, coto-bark for. 

Diarrhea, hot water cure for. 

Diet, for nervous diseases. 

Diet for worms. 

Diet in pregnancy. 

Diet for nursing mother__ 

Diet for wet-nurses... 

Diet after parturition. 

Diet, regulation of__ 

Diet for all diseases.-- 

Diet for Bright’s disease. 

Diet for cholera.-. 

Diet for constipation... 

Diet for consumption. 

Diet for consumptive children. 

Diet for corpulence, to reduce. 

Diet for diabetes.. 

Diet for diarrhea.. 

Diet for diphtheria._. 

Diet for diseases of the liver. 

Diet for dropsy.. 

Diet for dyspepsia. 

Diet for dysentery. 

Diet for eczema and skin diseases. 

Diet for fevers and inflammations. 

Diet for gout.... 

Diet for gravel. 

Diet for heart disease... 

Diet for hysteria. 

Diet for nervous exhaustion. 

Diet for rheumatism... 

Diet for rickets.. 

Diet for scrofula.... 

Diet for scurvy and purpura. 

Diet for typhoid in children and adults 

Diet for worm affections.. 

Diet for different stages of life. 

Diet for infancy. 

Diet for old age. 

Diet for maternity.. 

Diet for travelers. 

Diet, animal food as. 

Different stages of life, diet for. 

Difficult labor (childbirth). 

Digestion, time of. 

Digestion, table of. 

Digestion, skin and. 

Digestion, tight clothing impairs. 

Digestion, relation of pure air to. 

Digitalis, medical uses of. 

Digitalis, in small-pox. 

Digitalis, in typhoid fever. 

Diphtheria, causes, symptoms and cure 

Diphtheria, diet for. 

Diphtheria, remedies for.. 


PAGE. 

.... 545 
.... 767 
..775-781 
.... 145 

_ 366 

.... 548 
.... 783 
.... 787 
.... 789 

.... 244 
.... 3^6 

_ 359 

..372-461 
..373-462 
.... 388 
.... 489 
.... 534 
.... 534 
.... 536 

.... 537 
.... 538 
.... 543 
.... 543 
.... 545 
.... 548 
.... 548 
.... 549 

.... 550 
.... 550 
.... 557 
.... 557 
.... 558 

_ 560 

.... 561 
.... 563 
.... 564 
.... 564 

.... 5G5 
.... 566 
.... 567 
.... 568 

.... 569 
.... 570 
.... 572 
.... 572 
.... 575 
.... 576 

.... 577 
.... 579 
.... 572 
.... 381 
.... 810 
.... 811 
.... 817 
.... 817 
.... 818 
.... 654 

_280 

.... 169 
.... 131 
.... 548 

































































GENERAL INDEX. 


1179 


Directions to mothers in regard to children.. 

Directions for watchefs in sick-room.... 

Discharges from the ear. 

Discipline, domestic __. 

Diseases of children..... 

Disease, easy method of diagnosing_ 

Diseases caused by tobacco... 

Disease, magnetism applied to.. 

Diseases produced by tight clothing.... 

Disinfectants of dwellings... 

Dislocations, treatment of... 

Disorders of pregnancy.... 

Disorders of teething..... 

Dita bark, medical uses of... 

Dittany, medical uses of. 

Division First, Local Hygiene... 

Division Second, Accidents and Emergencies. 

Division Third, General Diseases... 

Division Fourth, General Diseases (continued). 

Division Fifth, General Diseases (continued). 

Division Sixth, Woman in Health and Disease. 

Division Seventh, Diseases of Children. 

Division Eighth, The Sick Room. 

Division Ninth, Food in Health and Disease. 

Division Tenth, Medical Plants, or Materia Medica. 

Division Eleventh, Diagnosis. 

Division Twelfth, Miscellaneous. 

Division Thirteenth, Hygiene. 

Division Fourteenth, Information for Everybody. 

Division Fifteenth, Magnetism.. 

Division Sixteenth, Hydropathy... 

Division Seventeenth, Homeopathy. 

Division Eighteenth, Home. 

Division Nineteenth, Domestic Animals. 

Division Twentieth, Selection and Purchase of Live Stock 

Division Twenty-first, Breeding Live Stock__ 

Division Twenty-second, Feeding Live Stock. 

Division Twenty-third, Horticulture—.... 

Dizziness, cause and remedy for. 

Dizziness in pregnancy.. 

Dogwood, medical uses of... 

Dog fennel, medical uses of.-.. 

Dogtooth violet, medical uses of ..... 

Dogsbane, medical uses of....-.... 

Domestic economy, of the wife.-.. 

Domestic discipline.. 

Dragon’s claw, medical uses of---- 

Dragon root, medical uses of--- 

Drainage, of dwellings .-. 

Drinking immoderately, effect of.. 

Drinks for invalids, how to prepare.. 

Drinking at meals.-. 

Dropsy, symptoms and remedies.. 

Dropsy, diet for. .... 

Drowning, treatment in accidents.• 

Dust and disease in carpets.. 

Dwarf elder, medical uses of .. .-.. 

; Dysentery, causes and remedies. 

Dvsentery, cure without medicine... 

Dysentery, diet for.. 

Dysentery, remedies for... 

Dyspepsia, symptoms and remedies. 


PAGE. 

.. 425 

.. 482 
.. 441 

.. 958 
.. 424 
775-781 
.. 863 
.. 869 
857 

... 12 
... 71 

.. 355 
... 467 
... 647 
.. 648 
5 

... 19 

... 72 

... 158 
... 242 

... 331 
... 425 
... 472 
... 489 
... 603 
... 767 

... 782 
... 808 
... 824 
... 870 
... 879 
... 922 
.. 951 
... 967 
... 1053 
.. 1065 
... 1105 
... 1136 
... 202 
.. 362 

... 648 
.. 648 
.. 649 

.. 667 
... 827 
.. 958 

.. 645 
.. 668 
9 

.. 497 
.. 597 
.. 814 
.. 128 
.. 550 

.. 46 

.. 803 
.. 648 
.. 143 

.. 144 
.. 557 
... 787 
.135-788 
































































1180 


GKNEliAL INDEX. 


PAGE. 

Dyspepsia, diet for. *>o0 

Dyspepsia, salt for cure of. ^ y 4 

Dyspepsia, hot water cure for. ^89 

E. 

Earache, causes and remedies ...--40-788 

Ear, foreign substances in. 54 

Ear, hints on affections of.... 140 

Eating late suppers.- 55 ? 

Eating, regular, importance of...579-818 

Eczema, and skin diseases, diet for...-. 557 

Education of children...-.. 061 

Eggs, qualities as food.....— 506 

Eggs, medical uses of..... 650 

Electricity, for rheumatism......-.. 267 

Elecampane, medical uses of... 640 

Elder, medical uses of.....-. 650 

Emergencies, Accidents and. 10 

Enemas, uses of .... 743 

Enlarged (varicose) veins, remedies*for...... 152 

Enlarged spleen, ague cake, remedies for.783-180 

Enlargement of the abdomen (pregnancy). 350 

Enlargement of the breasts. 349 

Enlargement of the heart. 221 

Enlargement of the tonsils. 310 

Epileptic tits, cause and treatment. 140 

Erasive soap, chemical.... 796 

Eruptions on face, cure of..... 257 

Erysipelas, causes and cure of.... 153 

Erysipelas, salt for cure of..... 784 

Erythroxolon coca, in alcoholism... Hil 

Evacuation, in hygiene...... 818 

Evan root, medical uses of. 651 

Evening primrose, medical uses of.. 649 

Excessive indulgence, (sexual), to avoid... 836 

Exercise, gymnastic...... 848 

Exercise, time for.. 850 

Exercise in pregnancy....... 359 

Exercise for infants...... 460 

Exercise, open air..... 821 

Exercise, regular and frequent... 821 

Exercise, outside for girls..... 851 

Exertion after a meal...... 552 

Exertion, violent....t... 815 

Exertion of the muscles... 820 

Expense of the tobacco habit. ..... 865 

Extract of meat as food......... 503 

F. 

Face, eruptions on.... 257 

Face-ache in pregnancy..... 362 

Fainting tit, causes and treatment....... 25 

Fainting from loss of blood. 66 

Falling of the bowel, remedies in. 196 

Falling of the womb, treatment of.... 4 ’8 

Falling of the palate, remedies for. 252 

False hellebore, medical uses of... 651 

False Cromwell, medical uses of... 658 

Fashionable hours, injuriouseffects of... 853 

Fat, how to become.. ... 601 

Feet, soreness, cure for..... 198 

Feet, perspiration of, cure for.. 199 




























































GENERAL INDEX. 


1181 


Feet, tenderness and offensive odor of.... 

Feet and stockings__ 

Felon, remedies for.. 

Felon, salt for..... 

Female fern, medical uses of... 

Fennel seed, medical uses of.. 

Fern root, medical uses of. 

Fever-few, medical uses of... 

Fevers, division on__ 

Fevers, diet for.. 

Fever and ague, cause and treatment_ 

Fever, bilious, cause and treatment. 

Fever, spotted, cause and treatment_ 

Fever, yellow, cause and treatment. 

Fever sores and blisters. 

Fever, typhus and typhoid.. 

Fever, brain; scarlet.. 

Fever puerperal.... 

Fever miliary..... 

Feverwort, medical uses of.... 

Field balsam, medical uses of... 

Figwort, medical uses of.. 

Fire, to escape from... 

Fireweed, medical uses of. 

Firwein, medical uses of... 

Firwein, for bronchitis.. 

Fish, qualities as food.. 

Fistula in ano, treatment and cure.. 

Fits, infantile convulsions. 

Five-finger, medical uses of—.. 

Flaxseed, medical uses of. 

Flannel next the skin. 

Flesh as food, comparative values of- 

Flooding after childbirth, remedies for... 

Flour, value of unbolted. 

Folia caroba, medical uses of-- 

Foreign bodies in throat, treatment. 

Foreign bodies in nose, treatment. 

Foreign bodies in eye and ear, treatment. 

Food before retiring.. 

Food, not to be kept in sick room. 

Food for the sick. . 

Food, punctuality in giving, to sick. 

Food in health and disease —.. 

Food to nutriment, relation of. 

Food, elements of. 

Food, nitrogenous.. 

Food, non-nitrogenous . 

Food, animal, kinds and values. 

Food, methods of preparing. 

Food, of infants, first six months. 

Food, effects of too much. 

Food, quality of . 

Food, kind required.. 

Food, adaptation of.. 

Food, manner of taking. 

Food and temperament. 

Food, hot, in hygiene.- 

Foxglove, medical uses of. 

Fracture (bone), how to detect, treatment. 

Fracture of ribs, treatment.. 

Freckles, to remove. 


PAGE. 

.. 199 

. 801 

. 191 

_ 782 

. 651 

. 651 

. 651 

. 652 

_158-188 

558 

783-180-788 

_ 171 

. 184 

. 185 

. 314 

_158-163 

....178-175 

_ 398 

. 401 

. 626 

. 652 

. 633 

. 806 

_ 653 

. 653 

. 78 

. 504 

. 192 

.38-783 

. 652 

. 653 

. 855 

. 499 

. 389 

. 591 

. 654 

. 52 

. 53 

. 54 

. 817 

.. 474 

. 475 


.. 489 
.. 492 

.. 493 
. 491 

.. 495 

.. 498 
.. 580 

.. 462 
.. 809 
.. 810 
.. 812 
.. 812 
.. 813 
.. 813 
.. 815 
.. 654 
.. 69 

.. 70 

191-790 
































































1182 


GENERAL INDEX 


V 


Fringe-tree, medical uses of. 

Freezing, apparent death from. 

Fruit in place of medicine in pregnancy 

Fruit, properties of, as food. 

Fumigation, sulphur, for diphtheria .... 


PAGE. 

728 

50 

358 

522 

133 


G 

Gamboge, medical uses of. 

Gall stone, to remove.. 

Garden nightshade, medical uses of. 

Garlic, medical uses of. 

Gathered or inflamed breasts. 

Ganglion, weeping sinew, remedies. 

Garrya leaves, medical uses of. 

General diseases, division on. 

General diseases, division on, continued.. 
General diseases, division on, continued.. 

Gentian, yellow, medical uses of. 

Gentian, medical uses of... 

Geranium, medical uses of. 

German remedy for hydrophobia. 

Giddiness, cause and treatment.. 

Ginger, medical uses of. 

Ginseng, medical uses of... 

Gleet (gonorrhea), treatment of.. 

Gnats, stings of. 

Goiter, causes and remedies. 

Golden seal, medical uses of. 

Goldthread, medical uses of.. 

Gonorrhea, cure of. 

Good manners,.. 

Goosegrass, medical uses of. 

Gout, symptoms and remedies for. 

Gout, chronic, treatment of.. 

Gout, diet for... 

Grape, Oregon or wild, medical uses of.. 
Grape, false (Am. ivy) medical uses of... 

Grapevine, medical uses of. 

Gravel, causes and cure of. 

Gravel, uric-acid, remedies for..-. 

Gravel, diet for. 

Gravel-weed, medical uses of. 

Gravel-root, medical uses of.. 

Gray feather, medical uses of. 

Great laurel, medical uses of. 

Greek valerian, medical uses of. 

Green sickness, (chlorosis). 

Grindelia robusta, for cure of asthma_ 

Grindelia robusta, medical uses of. 

Grindelia squarrosa, medical uses of.... 

Ground ivy, medical uses of. 

Ground centaury, medical uses of.. 

Ground moss, medical uses of.. 

Ground holly, medical uses of.. 

Gruel, how to prepare.. 

Guaco leaves, medical uses of.. 

Guarana, medical uses of. 

Gumboils, remedies for.. 

Gums, lancing, in teething.... 

Gum, chewing, effect of.. 

Gum myrrh, medical uses of.. 

Gum guaiac, medical uses of..... 


.. 654 
.. 233 
.. 655 

.. 655 
.. 395 
.. 206 
.. 656 

.. 72 

.. 158 

.. 242 

.. 641 

.. 656 

.. 656 

.. 56 

. 202-788 
.. 657 

.. 657 
. 206-788 
... 20 
.. 202 
.. 658 
.. 657 
.. 206 
... 962 
.. 639 
.. 203 
.. 205 
.. 560 

.. 684 
.. 607 
.. 659 

.. 199 

.. 201 
.. 561 
.. 658 

.. 696 

.. 631 
... 660 
.. 659 

.. 399 
.. 74 

.. 719 
.. 718 
. 660-616 
.. 660 
.. 662 
... 731 
.. 594 
... 660 
... 661 
... 210 
... 468 
... 602 
... 660 
... 661 


\ 






























































GENERAL INDEX. 


1183 


Gum Arabic, medical uses of. 662 

Gum weed, medical uses of....... 718 

Gunshot wounds, treatment of..... 68 

Gymnastic exercise...... 848 

« 

H. 

Habit, the alcohol, treatment of..... 861 

Hair and baldness. 82 

Hair invigorator, recipe for.. 83 

Hair restorative, recipe for. 795 

Haircap moss, medical uses of. 662 

Happiness for the mismated. 834 

Hardback, medical uses of. 662 

Hartshorn spirits of, medical uses of. 710 

Hay asthma, symptoms and cure... 220 

Hay fever, cure of.. 220 

Hay, to measure.... 805 

Headache, sick, remedies for... 212 

Headache, in pregnancy, treatment of..... 362 

Headache, remedies for. 788 

Heal-all, medical uses of........ 712 

Health, exercise that produces..... 852 

Health, sleep as a factor in...... 852 

Health tree, medical uses of....625-802 

Healthy and unhealthy residences.... 5 

Heart snake-root, medical uses of....... 728 

Heartburn, cause and remedies. 222-784-789 

Heartburn, in pregnancy. 360 

Heart, palpitation of, treatment. 215 

Heart disease (anginapectoris). 217 

Heart, inflammation of. 219 

Heart, enlargment of. 221 

Heart disease, diet for.... 563 

Heat, animal, in hygiene. 809 

Hellebore, American, (swamp) medical uses of. 607 

Hellebore, black, medical uses of... 638 

Hellebore, false, medical uses of. 651 

Hemlock (spruce), medical uses of. 662 

Hemorrhage of lungs,remedy for.. 40 

Hiccough, remedies for.-. 211 

Hints to mothers. 844 

Hip disease, remedies for.-.. 327 

Hives, cause and remedies.-.216-789 

Hives, salt for cure of. 784 

Hoarseness, remedies for... 223 

Hoarhound, medical uses of. 663 

Hogweed, medical uses of. 697 

Hollyhock, medical uses of. 663 

Home comfort. 824 

Home, unpleasant___-.-. 829 

Home, health in the.. 829 

Home, location of. 6 

Home, Division on.. 951 

Home, common ideal of.*. 952 

Home, integrity of. 953 

Home, ties of parentage. 954 

Home, duty of motherhood...-.-. 955 

Home associations... 956 

Home, moral aspects- 957 

Home, domestic discipline. 958 

Home, influence of example.-. 959 

Home and health....—.-.. 960 






























































118 Jr 


GENERAL INDEX. 


PAGE 

Home, education of children...... 961 

Home, good manners..... 962 

Home, care of the person... 963 

Home companionships...... 964 

Home, selection of occupation. 965 

Honeysuckle bush, medical uses of... 629 

Honor, sense of..... 958 

Hood wort, medical uses of. 705 

Hooping-cough, (see whooping-cough). 

Hops, medical uses of--- 664 

Horse-radish, medical uses of.. 664 

Horse-chestnut, medical uses of. 664 

Horse mint, medical uses of... 665 

Hot water cure, for consumption, dyspepsia and diarrhea. 7^9 

Hot food and drink...-... 815 

Hound’s tongue, medical uses of.-. 665 

Houses, construction of..... 10 

House duties, of wives.. 827 

How to determine sex before birth.... 353 

How to act in absence of physician (child-birth)..... 385 

How to leave the sick room... 481 

How to prepare Liebig’s extract of meat_____ 584 

How to make beef tea........ 585 

How to make broths.—...... 587 

How to make panada. 589 

How to make food for invalids. 580-600 

How to become fat or plump. 601 

How to keep the sick room cool. 793 

How to administer injections. 798 

How to arrest coughing. 804 

How to measure hay. 805 

How to collect and prepare herbs. 737 

How to make home pleasant. 830 

How to prepare herbs for use.. 737 

How to prepare poultices. 740 

How to prepare fomentations. 742 

How to prepare decoctions. 742 

How to prepare infusions. 743 

How to prepare injections. 743 

How to make tinctures. 743 

How to avoid excessive indulgence (sexual)._ 836 

How to magnetize ........ 875 

Huckleberry, medical uses of.... 728 

Husbands, advice to. 830 

Hydrophobia, treatment of. 55 

Hypochondria, treatment of. 239 

Hydrangea, medical uses of. 665 

Hyoscyamus, medical uses of.... 665 

Hyssop, medical uses of. 6«6 

Hysteria (of females), treatment of.. 402 

Hysterical retention of urine.... 403 

Hysteria diet for. 564 

Hygiene, Division on. 808 

Hygiene, local. 5 

I. 

Ice as a medical agent. 580 

Iceland moss, medical uses of... 666 

Ice plant, medical uses of. 666 

Ice water, use of........... 807 

Illustrated plates of medical plants.....743-765 

Immoderate drinking, effect of........ 497 






























































GENERAL INDEX. 


1185 


Impressions, ante-natal, influence upon offspring_ 

Impotence, remedies for.. 

Inconstancy. 

Incontinence of urine (children). 

Incontinence of urine (pregnancy)__ 

Indian balsam, medical uses of_ 

Indian fever root, medical uses of.. 

Indian arrow, medical uses of. 

Indian hemp, medical uses of.. 

Indian cup, medical uses of. 

Indian turnip, medical uses of. 

Indian tobacco, medical uses of.. 

Indian corn, or maize, food qualities of.. 

Indian poke, medical uses of.. 

Indian sage, medical uses of. 

Indigestion, or dyspepsia, symptoms and remedies 

Indigo-weed, medical uses of.. 

Indoor clothing.... 

Infants, sleep of____ 

Infants, management of.... 

Infants, still-born, treatment of.. 

Infantile convulsions, causes and remedies. 

Infantile diarrhea, causes and remedies. 

Infancy, diet for... 

Infection in sickness, to prevent.. 

Inflammation of bronchial tubes.. 

Inflammation of the eyes, remedies for.. 

Inflammation of the heart. 

Inflammation of the lining of abdomen.. 

Inflammation of the liver.. 

Inflammation of the stomach.... 

Inflammation of the bowels___ 

Inflammation of the bladder.... 

Inflammation of the kidneys.. 

Inflammation of the lungs.. 

Inflammation of the throat.... 

Inflammation of the labia_ 

Inflammation of the womb__ 

Inflammation, diet for.-. 

Influences, degenerative, of luxury. 

Influenza, (catarrh) treatment of__ 

Influences, restraining, of home-- 

Influences, of example---- 

Information for Everybody, Division on. 

Ingrowing toe-nail, to cure- 

Injections, howto administer---.. 

Injurious effects of fashionable hours. 

Intermittent fever, cause and cure of. 

Invalids, exercise for... 

Involution of the womb.. 

Iodo-bromide of calcium, medical uses of. 

Ipecac, medical uses of.-.. 

Iron weed, medical uses of--- 

Iron wood, medical uses of- 

Itching of the anus, cure of. 

Itch, the, remedies for.-. 

Itching piles, cure for. 

Itching of the private parts (pregnancy). 


J. 

Jaborandi, medical uses of- 

Jalap, medical uses of.. 


PAGE. 

.. 837 
.. 303 
.. 829 
.. 441 

.. 363 

.. 652 

.. 667 
.. 667 

667 

668 

__ 668 
.. 673 
__ 516 
607 

.. 626 
135 
.. 730 
__ 854 
431 
.. 458 
.. 464 
.. 38 

.. 445 
.. 573 
.. 484 

77 

.. 155 

.. 210 
223 
__ 225 

227 
.. 230 

231 
.. 235 
.. 259 
.. 262 
__ 404 
... 369 
__ 558 
„ 848 
.. 126 
__ 952 
.. 959 
.. 824 
__ 306 
798-743 
.. 853 
.. 180 
.. 851 
.. 369 
651 
669 
.. 669 
... 669 
76 

228 
.. 256 
.. 405 


670 

670 


p 






























































1186 


GENERAL INDEX. 


PAGE. 

Jamaica dogweed, medical uses of.-. 670 

Jaundice, causes and cure...-.-. 232 

Jellies, for invalids, how to prepare..... 596 

Jerusalem oak, medical uses of.--... 732 

Jimson weed, medical uses of-----. 713 

Joints, contracted, remedy for. 268 

Judas tree, medical uses of..—.-. 671 

Juniper berries, medical uses of..-... 671 

K. 

Kameela, medical uses of------ 671 

Kava-kava, medical uses of..... 671 

Kerosene-oil, for burns._....-. 24 

Kerosene oil, for frostbite. 43 

Kidneys, Bright’s disease. 234 

Kidney-disease, symptoms and remedies...235-789 

King’s evil, scrofula...-.. 294 

Kino, medical uses of. 672 

Kitchen, pure air in.-...-. 803 

Kooso, medical uses of... 672 

Koumiss, as medicinal food. 510 

L. 

Labor, calculation of time of (childbirth). 375 

Labor, tables of time of....377-380 

Labor, difficult. 381 

Labor, preparation for. 381 

Labor, symptoms and stages of....... 383 

Lactation, or nursing.... 371 

Lady’s slipper, medical uses of.-. 672 

Laudanum, medical uses of..- 686 

Laurel, medical uses of.... 676 

Laurel, California, medical uses of.. 631 

Laurel, narrow leaf, medical uses of._ 706 

Laxative foods, table of........ 367 

Lead poisoning, antidote for...... 33 

Lead colic, cause and remedies... 61 

Leek, house, medical uses of_______ 673 

Lemon, medical uses of....... 675 

Lemonades, how to prepare for invalids.... 599 

Leptandrin, medical uses of...... 620 

Leucorrhea, treatment of....... 414 

Leucorrhea, infantile, causes and remedies... 417 

Liebig’s extract of meat, how to make...... 584 

Life, sure test o ^extinction of..... 801 

Life, influence of marriage on duration of....... 803 

Light, in hygiene. ... 821 

Lily of the valley, medical uses of...... 676 

Lime for vomiting.... 26 

Lime, medical uses of. 674 

Lime-water for infantile convulsions. 40 

Lime-water for invalids, to prepare... 591 

Lime-water, use of. 807 

Lion’s foot, medical uses of. 675 

Lobelia, medical uses of. 673 

Lock-jaw. 21 

Liver complaint, symptoms and remedies. 225 

Liver disease, diet for. 549 

Liver medicine . 620 

Liver-wort, medical uses of.. . 674 

Liquids, relation to food and health. 526 

Liquors, alcoholic. 859 




























































GENERAL INDEX. 


1187 


PAGE. 

Lumbago, remedies for ...... 267 

Luxury, degenerative influences of..... 848 

Lying-in room (childbirth). 381 


M 

Macrotin, medical uses of. 

Magnetize, how to. 

Magnetism, division on. 

Magnetism in rheumatism... 

Magnetism as a medical agent. 

Magnolia tree, medical uses of. 

Maiden hair, medical uses of. 

Malaria in soil .. 

Malaria, affecting residences.. 

Malaria, avoiding and counteracting. 

Male fern .„. 

Mallow, medical uses of. 

Management after delivery (childbirth).. 

Management of infants... 

Mandrake, medical uses of. 

Man-iu-the-ground, medical uses of. 

Mango fruit, medical uses of. 

Manna, medical uses of. 

Marigold, medical uses of.. 

Marriage, influence on duration of life_ 

Marriage, age for.. 

Marriage, true.. 

Marriage, false. 

Marshmallow, medical uses of. 

Marsh rosemary, medical uses of. 

Mastication, in hygiene. 

Masterwort, medical uses of...... 

Masturbation. 

Matches, antidote for poison of_ 

Maternity, diet for. 

Materia Medica, Division on. 

May apple, medical uses of.. 

May-weed, medical uses of. 

Mauritana, medical uses of... .. 

Meadow pride, medical uses of. 

Meadow cabbage, medical uses of. 

Meals, arrangement of... 

Measles, symptoms and remedies. 

Measuring hay. 

Meat, characteristics of good. 

Meat, salted, food qualities. 

Medical plants, (materia medica). 

Medical uses of salt. 

Medical testimony on tobacco. 

Medical plants, colored plates of. 

Melancholy, (hypo) remedies for.. 

Menstruation, disorders of. 

Menstruation, delay of.. 

Menstruation, painful.. 

Menstruation, excessive-- 

Menstruation, suppressed.. — 

Mental effects of using tobacco. 

Mercurial disease, remedies for.. 

Methods of preparing food.. 

Methods of obtaining exercise.. 

Milfoil, medical uses of.. 

Miliary fever, symptoms and treatment.. 


.. 623 
.. 875 
,. 869 
.. 267 
.. 877 
.. 677 
.. 677 

5 

6 

7 

.. 667 
.. 637 
.. 388 
.. 458 
.. 679 
.. 729 
.. 678 
677 
.. 678 
.. 803 
.. 344 
.. 832 
.. 833 
.. 678 
.. 679 
.. 814 
.. 644 

.. 868 
.. 29 

.. 576 
.. 603 
.. 679 
.. 648 
.. 678 
.. 641 
.. 716 
.. 578 
.. 439 
.. 805 
.. 500 

.. 500 
.. 603 

.. 782 
.. 864 
743-765 
239-789 
.. 329 
.. 335 
.. 337 

.. 339 
.. 789 
.. 864 

-to i 

.. 580 

850 
.. 603 

.. 401 






























































1188 


GENERAL INDEX. 


PAGB. 

Milk sickness, remedies for.-.. 240 

Milk in the breasts______ 350 

Milk fever (child-bed fever). 398 

Milk, to check the flow of___-..407-789 

Milk, to produce after checking. 407 

Milk, involuntary escape ofl... 408 

Milk in the breast the first day..... 459 

Milk-crust, (eczema) of children. 455 

Milk leg, remedies for...... 409 

Milk, properties as food..... 507 

Milk-weed, medical properties of.......617-680 

Mind and muscle .. 822 

Miscarriage, causes and remedies.... 393 

Miscellany, division of..... 782 

Miscellaneous remedies...785-796 

Miscellaneous recipes.... 792 

Mistletoe, medical uses of.... 680 

Monk’s head, (aconite) description and medical uses of. 604 

Moon-seed, medical uses of... . 734 

Moral aspect of home.. 957 

Moral effects of tobacco using.. 865 

Morning sickness (pregnancy).349-357 

Morphine, medical uses of.... OB'* 

Mortification, symptoms and treatment.. 2D7 

Mosquitoes, to banish. 794 

Mothers, responsibility for their daughters... 845 

Mothers, hints to...... 844 

Mother wort, medical uses of... 681 

Motherhood, duty of........... 955 

Mountain mint, medical uses of.. 648 

Mountain sage, medical uses of...... 680 

Mountain pink, medical uses of. 720 

Mountain tea, medical uses of. 731 

Mullein, medical uses of.... 681 

Mumps, causes, symptoms and treatment___ 436 

Muscles, exhaustion of. 198 

Muscles, the, in hygiene. 819 

Mushrooms, food qualities of..... 521 

Mustard, medical uses of....681-807 

Mutton as food. 501 

N. 

Nail in the foot, treatment of______ 23 

Nerve, of a tooth, to kill...... 310 

Nervine (plant) medical uses of_____ 672 

Nervous diseases, treatment of____242-790 

Nervous exhaustion, diet for_______ 565 

Nettle, medical uses of... 682 

Nettle rash, cause and cure... 216 

Nettle, sting of. 21 

Neuralgia, symptoms and remedies.782-245-789 

Neutralizing mixture, the.109-793 

Night blooming cereus, medical uses of.... 682 

Nightshade, deadly, medical uses of... 616 

Nightshade, garden, medicaljuses of... 655 

Night sweats, remedies for.... 250-91 

Nightmare, treatment for_ 248 

Nose, bleeding from...... 44 

Nose, foreign bodies in. 53 

Nourishment for the sick, what.... 486 

Nurse, the sick, qualifications of. 483 

Nursing of infants. 371 






























































GENERAL INDEX, 


1189 


Nursing, stated hours for... 

Nursing, prolonged. 

N ursing, sore mouth. 

Nursing mothers, diet for. 

Nursing mothers, food for first six months. 

Nursing the sick, directions for. 

Nut-galls, medical uses of. 

Nutmeg, medical uses of. 

Nutriment, relation of food to. 

Nuts, varieties and nutrient qualities of.... 
Nux vomica, medical uses of. 


O. 

Oatmeal, qualities as food and preparations of. 

Obesity, diet to reduce...... 

Offensive breathe, how to remove. 

Offspring, influence of anti-natal impressions upon 

Oil of cajeput, medical uses of.. 

Old age, diet for.. 

Old-man’s-beard, medical uses of... 

Olive oil, medical uses of.. 

Onions for snake bites... 

Onions, medical uses of.... 

Opium, antidote for poison of... 

Opium, medical uses of... 

Orange, medical uses of..... 

Oregon (wild) grape, medical uses of. 

Overloading the stomach. 

Oxbalm, medical uses of...-. 

Oysters, qualities as food---- 


P. 

Pain in breasts (pregnancy), treatment.... 

Pains, after, of childbirth. 

Painless parturition. 

Pain in side, remedy for... 

Paint, to remove, from clothes. 

Paint, to remove, dry. 

Painter’s colic, cause and remedies. 

Palpitation of the heart, treatment of. 

Palsy, symptoms and remedies.— 

Panada, to make..-.. 

Papaw seeds, medical uses of- 

Paraguay tea, medical uses of-- —. 

Paralysis, cause and treatment.. 

Paregoric, medical uses of-- 

Parentage, ties of--— 

Parke, Davis & Co., remedies of. 

Parsley, medical uses of- 

Partridge berry, medical uses of-- 

Passions, the, in hygiene. 

Patent medicines, recipes ml . 

Peabody’s building.-.-. 

Peach-tree, medical uses of- 

Pearleaf (herb), medical uses of.. 

Pearl-barley, how to use.-.- 

Pencil flower, medical uses of. 

Pennyroyal, medical uses of--- 

Penthorum sedoides, medical uses of. 

Peony, piny, medical uses of- 

Peppermint, medical uses of- 

Percentage of deaths by states- 


PAGE. 

373 
.. 374 
.. 408 
.. 461 
.. 462 
.. 472 
.. 683 
.. 683 
.. 402 
.. 518 
.. 683 


515 

544 

91 

837 

687 

575 

727 

686 

19 

686 

30 

685 

684 

684 

551 

712 

505 


363-790 
.. 391 
.. 384 
.. 790 
.. 794 
.. 794 
.61-784 
.. 215 

.. 250 

589-601 
.. 688 
687 
.. 250 
.. 686 
.. 954 
.. 603 
.. 687 
688-731 
.. 816 
.. 795 
.. 18 
.. 688 
.. 701 
.. 594 
.. 689 
.. 690 
.. 690 
.. 689 
.. 689 
.. 94 




























































1190 


GENERAL INDEX. 


PAGE. 

Peritonitis (inflammation of lining of abdomen)--- 223 

Perineal supporters...-. 420 

Persimmons, medical uses of. 091 

Perspiration, to produce. 806 

Persulphate of iron, medical uses of.-. 690 

Perspiration of feet, remedies for.- 199 

Peruvian bark, medical uses of.. 690 

Petroleum, medical uses of. 691 

Physical development, sunlight essential to. 843 

Physical education, importance of.... 846 

Physical effects of tobacco. 865 

Pichi, medical uses of . 699 

Piles, cause, symptoms and cure...782-253-790 

Piles of pregnancy...... 364 

Pimples on face, to cure.-. 257 

Pink root, medical uses of...691 

Pipe plant, medical uses of.. 666 

Plantain, medical uses of. 692 

Pleurisy root, medical uses of...... 692 

Pleurisy, causes, symptoms and remedies. 256 

Pneumonia, causes, symptoms and remedies... 259 

Poison vine, oak and sumach, remedies for.....26-790 

Poisons and their antidotes. 27 

Poisons which occasion vomiting... 28 

Poison hemlock, medical uses of..... 693 

Poison parsley, medical uses of... 693 

Poisoning, different kinds, diagnosis in. 773 

Poke root, medical uses of. 693 

Polypody, medical uses of.».651-701 

Polypus, remedies for. 249 

Pomegranate, medical uses of..... 693 

Poor man’s hour glass, medical uses of... 694 

Poppy, medical uses of...... 694 

Pork, qualities as food....... 501 

Porridge, how to prepare...... 595 

Position in sleep........ 800 

Potatoes, how to prepare for the table.... 519 

Potatoes, food properties of... 519 

Poultry, qualities as food..... 503 

Pox (syphilis), treatment of. 299 

Pregnancy, how to recognize. 348 

Preparation for labor (pregnancy)... 381 

Prevention of baldness..... 802 

Prickly ash, medical uses of..... 694 

Prickly elder, medical uses of.. 695 

Prickly heat...... 257 

Primrose, evening, medical uses of... 649 

Prince’s feathers, medical uses of.... 695 

Princess pine, medical uses of . 700 

Privet, medical uses of..... 696 

Prolapsus ani (falling of the bowel). 196 

Prolapsus uteri (falling of womb). 418 

Prostration of nervous system, in hygiene.. 816 

Protection from disease, sunlight as..... 843 

Proud flesh, to remove... 259 

Phthisis, (consumption). 87 

Public authorities, duties of, in regard to physical education ... 849 

Puddings, how to make... 593 

Pulse, in diagnosis. 772 

Pumpkin seeds, medical uses of. 695 

Pure blood in hygiene. 821 

Pussy willow, medical uses of. 620 
































































« 


GENERAL INDEX 


1191 


Putrid sore throat, treatment of 


Q 

Quaking asp, medical uses of. 

Qualifications of a sick nurse.. 

Quassia, medical uses of. 

Queen’s delight, medical uses of. 

Queen of-the-meadow, medical uses of.. 

Quinine, medical uses of. 

Quickening in pregnancy. 

Quiet in the sick-room. 

Quinsy, inflammation of the throat. 


R 

Rabies (hydrophobia), treatment. 

Ragged-cup, medical uses of. 

Rag weed, medical uses of.. 

Raspberry, medical uses of. 

Rattle-bush, medical uses of. 

Rattle-snake’s master, medical uses of... 

Rattlesnake violet, medical uses of. 

Rattlesnake root, medical uses of. 

Razor cuts, how to treat. 

“Ready Method'’ in drowning. 

Red cedar, medical uses of. 

Red clover, medical uses of. 

Red gums, or strophulus, of infants. 

Red lobelia, medical uses of-. 

Red pepper, medical uses of. 

Red puccoon, medical uses of.. 

Red root, medical uses of. 

Red willow medical uses of. 

Regularity in sleep .. 

Regularity of eating. 

Relation of food to nutriment. 

Remittent or bilious fever. 

Reproduction, of the species.. 

Resin (rosin), medical uses of. 

Rest of the muscles... 

Retention of urine, remedies for . 

Retention of urine (in pregnancy). 

Retention of urine, hysterical. 

Rhatonia, medical uses of. 

Rheumatic weed, medical uses of. 

Rheumatism, acute, remedies for. 

Rheumatism, chronic, remedies for.... 

Rheumatism, diet for. 

Rhubarb, medical uses of. 

Rice, food qualities of. 

Rice, preparations of. 

Rich weed, medical uses of. 

Rickets, cause and remedies. 

Rickets, diet for... 

Ringworm, remedies for.. 

Robin’s rye, medical uses of- 

Rock brake, medical uses of. 

Roman wormwood, medical uses of. 

Rose pink, medical uses of. 

Rose willow, medical uses of. 

Round leaved pyrola, medical uses of- 

Rue, medical uses of.— 

Run-round, cure for.. 


PAGE 

291 


696 
483 

697 
712 

696 

697 
351 
481 
262 


.. 55 

.. 668 
.. 697 
.. 697 
.. 730 
.. 642 
.. 649 
.. 675 

.. 66 
.. 48 

.. 698 
.. 698 
.. 453 
.. 699 
.. 635 

623 
.698-711 
._ 701 
_. 853 
579-813 
.. 492 
.. 171 

... 343 
.. 699 
.. 819 
.. 315 
... 364 
... 403 
... 699 
__ 700 
.263-790 
266 
... 565 
... 700 
516 
. . 594 
... 712 
... 270 
... 566 
... 273 
... 662 
.651-701 
... 697 
... 636 
... 701 
... 701 
... 701 
... 790 




























































1192 


GENERAL INDEX. 


PAGE. 

Rupture, treatment of. 268 

Ruptured, navel of infants... 270 

Rush, medical uses of...-. 702 

Rye, food qualities of.--- 516 

S. 

Saffron, medical uses of......- 702 

Sage, medical uses of...... 702 

Sago, medical uses of. 703 

Saleratus for snakebites...-.-.. 19 

Saleratus for stings of insects.... 21 

Salivation (mercurial disease)..... 286 

Salivation in pregnancy. 361 

Salt rheum, or tetter.....—...284-790 

Salicin in rheumatism....... 621 

Salves, for various purposes. 791 

Sandal wood, medical uses of...... 703 

Sanicle root, medical uses of._.-... 618 

Sanitary measures, in cholera. 116 

Sarsaparilla, American, medical uses of._606-734 

Sarsaparilla, foreign, medical uses of.__.. _... 703 

Sassafras, medical uses of..... 704 

Saw palmetto, medical uses of......... 704 

Scald-head, remedies for..... 445 

Scalding urine, remedy for........ 208 

Scarlet fever, symptoms and cure of. 174 

Scammony, medical uses of.... 705 

Sciatica, remedies for...._.267-247 

Scorpions, bites of... 20 

Scrofula, or king’s evil, remedies for...294-790 

Scrofula, diet for........... 567 

Scull cap, medical uses of........ 705 

Scurf, to remove...... 790 

Scurvy, causes, symptoms and remedies.. 288 

Scurvy, diet for... 568 

Sea holly, medical uses of..... 705 

Sea lavender, medical uses of... 679 

Sea sickness, remedies for._. 293 

Season and climate, in hygiene.. 812 

Sea wrack, medical uses of.•.. 704 

Sebaceous tumor, wen, to remove... 327 

Selection of occupation.... 965 

Self-pollution, cause and cure.. 867 

Seminal emissions, remedies for.... 229 

Seneka snake-root, medical uses of... 705 

Senna, American, medical uses of. 608 

Senna, foreign, medical uses of. 706 

Seven barks, medical uses of...... 665 

Sheep-sorrel, medical uses of... 706 

Sheep-laurel, medical uses of. 706 

Shell-fish, qualities as food .. 505 

Shepherd’s purse, medical uses of...... 707 

Shingles, symptoms and remedies for.... 273 

Shock, treatment for .... 51 

Sick headache, remedies for. 212 

Sick headache, nervous, cure of.. 213 

Sickroom, the... 474 

Sick, nursing the. 474 

Silk-weed, medical uses of. 680 

Silver-leaf, medical uses of.. 674 

Silver poplar, medical uses of..... 696 

Silver root, medical uses of.. 712 






























































GENERAL INDEX. 


1193 


Sin of tight lacing.. 

Situation of house.. 

Skim-milk cure for diabetes. 

Skin and digestion. 

Skin, the... 

Skin diseases, diet for.. 

Skunk cabbage, medical uses of. 

Sleep as a factor in health._.. 

Sleep, effect on the muscles... 

Sleep of infants.... 

Sleep, position in.. 

Sleeping rooms, airy.. 

Sleeping rooms, ventilation of. 

Sleeplessness, remedies for.. 

Sleeplessness in pregnancy. 

Slippery elm, medical uses of. 

Small-pox, symptoms and remedies. 

Smart-weed, medical uses of. 

Snakebites, remedies for. 

Snakehead, medical uses of. 

Snakeweed, medical uses of. 

Snuffles (cold in head), children, treatment of 

Solomon’s seal, medical uses of._. 

Soot, medical uses of.. 

Soothing sirup, poisonous.. 

Sore eyes, chronic, remedies for.. 

Sores, fever, remedies for.. 

Sore mouth, of children, (thrush). 

Sore mouth, nursing, remedies for. 

Sore nipples, of nursing, treatment of. 

Soreness of feet, cure for... 

Soreness of throat, simple.-. 

Soreness of throat, clergyman’s. 

Sore throat, putrid, symptoms and cure. 

Soup, broths, etc., how to prepare. 

Sour dock, medical uses of. 

Sourwood tree, medical uses of. 

Spasmodic croup, treatment of. 

Spearmint, medical uses of.. -. 

Spermatorrhea, treatment of- 

Spice birch, medical uses of. 

Spice-w y ood, medical uses of- 

Spider’s web, medical uses of- 

Spignet, medical uses of. 

Spinal curvature, remedies for.... 

Spinal disease, cause and remedies.. 

Spindle tree, medical uses of.. 

Spirits of ammonia, medical uses of. 

Spleenwort bush, medical uses of. 

Spotted alder, medical uses of.-. 

Spotted fever, symptoms and remedies. 

Sprains, cure of.. 

Spurge, medical uses of. 

Square stalk, medical uses of- 

Squaw root, medical uses of.. 

Squaw vine, medical uses of- 

Squill, medical uses of. 

Staff-vine, medical uses of.. 

Stains from books, to remove. 

Stains of ink or fruit, to remove. 

Stammering or stuttering, cures for- 

Starch, food properties of. 


PAGE. 

. 858 

. 16 

.. 140 

.. 817 

.. 770 

.. 557 

.. 716 

. 852 

.. 8'22 

_ 431 

. 800 

.. 840 

.. 800 

. 274 

.. 3 » S 0 

. 707 

.. 277 

. 707 

_ 10 

. 611 

. 708 

. 456 

... 708 

. 700 

_ 709 

155 - 782-700 

.. 314 

_ 454-791 

. 403 

_ 410-703 

. 198 

281 - 784-791 

. 297 

. 291 

.... 583-588 

. 733 

. 7<>8 

. 434 

. 709 

. 302 

. 623 

. 710 

. 709 

. 710 

. 270 

_ 282-801 

. 667 

. 710 

. 716 

. 731 

_ 184-304 

. 57 - 783-791 

. 608 

. 633 

. 622 

...... 688 

. 711 

. 711 

_ 794 

. 794 

. 276 

. 518 

































































1194 


GENERAL INDEX. 


PAGE. 

Star-grass, medical uses of...-. 722 

Starvation, apparent death from. 50 

Sterility, barrenness, to remove. 411 

Stiff neck, or crick in neck—... 207 

Stickwort, medical uses of.-.-. 605 

Still-born infants, treatment of. 464 

Stings of insects, treatment of. 20 

Stillingia, medical uses of..-. 712 

Stockings, feet and. 801 

Stomach, inflammation of...-. 227 

Stone in bladder, cause and remedy. 199 

Stone-root, medical uses of..... 712 

Storax, medical uses of. 713 

Stramonium, medical uses of..... 713 

Strawberry, medical uses of. 713 

Striped alder, medical uses of....-.- 714 

Strychnine, antidote for poison of---- 29 

Students and physical education..... 846 

Stuttering or stammering, cure for.....-.. 216 

Sty on eyelid, remedies for....285-791 

St. Vitus’s dance, causes and remedies.....- 290 

Sub involution of the womb..... 369 

St. John's Wort, medical use of. 714 

Sugar, properties as food..... 524 

Sulphate of nickel, medical uses of..... 714 

Sulphur, fumigation by burning, for diphtheria..... 133 

Sulphur, medical uses of.... 715 

Sumach, medical uses of.-.... 715 

Summer catarrh, symptoms and cure... 220 

Summer complaint (children)... 445 

Summer complaint, (children) chronic..... 447 

Summer savory, medical uses of.. 716 

Sundew, medical uses of. 716 

Sunflower, medical uses of... 715 

Sunlight. 842 

Sunstroke, cure for. 45 

Suppression of urine, remedies for. 317-792 

Swamp cabbage, medical uses of... 716 

Swamp dogwood, medical uses of....701-725 

Sweating feet, cure for...... 792 

Sweat-root, medical uses of... 659 

Sweet birch, medical uses of..... 623 

Sweet bugle, medical uses of... 628 

Sweet sumach, medical uses of..... 703 

Sweet fern, medical uses of..... 716 

Sweet gum, medical uses of. 717 

Swedish movement cure for consumption..95-106 

Swelled breasts of infants...... 397 

Swelled neck (goiter), cure of... 202 

Swelling, hardened, of abdomen... 811 

Swelling of extremities in pregnancy. 360 

Swing, as cure for consumption..... 92 

Symptoms and stages of labor.. 380 

Syphilis, remedies for...... 299 

Syphilis, secondary, remedies for. 301 

System, condition of, in hygiene. 815 


T. 

Table of digestion of food... 

Table of doses for children. 

Table of foods, (laxative and constipating) 
Tables of weight and measurement.. 


811 

738 

367 

738 






























































GENERAL INDEX. 


1195 


Tag alder, medical uses of.. 

Talking business to a sick person... 

Tamarack, medical uses of. 

Tannin (tannic acid) medical uses of_ 

Tansy, medical uses of... 

Tape-worm, remedies for. 

Tarantulas, bites of.. 

Tartar-emetic (antimony) antidote for_ 

Tar weed, medical uses of. 

Tea, relation to food and health. 

Teeth, decay of, in children. 

Teeth, to beautify.. . 

Teeth, to fill decayed__ 

Teething, disorders of. 

Tetter, or salt rheum, remedies for. 

Thermometer, use of, in diagnosis. 

Things worth knowing, department of... 

Thirst, in hygiene.... 

Thompson’s (Dr.) cancer plasters. 

Thorn apple, medical uses of. 

Thoroughwort, medical uses of.. 

Throat root, medical uses of. 

Thrush in children. 

Thyme, medical uses of. 

Tight lacing, sin of. 

Time for exercise. 

Tobacco for lockjaw. 

Tobacco, the use of. 

Tobacco weed, medical uses of. 

Tobacco, medical uses of. 

Tomato, medical uses of. 

Tongue, the. 

Tonsilitis, cure of... 

Toothache, remedies for. 

Toothache of pregnancy. 

Toothache tree, medical uses of. 

Toothache, salt for cure of. 

Touch-me-not, medical uses of. 

Trailing arbutus, medical uses of. 

Training the will. 

Travelers, diet for.. 

Treefoil, medical uses of. 

Tree-of-heaven, medical uses of. 

True marriage . 

Tulip tree, medical uses of. 

Tumors, causes and remedies for. 

Turkey-corn, medical uses of. 

Turpentine, medical uses of. 

Turtle-head (plant), medical uses of. 

Twin leaf, medical uses of.-. 

Typhoid fever, symptoms and remedies.. 

Typhoid fever, diet for. 

Typhus fever, causes and cure of. 

Typhus and typhoid, difference between. 

U 

Ulcers, cause and treatment of. 

Ulceration of the womb. 

Unbolted flour, value of. 

Unicorn-root, medical uses of-- 

Upland cranberry, medical uses of. 

Ure’s (Dr.), cholera remedy. 


PAGE. 

.. 717 
.. 480 
.. 718 
.. 718 
.. 718 
792-324 
.. 20 
.. 28 
718-719 
.. 530 
.. 469 
.. 806 
.. 793 
.. 467 
__ 284 
.. 767 
.. 797 
... 815 
.. 119 

... 713 
... 626 
... 651 
... 454 
... 719 
... 858 
... 850 
... 22 
... 863 
... 714 
... 720 
... 720 
... 770 
... 310 
.308-792 
... 362 
... 695 

... 783 
... 720 
.. 720 

... 845 
... 577 
... 674 

... 721 
... 832 
... 735 
... 311 
... 721 
... 721 
... 611 
... 722 
... 163 
... 569 
... 159 

... 164 


312-792 
.. 423 

.. 591 
.. 722 
.. 723 
.. 112 































































1196 


GENERAL INDEX. 


PAGE. 

Urine, retention of.... 315 

Urine, suppression of..... 317 

Urine, excessive flow of, 139; Scalding___ 315 

Urtica dioica, medical uses of... 123 

Uses of clothing... 354 

Uva ursi, medical uses of... 123 

V. 

Vaccination. 318 

Valerian, medical uses of... 123 

Vanity in children...... 845 

Vanilla, medical uses of. 123 

Variety and change for the sick-room. 480 

Varicose veins, remedies for..... 152 

Varioloid, small pox..... 281 

Veal, qualities as food... 501 

Vegetable food, comparative values of... 512 

Vegetable food, classification of.- 517 

Velvet-leaf, medical uses of..... 724 

Venice turpentine, medical uses of.. 723 

Venison, quality as food. 501 

Ventilation of sleeping rooms......... 800 

Ventilation and air..... 839 

Ventilation of schools, churches, etc. 841 

Verdigris, antidote for poison of...-. 29 

Vermifuge, to make . 796 

Vertigo, causes and remedies.... 202 

Vervain (vervine), medical uses of....... 724 

Vine-maple, medical uses of........ 734 

Violet, medical uses of...... 724 

Virginia creeper, medical uses of...-. 607 

Virginia snake-root, medical uses of.... 724 

Vomiting fit, causes and remedies..... .25-792 

Vomiting of blood, remedy for.... 42 

Vomiting in pregnancy....... 357 

Vomiting of children (simple)....... 451 

Vomiting of children (chronic)........ 452 

W. 

Wahoo, medical uses of..... 667 

Wake-robin, medical uses of....... 668 

Warts, remedies for._____319-792 

Washing and bathing children....... 429 

Water ash, medical uses of_______ 725 

Water, bad...... 14 

Water brash, symptoms and remedies... 3 9 

Water brash in pregnancy. 360 

Watchers, in the sick-room, directions for.... 482 

Water fennel seed, medical uses of... 725 

Water hoarhound, medical uses of.... 628 

Watermelon, medical uses of... 725 

Water pepper, medical uses of... 707 

Water plantain, medical uses of.. 726 

Water, relation to food and health. 526 

Water supply for dwellings....... 12 

Water, to purify... 793 

Weak back, cause and cure.... 86 

Weaning, process of ... .•. 465 

Wen (sebaceous tumor), to remove.. 327 

Wheat, quality as a food article... 512 

When to wean (infants)...... 374 

Whey, preparation of for invalids... 598 




























































GENERAL INDEX 


1197 


Whiskies and teas, what made of. 

White ash, medical uses of. 

White balsam, medical uses of.. 

White cohosh, medical uses of. 

White oak, medical uses of.. 

Whitlow, remedies for... 

White pond lily, medical uses of.. 

White poplar, medical uses of... 

White root, medical uses of. 

White snake-root, medical uses of . 

White swelling (hip disease), remedies for 

White swellings, cure for.. 

Whites (leucorrhea), treatment.. 

White weed, medical uses of.. 

White vervain, medical uses of.. 

Whooping-cough, symptoms and remedies 

Whortleberry, medical uses of. 

Who should be present at birth.. 

Wife, requisites of a good .... 

Wild allspice, medical uses of. 

Wild angelica, medical uses of. 

Wild cherry, medical uses of. 

Wild carrot, medical uses of.. .. 

Wild grape (Oregon) medical uses of. 

Wild ginger, medical uses of. 

Wild hyssop, medical uses of. 

Wild horehound, medical uses of. 

Wild indigo, medical uses of.. 

Wild ipecac, medical uses of. 

Wild Job’s tears, medical uses of. 

Wild licorice, medical uses of .. 

Wild potato, medical uses of . 

Wild sunflower, medical uses of. 

Wild turkey pea, medical uses of. 

Wild yam, medical uses of.. 

Will, training the... 

Winter clover, medical uses of. 

Winter berry, medical uses of-- 

Winter green, medical uses of.. 

Witch hazel, medical uses of.. 

Wives, advice to.-- 

Womanhood, development of.. 

Womb, involution of. 

Womb, falling of . 

Womb, inflammation of. 

Womb, ulceration of.-. 

Wood betony, medical uses of-- 

Woody nightshade, medical uses of. 

Worm affections, diet for- ---.. 

Worms, causes, symptoms and remedies... 

Worms, salt for cure of.. 

Worm seed, medical uses of.. 

Wormwood, medical uses of.■ 

Wounds, contused and lacerated. 

Wounds, dressing of..... 

Wounds, gunshot, how to treat... 

Wounds, punctured, remedies in. 

Wounds, treatment of, in emergencies. 


PAGE. 

.. 797 

-- 727 
.. 652 

.. 726 
._ 627 
191 
.. 726 
696-785 
__ 692 
.. 727 

.. 327 
.. 792 
.. 414 
.. 726 
_. 728 
... 437 
... 728 
... 381 
... 825 
.. 710 
._ 644 

.. 729 

.. 729 
... 684 
... 728 
... 724 

... 730 
... 730 

... 608 
... 658 

... 710 
... 729 

... 668 
... 721 
.. 730 

... 814 
... 688 
... 623 
. 701-731 
... 731 
... 828 
... 331 

... 369 
... 418 

.. 421 
... 423 
... 732 

... 618 
... 570 
... 320 

... 784 
... 732 

... 732 

... 66 
... 68 
... 68 
... 67 

.. 62-792 


X. 


Xanthium spinosum, medical uses of 


732 






























































1198 


GENERAL INDEX. 


PAGE. 

Y. 

Yarrow, medical uses of..-. 733 

Yaws, symptoms and remedies. 329 

Yaw root, medical uses of. 712 

Yeast, medical uses of... 733 

Yellow dock, medical uses of.... 733 

Yellow fever, symptoms and treatment... 185 

Yellow gentian, medical uses of... 641 

Yellow jessamine, medical uses of. 734 

Yellow pari 11 a, medical uses of.- 734 

Yellow pond-lily, medical uses of.-.- 734 

Yellow poplar, medical uses of.. 735 

Yellow puccoon (root), medical uses of... 658 

Yellow snowdrop, medical uses of... 649 

Yerba buena, medical uses of.-.. 735 

Yerba mensa, medical uses of.. 136 

Yerba santa, medical uses of.... 736 

Yerba reuma, medical uses of_______ 737 

Young men and tobacco.... 866 

Z. 

Zinc, antidote for poison by sulphate and chloride of.... 32 





















INDEX-CONTINUED 


LIVE STOCK, BREEDING AND FEEDING, AND 

HORTICULTURE. 


A. 

Abortion of cows. 1086 

Age for breeding dairy heifers.1089 

Age of bees. 1045 

Age, proper, for sire and dam in breeding.... 1067 

Age to slaughter beef cattle.1091 

Age of horse, how to tell ... 966 

Alighting boards for bee hives...1047 

Apiary, how to manage . 1044 

Apple worm, to protect trees from.1154 

Apple bark louse, how to destroy... 1154 

Artichokes for hog pasture. 1133 

Ayrshire cattle, points of.... 1069 

B. 

Balky horses, to cure... 980 

Balky horses, to start. 981 

Bakewell sheep, the. 1093 

Bees, care and management of. 1044 

Benefit to soil of hog feeding..... 1128 

Berkshire hogs, points of... 1100 

Best sheep for mutton.. 1093 

Big head (horses), cause and cure of. 986 

Bitting harness, use of. 978 

Blackberries, how to cultivate.. 1150 

Black knot, to protect trees from. 1155 

Black leg (cattle), remedies for..‘1... 1024 

Blanketing horses, proper time for. 985 

Blight, in trees, to treat.. 1156 

Bloat (cattle), remedies for. 1026 

Blood, good, to breed from. 1071 

Blood purifiers (horses), recipes for.. 1021 

Bots, remedies for.. 987 

Borer, to protect trees from. 1154 

Breeding cows, how to treat.-. 1085 

Breeding for the dairy.1087 

Breeding cattle for beef.- 1090 

Breeding Live Stock, Division on. 1065 

Breeding cattle.....-.1083 

Breeding ewes, winter feed of. 1127 

Breeding horses . 1073 

Breeding hogs .-... 1100 

Breeding mare, what qualities desirable in.1079 

Broken wind (horses), remedies for. 988 

Bronchitis (horses), symptoms and cure of. 988 

Bronchitis in cattle, treatment of... 1027 

Bruises and sprains (horses), treatment of--- 988 

Budding fruit trees . U47 

Bull for breeding, how to choose.-.-. 1059 




















































1200 


INDEX-CONTINUED. 


PAGE. 

Bulls for service, rearing... 1084 

Buying horses, special rules for_____1057 

C. 

Calves, to fatten......---1023 

Cataract (horses), remedies for.-. 089 

Catarrh (sheep), to cure...1031 

Catarrh (fowls).-.. 1043 

Catarrh or cold (horses), remedies for. 989 

Calves, young, feeding of... 1111 

('astration of pigs.-. 1103 

Catterpillars, how to destroy.....-.1153 

Cattle, care and milking of...-. 1022 

Cattle, diseases of.....- 1024 

Cattle, points for purchase of.-. 1049 

Cattle, how to tell weight of, by measurement.... 1062 

Cellar for wintering bees...1051 

Cherry slug, remedy for....---- 1152 

Chester Whites (hogs), points of... 1101 

Chickens, how to raise with profit. 1038 

Chicken cholera, remedy for.....1043 

Choked cattle, treatment of ..-.-.1024 

Cholera, hog, unfailing cure for...1032 

Cholera, chicken, unfailing cure for..1043 

Cleft grafting, method of...1146 

Close breeding, principles of.... 1072 

Coach horse, points of... 1055 

Cob-meal, ground with corn for hogs...1132 

Colic (horses), symptoms and cure of... 990 

Colic (sheep), treatment of... 1030 

Colt, how to halter........ 972 

Colt, how to lead....... 973 

Colt, how to make take the bit.... 975 

Colt, saddling the..... 975 

Colt, how to mount..... 976 

Contraction of hoof (horses), remedies for.. 991 

Crib-biting, horses, how to cure... 98 » 

Corns (horses), remedies for... 992 

< otswold, the improved.,.....1063-1093 

Cough (hogs), to cure... 1035 

Cough, chronic (horses), remedies for..... 992 

Cows, to cure kicking of.....1022 

('ows, what, are good milkers.1087 

Cows, best for milk. 1089 

Cracked hoofs, horses, treatment of. 992 

Cross-breeding, principles of.. 1070 

Crossing Merinos and Southdowns... 1095 

Culture of the vineyard......1156 

Curculio, how to protect grapes from.......1160 

Currants, how to cultivate.-...1151 

Currant worm, how to destroy...... 1153 

Cuttings, how to use...... 1149 

D. 

Dairy cow, how to select.......1058 

Dairy cow, points of. 1088 

Devon cows, points of... 1089 

Diabetes (horse), symptoms and remedies... 993 

Diarrhea (horse), symptoms and remedies.. 993 

Diarrhea (calves), treatment of........1026 

Diarrhea (hogs), cure for...... 1035 

Distemper (horse), treatment of.... 994 




























































INDEX— CONTINUED. 


1201 


Diseases of fruit trees, and remedies for. 1155 

Diseases of horses... 985 

Diseases of bees. 1049 

Diseases of cattle.1024 

Diseases of fowls....__...._______1042 

Diseases of sheep..... 1028 

Diseasesof hogs...LL""”""_1032 

Diseases, to prevent, in hogs... 1034 

Docking of lambs, time for. 1097 

Domestic Animals, Division on........... 966 

Domestic animals, treatment of........... 985 

Draught horse, how to select... 1054 

Drenching a horse, easy mode of____ 1092 

Driving horse, how to select_______ 1055 

Drooping wings of fowls, to cure. 1043 

Drones, bees, characteristics of_____1045 

Dysentery (horse), remedies for..... 995 

Dysentery of bees, how to treat.... 1049 

Dyspepsia (horse), remedies for......... 995 

Dutch cattle, points of_____1090 


E. 

Early maturity in sheep, importance of. 1122 

Economy of good feeding______1122 

Eggs, to preserve, to test, etc... 1041 

Egg-eating hens, how to cure..... 1044 

Emasculation of lambs. 1097 

Epizootic, remedies for. 996 

Escutcheon, in cattle, indications of.....1059 

Essentials to profitable feeding.......... 1117 

Essex hogs, points of..1100 

Ewes, care of, in lambing......1096 

Excellence, of horses, how to distinguish...._......... 1076 

Eye affections (horses), treatment of.. 997 

F- 

Fat, disqualification of a breeding animal...._....... 1066 

Fattening of hogs, proper process for.......1131 

Fattening cattle, profitable method of____1114 

Feeding Live Stock, Division on. 1105 

Feeding of horses. 1105 

Feeding of mare and colt.....-..1106 

Feeding of growing colts-----1107 

Feeding of colts, value of proper... 1108 

Feed, most profitable kinds of....1110 

Feed, cutting and cooking, for cattle----1116 

Feeding cows for profitable milking...1118 

Feed to produce milk.......1119 

Feeding of sheep. 1120 

Feed for sheep, valuable.....-.1125 

Feed, to produce most wool...1126 

Feeding of hogs.......-.-. 1128 

Feeding, influence upon fertility in breeding. 1066 

Feeding of cattle.....— 1111 

Feed of calves without milk...-. 1112 

Fertilizers, for orchard when to use—.—.—.— - 1137 

Fever, mountain, remedies for......1019 

Fidia, (grape vine) to protect from......... 1159 

Fistula, (horses) treatment of.-.—. 997 

Flat foot, (horses) remedy for.....1000 

Fodder, why should be cut--- 1116 

Founder, in sheep, cure of--1030 




























































1202 


INDEX-CONTINUED. 


PAGE. 

Foot rot, cows, remedies for.....-.- - 1025 

Foot rot sheep, cure for...-. 1029 

Foul brood, of bees, how to deal with. 1049 

Foul sheath (stallions), treatment of..-.—.1000 

Founder, (horses) remedies for.... 999 

Fowls, selection of breeds, etc...-.1037 

Fowls, fattening....-...-. 1039 

Fruit trees, how to trim...1143 

Fruit trees, how to cultivate..-. 1141 

Fruit production, bow to regulate. 1144 

Fruit, when and how to gather. 1144 

Fruit trees, to protect from diseases. 1155 

Fruit, value of in farm management.-. 1136 

G. 

Galling the shoulders, remedies for...1000 

Gapes, in fowls, how to cure... 1044 

Galloway cattle, points of.....— 1092 

Garden, cultivation of.... 1136 

Garget in cattle, treatment of... 1024 

Glanders, symptoms of. 1001 

Gooseberries, howto grow...... 1152 

Grafting of fruit trees, methods of.... 1146 

Grape root borer, to protect vines from....1158-1160 

Grape vine worms, to protect from.1160 

Grapes, how to grow....... 1156 

Grape phylloxera, protection against..... 1160 

Grape codling, to protect from....1159 

Grape vine flea beetle, to protect from. 1159 

Gravel, (horses) remedies for. 1001 

Grease, remedies for. 1001 

Great trotting horses, descent of. .. 1079 

Grubs, treatment of. 1002-1029 


H. 

Halter, pulling on . 

Heaves, (horses) remedies for.. 

Heaves, (hogs) remedies for. 

Hereford cattle, points of... 

Hidebound, (horses).. 

Highland cattle, points of... 

Hogs, care and treatment of.. 

Hogs, diseases of. 

Hog offal as manure, value of. 

Hogs for breeding, how to keep.. 

Holstein cattle, points of. 

Hoofbind, (horses) remedies for. 

Hooks, remedy for. 

Horse dealers, tricks of. 

Horse, the..._. 

Horse, how to tell age of... 

Horse, teeth of. 

Horse, wild and vicious, to drive. 

Horse, education of.. 

Horse, how spots are put on . 

Horse, how to breed. 

Horticulture, Division on. 

How to buy live stock, judiciously. 

How to know a good horse. 

How to know a good horse. 

How to select draught horse.. 

How to select driving horse. 


_ 974 

1002-1058 
.... 1036 
.... 1092 
.... 1003 
.... 1092 
.... 1032 
.... 1032 
.... 1128 

_ 1103 

_ 1090 

.... 1003 
.... 1003 

_ 1057 

.... 966 

_ 966 

.... 967 

_ 979 

_ 982 

_ 1058 

_ 1073 

.... 1136 
.... 1053 

_ 1052 

_ 1053 

.... 1057 
_ 1055 




























































INDEX—CONTINUED. 


1203 


How to make old horses look young. 

How to select a dairy cow.. 

How to break a horse of scaring.. 

How to manage a stubborn horse... 

How to halter a colt... 

How to make a colt take bit kindly. 

How to saddle the colt. 

Howto mount.... 

How to drive a vicious horse. 

How to cure balky horses. 

How to make horse lie down. 

How to catch a horse in pasture. 

How to give medicine to a horse. 

How to select a good dairy cow. 

How to select a good sheep... ... 

How to select a good hog. 

How to breed horses. 

How to select stock for beef production. 

How to breed hogs . 

How to make hair grow on horses. 

How to feed hogs with profit. 

How to cultivate fruit trees.. 

How to regulate fruit production. 

How to use cuttings, in grafting.. 

Hoven, in cattle, remedies for.. 

Hurdle feeding, how to manage.. 

I. 

In-and-in breeding, principles of. 

Income from sheep.. 

Inflammation of bowels (horses), treatment of... 

Inflammation of eye (horses) treatment of. 

Inflammation of throat (cattle) treatment of. 

Influence, relative, of sire and dam on offspring 

Influenza, (horses) treatment of. 

Interfering (horses), treatment of. 

Itch (horses), remedy for. 


J. 

Jaundice, in horses, cure of.. 

Jersey cows, points of.- 

Jumping, to break horse of. 

L. 

Lambs, care of.-. 

Lambs, young, care of. 

Lameness, of stifle joint (horses).■ 

Lameness, how to tell foot from shoulder, (horses). 

Lampass, symptoms and cure of. 

Layers in fruit cultivation.._ . 

Laying of fowls, to secure continuous.-.- 

Lay, to make hens...-. 

Lice, (horses) to remove. 

Lice, (cows) to remove.-. 

Lice, (hogs) to remove .. 

Lice, (fowls) to remove . : . 

Liniments superior (for horses), recipes for. 

Live Stock, Division on Feeding... 

Live Stock, Selection and Purchase of, Division on 

Live stock, Division on Breeding... 

Lock-jaw, (horses), treatment of. 

Long horn cattle, points of.. 


PAGE 

.... 1058 
.... 1058 
.... 971 
.... 972 
.... 972 
.... 975 
.... 975 
.... 976 
.... 979 
.... 980 
.... 983 
.... 985 
.... 986 
.... 1059 
.... 1062 
.... 1064 
.... 1073 
.... 1090 
.... 1103 
.... 1020 
.... 1130 
.... 1141 
.... 1144 
.... 1149 
.... 1026 
.... 1123 


1072 

1121 

1004 

1005 
1027 
1069 
996 

1005 

1006 


1006 

1090 

985 


.... 1027 
.... 1096 
1020-1007 
.... 1021 
.... 1006 
.... 1148 
.... 1040 
.... 1041 
.... 1008 
.... 1025 
.... 1036 
.... 1043 
.... 1020 
.... 1105 
.... 1053 
.... 1065 
.... 1007 
.... 1093 



























































I 

1204 INDEX-CONTINUED. 

PAGE. 

Lung fever (horses), treatment of----- 

Litter, care of the young (pigs)...1102 

M. 

Manger feeding.-.H09 

Mares, what, best for breeding.-.... 1074 

Marks of horses, indicating predisposition to disease. 1076 

Mark sheep, without injury to wool, how to. 1031 

Marks of a good milker. 1060 

Mange, in hogs, to cure... 1034 

Mange, in horses, treatment of.....1008 

Medicine to horse, how to give.. 986 

Merinos for wool production... 1094 

Mice, to protect trees from. 1135 

Mildew in trees, remedies for.-.1155 

Milk (cows), to promote.-. 1023 

Milk, bloody, cure for..... 1025 

Milk, how to feed to increase quality of. 1119 

Mixture of food for different horses.. 1109 

Mixing feed for cattle.... 1116 

Mountain fever, remedies for....1019 

Mouth of the horse. 697 

Mutton, profitable sheep for......1063 

Mutton, best sheep for.;.... 1093 

Murrain in cattle, treatment of.....1024 

N. 

New Leicester sheep, points of...-. 1063 

O. 

Orchard, cultivation of____ 1136 

Orchard, time for trimming__ 1142 

P. 

Pasturage for cattle... 1114 

Pasturage for bees, kinds of......1050 

Pasturage for sheep, profitable____ 1125 

Pasture feed for hogs.... 1130 

Peas, growing, as food for sheep....1124 

Pedigrees of great trotters...... 1081 

Phylloxera, grape, protection against.... 1160 

Pink eye, remedies for.......996 

Planting the grape.......1158 

Pneumonia (horses), remedies for_......1009 

Poland China hogs, points of______1101 

Poll evil (horses), remedies for........ 1009 

Preparation of soil for vineyard...... 1157 

Principles of breeding stock...... 1066 

Profit in breeding, to secure....1080 

Prolific breeding, conditions of....1067 

Propagation of fruit-trees and shrubs....1146 

Propagation of grape-vines...1157 

Pruning the vineyard. 1158 

Pulling back, to break nabit of (horses). 982 

Purchase of live stock. 1053 

Purchase of cattle. 1059 

Pruning the orchard.. 1142 

Q. 

Queen bees, characteristics of. 1045 




















































INDEX—CONTINUED. 


1205 


PAGE. 


Race horse, points of.. 1056 

Rams, management of. 1098 

Raspberries, how to cultivate. 1151 

Rations for horses.. ... 1110 

Rations for Calf . 1112 

Rations for dairy cows. 1119 

Record of fast speed in horses. 1082 

Running record, the, of horses..... 1082 

Retention of urine (horses), remedies for. 1010 

Rheumatism (horses), remedies for.. 1011 

Rheumatism (hogs), cure for. 1035 

Riding the young colt. 977 

Ringbone, remedies for._.1010 

Roadsters, characteristics of. 1055 

Robbing, by bees, how to deal with.1048 

Rosebug, how to destroy. 1152 

Roup in fowls, remedy for. 1042 

Rubbing the tail (horses), remedy for. 1016 


S- 

Saddling the young colt. 

Salt for health of domestic animals. 

Salt in the feeding of sheep. 

Saddle-galls, remedies for.. 

Saddle horse, points of. 

Scab, in sheep, remedies for. 

Scours (pigs), to cure.*_. 

Scours, (cattle) to cure.. 

Scours, (sheep) to cure... 

Scratches,-remedies for..... 

Selection and Purchase of Live Stock, Division on 

Sheep, care of.. 

Sheep, how to breed up... 

Sheep, division of flock of.. 

Sheep, time for washing.. 

Sheep, feeding of.... 

Shelter and housing of cattle. 

Sheep, value of on impoverished land.— 

Shrubs, how to propagate...-. 

Signs of disease in a horse.. 

Side bone, (horses) remedies for. 

Situation for vinery.... 

Slinking of cows, how to treat.... 

Small fruits, proper cultivation of. 

Snake-bites, remedies for. .. 

Soil for orchard, how to prepare. 

Sow and young pigs, how to feed. 

Sow. breeding, management of. 

South down sheep, points of.- 

Spanish fever, (cattle) cure for.... 

Space in orchard, how to economize. 

Spavin, remedies for.. 

Splint, (horses) remedies for.. 

Sprains, remedy for.-.. 

Staggers, (horses) remedies for... 

Staggers, in hogs, to cure. 

Strangles, (horse) treatment of. 

Stifle joint, lameness, cure of.. 

Stretches, (sheep) cure for. 

String-halt, remedy for. . 

Strawberries, how to cultivate.. 


.... 975 
.... 985 
.... 1127 
.... 1012 
.... 1056 
.... 1028 
.... 1035 
.... 1024 
.... 1030 
.... 1012 
.... 1053 
.... 1027 
.... 1095 
.... 1099 
.... 1099 
.... 1120 
.... 1115 
.... 1121 
.... 1146 
.... 1057 
.... 1010 
.... 1157 
.... 1086 
.... 1150 
.. 20-1012 
.... 1137 
.... 1129 
.... 1102 
.... 1063 
.... 1027 
.... 1140 
.... 1013 
.... 1014 
1020-1015 
.... 1015 
.... 1035 
.... 994 
.... 1007 
.... 1030 
.... 1016 
.... 1150 





























































1206 


INDEX-CONTINUED. 


PAGE. 

Swarming of bees, management of. 1046 

Swelled bags of cows, to cure... 1025 

Sweeny, remedy for... 1016 

T. 

Tendency to unsoundness, horses, how indicated.....1076 

Tent caterpillar, to destroy.... 1153 

Thoroughbred horse, the points of. 1056 

Thumps in hogs, how to cure... 1036 

Thumps, (horses) to cure... 1017 

Thrush in feet, (horses) remedies for..... 10 * 7 

Time of pregnancy in cattle.—. 1085 

Time to put bees into cellar.-— 1<>51 

Transmission of diseases, breeding.. 1068 

Transplanting, best season of.. 1139 

Treatment of mare in foal...— 1080 

Trees, number to set out during year....1141 

Trees, young, how to set out.-.-- 1138 

Trichinae, to prevent. 1033 

Trimming the orchard...-.1142 

Trotting record, the fastest time.. 1082 

Trotting horses, points of. 1056 

Turkeys, how to fatten. 1039 

U. 

Unprofitable cow, how to know.....1059 

Urethral gleet (horses), remedies for____1018 

V. 

Values, comparative of different breeds of sheep. 1094 

Value of different foods for hogs.... 1129 

Veal calves, mode of feeding.....1113 

Vineyard culture, management of. 1156 

Vines, and small fruits, propagation of.1148 

W. 

Warbles, in horses, cure of.... 1022 

Warts, (horses) remedies for... 1018 

Warts on cows teats, to remove....1025 

Washing sheep, time for....... 1099 

Water supply for bees....... 1050 

Weaning pigs, time for..... 1103 

Web worm, how to destroy...1153 

Wens, remedy for. 1018 

Weight of cattle, to ascertain by measurement. 1062 

Wintering bees, methods of..... 1050 

Winter feeding of cattle. 1115 

Winter feed of breeding ewes.......1127 

Winter feeding of sheep-.......1126 

Wool, what sheep best for.1094-1062 

Wool, food that produces most.. U26 

Worms, (horses) remedies for........ ... 1018 

Worms, (hogs) remedies for..... 1036 

Y. 

Yellows, (horses) treatment of. 1006 

Young-animals,- danger of coupling. 1068 

Yorkshire hogs, points of.1101 

Young beef, profit and value of.. 1113 

Young trees, selection, planting, etc....1138 

Young trees, number of, to plant in a year.1141 





















































INDEX-CONTINUED 


HYDROPATHY. 


Abdominal compress, the.. 

Affusion, the. 

Apoplexy, treatment of.. 

Appetite, loss of, treatment of_ 

Asthma, treatment of. 

Bilious attack, treatment of.. 

Bilious fever, treatment of. 

Boils, treatment of. 

Catalepsy, treatment of. 

Cataract bath, the.. 

Chafing, treatment of.. 

Chapping, treatment of. 

Cholera, treatment of___ . 

Cold foot bath, the... 

Colic, treatment of... 

Compresses, uses of-- 

Congestive fever, treatment of- 

Constipation, treatment of- 

Continued fever, treatment of- 

Convulsions, treatment of. 

Corns, treatment of... 

Cough, treatment of- 

Cramps, treatment of- 

Croup, treatment of.. 

Delerium tremens, treatment of.. 

Diphtheria, treatment of. 

Douche bath, the.. 

Dropsy, cellular, treatment of- 

Drunken fit, treatment of.. 

Dyspepsia, treatment of.- 

Dysentery, treatment of.. 

Earache, treatment of.. 

Epilepsy, treatment of. 

Erysipelas, treatment of.. 

Eye and ear bath, the- 

Fainting fit, treatment of. 

Falling of the bowel, treatment of 

Felon, treatment of.. 

Flatulence, treatment of. 

Folded wet sheet, the. 

Foot bath, cold, the-- 

Foot bath, wading, the.• 

Foot bath, warm, the.. 

Gleet, treatment of. 

Gonorrhea, treatment of. 

Gout, treatment of. 

Half-bath, the. 

Half-pack, the. 

Headache, treatment of.. 


889 

868 

896 

896 

896 

897 
907 

897 

898 
883 
901 
901 

899 

887 

898 

888 
907 

899 

909 
898 
901 

900 
898 

901 

902 

901 

883 
904 

902 

902 

903 

904 

905 

905 
888 

906 
897 
906 
906 
882 

887 

888 
888 
911 
911 

910 

884 
882 

911 





















































1208 INDEX-CONTINUED. 

PAGE. 

Head-bath, the. 885 

Hints to bathers....-.. 881 

Hose-bath, the ._.-. 883 

Hydrophobia, treatment of.... 91*3 

Hysteria, treatment of... 911 

Ice-bags, use of..-. 890 

Illustrations of modes of water treatment.894-895 

Inflammation of the kidneys, treatment of. 913 

Inflammation of the lungs, treatment of . 913 

Inflammation of the bowels, treatment of. 914 

Inflammation of the liver, treatment of. 914 

Inflammation of the mouth, treatment of. 914 

Inflammation of the stomach, treatment of.- 915 

Inflammation of the brain, treatment of. 915 

Injuries of the nerves, treatment of.----- 915 

Intermittent fever, treatment of.-. 907 

Insanity, treatment of..-... 915 

Jaundice, treatment of. 898 

Laryngitis, treatment of. 914 

Lockjaw, treatment of...... 916 

Measles, treatment of...-.— 905 

Milk fever, treatment of.....- 910 

Mouth, or oral bath, the... 889 

Nose bath, the...... 888 

Nettle rash, treatment of., -.906 

Neuralgia, treatment of. 918 

Nightmare, treatment of....... 918 

Pail douche, the......... 884 

Palsy, treatment of____-__ 918 

Piles, treatment of...^______ 919 

Plunge bath, the. ______ 885 

Remittent fever, treatment of....... 907 

Scarlet fever, treatment of_____ 906 

Scrofula, treatment of.. 920 

Sea sickness, treatment of. 919 

Shower bath, the. 883 

Sitting bath, the... 885 

Sleeplessness, treatment of. 919 

Small pox, treatment of. 905 

Spirit vapor bath... 892 

Sponge bath, the .. 886 

Stone or gravel, treatment of. 911 

Stricture, treatment of.. „. 920 

St. Vitus dance, treatment of. 920 

Tonsilitis, treatment of. 915 

Towel bath, the .. 886 

Trance, treatment of. 921 

Treatment of diseases. 896 

Turkish bath, the.. 890 

Typhoid fever, treatment of. 909 

Typhus fever, treatment of... 909 

Wading foot baths. 888 

Warm footbath, the. 888 

Warts, treatment of. 921 

Washdown, the . 887 

Washtub bath, the. 886 

Water cure, history and rationale of.... 881 

Wave, or sluice bath, the. 884 

Wet compress, the. 889 

Wet dress, the . 882 

Wet sheet pack, the . 881 

Whooping cough, treatment of. 913 
































































INDEX-CONTINUED. 1209 

PAGE • 

Worms, treatment of... 921 

* Yellow fever, treatment of. 908 


HOMOEPATHY. 


Abscesses, treatment of. 925 

Apoplexy, treatment of. 925 

Asthma, treatment of... 925 

Boils, treatment of .". 925 

Bronchitis, treatment of. 926 

Catarrh, cold in the head, treatment of. 927 

Chicken-pox, treatment of . 928 

Cholera infantum, treatment of. 9 >8 

Cholera morbus, treatment of. 927 

Colic, treatment of. 928 

Constipation, treatment of. 928 

Convulsions, treatment of. 943 

Cough, treatment of. 929 

Croup, treatment of. 930 

Dentition, treatment of... 931 

Diarrhea, treatment of. 931 

Diet, treatment of ..... 923 

Difficult menstruation, treatment of.... _ 934 

Diphtheria, treatment of. ... 932 

Disorders, of nursing, treatment of. 948 

Doses, etc., directions concerning. 923 

Dysentery, treatment of . 933 

Dyspepsia, treatment of. 934 

Eczema, treatment of. 934 

Erysipelas, treatment of.. 935 

Falling of womb, treatment of... 936 

Glossary, homeopathic. 924 

Headache, treatment of. 936 

Heart palpitation, treatment of. 936 

Hemorrhage from bladder, treatment of..... 935 

Hemorrhage from lungs, treatment of. 935 

Hoarseness, treatment of.. 937 

Inflammation of bladder, treatment of. 930 

Inflammation of stomach, treatment of.. 935 

Inflammation of bowels, treatment of. ....... 937 

Inflammation of lungs, treatment of. 941 

Inflammation of eyes, treatment of.-.-. 937 

Intermittent fever, treatment of- 938 

Introductory rules. 922 

Jaundice, treatment of. 938 

Kidney colic, treatment of.-. 939 

Leucorrhea, treatment of. 939 

Measles, treatment of.-.- 939 

Milk-crust, treatment of. 930 

Milk-leg, treatment of. 949 

Morning sickness (pregnancy), treatment of.. 939 

Mumps, treatment of.-. 940 

Neuralgia, treatment of. 940 

Nose-bleed, treatment of. 940 

Piles, treatment of. 941 

Pleurisy, treatment of. 941 

Pneumonia, treatment of. 941 

Quinsy, sore throat, treatment ol-- 944 




























































1210 


INDEX—CONTINUED. 


PAGE. 

Remedies, etc., how to select. 923 

Rheumatism, treatment of_____ 942 

Scarlatina, treatment of... 942 

Sciatica (sciatic neuralgia), treatment of.. 942 

Selecting the remedy..... 922 

Sleeplessness of infants, treatment of___ 950 

Small pox, treatment of.. . 942 

Sore mouth, treatment of. 944 

Sore nipples, treatment of... 948 

Sore throat, treatment of. 943 

Spasms, treatment of..... 943 

Study of symptoms. 922 

Sun stroke, treatment of... 944 

Supply of milk (nursing), treatment of. 949 

Tic doloreux, treatment of___ 940 

Tonsilitis, treatment of. 944 

Toothache, treatment of_ 944 

Typhoid fever, treatment of_ 945 

Urinary difficulty, treatment of. 946 

Uterine hemorrhage, treatment of_ 946 

Vertigo, treatment of. 947 

Vomiting, treatment of__ ....... 947 

Vomiting of blood, treatment of..... 947 

Whooping cough, treatment of. 948 

Worm symptoms, treatment of. 947 




























APPENDIX 


MOST APPROVED PROFESSIONAL REMEDIES. 


To meet a desire expressed by some interested in the system of medical 
treatment embodied in Health and Home, we append here a selection of the most 
approved professional remedies for various diseases, comprising the favorite pre¬ 
scriptions of the leading physicians of this country and Europe, by J. R. De- 
Grassi, M. D. 


Apoplexy. 

If able to swallow, take— 

Calomel. 6 grains. 

Jalap._.10 grains. 

Mix—Take at a dose—followed if 
necessary with a full dose of castor 
oil. 

If unable to swallow, a drop of croton 
oil on the back of the tongue every 
hour or two until it operates. 

Ordinarily, cold should be applied to 
the head—ice-cold water, in bags or 
bladders. 

But if the surface is cool, face pale, 
pulse feeble, etc., this is contra-indi¬ 
cated; hot mustard water foot baths and 
friction on these extremities equalizes 
the circulation somewhat. Dr . O. B. 
Wood, Philadelphia. 


Abscesses. 

To prevent, take— 

Boracic acid.20 grains. 

Benzoic acid.5 grains. 

Vaseline.i ounce. 

Mix—Apply as an ointment three 
times a day. Dr. Bladtner, Berlin. 

To prevent, apply 

Cantharida emplastrum—Apply — 
covering the inflamed surface—remain¬ 
ing until it blisters. 


Asthma. 

Take— 

Tincture Lobelia--1 ounce. 

Tincture Hyoscyamii,.... 1 
Spiritus Aetheria Nitrosi..l 

Syrupus solutani.1 

Mix—Take a teaspoonful in water 
every half hour during the paroxysm 
until the difficulty of breathing is re¬ 
lieved ; then every two or three hours, in 


addition, rub on the chest several times 


a day— 

Chloroform.^ ounce. 

Oil Turpentine. 1 “ 


Spirits Rosemary.1| “ 

Mix. 

Dr. F. M. DeCosta, Philadelphia. 

Biliousness. 

Take— 

Calomel.2 grains. 

Extract Colocynth_3 “ 

Sulphate Quinine.... 5 “ 

Mix—a dose.—Take at night—fol¬ 
low in the morning with, citrate of 
magnesia or compound licorice pow¬ 
der. Dr. J. Rhodes Wilkins, Chicago. 

Take— 

2—Compound Cathartic Pills—u. 8 . p. 
and salicin 8 grains, at night; a gentle 
cathartic, in the morning if necessary. 
Dr. La Marty, New Orleans . 

Bilious Colic. 


Take— 

Carbolic acid dilute_2 drachms. 

Chloroform.2 drachms. 

Water of Peppermint..2 ounces. 
Mix—Dose a tablespoonful every 
half hour until relieved. Dr. Chas. 
Mvrchinson , London. 

Take— 

Water of Camphor.1 ounce. 

Spirits of Ether compound ..2 drachms. 
Tincture of Cardamon Comp.4 “ 

Spirits of Anise.. - .4 “ 

Water of Peppermint.li ounces. 

Mix—Take a tablespoonful every 
hour—oftener if indicated—and apply 
a large poultice of flax seed over the 
stomach. Dr. Morrison , London. 





















1212 


MOST APPROVED PROFESSIONAL REMEDIES. 


Bright’s Disease. 

Take— 

Potassii Nitrates.4 drachms. 

Extract Galii Fluid:. 2£ ounces. 

“ Uva Ursa Fluid.“ 

“ Ergotae Fluid..1 “ 

Mix—Take a teaspoonful in half a 
wine glassful of sweetened water three 
or four times a day. Dr. N. S. Davis , 
Chicago. 

Avoid alcoholic stimulants—strong 
coffee, tea, soups, etc. 

Allowed—Fish, sweet breads, sago, 
rice, tapioca, maccaroni, prunes, apples, 
celery, lettuce, etc., may be used in 
moderation in connection with an al¬ 
most strict milk diet. 


Cataleptic Fits. 

The treatment is general and tonic. 
Purging is indicated. The remedies 
used must be governed entirely by the 
individual characteristics, to maintain 
all the organic functions in as near a 
healthy condition as possible—the cause 
being first ascertained. If periodical, 
quinine is required to prevent them; 
if from Amenorrhea, or other derage- 
ment of the generic function, correct it 
as indicated. Debility must be counter¬ 
acted by a general tonic, sustaining 
treatment, aided by the shower bath— 
sea-bathing, exercise in the open air, 
and a carefully regulated nutritious 
diet. Dr. Wood , Philadelphia. 


Bronchitis. 

Take— 

Acetati Morphine.1 grain. 

Acetate of Potassii.3 drachms. 

Acetate Liquor Ammonia. 3 ounces. 

Syrup Tolu...1 ounce. 

Mix—Take a dessert spoonful every 
third hour. Dr. DeCosta,Philadelphia. 
Take— 

Ammonia Muriat ) » _ . K . 1A _ 
Potassai Chloral \ of each 5 t0 10 
Mix—A dose every two hours for an 
adult. Dr. Loomis , 'New York. 


Burns and Scalds. 

Mix flour into a thin paste in olive 
oil or vaseline and apply, covering the 
entire burned surface—excluding the 
air; or, cover the burned surface with 
Bicarbonate Sodii—(baking soda), bind 
with cloth carefully, excluding air. Dr. 
II Hammersly, Erie. 

Cancer. 

Take— 

Arsenicus Acid .2 drachms. 

Mucilage Acacia.1 “ 

Mix to a paste, too thick to run, and 
apply on the diseased surface, if not 
exceeding an inch in diameter, cover 
with dry lint to absorb; after two or 
three days apply bread poultices. The 
slough then separates—wash clean with 
castile soap and water, and use simple 
salve. London Cancer Hospital. 

To relieve pain in cancer of the 
breast. 

Take— 

Plumbi Acetatus.15 grains. 

Aqua Distillatur. 1 ounce. 

Mix—For local application. Dr. 
Gross, Philadelphia. 


Catarrh. 

Nasal, first cleanse with — 

Carbolic Acid. 1 grain. 

Sodse Bicarbonate_ ) n , K 

Boracis . fofeach5gr. 

Glycerine... 1 drachm. 

Water . 1 ounce. 

Mix—Then apply as a spray with an 

atomizer twice a day. 

Ferric Alum..5 grains. 

Water..1 ounce. 

Or apply as above 

Sulphate Zinc.3 grains. 

Tartaric Acid..3 grains. 

Water.1 ounce. 

Mix. 

Dr. Loomis , New York. 


Cholera. 


Take— 

Opium. 2 grains. 

Gum Camphor_2 “ 

Calomel.3 to 0 “ 

Sugar of Milk _15 “ 


Mix—Triturate thoroughly, and ad¬ 
minister in a teaspoonful of water; re¬ 
peat every half hour as long as neces¬ 
sary. Dr. Palmer, Ann Arbor. 

Take- 

Tincture Opium. 1 ounce. 

Tincture Capsicum. 1 “ 

Spirits Camphor. 1 “ 

Chloroform Pure.H drachms. 

Brandy.2 ounces. 

Mix—Teaspoonful doses every fifteen 
minutes until diarrhea is arrested, then 
increasing the interval between doses. 
Dr. J. Rhodes Wilkins , Chicago. 


Cholera Infantum. 

Take— 

Tincture Opium.12 drops. 

Mist Cretse.1£ ounces. 

Mix—A teaspoonful every two or 





























MOST APPROVED PROFESSIONAL REMEDIES. 


1213 


three hours to an infant one year old. 
Dr. Lewis Smith , New York. 

Take— 

Calomel...2 grains. 

Bicarbonate Sodae.'..1 scruple. 

Pulverized Zinziberis.__12 grains. 
Mix—Divide in twelve portions— 
Take one three or four times daily. Dr. 
H. Hartshorne, Philadelphia. 

Colic. 

Take— 

Carbolic Acid ) „ , . A _ , 

Chloroform \ oi eactl ’ 1 to 3 drachms. 

Water of Peppermint 1 to 3 ounces. 

Mix—Dose a tablespoonful, repeat in 
half an hour if necessary. Dr. G. 
Murchison , London. 

Flatulent Colic. 


Take— 

Water of Camphor.... 1 ounce. 

Spirits of Ether Compound 2 “ 

Tincture of Cardamom “ 4 drachms. 

Spirits of Anise. 6 “ 

Water of Peppermint.. 11 ounces 


Mix—Making six doses; take one as 
often as necessity requires. Dr. Von 
Hoffer, Amsterdam. 


Constipation. 

Take— 

Sulphate Magnesia_ 1 drachm. 

“ Quinine_ 1 grain. 

Mix—To be taken in a tumbler of 
warm water every morning. Dr. Wm. 
Thompson , New York. 

Take— 

Extract Cascara Sagrada Fluidum, 1 oz. 
“ Nux Vomica “ 1 scr. 

Glycerine add. .2 oz. 

Mix—Take a teaspoonful in the 
morning, fasting; in a glass of warm 
water. Dr. Hamilton, Springfield. 

Croup. 


Membranous, early stage, take— 
Syrup of Ipecac 5 to lO drops every 
5 minutes until vomiting occurs. Dr. 
Mentor , New York. 

Take— 

Sulphate of Quinine ...30 grains. 
Carbonate of Ammonia..30 grains. 

Syrup Senega_ 1 ounce. 

Syrup Acacia.1 “ 

Mix—Shake well, give a teaspoonful 
every fourth hour. Dr. Fordyce Barker , 
New York. 


Congestive Chills. 

Take— 

Tincture Opium.20 drops. 

Chloroform.. } drachm. 

Mix—Repeat in half an hour if neces¬ 
sary. 

Or— 

Morphine Sulphate. 1 grain. 

Atropiae .^ ‘ 

Mix—To be injected subcutaneously. 
These remedies may used at any stage 
of the chill without fear of prejudicing 
the subsequent career of the case. 

Consumption (Phthisis-Pulmon- 
alis) Chronic. 

Take— 

Iodide of Potassium_4 drachms. 

Syrup Tolu .3 ounces. 

“ Ipecac.1 “ 

Extract Verat Verid Fluid .1 drachm. 

Morphine Sulph.234 g ra 3 ns - 

Mix—Teaspoonful three to four times 
daily. Dr. A. B. Palmer , Ann Arbor. 
For cough, take— 

Morphine Acetat-2 grains. 

Potassii Cyanidi_1 

Acidi Acetici.1 drachm. 

Extract Pruni Virg. Fluidum 2 ounces. 

Mist Acacia.2 

Mix—A teaspoonful four to six times 
daily. Dr. J. M. DeCosta, Philadel¬ 
phia. 


Diabetes. 


Take— 

Tannic Acid.5 grains. 

Opium Pulverized..._1 “ 


Mix—To be taken thrice daily be¬ 
tween meals, and 

Tincture Ergotae 1 drachm, in water 
before each meal. 

Externally, take— 

Veratria.1 drachm. 

Cetacii Unguent.1 ounce. 

Mix—Rub a piece the size of a cherry 
thoroughly in along the spine, morning 
and evening. Dr. S. Gross, Philadel¬ 
phia. 

Diarrhea. 

Take— 

Acidi Sulphurici Aromatica 2i drachms. 

Tincture Opium.234 “ 

Syrup Simplicis.4 “ 

Water...2 ounces. 

Mix—A teaspoonful in a little sweet¬ 
ened water two to four times a day. 

Or take— 

Tincture Catechu.4 drachms. 

“ Opii Deodorized-3 “ 

Bismuth Sub-Nit.4 “ 

Aqua Cinnamomi ad.4 ounces. 

Mix—Take a teaspoonful every three 
to four hours until checked. Dr. Gar¬ 
wood, Texas. 


































1214 : 


MOST APPROVED PROFESSIONAL REMEDIES. 


Take— 

Tincture Opium.10 mimims. 

Ipecac Pulv.2 grains. 

Sodae Bicarbonate ....20 “ 

Syrupii.4 drachms. 

Aquae ad..11 ounces. 

Mix—A teaspoonful every hour. Dr. 
King Chambers, Utica . 

Diphtheria. 

Take— 

Tincture Terri Chloridi, 1 drachm. 

Potassa Chlorat.2 drachms. 

Acidi Hydrochloric Di¬ 
lute .20 minims. 

Tincture Capsicum... 1 drachm. 

Muriate Morphine. 34 grain. 

Syrup Limonis.22 drachms. 

Mix—Give a teaspoonful every two 
to three hours, as required. Dr. D. L. 
Miller , Chicago. 

In indication of exhaustion, 


Ammonia Carb. 8 grains. 

Tinct.Lindionia Comp,2 drachms. 

Syrupi Aurantii.3 drachms. 

Aqua, ad _ 4 ounces. 


Mix—Dessert to tablespoonful every 
four hours for a child four or five years 
old. 

— Dr. W. H. Day , London. 

For local application take— 

Chlorate Potassi.1 drachm. 

Boracis.1 drachm. 

Glycerine. 34 ounce. 

Mellis ..34 ounce. 

Mix—the throat to be mopped out 
with a little of this solution frequently 
during the day. Dr. W. H Day , Lon¬ 
don. 

Local treatment— 

Glycerine..1 ounce. 

Acidi Thymic.. 6 to 10 grains. 

Sodii Borat.4 drachms. 

Aqua Camphor.4 ounces. 

Picis Liquid .5 ounces. 

Mix—Atomize freely every 2 to 3 
hours. Dr. Jas. Warren , Boston. 
Antiseptic Gargle— 

Chlorine Water Dil... 3 ounces. 

Alcohol.1 drachm. 

Mix. Gargle often as required, or 

Carbolic acid.2 grains. 

Aqua.1 ounce. 

Mix— Gargle—often as required.— 

Dr. S- B. Palmer , Ann Arbor. 

Dropsy. 


Pulverized Scillae.134 grains. 

“ Digitalis_ 34 grain. 

Blue Mass.2 grains. 


Mix. Make one pill. Take three 
times a day. Dr. J. Rhodes Wilkins , 
Chicago. 


Or take— 

Sulphate Quinia_12 grains. 

Terri Lactatis .12 grains. 

Extract Digitalis ... 3 grains. 
Mix. Make six pills. Take one 
every hour. Dr. Greensville , Dowell 
Texas. 

Dysentery. 


Take— 

Pulverized Opium.134 grains. 

Nitrate Potassii.5 grains. 

Calomel.. 1 grain. 


Mix—To be taken every two hours 
until pains and tenesmus are relieved 
and patient inclined to sleep. Dr. N. 
S. Davis , Chicago. 

Or take— 

Pulverized Catechu_2 drachms. 

“ Acacia_jounce. 

Water. 6 ounces. 

Mix. Give a tablespoonful every 
two hours. 

Dyspepsia. 


Take— 

Sub-carbonate Bismuth.3 drachms. 

Sulphate Morphia.1 grain. 

Pulverized Aromatica.1 drachm. 


Mix. Divide into twelve portions. 
Take one in milk before each meal. 
Dr. Robert Bartholow , Philadelphia. 

If the bowels are irritable, take— 
Sub-nitrate Bismuth...5 drachms. 
Muriate Morphine ...% grain. 

Mix. Divide into twenty portions.— 
Take one after meals. Dr. Palmer , 


Ann Arbor. 

Or take— 

Pepsin ..3 drachms. 

Acidi Muriati, Dil.1 drachm. 

Strychnia. 1 grain. 

Glycerin.2 ounces. 

Tincture Cinchoni Com¬ 
pound ad. 6 ounces. 


Mix. Dose — a teaspoonful after 
meals. 

Earache. 

Appty heat and moisture until reliev. 
ed. 

In addition, saturate a small bit of 
absorbent cotton with— 

Sweet oil . 1 drachm. 

Tinct. Opii.10 drops. 

Mix well and fill the ear cavity— 
cleanse thoroughly with warm water 
twice a day, then renew. Dr. Swan- 
nell , Dublin. 

Eczema. 


Take— 

Bi-carbonate Potass.30 grains. 

Water Dist... 1 pint. 


Mix. Use as a "wash twice a day.— 
Dr. R Farquharson , London. 













































MOST APPROVED PROFESSIONAL REMEDIES. 


1215 


Or take— 

Syrup Tolu.% ounce. 

Yirn Terri .. 1 ^ ounce. 

Liquor Arsenicalis_12 drops.' 

Aquae Anethi. i ounce! 

Mix. A teaspoonful after meals for 
a child two years old. 

Enlargement of the Heart 
(Hypertrophy). 


Take— 

Acetate of Lead_^ drachm. 

Pulv. Opium.. 5 grains. 

Confectio Kosarum_qs. 


Mix. Make twenty pills. Take one 
three times a day. Dr. Hartshorne, 
Philadelphia. 

Enlarged Spleen (Ague Cake.) 

Take— 

Sulphate Quinine_1 drachm. 

Ferri Sulph Exsic_drachms. 

Mix. Make thirty pills. Take four 
or five during the day. 

Or take— 

Pil Terri Carbonat_1 drachm. 

Acidi Arseniosi.1 grain. 

Sulph. Quinine_2 scruples. 

Mix. Make forty pills. Take two 
pills three times a day. Dr. R. Barth- 
olow , Philadelphia. 

Epileptic Fits. 

Take— 

Potassii Bromidi.25 grains. 

Tincture Belladonme.5 minims. 

Aqua ad .1 drachm. 

Mix. To be taken three times daily. 
N. Y. Insane Asylum. 

Or take— 

Tincture Digitalis_20 to 40 minims. 

Potassii Bromidi.2 scruples. 

Syrup AurantiL.. 3 drachms. 

Aqua ad.4 ounces. 

Mix. A tablespoonful three times a. 
day for children six to twelve years of 
age. 

Erysipelas. 

Take— 

Argenti Nitrat .A scruple. 
Acid Nitrici Dilute. 10 drops. 

Aqua .1 ounce. 

Mix. Paint this daily over the affec¬ 
ted parts, at the same time giving in¬ 
ternally— 

Acid Nitrici Dilute. .1 drachm. 

Syrup Zinziberis- % ounce. 

Aqua.ounces. 

Mix. A tablespoonful every four 
hours. Dr- Wm. A. Netley, Boston. 


Felon. 


To prevent— 

Apply a high degree of heat and 
moisture. Cover the entire affected 
surface with a plaster of cantharides, 
which, if applied early and draw as 
full blister, will arrest the further de¬ 
velopment. 


Fever and Ague. 

Take— 

Quinine Sulphate...10 grains. 

Capsicum, Pulv.3 grains. 

Opium “ _1 grain. 

Mix—A dose to be administered 
three or four hours before the chill is 
expected. Dr. Alonzo Clark , New 
York. 

Or take— 

Quinine Sulph.20 grains. 

Ipecac, Pulv.5 grains. 

Calomel. 2 grains. 

Piperin. 4 grains. 

Mix—Divide into five parts—to be 
taken every three hours during the in¬ 
termission. Dr. J. Rhodes , Wilkins , 
Chicago. 


Fits (Infantile Convulsions.) 

Take— 

Potassii Bromidi.2 to 6 grains. 

Aqua. .1 drachm. 

Mix. To be given every 15 to 20 

minutes. 

In addition, take— 

Chloral Hydrat.5 grains. 

Aqua. \\ ounces. 

Mix. Inject per rectum every ten to 
twenty minutes. Dr. L. Smith , New 
York. 

First give a purgative dose of calo¬ 


mel—followed by— 

Chloral Hydrat.4 grains. 

Potassii Bromidi_ 8 grains. 

Aqua._.1 drachm. 

Syrup.-1 drachm. 


Mix. Dose for a child two years old. 
Dr- A Jacobi , New York. 


Gout. 

Take— 

Ipecac Pulv.1 grain. 

Extract Colchicum Acetalis...l grain. 

Calomel.1 grain. 

Extract Aloes.1 grain. 

Extract NucisYomicia.grain. 


Mix for a dose. One every three 
hours until the specific purgative action 
is obtained. Dr. A. Loomis , New 
York. 





































1210 


MOST APPROVED PROFESSIONAL REMEDIES, 


Gonorrhea, Gleet. 


Zinci Sulphatis.10 grains. 

Ferri Sulphatis.10 grains. 

Cupri Sulphatis.10 grains. 

Aluminus._.10 grains. 

Aqua. 8 ounces. 


Mix. Use as an injection at first, 
diluted with three times its bulk in 
water, gradually increasing until its 
full strength is used or the discharge 
ceases, after which it should be gradu¬ 
ally decreased in strength. Dr. Birk- 
ley Hill , London. 


Copaibae. 2 drachms. 

Cubebse.ounce. 


Cera Alba, qs. 

Mix. Make 120 pills. Take ten 
pills three times a day. Dr. Howard 
Johnston , N. Y. 

Hay Fever (Hay Asthma.) 

Take— 

Bromide. 34 drachm. 

Alcoholis.4 ounces. 

Mix. A small quantity placed in a 
wide mouth vial and vaporized by the 
warmth of the hand—the vapor should 
be snuffed into the nose—repeat as in¬ 
dicated. Dr. R. Bartholow, Philadel¬ 
phia. 

Take— 

Potassae Bromidi.6 drachms. 

Extract Grindelia Robusta. 2 ounces. 

“ Eucalipti Glob FI..2 ounces. 

Tincture Stramonii..4 drachms. 

Mix. A teaspoonful every four to 
six hours in a little sweetened water in 
addition. 

Heart Disease (Angina Pectoris.) 

Take— 

Liquor Arsenicalis_5 minims. 

Aqua.1 ounce. 

A dose—to be taken three times a 
day. Dr. F. E. Austie , London. 

Or take— 

Chloroform.2 drachms. 

Spirits Ammonia Aromatica 2 drachms. 

“ 2Etheris Compositus. 34 ounce. 
Tincture Opium, camphor¬ 
ated ... 34 ounce. 

Mucilage Acacia. 34 ounce. 

Mix. A teaspoonful as indicated.— 
Dr. H. Hartshorne , Philadelphia. 

Hemorrhage of Lungs. 

Take— 

Gallic Acid.20 grains. 

Repeat every ten minutes until hem¬ 
orrhage ceases. 


Or take— 

Cupri Sulphatis.34 grain. 

Ferri Sulphatis. 2 grains. 

Extract Hyoscyamii.1 grain. 

Mix. Make one pill. Take three 
times a day for persistent slight hem¬ 
orrhage. Mr. F. DeCosta , Philadelphia. 

Take— 

Plumbi Acetas.2 scruples. 

Pulverized Digitalis_1 scruple. 

“ Opium.10 grains. 

Mix—Make 20 pills. Take one 
every four hours. Dr. Robert Bartholow , 
Philadelphia. 


Hepatitis of the Liver. 

Early stage, take— 

Tartar Emetic.4 to % grain. 

Take every two to four hours. Dr. 
Wm. A. Netley , Boston. 

Take— 

Ammonia Muriatis. 34 ounce. 

Hydrarg Chlorid Carros.. .134 grains. 

Extract Conii Fluidum_5 drachms. 

Syrup Glycyrhyza.---434 ounces. 

Mix. A teaspoonful diluted in water 
four times a day. Dr. N. 8. Davis , Chi¬ 
cago. 


Hypertrophy of the Heart. 


Take— 

Digitalis Pulv.4 grain. 

, Ferri Sulph.4 grain. 

Capsici.4 grain. 


Extract Gentian, qs. 

Mix—make one pill—take after each 
meal. Dr. W. A. Netley. 

Or take— 

Tincture Digitalis..3 minims. 
Tincture Hyoscyamii 5 minims. 

Syrupi Aurantii_4 drachm. 

Aqua Camphorae___4 drachms. 
Mix—For a child 5 years old; give 
every 6 hours. Dr. E. Ellis , New Zea¬ 
land. 

Or— 

Extract Ergotae Fluidum ... 34 ounces. 

Tincture Digitalis.4 ounce. 

Mix—Take 20 drops 3 times a day. 


Incontinence of Urine (Enur- 
osis.) 

Take— 

Extract Rhus. Arom,Fluid.. 14 ounces. 

Extract Ergotae Fluid. 1 ounce 

Tincture Nux Vomica.4 drachms. 

Elixir Simplic. 2 ounces. 

Mix—Take ten to fifteen drops three 
times daily in sweetened water—child 
five years old. Dr. N. 8. Davis , Chi¬ 
cago. 


































most approved professional remedies. 


1217 


grain, 
grains. 


Or take— 

Strychnia. 1 

Cantharid.es Pulv_2 _ 

Morphia Sulph.H grains. 

Ferri Pulv......l scruple. 

Mix—Make 40 pills; give one three 
times a day—child ten j^ears old. To 
which add a cold shower bath—care¬ 


ful diet—scant but cooling drink, ly¬ 
ing on the side—pure air, wholesome 
exercise—regular habits. Dr. S’. D. 
Gross, Philadelphia. 


Inflammation of the Bowels 
(Acute Enteritis). 

Take— 

Subnitrate Bismuth_1 drachm. 

Lactopeptin... \ drachm. 

Pulv Cretae Compound. 1 scruple. 

Pulv. Opium.10 grains. 

Mix—Divide into ten portions. Take 
one three times a day. 

Or take— 

Pulv. Opium.1 grain. 

Pulv. Ipecac.1 to 8 grams. 

Pulv. Calomel.1 grain. 

Mix—For a dose—take every three 
hours, and in addition, take— 

Liquor Ammonia Acetatus._l ounce. 

Spirits Etheris Nitrosi.1 ounce. 

Mix—Take a teaspoonful in a little 
water between each of the powders. 
Dr. X. S. Davis , Chicago. 


Inflammation of the Bladder 
(Ceptitis.) 

Copaibse.1 ounce. 

Morphia Sulphas_2 grains. 

Pulv. Acacise.2 drachms. 

Sacch. Alba.2 drachms. 

Olei Gaultheriae... 10 drops. 

Aqua.6 ounces. 

Mix—Take a teaspoonful to adessert- 
spoonful three or four times daily. Dr. 
S■ D. Gross, Philadelphia. 

Or take— 

Extract Hyoscyamii Fluidum 1 drachm. 
Extract Hydrastes Fluidum 1 drachm. 
Lithiated Hydrangia (Lam¬ 
bert’s) ad.-6 ounces. 

Mix—Take a teaspoonful in linseed 
tea three or four times each day. Dr. 
J. Rhodes Wilkins , Chicago. 


Inflammation of the Eyes (Con- 
junctivus.) 

Simple, take— 

Plumbi acetatus-15 grains. 

Morphia acetat_ Yz grain. 

Aqua Dist.2 ounces.. 

Mix—Bathe the eye several times 

during the day. 


Or take— 

Sulphas Zinci.... ..12 grains. 

Morphia acetat. y z grain. 

Aqua Dist.2 ounces. 

Mix—and bathe the eye frequently. 
Keep the inflamed parts free from ex¬ 
posure to wind, light, cold cr heat,, 
give a cooling purgative at night. 


Inflammation of the Bladder 
(Acute Nephritis.) 


Take— 

Infusion Digitalis.1 Yt ounces. 

Spiritus Aetheris Nitrosi 6 drachms. 

Syrup Simplicis.>4 ounce. 

Aqua Dist..bounces. 


Mix—Dose, a tablespoonful three 
times a day. Dr. J. Rhodes Wilkins , 
Chicago. 

Chronic, take— 

Tinct. Ferri Perchloridi_2 drachms. 

Spiritus Aetheris Nitrosi...4 drachms. 
Infusion Quassia ad ... 6 ounces. 

Mix—A tablespoonful three times a 
day. Dr. G. btewart , Edinboro. 

Inflammation of the Stomach 
(Acute Gastritis.) 

If the stomach be overloaded give as 
an emetic— 

Ipecac.20 grains 

Antimony Tartrat... 1 grain. 

Mix—Produce free vomiting with an 
abundance of warm water. Dr. Wm. A. 
Nettley. 

Or take— 

Tannin__ .10 grains. 

Aqua Dist..8 ounces. 

Mix—Give a teaspoonful every two 
hours where there is great purging but 
no vomiting. 

Chronic, take— 

Extract Hyoscyamii-.1 grain. 


Opium Pulv.54 grain. 

Argentum Nitrat .. grain. 


Mix—Make pill; take one four times 
daily. Dr. N. S. Davis , Chicago. 

Inflammation of the Womb 
(Urctritis.) 

Chronic, take— 

Magnesia Sulphatis..2 ounces. 

Ferri Sulpliatis.1G grains. 

Acidi Sulp. Dilut_1 drachm. 

Aqua._1 pint. 

• Mix—Two tablespoonfuls in a tum- 
ber of iced water daily on rising. 

Or take— 

Sodii et Potas. Tart.2 ounces. 

Vini Ferri Amiri.2 ounces. 

Acid Tartarici.3 drachms. 

Aqua.14 ounces. 

































1218 


MOST APPROVED PROFESSIONAL REMEDIES. 


Mix—Two tablespoonfuls as above. 
Reliance should be on the observance 
of proper hygiene, pure air and per¬ 
fect rest. Dr. Thomas, New York. 

Irritable Bladder. 

Take— 

Potassia Bicarbonate...1 ounce. 

Tincture Hyoscyamii Fluidum 4 drachm. 
Extract Hydrastis Fluidum ..1 drachm. 

Infusion Flax Seed ad.6 ounces. 

Mix—Take a teaspoonful after meals 
and at bed time. Dr. Holman, Savan¬ 
nah. 

Jaundice. 

Take— 

Calomel.3 grains. 

Opium Pulv.2 grains. 

Bismuth Sub. Nit_2 y 2 scruples. 

Mix—Divide in six portions, take 
one every three hours. Dr. Wm. Pepper, 
Philadelphia. 

If malarial, take— 

Quinise Sulph.2 scruples. 

Ferri Sulp. Exsic_1 scruple. 

Acidi Arseniosi_1 grain. 

Mix—Make twenty pills; take one 
three times a day. Dr. 11. Bartholow , 
Philadelphia. 

Leucorrhea. 

Take tincture Ferri Chloridi; dose, 
25 drops in w T ater three times a day. 

In addition-- 

Keep the bowels free with Magnesia 
Calcined, l / 2 drachm every alternate 
night. 

Also— 

Use warm water freely as a vaginal 
injecta through a fountain syringe 
twice a week. Dr. I. Rhodes Wilkins 
Chicago. 

Or take— 

Ferri Subcarbonas_5 grains. 

Magnesia Calcined_15 grains. 

HydrargCum. Creta.,10 grains. 
Mix—A dose, once or twice a day. 
Dr.J. Rhodes Wilkins, Chicago. 

Menstruation, Suppressed 
(Amenorrhea.) 

With Amemia, take— 


Arsenic.1 grain. 

Ferri Sulp. Exsic_ l / 2 drachm. 

Pulv. Pip. Nig.1 drachm. 


Fil. Aloes et Myrrh...1 drachm. 
Mix—Make forty pills; take one pill 
twice daily after meals. Dr. I. M. 
Fothergill , London. 

Or take— 

Tincture Sanguinaria 2 drachms. 

Tincture Aloes. y 2 ounce. 

Tinct. Nucis Vomicia2 drachms. 


Mix—Take twenty drops two or three 
times daily. Dr. R. Bartholow, Phila¬ 
delphia. 

Menstruation, Delayed (Chlor¬ 
osis.) 

Take— 

Hydrarg Chlorid Garros.. 1 to 2 grains. 
Liquor Arsenici Chlorid.. L drachm. 

Tincture Ferri Chlorid_4 drachms. 

Acid Hydrochlo Diluti...4 drachms. 

Syrupi.3 ounces. 

Aqua. 6 ounces. 

Mix—Take one dessertspoonful in a 
wineglassful of water after each meal. 
Or take— 

Ferri Muriatis Tincturae_1 ounce. 

Hydrastis Extract Fluidum.2drachms. 

Doveri Syrup.1 ounce. 

Mix—Shake well, dose, a small tea¬ 
spoonful in water three or four times a 
day. Dr. J. Rhodes Wilkins, Chicago. 

Menstruation, Excessive (Men¬ 


orrhagia.) 

Take— 

Acidi Gallici. l / 2 drachm. 

Acidi Sulphurici Dil_1 drachm. 

Tinct. Opii Deodorat.1 drachm. 

Infus. Rosae Comp.4 ounces. 

Mix—Take a tablespoonful every 
four hours or oftener. 

Or take— 

Fluid Extract Ipecac_2 drachms. 

Fluid Extract Ergot.4 drachms. 

Fluid Extract Digitalis...2 drachms. 


Mix—Take thirty drops to a tea¬ 
spoonful every two to four hours. Dr. 
R. Bartholow, Philadelphia. 

Menstruation, Painful (Dysmen- 


orrhoea.) 

Take— 

Fluid Extract Ergotoe..7 drachms. 

Tincture Gelsem Comp_ 1 drachm. 

Tincture Aconite Rad.16 drops. 

Mix—A teaspoonful every two to 
four hours in congestive. Dr. R. Bar¬ 
tholow, Philadelphia. 

Chloral Hydrat.1 drachm. 

Spirits Etheris.2 drachms. 

Liquor Opii. Sedativi_ y 2 drachm. 

Tincture Hyoscyamii_3 drachms. 

Spirit Chloroformi.2 drachms. 

Aqua ad. .. 6 ounces. 


Mix—A tablespoonful evefy two 
hours. 

Miliary Fever, 

Take— 

Tartarici Acidi.1 drachm. 

Doveri Syrup. 1 drachm. 

Mix—Dose a teaspoonful every three 
or five hours. Drink cold lemonade. 

If costive, take a seidlitz powder. 





























MOST APPROVED PROFESSIONAL REMEDIES. 


1219 


Milk Leg (Phlegmasia Dolens.) 

Take— 

Tine. Saponis Comp..6 ounces. 

Tincture Opii. \y 2 ounce. 

Tincture Aconite Rad y 2 ounce. 

Extract Belladonnae..^ ounce. 

Mix—As a liniment. Gently rub the 
surface toward the trunk continuing 
rubbing fifteen to twenty minutes, 
every six hours. In the interval keep 
the leg enveloped in cotton batting 
covered with oiled silk. Dr. Fordyce 
Barker , New York. 

In the outset observe a low diet, and 
above all continued rest in a horizontal 
position, the limb slightly elevated. 
Local depletion relieves the overgorged 
veins and tissues. At the subsidence 
of violent symptoms prostration ensues, 
and a sustaining treatment must be 
adopted. 

Neuralgia. 

Take— 

Quinine Sulphat_2 drachms. 

Morphise Sulph_3 grains. 

Strychnia . ___2 grains. 

Acidi Arseniosi_3 grains. 

Extract Aconite.... 30 grains. 

Mix—Divide and make sixty pills. 
Take once to four times daily. Dr. S. 
D. Gross, Philadelphia. 


Or take— 

Chloral Hydrate.1 drachm. 

Camphone Pulv.1 drachm. 

Morphia Sulp.2 grains. 

Chloroformi.40 minims. 


Mix—Dose, thirty to forty drops on 
sugar or in a capsule. Dr. R. Bar- 
tholow, Philadelphia. 

Night Sweats. 

Take— 

Acidi Sulphuricum Aromatica 2 drach. 


Tincture Opii.1 drach. 

Syrup Simplicis.4 drach. 

Aqua Dist.2ounces. 


Mix—Take a teaspoonful in a little 
sweetened water or lemonade two to 
four times a day. Dr. Humphreys 
Warner , Louisville. 

In Phthisis, take— 

Dextro Quinine_1 drachm 

Acidi Sulph. Dil_2 drachms. 

Syrup Zinziberis_1 ounce. 

Aqua ad.4 ounces. 

Keasby & Mattison , Philadelphia. 

Palsy (Paralysis.) 

Dr Aiken’s pill: 

Quinine Sulph.1 grain. 

Acidi Arseniosi.g ra j n - 

Strychnia..A grain. 

Forri Redact.- % grain. 

Mix for one pill. Take three daily. 


Or take— 

Strychnia. ..1 grain. 

Extract Hyosicamii Fluidum 6 grains. 

Syrup of Ipecac.4 drachms 

Tincture ( inchonii ad. 6 ounces. 


Mix. A teaspoonful four times a 
day. Dr. J. Rhodes Wilkins , Chicago. 

Peritonitis. 


Take— 

Opii Pulv.20 grains. 

Camphora Pulv_5 grains. 

Ipecac Pulv.4 grains. 


Potassii Bromidi.. 2 scruples. 

Mix—Divide into 20 portions. Take 
one every four to eight hours. Dr. J. 
R. Wilkins , Chicago. 

Or take— 

Morphia Sulp.4 grains. 

Potassii Bromidi_1 drachm. 

Camphora Pulv_ 8 grains. 

Mix. Divide into 30 portions. Take 
one every four to six hours. Dr. Hallo¬ 
way , Lexington. 

Piles (Hemorrhoids.) 

Take— 

Liquor Magnet carbonat.i ounce. 

Potassii Bicarbonat_ 1 scruple. 

Tincture Senna.2 ounces. 

Spirits jEtheris Ritrosi, i drachm. 

Aqua. 2 ounces. 

Mix. Take this every morning, 
fasting in addition. Externally, smear 
the parts with the following: 

Extract Belladonna_ ^2 ounce. 

“ Opii Pulv .. .. jounce. 
Dr. Wm. Allington, London. 

For bleeding piles, take— 

Ferri Sulphatis__1 scruple. 

Extract Aloes Aquosi.._l drachm. 

“ Taraxaci.qs 

Mix. Divide — Make sixty pills. 
Take one morning and evening or 
three times a day if necessary. Dr. 
Fordyce Barker , N. Y. 

Pleurisy (Acute Pleuritis ) 

Take— 

Tincture Aconite Rad..2 drachms. 

“ Opii Deodorat 6 drachms. 

Mix. Take eight drops in. water 
every hour or two. Dr. Bartholow , Phil¬ 
adelphia. 

Or Take— 

Potassii Acetatis.15 grains. 

Spiritus JEtheris Nit.__^ drachm. 

Vini Ipecacuan.3 drops. 

Syrup Tolutani.drachm. 

Mix. For a dose four times daily— 
at the same time applying turpentine 
stupes to the affected side. Dr. De- 
Costa , Philadelphia. 




























1220 


MOST APPROVED PROFESSIONAL REMEDIES. 


Pneumonia. 


First stage, take— 

Quinina Sulph.3 grains. 

Calomel.1 grain. 

Sanguinaria Pulv- i grain. 

Glycyrrhiza Pulv-1 grain. 


Mix. One dose—repeat every four 
hours. 

In addition, take— 

Liquor Ammonia Acetatis... 2 ounces. 
Tincture Opii Camphorated. .2 ounces. 

“ Aconite Rad.1 ounce. 

Mix. Dose — a teaspoonful with 
above. Also externally, cover at the 
same time the affected side with a 
warm linseed poultice. Dr. N. 8. Davis , 
Chicago. 

Poison Oak and Poison Vine 
(Skin Poisoning.) 


Take— 

Acetatus Plumbi.1 scruple. 

Tincture Opii.2 scruples. 

Aqua Dist.6 ounces. 


Mix. Cover the affected spot with a 
cloth saturated with above solution, 
renewing as often as necessary. 

Quinsy (Tonsilitis.) 

Take— 

Acidi Carbolici..20 grains. 

Glycerine. 1 ounce 

Sodii Chloridi. 1 drachm. 

Aqua Ferv. % pint. 

Mix. Gargle to be used every half 
hour. 

Or take— 

Tincture Ferridi MuriatL.l ounce. 

Dose, twenty drops in two table- 
spoonsful of water and gargle every 
few hours. 

Remittent, or Bilious Fever. 
Continued Fever. 

Take— 

Spiritus iEtheris Nit. .1)4 ounces. 

Tincture Opii Camphor 1)4 ounces. 

“ Veratri Viridis 1 drachm. 

Mix. A teaspoonful in two table¬ 
spoonfuls of water every two or three 
hours until pulse is reduced to 70 or 75; 
then widen interval between doses.— 
Dr. N. 8. Davis , Chicago. 


Or take— 

Acidi Hydrobromici___l drachm. 

Syrupi Simplicis.2 drachms. 

Aqua ad.1 ounce. 


Mix for a dose.—Take every hour.— 
Dr. Fothergill , London. 


Retention of Urine. 

Take— 

Magnesia Sulphatis—30 grains. 
Potassii Bicarbonate .20 grains. 

“ Nitratis ..*1.-10 grains. 

Aqua. 1 ounce. 

Mix and take at a draught. Sir F. 
Paget , London. 

Or take— 

Spiritus .Etheris Nit..l drachm. 

Syrup Ipecac _—15 minims. 

Tinct. Opii Camph... 1 drachm. 
Mix for a dose. Take every hour if 
necessary. Dr. J. Rhodes Wilkins, Chi¬ 
cago. 

Rheumatism, Acute. 


Ammonia Bromidi.i ounce. 

Tincture Aurantii Cort.jounce. 

Aqua.2£ ounces. 


Mix. Dose, a dessertspoonful every 
three hours. Dr. DaCosta , Philadel¬ 
phia. 

Or take— 

Acidi Salicylici.160 grains. 

Potassii Acetatis_320 grains. 

Glycerine. 1 ounce. 

Aqua qs. add.1- 4 ounces. 

Mix. Dose, a teaspoonful every two 
or three hours. Dr. W. Wilson , Lon¬ 
don. 

Rheumatism, Chronic. 

Muscular, take— 

Ammonia Muriatis..1 ounce. 

Extract Cimicifuga Fluidum.2 ounces. 

Syrup Simplici..1 ounce. 

Aqua Laur Cerasi._1 ounce. 

Mix. Dose, a teaspoonful three or 


four times a day. Dr. R. Bartholow, 
Philadelphia. 

Or take— 

Ferri Sulphatis.45 grains. 

Extract Colchicum AceticL.22 grains. 

“ Cannabis Indica.15 grains. 

“ Stramonii..10 grains. 

Pulv. Aloes .10 grains. 


Mix. Make forty-five pills. Take 
one before each meal until the bowels 
regularly move once each day. Dr. N. 
8. Davis, Chicago. 

Rickets 

Of Syrup Ferri Iodidi take 8 to 10 
drops in water three times daily. Dr. 
Jacobi , N. Y. 

Or take— 

Vini Ferri.1£ ounces. 

Syrup Tolulanti.3 drachms. 

Liquor Potassii Arsenit... 1 drachm. 

Aqua ad. 4 ounces. 

Mix. A teaspoonful in a table¬ 
spoonful of water three times a day, 
after meals—for a child five to ten 
years old. 




































MOST APPROVED PROFESSIONAL REMEDIES. 


1221 


Salt Rheum or Tetter (Psoriasis) 

Liquor Potassii Arsenitis \y 2 drachms. 

Vim Ferri.... .4ounces. 

Mix—Dose, a teaspoonful three times 
daily alter meals, in a wineglassful of 
water. Dr. Duhring , Philadelphia. 

Or take— 

Sapo Viridis.4 ounces. 

Oleum Picis.1 ounce. 

Glycerinae.1 ounce. 

Aleum EosemarinL_l>£ drachms. 
Spirits Yini Rect ,.y z pint. 
Mix—For external use. Dr. Hyde , 
Chicago. 


Scarlet Fever. 

Mild form with enlarged tonsils, 
take— 

Magnesia Sulphat_6 drachms. 

Aqua.8 ounces. 

Solve and add— 

Pulv. Guaiacai.1 y 2 drachms. 

Pulv. Tragacanth Comp 2 scruples. 

Mix—Dose, one-sixth part of this 
mixture to be given every four hours 
until the bowels are freely moved. Dr. 
Wm. A. Netley, Boston. 

Declining stages, take— 


Ammonia C'arbonat. Yz drachm. 

Ferri and Ammon Cetrat. _ - y 2 drachm. 

Syrupi . 4 ounces. 

Mix—Dose, one or two teaspoonfuls 
every tw r o or three hours for a child. 
Dr. L. Smith , New York. 


Sciatica. 

Take— 

Copaiba.2 ounces. 

Tincture Lavenidula..2 drachms. 
Tincture Hyoscyamii.2 drachms. 
Potassii Bicarbonate £ drachm. 

Mucilag Acacise. '/z drachm. 

Aqua.3 ounces. 

Mix—Take two teaspoonfuls every 
four hours. Dr. Garwood , Austin. 

Scrofula. 


Take— 

Potassii Iodidi.1 drachm. 

Potassii Chlorat_1 drachm. 

Potassii Bicarbonat. 3 drachms. 


Mix—Divide into twelve portions. 
Take one night and morning in half a 
pint of warm milk (for adult). Dr. 
Ericksen , Stockholm. 

Or take— 

Calcii Sulphidi..--^ to i grain. 

Sacch Lactis.10 grains. 

Mix—For a dose take from four to 
six daily. Make fresh daily and con¬ 
tinue several weeks. 


Scurvy (Purpura—Purpura Scor. 
butica.) 


Take— 

Acidi Gallici.| drachm. 

Acidi Sulph Dilute.1 drachm. 

Tincture Opii Deodo..1 drachm. 

Infuso Rosae Comp .4 ounces. 


Mix—Dose, a tablespoonful every 
four hours or oftener. Dr. ti. Bar- 
tholow, Philadelphia. 

With debility take— 


Quinine Sulph.3 grains. 

Acid Sulph. Dil.10 drops. 

Aqua ad.ounce. 


Mix—for a dose, and take this 
amount three times daily. Dr. A. Ja¬ 
cobi , New York. 


Seminal Emissions. 

Constitutional treatment is indicated; 
no specific remedies can be relied up¬ 
on. A very good tonic combination for 
these cases is— 

Strychniae.1 grain. 

Quinin Sulph.% ounce. 

Tincture Ferri Chloridi i ounce. 
Glycerinae.4 ounces. 

Mix—Dose, half a teaspoonful in a 
glass of water four times a day, before 
meals if the stomach tolerates it. 


Or take— 

Strychniae. 1 grain. 

Quinin Sulph. % drachm. 

Ferri Pyrophosphate 2 drachms. 

Spirits Chloroformi_3 drachms. 

Glycerinae._4 ounces. 


Mix—Dose, a teaspoonful in a wine- 
glassful of water four times a day. 


Sick Headache. 

First give emetic; Ipecac 15 grains. 
Divide into three portions give one 
every 5 minutes, warm water freely. 
Then take— 

Chloralis.1 drachm. 

Aquae.2 ounces 

Mix—Dose, a tablespoonful every 
hour until sleep is produced. Dr. H. 
L. Byrd , Harrisburg. 

Or take—■ 

Camphor Pulv.20 grains. 

Extract Cannabis Ind_12 grains. 
Extract Hyoscyamii.-.24 grains. 
Mix—Divide, make 12 pills. Take 
one a night; repeat every two hours if 
necessary to produce sleep. Dr. W. A. 
Netley , Boston. 






























m2 


MOST APPROVED PROFESSIONAL REMEDIES. 


Small Pox. 

In early stages, take— 

Sodii Hyposulphit.,10tol5 grains. 

Mint Water.qs. 

Take every four hours. 

In secondary fever, take— 

Ammonii Carbonatis.l Y grains. 
Aqua Camphor.. . 3 l 4 ounces. 

Syrupii Simplicis. Y ounce. 

Mix—'Fake a teaspoonful in a table¬ 
spoonful of water every four hours. If 
necessary add moderate doses of tinc¬ 
ture Ferri Chloridii and Sulph. Quini. 
in malignant form, take— 

Sodii liyposulphitis..4 drachms. 

Acidi Carbolici.10 grains. 

Aquae Menthse.4 ounces. 

Mix—Shake the vial and give one 
teaspoonful in a tablespoonful of water 
every one or two hours until some ef¬ 
fect is obtained; then lengthen the in¬ 
terval between the doses. Dr. N. S. 
Dads, Chicago. 


one every three hours, if bowels do not 
move in four hours thereafter take a 
full dose of castor oil, taking, mean¬ 
while— 

Potassii Bromidi ...1 drachm. 

Acitat Morphiae_1 grain. 

Aqua .. .1 ounce. 

Mix—Take a teaspoon ul every 2. 3 
or 4 hours as needed. If brain trouble 
is excessive, apply fly blister on entire 
back of the neck; also irritate the en¬ 
tire spine with turpentine friction 
Further relief to the brain may be ob¬ 
tained with the rubber cap full of 
pounded ice on the head. 

N. B.—Under all circumstances keep 
the patient in a recumbent position 
even to stool. If the bladder is inac¬ 
tive add to formulae No. 2 in each 
dose, Spiritus Etheris Nitrosi one tea¬ 
spoonful in a tablespoonful of water. 

Spotted Fever (Typhus Fever.) 


Sore Throat. 

Take— 

Capsicum..f> grains. 

Boiling water ..2 ounces. 

Mix—Cool and gargle. 

Or take— 

Potassii Chlor.10 grains. 

Aqua .1 ounce. 

Mix—Use as a gargle when neces- 
s »ry. 

Spinal Disease. 


Spinal irritation, take— 

Strychniae Sulph. ^ grain. 

Acidi Phosphorici Dil.l drachm. 

Syrup Aurantii Cort_2 drachms. 

Aquae ... .2 drachms. 


Mix—Take this amount three times 
daily. Dr. Wm. Hammond , New York. 
Chronic Spinal Sclerosis, take— 


Hydrarg Chlorid Corrosii H grains. 

Sodii Iodidi.4 drachms. 

Tincture Stramonii.4 drachms. 

'Pine. Phyloctaccai Decant.2£ ounces. 
Elixir Simplicis.2 ounces. 


Mix—Dose, a teaspoonful in a small 
addition of sweetened water four times 
daily. Dr. N. S. Davis , Chicago. 

Spinal Meningitis, Cerebro. 


In early stage— 

Calomel. 6 grains. 

Ipecac..3 grains. 

Sodae Bicarb.5 grains. 

Bromide Quinine_10 grains. 


Mix—Divide into three portions, take 


Take— 

Quinini Sulp.i grain. 

Acidi Sulph. Dil_20 to 30 minims. 

^Ether Sulph.15 to 30 minims. 

Syrup Aurantii..60 minims. 

Decoc. Scopar Comp..l ounce. 

Mix—for a draught; may be taken 
every three or four hours. Dr. Wm. 
A Netley. 

Depressed stage, take— 

Acidi Nitro-Muriatic ..idrachm 
Spiritus JEtheris Nitrosi i ounce. 

Aqua Camph .5£ ounces. 

Mix—A tablespoonful every two or 
three hours. Dr. H Hartshorne , Phil¬ 
adelphia. 

Summer Complaint (Children). 

Take— 

Tincture Opii.10 minims. 

Ipecac Pulv.2 grains 

Sodae Bicarb..20 grains. 

Sirup. Yz ounce 

Aqua ad.ounces. 

Mix—Take half a teaspoonful every 
hour until relieved; then lengthen in¬ 
terval between doses—a child twelve 
years old. Dr. King Chambers , Dela¬ 
ware. 

Or take— 

Castor Oil.1 drachm. 

Acacise Pulv.1 scruple. 

Syrupi.1 drachm 

Tincture Opii.4 minims. 

Aqua Auranti Flor_._6 drachms. 
Mix—Dose—A teaspoonful every 
four hours for a child one year. 































MOST APPROVED PROFESSIONAL REMEDIES. 


1223 


Suppression of Urine. 


Take— 

Magnesia Sulphate.30 grains. 

Potassae Bicarbonate_20 “ 

“ JSitratis.10 “ 

Aqua..1 ounce. 

Mix—And take at a draught. Dr. 
F. Payet , London. 


Or take— 

Spiritus xEtheris Nitrosi. ...1 drachm. 

Syrup Ipecac ... . % “ 

Extract Hyoscyamii Fluid..4 minims. 

Mix—A dose—Take every hour until 
relieved. Dr. J. Rhodes Wilkins , Chi¬ 
cago. 


Syphilis. 


First year, take— 

Pil. Hydrarg.60 grains. 

Exsic Ferri Sulph.30 “ 


Mix—Make into thirty pills —Take 
one three times daily. Dr. F. N. Otis , 


New York. 

After first year, take— 

Hydrarg Biniodidi.3 grains. 

Potassii Iodidi.2 drachms. 

Tincture Aurantii Cort.lJ^ ounces. 
Syrup Aurantii Cort __.1}| “ 

Aqua Dist. ad ..8 “ 


Mix—A teaspoonful three times daily 
in half glass of water. Dr. F. N. Otis , 
New York. 


Syphilis, Secondary. 

Take— 

Pilulae Hydrarg.2 scruples. 

Ferri SulphExsiccate 1 “ 

Extract Opii .5 grains. 

Mix—And divide into twenty pills; 
take one from two to four times daily. 
Or take— 

Hydrargyri Cum Creta.2 scruples. 

Quinine Sulphatis.1 “ 

Mix—Divide into twenty pills, take 
one from two to four times daily. Dr. 
Blumstead , New York. 


Thrush Sore Throat (Aphthse). 

Take— 

Potassii Chloratis_1 drachm. 

Acidi Carbolici... 34 “ 

Aquae Dist..4 ounces. 

Mix, and apply directly to the 
affected part. Dr. R. Bartholow , Phila¬ 
delphia. 

Or take— 

Sodae Sulphitis.1 drachm. 

Aqua .. .1 ounce. 

Mix—And use as a wash. Sir Wm. 
Jenuer , London. 


Typhoid Fever. 

Take— 

Potassii Bromidi.1 drachm. 

Morphiae Sulp. _1 grain. 

Camphorae Pulv. ..10 “ 

Ipecac “ 3 “ 

Mix—Divide into six powders, dose 
one every three to six hours. Dr. A B. 
Palmer , Ann Arbor. 

Diarrhea in typhoid fever, take— 
OleiTerebinth . ..39 minims. 

Tincture Kino FI-2 drachms. 

Extract Opii Hiz..l0to25 mins. 
Mucil Amyli qs. ad.. .2 ounces. 
Mix—Make enema two orthree times 
in twenty-four hours if needed. Dr- 
Palmer , Ann Arbor. 


Typhus Fever. 

With typhoid symptoms, take— 

Quini. Sulp. . . 34 grain. 

Acid Sulph. Del.20 to 30 minims. 
Hither Sulph. ..15 to 30 “ 

Syrup Aurantii ..60 “ 

Decoc. Scopar Comp... 1 ounce. 
Mix—For a draught, to be given 
every three or four hours. Dr. W. A. 
Netley. 

In depression, take— 

Acidi Nitro Muriatic Dil. 15 to 20 

minims. 

Spiritus iEtheris Nitrosi_34 ounce. 

Aqua Camph- - 5% “ 

Mix—A tablespoonful every three or 
four hours. Dr. H. Hartshorne, Phila¬ 
delphia- 


Ulcers. 

Syphilitic, serpiginous, take— 
Hydrarg Chloridi Garros...34 drachm. 

Acidi Carbolici.1 “ 

Glycerinae.1 ounce. 

Aqua...15 ounces. 

Mix—Use as a wash. 

Or take— 

Ung. Hydrarg Nitratis_2 drachms. 

Bals Pure. 34 “ 

Gelati Petrolei.1 ounce. 

Mix—Spread on absorbent cotton 
and apply. Dr. Blumstead , New York. 


Wen (Sebaceous Cyst, Steoloma). 

Treatment exclusively surgical; sim¬ 
ply opening, or partial extirpation no 
use; a small investing membrane re¬ 
maining gives rise to new cysts. Make 
a straight incision across the entire in¬ 
volved surface; dissect out the entire 
cyst: if not entirely removed, destroy 
the remaining tissue with caustic. 
Ziemsen, Munich. 

























1224 


MOST APPROVED PROFESSIONAL REMEDIES. 


Whooping Cough. 

Take— 

Potassii Bromidi. 1 drachm. 

Bicarbonat. .12 grains. 
Spiritus Chloroform. 12 minims. 

Syrup Papaveris_ y 2 ounce. 

Aqua ... .. .3 ounces. 

Mix—Dose—A dessertspoonful every 
six hours—child 2 years old. Dr. 
Macrobin , Springfield. 

Or take- 

Syrup Scillae Comp. .1V 2 ounces. 
Tincture Sanguinarise.^ “ 

Opii Comp ...2 “ 

Potassae Bromidi.^ “ 

Mix—Dose—For child five years old, 
twenty drops in sweetened water every 
three to six hours as required. Dr. N. 
S. Davis , Chicago. 

Worms. 

Intestinal, take— 

Olei Chenopodii. 1 drachm. 

Mucilag Acaciae. 2 “ 

Syrup Simplicis. 1 ounces. 

Aqua Cinnamomi.... 2 “ 

Mix—A dessertspoonful three times 


a day for three days—repeat after 
several days Drs. Meigs & Pepper , 
Philadelphia. 

Or take— 

Acidi Carbolici.-10 to 20 drops. 

Glycerine.1 ounce. 

Potas Chlorat ad sat. 

Aqua. 8 ounces. 

Mix—Use as an enema for thread 
worms. Dr. W. H Van Buren , New 
York. 

Yellow Fever. 

In retching and vomiting, take— 


Morphia Sulphat.4 grains. 

Creosoti.1 drachm. 

Spirit! Vini Rect.4 ounces. 


Mix—A tablespoonful every three or 
four hours as needed. Dr. Dowell , 
Greenville , Texas. 

When fever is high, take— 

Hyd. Chlorid Mite... ..12 grains. 

Quinine ISulp.12 “ 

Pulv. Opii et Ippecac 12 “ 

Mix—Divide into four portions, take 
one every three hours. Dr. Dowell , 
Greenville, Texas. 

























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